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Product Description
Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield and initially starring former EastEnder Nick Berry as PC Nick Rowan, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines, with a host of colourful characters that viewers took to their hearts, and a wonderfully nostalgic soundtrack. Heartbeat ran for 18 years between 1992 and 2010, rapidly becoming staple Sunday-night viewing and winning several prestigious television awards - including Best Performing Peak-Time Drama in 1999 (beating Coronation Street), and a number of ITV Programme of the Year awards. Attracting a peak audience of 14 million and spawning a highly successful spin-off, The Royal, and a Top Ten hit single, the series has garnered a devoted following and remains prime-time viewing world-wide. Heartbeat is available here for the first time on DVD. This first series sees Nick and his doctor wife Kate (Niamh Cusack) settling in Aidensfield, having left the bustle of London behind. As villagers' initial suspicion gives way to acceptance, the couple become increasingly involved, both professionally and personally, in the daily life of the rural community. Bill Maynard also stars as the irrepressible Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, with guest appearances from, among others, Philip Glenister, Annette Crosbie, Eleanor Bron, John Duttine and Elizabeth Spriggs. SPECIAL FEATURE: Archive introductions on selected episodes by Nick Berry.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), SPECIAL FEATURES: 3-DVD Set, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Set during the 1960s in the fictional North Yorkshire village of Aidensfield and initially starring former EastEnder Nick Berry as PC Nick Rowan, this enduringly popular series interweaves crime and medical storylines, with a host of colourful characters that viewers took to their hearts, and a wonderfully nostalgic soundtrack. Heartbeat ran for 18 series between 1992 and 2010, rapidly becoming staple Sunday-night viewing and winning several prestigious television awards - including Best Performing Peak-Time Drama in 1999 (beating Coronation Street), and a number of ITV Programme of the Year awards. Attracting a peak audience of 14 million and spawning a highly successful spin-off, The Royal, and a Top Ten hit single, the series has garnered a devoted following and remains prime-time viewing world-wide. Heartbeat is available here for the first time on DVD. This first series sees Nick and his doctor wife Kate (Niamh Cusack) settling in Aidensfield, having left the bustle of London behind. As villagers' initial suspicion gives way to acceptance, the couple become increasingly involved, both professionally and personally, in the daily life of the rural community. Bill Maynard also stars as the irrepressible Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, with guest appearances from, among others, Philip Glenister, Annette Crosbie, Eleanor Bron, John Duttine and Elizabeth Spriggs. ...Heartbeat - Complete Series 1 - 3-DVD Set ( Classic Heartbeat ) ( Heartbeat - Complete Series One )
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It is excellent to see that this popular Yorkshire TV series from 1992 has finally been released on DVD. The early Heartbeats are particularly good, with fuller characterisation and believable scenarios, touching on many of the social changes of the 1960s - the pill, the role of women, CND and so forth. Nick Berry and Niamh Cusack have an excellent onscreen chemistry, with Kate Rowan being particularly well-drawn. Blaketon, played by Derek Fowlds, is also enjoyably stern and sarcastic in these early episodes. I was also pleased that in series 1, Greengrass is not a particularly major character (he became somewhat over-used in later series).
It's a good, solid release; no subtitles or scene selection, but the menus are fairly self-explanatory and easy to navigate, and the picture quality is sharp and in its original 4:3 ratio. Unlike the ITV3 broadcasts, they are also uncut - more about that later. It looks to me like these were transferred from the original VT masters. Network have luckily also left in the original Yorkshire end credits and advert break slides for good measure, as they always do - I'd forgotten Berry originally sung the theme tune!
The release also features a short "making of" featurette that probably derives from the early 90s VHS releases which has a relaxed interview with Nick Berry and some behind-the-scenes shots.
Despite a little warning note on the packaging, so far I haven't noticed any episodes that have had the 1960s pop music overdubbed, but I imagine this may be because the early series used quite a lot of original compositions as its soundtrack in addition to the songs. (The copyrights over the pop songs were the primary stumbling block in releasing the series until now - I'm guessing that the Beatles, etc, may have had to be removed.) So far, though, the memorable 1960s soundtrack appears to be intact, and its great to hear The Kinks and Millie Small, et al accompanying Rowan's motorcycle trips over the moors.
I was interested to read some of the above reviews taking about the series' "family" nature. While this is undoubtedly true of the later series, one thing to note about this first season in particular is that it is a little more "adult" than viewers of the later programmes may be used to - more mild swearing and a little bit of nudity in a few places, for example!
Obviously, this is nothing for adults to be shocked about, but note that ITV3 cut them slightly for their daytime broadcasts and that this was originally a post-watershed programme. There are a few (well-presented) themes about contraception, suicide and domestic violence in the early series, and the 12 certificate is probably deserved in this case.
Overall - well done Network, it's great to see this uncut on DVD, and at £15 for three discs excellent value. Bring on series 2!
It's a good, solid release; no subtitles or scene selection, but the menus are fairly self-explanatory and easy to navigate, and the picture quality is sharp and in its original 4:3 ratio. Unlike the ITV3 broadcasts, they are also uncut - more about that later. It looks to me like these were transferred from the original VT masters. Network have luckily also left in the original Yorkshire end credits and advert break slides for good measure, as they always do - I'd forgotten Berry originally sung the theme tune!
The release also features a short "making of" featurette that probably derives from the early 90s VHS releases which has a relaxed interview with Nick Berry and some behind-the-scenes shots.
Despite a little warning note on the packaging, so far I haven't noticed any episodes that have had the 1960s pop music overdubbed, but I imagine this may be because the early series used quite a lot of original compositions as its soundtrack in addition to the songs. (The copyrights over the pop songs were the primary stumbling block in releasing the series until now - I'm guessing that the Beatles, etc, may have had to be removed.) So far, though, the memorable 1960s soundtrack appears to be intact, and its great to hear The Kinks and Millie Small, et al accompanying Rowan's motorcycle trips over the moors.
I was interested to read some of the above reviews taking about the series' "family" nature. While this is undoubtedly true of the later series, one thing to note about this first season in particular is that it is a little more "adult" than viewers of the later programmes may be used to - more mild swearing and a little bit of nudity in a few places, for example!
Obviously, this is nothing for adults to be shocked about, but note that ITV3 cut them slightly for their daytime broadcasts and that this was originally a post-watershed programme. There are a few (well-presented) themes about contraception, suicide and domestic violence in the early series, and the 12 certificate is probably deserved in this case.
Overall - well done Network, it's great to see this uncut on DVD, and at £15 for three discs excellent value. Bring on series 2!
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I live in Yellowknife,NT. My wife and I grew up in the 60's and absolutely love the show. Wonderful music, dress, and hometown, humour and no sewage like just about all the modern show today where cheap foul language and sex is stuffed in your face constantly. It is great to be able to watch TV with a pint, your girl and a misty eye on occassion. Bring on all the entire series!!
Timothy
Timothy
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It has been a long wait but glad to see it has finally emerged. Have watched the series in Canada, at a slight lag to the UK and also watched a filming session in Goathland(Aidensfield).
However the picture quality is just so-so and the lengthy break points after Part One and Two have been left in for no apparent reason and cannot be fast forwarded. There were obviously licensing problems/prohibitive costs in retaining much of the original music but enough has been maintained to provide atmosphere. However this has been marred by the insertion of very poor covers of Beatles music which then play at a significantly higher volume than the rest of the program--a jarring practice that is normally confined (but not appreciated) to the showing of TV adverts!It makes you wonder if the final DVD production is ever previewed by those responsible for it.
Hopefully future releases may rectify some of these problems.
However the picture quality is just so-so and the lengthy break points after Part One and Two have been left in for no apparent reason and cannot be fast forwarded. There were obviously licensing problems/prohibitive costs in retaining much of the original music but enough has been maintained to provide atmosphere. However this has been marred by the insertion of very poor covers of Beatles music which then play at a significantly higher volume than the rest of the program--a jarring practice that is normally confined (but not appreciated) to the showing of TV adverts!It makes you wonder if the final DVD production is ever previewed by those responsible for it.
Hopefully future releases may rectify some of these problems.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Aidensfield lives on !!
Not a lot I can say really except exactly what was expected of this TV series - good family viewing.
Published 1 month ago by AndyH
Sorry, but not my cup of tea
I sat through the first episode and was inclined to place the DVD on the "flea market" shelf, when I thought I should give it another shot. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Expat Bookworm
Fantastic review
super heat beat.
takes me back to adensfield where I went to visit.
there's a lovely pub where they seem pretty clued up as to what questions you'd ask... Read more
takes me back to adensfield where I went to visit.
there's a lovely pub where they seem pretty clued up as to what questions you'd ask... Read more
Published 4 months ago by swimmer
greengrass
my great niece in australia loves greengrass so i just had to get her this for xmas - she is only 4!!!
Published 6 months ago by C. A. Jackson
oap
It was delightful to start watching this well liked series again.A bit of humour with no swearing, and showing everyday trials and tribulations of a local Police Force, and the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by ranmar
Heartbeat The Complete 1st Series
A great first series ! I would recommend to others who enjoyed the series on the TV - a trip down memory lane ! The music, fashion of the 60's too ! Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. Simon G. Thorogood
Good but nonsensical at times.
A nice lighthearted and certainly nostalgic trip to the days of yore in Yorkshire. The music that goes with it complements the 60s setting very well. Read more
Published 8 months ago by ed
Just Brilliant!
The DVD release has been a long time coming, but well worth the wait. For me the early series' with Nick Berry as PC Rowan were always my favourites and now I can watch them over... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. S. Birnie
Heartbeat - The complete first series (DVD) (1992)
I have waited so long for Heartbeat to come on DVD, and it is has certainly been worth the wait. Good old English policing in an idilic setting, with brilliant actors and... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Christopher John Lane
At Last !!
I live in Canada and only started watching Heartbeat in 2002, but was thoroughly hooked by the time it went off the air. Read more
Published 15 months ago by AnnieB
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