Paddington - Complete - Suitcase Deluxe Set [DVD]

I just got this today, but I've already seen a few episodes and they're great. I've also seen some episodes on the web, which convinced me to invest in this set. The stories are cute, as is the style of this show, 2-D characters and sets and a 3-D Paddington. I like the character of Paddington as well. He tries so hard to do good, yet he fails at times but still keeps on going, happily along. What's not to love about him.

This set is awesome. The suitcase set is pretty nice. Not a work of art, but a great touch. If you don't like weird boxes, this set houses the DVDs in four separate regular DVD cases, so you can ditch the box if you want. I like the design of each case, as each has a real clear picture of Paddington. Speaking of picture, the video is a tad dark, but still really good, as well as the sound. I have no way to compare this set with The Complete Paddington Bear [DVD] [1976] (well, I do, but that would involve rebuying the entire series :)). I only picked this suitcase set because I don't like double sided discs and I felt safer getting this set to avoid this. Also, even if the two disc set had single side discs, it meant that more episodes were crammed into each disc, thus possibly affecting the quality of the episodes and specials. That's just my process of picking which set I wanted. As I said, I didn't know much about either, so I just picked. Only cost 2 pounds extra for this set, so I felt this was the better choice. (Definitely has the better packaging :)).

All in all, this is a great set. If you like cute, short stories, I recommend this set of 56 five minute episodes and three specials.

***HOWEVER, there is something I should warn you, especially fans of the show who want all 56 episodes with all three specials: The outside cardboard strip says there's 56 episodes, but the listing on the back of the fourth disc only goes to 55. DO NOT PANIC. You can check episode guides, every episode is included, as are the specials. The problem lies on disc 3's, Paddington in Court, listing. The episodes Paddington Clears The Coach and Picture Trouble are both listed as episode 38. That is all. I even counted each listing and I came to 56. It was a simple misprint, something that took me several times to notice. Again, if you're reading the fourth disc listing and you panic at the sight of 55, it's a misprint. Kind of a pain, but not enough to deduct a star. It was an honset mistake anyone could make and this is still a cool set.

I mean, what more could one wish for or need in this so called sophisticated age? The simpler the ideas, the funnier they become! I talk, naturally, of this superb series of shorts from the mid 1970's about the wonderfully polite yet accident proned little bear from Darkest Peru, created in the books by Michael Bond and realised in this wonderful television series. The concept, colour and animation herein is wonderful but the most essential element in all of these tales is the late, great Michael Hordern whose hilarious narration gives all the characters and the situations real personality and warmth both for little folk and the adults. I remember exploding into fits of laughter in Hordern's delivery of lines. I still refer to the oft repeated line, "Paddington gave them a long hard stare .." and a current UK advertising campaign has been used creating the style of these originals and with a fair impersonation of the original narrator's dulcet tones which reveals the longevity of these 30 year old productions and the inherent almost adult humour in the work.
If you want to keep your children highly amused and, indeed, yourself, go no further and buy this set (which I have done myself) and spread a few marmalade sandwiches to watch; you and they will not be disappointed!

My daughter had been doing a project about Paddington at school and had become very interested in him. When I saw this DVD for sale I thought it was perfect gift. It became even more interesting when we began to watch it and I discovered it was the Paddington that had been televised when I was a little girl, hence it brought back great memories.