The Complete League Of Gentlemen [DVD] [1999]

If you're considering buying this, I'll just presume you already know what the show is all about (the weirdness of northern England fictitious town Royston Vasey citizenry as written and portrayed by the four gentlemen of the League). All you really need to know is that this box set is, to me, the epitome of how DVDs should be!
This box includes EVERY episode of the 3 series of the show, plus the fabulously constructed stories-within-a-frame Christmas special. EVERY SINGLE SHOW has commentary by all four members of the League, including rarely-seen Jeremy Dyson.
Each season, as well as the Christmas show, comes absolutely loaded with extras: deleted and extended scenes, behind the scenes featurettes, town member profiles, stills galleries, special effects footage and on and on.
If you enjoy this show, this is the best way to get it: all in one big chunk (save the movie and other bits and bobs) and piled on with additional goodies. If you don't like this show, well, you're clearly NOT local...and there's nothing for you here.

It's most probably the case that if, like me, you're a huge fan of The League Of Gentlemen then you've got everything that's in this box-set already when it came out first time around. So I think that this collection of the 1st, 2nd & 3rd series along with the Christmas Special is for the people who perhaps have never really got into The League & are now becoming curious to see what all the fuss is about. So welcome to the wierd & wonderful world of Royston Vasey - You'll Never Leave!

This show is one of the most original, innovative, intelligent, dark, scary & damn right hilarious televison programmes ever produced. Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss & Jeremy Dyson have created a whole world for which their characters belong to.

If you watch this set in its correct order then you will notice how better it gets with each installment.

The 1st & 2nd series essentialy turn the whole idea of the sketch-show on its head & feels more like a surreal soap-opera than a series of repetitive & meaningless sketches. The characters are imaginative & often grotesque yet you love them all instantly. There's Tubbs & Edward who run the "Local Shop for Local people" & kill any strangers that enter, there's demon butcher Hilary Briss who's sideline in 'Special Stuff' has grave consequences for the town & then there's Papa Lazarou, circus leader & serial bigamist. These are some of the more extreme creations but there are many more inhabitants that will have you in fits of laughter.

Then came the Christmas Special, an hour-long feature of absolute genius. It takes the horror element of The League to new heights yet keeps the hilarity intact. Bernice the vicar is the central character this time & she is visited by three of the other characters on Christmas Eve. There's Charlie, who keeps having the same nightmare, Matthew, who is haunted by memeories of a trip to Duisberg when he was younger, & Dr Chinnery, who believes he is under a curse. Each story rakes up horrific memories for Bernice & leads up to a genuinely surprising yet scary finalie which see's the return of a much-loved & much-feared character...

The 3rd series has recieved major criticism from some people but I feel they perhaps just fear change. Gone are the days of the sketch-show format, gone is the laughter-track but here is the most engaging TV series in years if not ever! People may argue that it just isn't as funny & whilst I agree that it's not packed with as many laughs as the previous series, this is far superior due to brilliant story-telling, wonderful acting & sheer intelligence. It's better to watch in one sitting as a three-hour film & that's not hard to do as every episode is totally engaging & leaves you wanting more. The climax is amazing.

This set is packed full of extras. Funny character bios, fascinating documetaries & the ever-brilliant Local Gossip (commentaries) to but a few of them. There's also a fair few easter eggs hidden within that are well-worth finding for some extra special treats...

All in all, The League Of Gentlemen are the most exciting & fresh comedy writers around &, along with the sell-out live shows & full-length movie, this box-set is proof of their utter brilliance. If you havn't already got everything in this collection then what are you waiting for? BUY BUY BUY!!!

The League of Gentlemen's Complete Collection is essential for anyone who loves original, distinctive and intelligent comedy or who cares about groundbreaking & innovative television in general.

All three series and the Christmas Special make up this superb boxed set of six discs, which is the ultimate showcase for The League's genius.

When I watched the first series back in 1999 it was like nothing I had ever seen before. Unsettling, disturbing, very, very funny & practically unclassifiable...a brilliant gothic soap might be a starting point to describe the riches contained within each episode. It was also evident from the show's distinctive filmic look that high production values were extremely important to the show's creators - a real first for British television comedy.

You can't help but be drawn into the enclosed world of Royston Vasey & once there it will stay with you forever - you truly will 'never leave'!
The series is even more addictive when you can watch the programmes back to back... This is especially the case with the stunning third series where each episode followed the same narrative timeline and ended with the same traffic accident from a different point of view...

Then there is the outstanding writing and acting - narrative arcs & emotional depth are distinctive League trademarks. By turns both grotesque and subtle, the quality of both the writing and acting is such that often you're not certain if you're watching a comedy or drama.

All the best comedies have a dark edge but The League of Gentlemen pushed the subject matter of what could be used to create comedy further than anything before.

The League's influence on what has come in their wake is incalculable, but their black comic masterpiece stands head and shoulders above all contemporaries and wannabes.
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The same care and attention to detail that characterises the League's work is reflected in the Complete Collection. Six picture DVDS featuring different League characters are contained within a DVD case that opens up like a book & features s a wonderful photograph of Papa Lazarou on its sleeve... There are shed loads of extras too, including what all fans of the League treasure the most - the Gents' legendary commentaries. They're hilarious, informative & daring all at once & worth the price alone...

If I had to choose only one DVD boxed set to recommend it would be this one! If you've not yet discovered the brilliance of The League of Gentlemen & why they are so special and unique then this Complete Collection will put you right!!