Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
20 used & new from £3.45
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The League Of Gentlemen - Series 1 [DVD] [1999]
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images

The League Of Gentlemen - Series 1 [DVD] [1999]

DVD ~ Mark Gatiss
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.58 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £13.41 (67%)
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 4 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 7? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
12 new from £5.62 8 used from £3.45
Learn about Lovefilm
Amazon's choice for DVD rental.
With a 14 day FREE trial. Learn more

Frequently Bought Together

The League Of Gentlemen - Series 1 [DVD] [1999] + League of Gentlemen Series 2 (2 disc set) [DVD] [1999] + The League Of Gentlemen - Series 3 (2002) [DVD]
Total RRP: £59.97
Price For All Three: £19.74

Show availability and shipping details

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The League Of Gentlemen - Series 1 [DVD] [1999]
60% buy the item featured on this page:
The League Of Gentlemen - Series 1 [DVD] [1999] 4.7 out of 5 stars (29)
£6.58
The Complete League Of Gentlemen [DVD] [1999]
30% buy
The Complete League Of Gentlemen [DVD] [1999] 4.6 out of 5 stars (24)
£14.48
The League Of Gentlemen - Series 3 (2002) [DVD]
4% buy
The League Of Gentlemen - Series 3 (2002) [DVD] 3.9 out of 5 stars (49)
£6.58
The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse [DVD] [2005]
3% buy
The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse [DVD] [2005] 2.8 out of 5 stars (36)
£3.98
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Actors: Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith, Paul Hays-Marshall, Jeremy Dyson
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: 2 Entertain Video
  • DVD Release Date: 13 Nov 2000
  • Run Time: 180 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00004WZYT
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 9,189 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

    Popular in this category:

    #3 in  DVD > Television > TV Series > The League Of Gentlemen

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Critically acclaimed and rapidly breeding a cult following, the bizarre BBC television series The League of Gentlemen is to sitcoms like The Good Life or even Friends what David Lynch's films are to Frank Capra movies. Instead of the usual one-family-in-suburbia or group-of-pals set-up, Gentlemen centres on the whole town of Royston Vasey. A Northern village of, to say the least, eccentric characters, the weird people of Royston Vasey (actually, the real name of lewd northern comic Roy Chubby Brown) look like they've been intermarrying for too long and are suffering from a particularly demented variety of xenophobia that drives them to extremes of tetchiness and psychosis. There are the local shopkeepers Edward and Tubbs, who go to murderous lengths to ensure their shop remains for local people only; the Denton family, toad-breeders obsessed with maintaining their household rituals at all costs; inept veterinary surgeon Dr Chinnery, who's never yet saved a patient; Barbara, the local transsexual taxi driver (one of the show's more well adjusted characters); Pauline the demonic Restart Officer at the local Job Centre; and Lance, the sadistic owner of Lance's Joke Shop which sells poisonous sweets and the ever-popular finger in a matchbox (with a real finger), among many others. Most of the characters are performed by the three core members of the group, sporting a disturbing variety of prosthetic demi-masks and latex make-up, who started the concept off with a stage show and then transferred it to radio before taking it on TV, which may explain why The League of Gentlemen seems blithely oblivious of normal sitcom conventions and has a stately air of surrealism that feels like The Archers as written by playwright Eugene Ionesco. Brilliant stuff. --Leslie Felperin

On the DVD: Join the cast and co-writer Jeremy Dyson as they indulge in some "Local gossip" on the audio commentary, happily reminiscing about making this first series and discussing the origins of the innumerable characters and sketches, as well as pointing out hidden jokes and movie references galore. Also on this excellently produced disc are entertaining character biographies (Pop's favourite lunch from Greggs is "Chicken & Mushroom Pie", the sinister Denton twins are happiest when "Courting the Lords of Misrule"), an archive of the show's theatrical origins, and a treasure-trove of deleted scenes. But remember, if you're not local you can't get it in. --Mark Walker

Video Description
DVD special features:

Character biographies
Cast and director commentary
Photo gallery
Over 20 minutes of unseen material
Dolby Digital Stereo
Anamorphic DVD9
English SDH subtitles

See all Reviews

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

League of Gentlemen Series 2 (2 disc set) [DVD] [1999]

League of Gentlemen Series 2 (2 disc set) [DVD] [1999]

DVD ~ Steve Pemberton
4.9 out of 5 stars (20)  £6.58
The League Of Gentlemen - Series 3 (2002) [DVD]

The League Of Gentlemen - Series 3 (2002) [DVD]

DVD ~ Adam Buxton
3.9 out of 5 stars (49)  £6.58
The League of Gentlemen -- Christmas Special [DVD] [1999]

The League of Gentlemen -- Christmas Special [DVD] [1999]

DVD ~ Mark Gatiss
4.7 out of 5 stars (16)  £9.88
The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse [DVD] [2005]

The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse [DVD] [2005]

DVD ~ Mark Gatiss
2.8 out of 5 stars (36)  £3.98
The League Of Gentlemen - Are Behind You [DVD] [2006]

The League Of Gentlemen - Are Behind You [DVD] [2006]

DVD ~ Reece Shearsmith
4.0 out of 5 stars (10)  £6.98
› Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(2)
(1)
See all 3 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

29 Reviews
5 star:
 (25)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars ****Original...In A Local Sense****, 9 Jan 2003
By S. J. Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
"Did Tubs do well, Edward?"
"You did beautifully, Tubs!"

And a whole new breed of comedy was born. Now, I can appreciate the solid, smart and sophisticated writing of all the modern comedies that arrive on our humble shores. America has provided us with great comedy for years now...Friends, Cheers, Frazer et al...but these shows are all much of a muchness in style and every line is usually delivered by often perfect pictures of human beauty. How unlike real life that is...no matter how attractive. You certainly can't level these claims at The League of Gentlemen, and that's a plus point...trust me.

This show is like Marmite...you either love it or hate it. You can't spread it thin across your toast every so often, there is no middle ground here.

It's a melting pot of, often, deeply disturbing characters portrayed by three wonderfully gifted young actors. Like our moral-heavy friends from across the pond, The League weave social and topical comment into their shows but it's not displayed in a slick...'here comes a funny line'...approach that ultimately grows thin with time. As the viewer you're usually too busy hiding behind your hands as the likes or "Herr Lipp" (A German tour-guide cum exchange-student coordinator...with an all too obvious sexuality conflict) is sweating ominously over a terrified student whilst clad head to foot in man-made fibre.

Cringe? You will. Laugh? Without a doubt. It's a never ending parade of envelope-pushing that also tests your stomach as well as your brain.

However, it's not everyone's cup of tea...and it has it's critics I'm sure. But then, not everyone immediately warmed to The Goons as they redefined the old "I Say, I Say" comedy approach in the 50's. Not everyone jumped for joy when Monty Python blew conventional comedy out of the water in the 70's. But comedy shows come and go and only a few stand firm over time. Evolution is unstoppable and every now and then the establishment needs a bit of a shake up. The League of Gentlemen have that to look forward to.

Insipid, 'by the numbers' comedy has for too long wandered unchecked across our channels. Be brave enough to peek through your fingers and open yourself up enough to see the amazing writing and thought process that lies just beneath the dark viusals. You'll soon realise that it was well worth it.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp and darkly humourous., 1 Sep 2004
By Tom Chappelow "Tom C" (West Yorkshire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
The League of Gentlemen could certainly never be accused of being cutesy. It's the antithesis of such shows as Friends, whose inoffensive brand of comedy is tiresome. From the moment we see Royston Vasey, we know that we're not in for a light comedy.
A comedy it is though - but a comedy with an amazing depth in its characters. You will grow to love Edward and Tubbs, despite yourself. You will never like any of the characters; without exception, they are a collection of hideous freaks that will disgust, anger and, above all, amuse you. Definate highlights are the conflict between Pauline and Ross and the saga of the Local Shop.
For all its monstrous characters and disconcerting imagery, there is something all too real about Royston Vasey. We've all been into a Local Shop and been met with uncomfortable looks, we've all had an encounter with somebody like Pauline.
The League of Gentlemen is something out of an uncomfortable, feverish nightmare. Distorted faces and discomfiting atmospheres echo experiences from our own lives. For all its nightmarish imagery, The League of Gentlemen is comic genius. You will be amused, often to fits of laughter, just as much as you'll be made to feel uncomfortable.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted & Utterly Brilliant, 24 Oct 2003
By Richard Beenham - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
In January 1999 I was working for a small theatre company touring a play about sexual health to Year 10 students in secondary schools in the Yorkshire area. One evening, sat in the living room of our dreary Huddersfield guest house flicking through the TV channels not really knowing what was on, we chanced upon a new show just about to start on BBC2 and decided to give it a go. A funeral procession passes solemnly by a church. The hearse rolls into shot, carrying a wreath spelling the word "B*st*rd"... During the course of the next half-hour, our jaws dropped and our sides split. The sheer darkness of it ("We didn't burn him!"), the bizarre and monstrous characters, the virtuoso performances of the three men who played them all, the quality of the writing, was of such an unusually high standard for what we had come to expect from the majority of current British comedy. We were hooked.
Reading up on The League Of Gentlemen over the next few days, I discovered to my delight that they had studied drama at the same place I had studied - Bretton Hall. Suddenly I understood... especially when the episode featuring Legz Akimbo Theatre Company aired towards the end of our tour. A frighteningly accurate portrayal of the somewhat unique experience of working in Theatre In Education (although I should be fair here and point out that our play was genuinely very good!), which also contained several hallmarks of the Bretton experience. Thank God we weren't alone! Somebody understood - kindred spirits! The reaction we got the next day from our teenage audience, who had obviously also seen the show the night before, was predictable enough but a strange joy was to be had in it...
The scenarios played out follow a fairly standard comedy format - one normal person confronted by two caricatures (or vice versa) with the time-honoured hilarious consequences. The difference here is that this standard format is pushed up several notches to a grotesque level, and the consequences genuinely are hilarious.
For example, Benjamin's stay at the Dentons is a classic simple set-piece revolving around being unsure how to conduct oneself as a guest in someone's house. Except here the League crank it up considerably - the Dentons are lethally exacting, have some disturbing household routines and are obsessed with the idea that Benjamin is a compulsive masturbator (which of course he isn't). Add to this their hobby of toad-rearing and their disconcerting children (twin girls based on the twins in "The Shining") and you have a typical League treatment of a comedy standard.
Then there's businessmen Geoff, Mike and Brian. Mike and Brian are the normal ones, Geoff is the bitter and unstable psychopath who hates the pair of them and carries a gun. Job Centre Restart Officer Pauline is as monstrous and unsympathetic to the cause of her charges as could possibly be - and then some. Her scenes with the hopelessly retarded but devoted Mickey and sullen newcomer Ross are priceless. Then of course we have Edward and Tubbs, fearful of anything from the outside world and murderously protective of all that is "local". And let's not forget the pre-op transexual cab driver Barbara, the most un-feminine woman you are likely to meet, and keen to explain to passengers the more gory elements of his/her forthcoming operation in unremitting detail.
You get the picture. The League draw on their shared love of Hammer horror films and a whole host of other influences to create a wonderfully atmospheric and macabre world. Anyone who has ever struggled with life in a remote small town will find much to enjoy here, and the League's morbid twist on the concept is inspired. This is by no means a run-of-the-mill sketch show - there is a plot and storyline running throughout the whole series, although there are one or two one-off characters who appear in their own scenes outside the storyline. The guilt-ridden and clinically depressed cave tour guide who appears in one episode delivers what is for me one of the finest comic monologues I have ever heard.
The DVD commentary by the group is extremely frank and reveals many of the concepts and influences that helped shape the programme, as well as a great deal of anecdotes about the real people who provided inspiration for some of the characters. It also contains several Bretton Hall references, so that people like me can get all smug because we know exactly what they're talking about...!
Make no mistake, this is a top quality programme. Superbly written and beautifully performed, it never underestimates its audience or compromises material for the sake of dumbing down or an easy laugh. Some people found the blackness of the humour and relentlessly bleak tone a bit too much to take. Some found it offensive. Some people missed the point and just latched on to the catchphrases, repeating them interminably throughout the land. Others just missed the point altogether. This is intelligent comedy that requires something of its audience other than to just sit there and blindly expect to be made to laugh, which is all too rare these days. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I Have A Husband You Know!
Unbelievebly,I didn't catch this first time round,but recently,after hearing a friend talking about one of the characters from the series,decided to give it a whirl... Read more
Published 1 month ago by John Cassidy

3.0 out of 5 stars almost
The league of gentlemen is a comedy show that delves into sketches but all is interlinked in the town of royston vasey and nearly all the parts are played by the cast of three... Read more
Published 6 months ago by sean paul mccann

5.0 out of 5 stars Special Stuff from the (Local ) Heroes !
Quite simply great: a potent brew of unforgettable characters, complex plotting and superb acting. Okay, the radio series' format may suit many of sketches but this series gave TV... Read more
Published 9 months ago by D. Wright

5.0 out of 5 stars Premier League!
There was a time when the'sketch show' was running out of ideas. It looked like a genre that was slowly dying out due to a lack of any originality. Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2005 by S. Vasicek

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!!!!!! IT'S A MUST BUY
This is Fab!!!! & so funny if u luv dark/weird humour then this is for you it makes u laugh so much. Read more
Published on 13 May 2005 by Nicola Davies

5.0 out of 5 stars and now for something completely darker
Hving picked up the scripts book while in smiths earlier and reading the cut out of a review from the 'daily mail' on the first page which the reviwer said they sat though the... Read more
Published on 11 Jul 2004 by Mr. S. G. Sheppard

5.0 out of 5 stars A local review for local people!
This is the most funniest DVD I have ever seen!!!
It is all set in a town called Royston Vasey (you'll never leave! Read more
Published on 5 May 2004 by jakeyd666

5.0 out of 5 stars League of Gentlemen
I have become a devoted League of Gentleman fan since catching the first episode of the second series completely by chance when it was first aired on tv. Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2004 by nicolasimons

4.0 out of 5 stars a local review for local people
having only recently purchased both series of T.L.O.G i can honestly say that it is true comic genius that will im sure soon attain cult status . Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2003 by jonc74

5.0 out of 5 stars THE best ! (a classic already!!!!!)
I think I shall side with the other 94% of the votes and agree with the reviewers with which this utterly brilliant comic
wit does not go completely over their heads. Read more
Published on 9 Sep 2003 by Mark Scott

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject







i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

›Discover Health & Beauty

  

Let Olay Amaze You

Olay Total Effects Day Moisturiser SPF15 50ml
Amazon.co.uk sells all your favourite ranges from Olay, including Regenerist and Total Effects.

›Discover Olay at Amazon.co.uk

  

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver
Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

›Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates