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The Thin Blue Line: Complete BBC Series 1 & 2 [1995] [DVD]
 
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The Thin Blue Line: Complete BBC Series 1 & 2 [1995] [DVD]

DVD ~ Rowan Atkinson
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Frequently Bought Together

The Thin Blue Line: Complete BBC Series 1 & 2 [1995] [DVD] + Dinnerladies - The Complete Collection [DVD] [1998] + Gimme, Gimme, Gimme : Complete BBC Boxset [DVD] [1999]
Total RRP: £49.97
Price For All Three: £22.83

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Thin Blue Line: Complete BBC Series 1 & 2 [1995] [DVD]
87% buy the item featured on this page:
The Thin Blue Line: Complete BBC Series 1 & 2 [1995] [DVD] 4.3 out of 5 stars (26)
£4.98
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme : Complete BBC Boxset [DVD] [1999]
6% buy
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme : Complete BBC Boxset [DVD] [1999] 4.8 out of 5 stars (18)
£9.98
Dinnerladies - The Complete Collection [DVD] [1998]
4% buy
Dinnerladies - The Complete Collection [DVD] [1998] 5.0 out of 5 stars (16)
£7.87
The Complete Fawlty Towers [1975] [DVD]
2% buy
The Complete Fawlty Towers [1975] [DVD] 4.8 out of 5 stars (50)
£11.98
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Product details

  • Actors: Rowan Atkinson, Mina Anwar, James Dreyfus, Serena Evans, David Haig
  • Writers: Ben Elton
  • Format: Full Screen, PAL, Colour
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: VVL
  • DVD Release Date: 17 Sep 2001
  • Run Time: 439 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000050GOW
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2,011 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Set in a fictitious suburb rather like, say, Pinner (only more so), The Thin Blue Line is the wickedly funny story of a rather down-at-heel police station headed by Inspector Raymond Fowler (Rowan Atkinson), a pompous, repressed but well-intentioned anachronism who wants to do the right thing but who is constantly hampered by his own shortcomings, not to mention his blundering CID colleagues. Atkinson expertly balances his character's inflated sense of self-importance with the insight born of old-school police values, for which his galumphing, shiny-suited CID counterpart, DI Grim (David Haig) has no time at all.

Strongest among the supporting cast is Sgt Pauline Dawkins (Serena Evans), who also happens to be Fowler's live-in lover--a moral dilemma that his traditional values won't allow him to resolve. He salves his conscience by avoiding sex with her whenever possible, an amusing subplot enhanced by Evans's brilliant performance--she positively vibrates with contained, ladylike lust in a manner only equalled by Penelope Keith in the classic sitcom To the Manor Born.

Scripted by Ben Elton, this series manages to satirise provincialism, institutionalised pig-headedness and dated moral values in one fell swoop, while also being chock-full of quick-fire, Blackadder-esque dialogue. --Roger Thomas

Special Features
English
Region 2


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Customer Reviews

26 Reviews
5 star:
 (14)
4 star:
 (9)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This should be in everyone's comedy collection., 24 Jan 2005
Rowan is always at his best in these roles, either Blackadder or Inspector Fowler. He was made for the roles. Delivering lines with such comic value that you laugh everytime, regardless if you know what is coming. The first series wasn't repeated too much on TV, but series two had more coverage. You are spoiled for choice here with both DVDs at a bargain price. Watching them now (2005), they seem fresh and funny as ever, and it's a sin they didn't make a third series. Inspector Grim, played by David Haig, is the icing on the cake, flawless lines and delivery. "It's my arse on the line, and I don't want any cock ups." Watching him get wound up and going into a rant about "my Tina", or some other "Namby Pamby" speech is side splitting, he protrays stress in a hilarous way.

This is every bit as good as the best Blackadders in my opinion, it just shows how good sitcom can be. Cast is excellent, the writing brillant. It's rare to find such sitcom perfection.

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60 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute classic., 3 Oct 2002
Focussing on Rowan Atkinson when writing about The Thin Blue Line would be missing the point a bit. Inspector Fowler (Atkinson) is undoubtedly funny, but Inspector Grim is one of the greatest comedy characters of all time. No question. Never has a secondary character created so many laugh out loud moments.

At the risk of sounding like I'm reviewing a Friends DVD, the one with the football match is a classic. Grim, when asked why he's wearing a bright orange nylon football shirt with matching bobble hat (you'd laugh just looking at this bloke!), explains that he's gone undercover to catch violent hooligans because "this is the sharp end mate, not jolly cricket bats, lovely boating weather, don't you know, Oxford and Cambridge, row row row and hoist your little cox above your head. This is football, and football is not a game!" Err...Maybe you had to be there. It's funny when you see it. Honest.

The Thin Blue Line is consistently excellent. Ben Elton has written a comedy in which each character is well conceived and funny, and the scripts are witty and intelligent.

I've watched this DVD about 1,000 times and if I'd paid £100 for it I'd still think it was a bargain. Buy it. Aiii.

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Rowan Atkinson at his best, 26 Jul 2005
By Kate "x_dixie_chick_x" (Gloucester, England) - See all my reviews
This is without doubt an underappreciated Tv series, which sees Rowan Atkinson at his best. His martian impression is hilarious, and the electricity between him and the other characters is great. As always he uses facial expressions, and gestures to hilarious effect, and puts a large ammount of energy into his performance. Inspector Grim is very funny, especially in the second series when his partner is Boyle played by Mark Addy. James Dreyfus is wonderful as always as well, with his delighfully camp, and childish Goodie. Rudolph Walker is excellent, with classic lines such as "we gave our dog a bad name ~ Collin" His deadpan portrayal just makes it even funnier.

If I was going to be critical i would complain that series one is less funny than series two, and that Habib's character can get a little annoying, but these are minor complaints really. Its a cheerful series, with plenty of laughs, and i recommend it to anyone who loves Rowan Atkinson!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best

Really funny a must for your comedy collection
What a shame nothing like this is on regular TV any more
The CID inspector really cracks me up with his sayings &... Read more
Published 1 month ago by legsandco

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad
The recipe for this is nothing special, and I must agree with some of the harsher reviews about the stock characters and lack of innovation. However, a lot of it is very funny. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Wish I Were a Film Critic

5.0 out of 5 stars you wouldn't get it if it came in a large bag marked 'IT'......
...honestly, the lines don't come much better tha this. ben elton wrote the script, rowan atkinson pulls them off. this is like the police version of blackadder. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mr. L. Legrove

3.0 out of 5 stars Could've been so much better...
"The Thin Blue Line" is a bit of an oddity. Written by 80s darling Ben Elton, it is suppoosedly his take on a "Dad's Army"-type sitcom. Read more
Published 15 months ago by R. Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars Wet-your-pants funny!
Rowan Atkinson at his BEST. I swear this is Ben Eltons number 1 show, Blackadder was brilliant and a true credit to British commedy but i still dont think it can touch the... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Andrew Taylor

4.0 out of 5 stars A good 90's sitcom
I wasn't able to get into The Thin Blue Line when it was first shown on TV, mainly because I really couldn't see Rowan Atkinson in any role other than that of Edmund Blackadder... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mr. Mischief

5.0 out of 5 stars Ben Elton's genius on DVD
I can remeber this BBC comedy being transmitted when I was a child and finding it hilarious. I also remember watching it on VHS years later and finding it hilarious for different... Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2007 by Jason

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny
This is not one of the greatest comedy's ever made. However it is good and very occasionally great. You get two DVDs in this set, one for each series. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2007 by S J Buck

4.0 out of 5 stars Ello,Ello,Ello.
I brought this from Amazon the other day as i have not watched it since leaving the UK to live in the USA in 1999. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2006 by Christopher Bishop

4.0 out of 5 stars Ello,Ello,Ello.
It was great to get this comedy in the mail from amazon and i have to tell you i wasnt sorry.
Rowan atkinson is amazing the way he can look totaly different when playing... Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2006 by Christopher Bishop

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