Press Gang - Complete Series 1 [1989] [DVD]

The show, much like a daytime drama, has a plot which is continuous (don't miss an episode)! It primarily follows a budding relationship between the two main characters, Spike Thompson (an American) and Lynda Day (Da Boss) while engaged in their tasks of maintaining a newspaper for school children. With amusing dialogue, excellent plots/story line & a creative twist unseen in most American shows - You will be sure to love the comedy & drama within this dvd collection.

The BAFTA award winning Children's ITV series - ran from 1989 until 1993 & was written by Steven Moffat (an awesome man & talented writer). Many episodes were directed by Bob Spier (director of Absolutely fabulous among many other shows) & stars well known actors such as Julia Sawalha, Dexter Fletcher, Gabrielle Anwar, Paul Reynolds, and more!

Please take note: There are five series total - 43 episodes. In the first series, the 12 episodes are:

Page One
Photo Finish
One Easy Lesson
Deadline
A Night In
Interface
How To Make A Killing
How To Make A Killing - Part Two
Both Sides Of The Paper
Money, Love And Birdseed
Monday - Tuesday
Shouldn't I Be Taller?

This first season tells the story of how a few teenage students get to run a youth-orientated professional newspaper as an outlet for their creativity. With hilarious consequences, the "star students" and the troublemakers have to pull together to make this project work, be it for different reasons. Besides the threat of getting kicked off the school, for Spike (Dexter Fletcher, "Lock Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels") it's having fallen madly for bossy and agressive editor Lynda Day (Julia Sawalha, "Absolutely Faboulous", "Chicken Run"). Among other issues, the first season deals with **SPOILERS** crime, substance abuse, being handicapped and dealing with it, fraud, loneliness and suicide.

The cast includes some lovely stereotypical characters as well, such as money-mad Colin (he is almost a ferenghi!) which have the power to really surprise you. The characters are lovingly written and grow and develop throughout the series. It's a drama-comedy, not a sitcom, but it's funny like a sitcom. Just imagine Coupling (from the same writer, Steven Moffat) with more family-orientated subjects and a cast so real you consider them family.

Besides releasing the remaining seasons, which I'm quite certain will sell nicely, I BEG of the company doing this release to contact producer Sandra Hastie and writer Steven Moffat for special features. Steven said in an interview he was willing to provide them! I especially hope to one day see the full length version of the final episode "There Are Crocodiles", which had to be cut simply because it was too long.

Unfortunatley, although by and large the series was funny, it's use of very serious issues like those mentioned above, must have proved too daring for Nickelodeon to carry on repeating it and it was removed from the schedules, after all, it was a very different show from the sometimes goofy comedy shows normally shown by the kids channel. Thankfully, it's now being released on DVD, I'm presuming it has no extras, as none are described. Although, I would enjoy a writers/directors commentary, but as I had resigned myself to it never ever being re-released, I am just pleased that myself and others will soon be able to watch one of the best televison shows in history and hopefully, it's release onto this format will bring new fans of the show too.