Horrible Histories-Series 4 (2009)

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General		Extras
Category	Kids Documentary	Main Menu Audio & Animation Bonus Episode Outtakes Deleted Scenes Music Video
Rating
Year Of Production	2009
Running Time	336:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Dual Disc Set	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Steve Connelly Chloe Thomas
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	None Given
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Teaching history to children used to be considered a tough job due to the dry nature of lots of history, rote learning the names of English Kings or what year certain battles were fought. Since 1993 that has all changed with the arrival of Horrible Histories, a completely different take on history or as it is referred to on the cover 'History with the nasty bits left in'. In 1993 the first of what is now a huge set of books about history were published in the UK which used humour and gore to tell kids about history in a much more engaging way than how I was taught history as a kid. Then in 2009 the BBC started showing a television series of the same name which features a great cast of comic actors acting out the true stories from history which the books revealed.

     This series is a great combination of historical fact and Monty Python style humour. Each episode, which is about 28 minutes, includes a number of short sketches about a particular era such as the Aztecs, the First World War, Stuarts, Tudors, Egyptians, Romans, and using humour educates about the practices and attitudes of the various eras. There are some recurring sketches such as Stupid Deaths (which tells the story of someone who died in an amusing way) or Historical Master Chef (which shows the sorts of things which were considered delicacies in various eras). In addition to the sketches there are also some funny comedic songs in all episodes. These are generally hilarious as well. The show is hosted by a talking rat. This shows is funny for both adults and children whilst also being educational.

     This fourth series contains 12 episodes spread over two discs, plus a 'special' in the extras. It continues with many of the repeating sketches from previous seasons, however also adds lots of new stuff. The writing and comic acting continue at the same high quality.

     Highly Recommended.

Video

     The video quality is very good.

     The feature is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio which is the original aspect ratio. It is 16x9 enhanced.

     The picture was quite clear and sharp throughout. Shadow detail was quite good.

     The colour is very good with no issues to report.

     There are no obvious artefacts.

     There are subtitles in English for the Hearing Impaired which were clear and easy to read.

     There is no obvious layer change during the episodes.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio quality is good.

     These discs contain an English soundtrack in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. The sound is obviously quite front focused.

     Dialogue was easy to understand throughout.

     The music and songs sounds good and fits the show well.

     The surround speakers and subwoofer were not used.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     There are quite a few extras on Disc 2

Menu

     The menu featured music and motion.

Quiz Questions (4:49)

     This extra collects the True or False questions from the episodes into one featurette.

Savage Songs (28:10)

     This special collects the songs from all the episodes and combines them into one special episode which was aided at the end of the season. The songs can be played separately.

Outtakes (3:13)

     Genuinely funny stuff-ups.

More Stuff we couldn't fit in (12:36)

     A good selection of sketches most of which are just as funny as the shows themselves. Definitely worth watching.

    This show is available in the UK in the same format.

    The video quality is very good.

    The audio quality is good.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall