History Cold Case-Series 1 (2010)

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General		Extras
Category	Documentary	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2010
Running Time	232:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Neil Ferguson Harvey Lilley Laurence Fox
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	None Given
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	?	Music	Rob Lord

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
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

     It was probably inevitable that the success of shows like CSI would expand the public interest in all things forensic. The potential was there for some truly horrendous reality programs but fortunately this UK made series has enough science behind the drama to be both interesting and informative at the same time.

     History Cold Case presents unique challenges for Professor Sue Black and her team of forensic investigators from Dundee University to delve into Britain's past, sometimes its unsavoury past, to solve the mystery of a deceased person. The "history" part of the title to the show reflects the fact that these investigations relate to people who died as early as the 12th century and only as late as the 19th century. The investigative team consists of the collection of scientists that only television could assemble including historians, pathologists, facial reconstruction artists and researchers, including forensic anthropologist Xanthe Mallett.

     What keeps this program from being morbid is the fascinating historical nature of some of the investigative challenges. Take, for example, the Ipswich Man in episode one who was quite evidently a person of African extraction. What was he doing buried in a church cemetery hundreds of years ago before Africans were thought to be part of British society? The story is interesting in its own right and is it is to be hoped that the second series, comprising four more investigations, also comes quickly to DVD.

     The episodes are:

1. Ipswich Man - a seemingly African skeleton unearthed in mediaeval Ipswich. Who was he?
2. Mummified Child - a tiny mummified body found in a cellar stop - what happened to this child?
3. Stirling Man - the skeleton of a gladiator, a 12th century grave? Is he hero or villain?
4. Crossbones Girl -can the team recover the identity of this Victorian Jane Doe

Video

     History Cold Case is presented on DVD in a 1.78:1 transfer consistent with the original widescreen television presentation. It is 16×9 enhanced.

     This recent television programme was shot on high-definition digital.

     It is suitably sharp throughout.

     The colours are strong and clear and technical defects such as minor aliasing are only present in scenes featuring fast motion.

     The series looks very good on DVD. The flesh tones are accurate.

    There are subtitles in English for the Hearing Impaired.

Video Ratings Summary

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Shadow Detail
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Film Artefacts
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Audio

     The sound for History Cold Case is English Dolby Digital 2.0 running at 224 KP/S.

     This is perfectly adequate for a television show which consists largely of talking heads and narration. Everything is clear and easy to understand.

    There are no technical problems with the sound. Music for the series is interesting and varied.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

    There are no extras.

    This is an All Region DVD.

     History Cold Case is an engaging series presenting forensic challenges from the past. It is interesting to see highly trained professionals working at their craft in investigations which perhaps would not have been possible without television funding.

    This series looks and sounds good on DVD.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall