Spy-The Complete Series 1 + 2 (2011)

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Main Menu Audio & Animation
Rating
Year Of Production	2011
Running Time	374
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (3)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Ben Taylor John Henderson
Studio Distributor	ITV Global Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Darren Boyd Jude Wright Ellie Hopkins Tim Goodman-Hill Mark Heap Matthew Baynton Robert Lindsay Rebekah Stanton
Case	?
RPI	$29.95	Music	Oli Julian

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

     It has been some time since I have seen a really funny new English TV show. I had not heard of this recent SKY TV production, Spy until it appeared on Roadshow's future release schedule. Intrigued by its premise I chose to review it and am very glad that I did. This is a really funny show featuring an interesting and different setting. It is consistently amusing with lots of running jokes, funny one-liners, sight gags and great characters.

     Tim Elliott (Darren Boyd) is a bit hapless and somewhat of a loser. He is a single dad of Marcus (Jude Wright) who is about 10 years old and is arrogant and annoying. He thinks his father is a loser and doesn't mind telling him. His mother, Tim's ex-wife Justine (Ellie Hopkins), is trying to get custody of Marcus with her boyfriend Phillip (Tim Goodman-Hill (S1) and Mark Heap (S2). Phillip also happens to be the headmaster at Marcus' school. Tim decides to change his life and resigns from his dead end job at a computer store to improve his chances of keeping custody of Marcus. He works at the store with his best friend, oddball Chris (Matthew Baynton). He applies for a data entry job in the public service and turns up for the aptitude test at a large government office building. By mistake, he ends up taking the entrance exam for MI5. Before he knows what is happening he is offered a job as a trainee spy by The Examiner (Robert Lindsay) who subsequently becomes his boss at MI5. At MI5 he meets and starts an on again/off again relationship with a female trainee agent Caitlin (Rebekah Stanton).

     This is a simple show from a production design perspective, obviously made on a fairly small budget, however it is really well written and acted resulting in classic comedy. Darren Boyd is marvelous as the main character Tim, winning a TV BAFTA for this performance. Robert Lindsay is absolutely hilarious as the quite mad Examiner, a character which drives much of the off-the-wall silliness. It is also fun to see Matthew Baynton in something other the Horrible Histories and he is also obviously having loads of fun with his role as the oddball best friend. The rest of the cast also do quality jobs in support and the writers place them in lots of different and interesting comedic scenarios. The comedy is a nice mix of surreal and off-the-wall plus visual gags, witty one-liners and pratfalls.

     This three disc set includes all the episodes from the first two seasons of Spy, 6 episodes from Season 1 (2011), 10 episodes from Season 2 (2012) plus the 2012 Christmas Special.

     One testament to the quality of this show is that a US remake is now in production, however I feel sure they will bugger it up.

     Highly recommended especially to fans of English comedy.

Video

     The video quality is good but certainly not without issue.

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

     The picture was reasonably clear and sharp throughout although it was affected by some grain and lack of detail in longer shots. The shadow detail was good.

     The colour was good but somewhat pale.

     There was some aliasing, jagged edges and macro-blocking during fast motion.

     There are subtitles available in English for the Hearing Impaired which are clear and easy to read. Some lines were different to the spoken dialogue.

     There are no obvious layer changes during playback.

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. There was some nice front separation at times.

     Dialogue was somewhat clear and easy to hear and understand, although the subtitles were certainly put to good use at times.

     The music mostly consisted of the boppy theme tune which certainly gets stuck in your head.

     The surround speakers and subwoofer were not used.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

Menu

    The menu included the theme tune and some minor motion.

    This specific set does not currently seem to be available in the UK. The first season is available separately and includes some minor extras. Season 2 is due for release in the UK in July. The local set collects both seasons and seems like the best current buy to me.

    The video quality is good.

    The audio quality is good.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall