Horrible Histories-Series 5 (2013) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Kids Documentary |
Main Menu Audio & Animation Bonus Episode Outtakes Deleted Scenes Music Video |
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Rating | |||
Year Of Production | 2013 | ||
Running Time | 398:00 | ||
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 |
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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, the 20th Century 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 Apprentice (where teams must complete some historically accurate task). 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 show is funny for both adults and children whilst also being educational.
This fifth 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 it also adds lots of new stuff. The writing and comic acting continue at the same high quality.
Highly recommended.
The video quality is very good.
The series 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.
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The audio quality is good.
The 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 fit the show well.
The surround speakers and subwoofer were not used.
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Overall |
There are quite a few extras on Disc 2
The menu featured music and motion.
This extra collects the True or False questions from the episodes into one featurette.
This special collects the songs from all the episodes and combines them into one special episode which was added at the end of the season. The songs can be played separately.
Genuinely funny stuff-ups.
A good selection of sketches most of which are just as funny as the shows themselves. Definitely worth watching.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
This show is available in the UK in the same format.
The video quality is very good.
The audio quality is good.
Good set of extras.Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Review Equipment | |
DVD | SONY BDP-S760 Blu-ray, using HDMI output |
Display | Sharp LC52LE820X Quattron 52" Full HD LED-LCD TV . Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p. |
Audio Decoder | Built into amplifier. Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum. |
Amplification | Marantz SR5005 |
Speakers | Monitor Audio Bronze 2 (Front), Bronze Centre & Bronze FX (Rears) + Sony SAW2500M Subwoofer |