Waking the Dead-Complete Series 1 & Pilot Episode (2000) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Drama | Main Menu Audio | |
Rating | |||
Year Of Production | 2000 | ||
Running Time | 561:25 (Case: 558) | ||
RSDL / Flipper |
No/No Multi Disc Set (5) |
Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Menu | ||
Region Coding | 2,4 | Directed By |
Robert Bierman Ben Bolt Robert Del Maestro Martin Hutchings |
Studio
Distributor |
Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring |
Trevor Eve Sue Johnston Wil Johnson |
Case | Amaray-Opaque | ||
RPI | $49.95 | Music |
Joe Campbell Paul Hart Colin Towns |
Video | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None | English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) | |
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 | Yes |
Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
Action In or After Credits | No |
There have been quite a few top flight cop shows or series produced in the UK in recent years including such classic television as Cracker and the Prime Suspect series. In addition to these fantastic shows there have also been a large number of next tier shows which are very enjoyable to watch including New Tricks, Silent Witness and many others. This one is a very good show falling squarely into the second category of wonderful television without being classics. Don't get me wrong, this is a better cop show than many and some of the episodes included here come close to the quality of shows like Prime Suspect. Unfortunately, of the five episodes included only three are of top class quality and the other two are quite watchable but not great. This show has now been running on the BBC for 5 years and this set includes the pilot episode from 2000 and the first series from 2001. Each episode is on a separate DVD5 and is presented in two parts, each of just under an hour. Some of the show has recently been shown on the Nine Network here in Australia.
The premise of Waking the Dead is the formation of a multi-disciplinary cold case squad to re-investigate old unsolved crimes where new evidence is uncovered or the case comes back to public notice for some reason. The squad is led by Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd, a tough and experienced officer who can tend towards arrogance. Joining his team are two more junior police detectives, Detective Sergeant Spencer Jordan & Detective Constable Amelia Silver, a forensics specialist, Dr Frankie Wharton and a psychologist, Dr Grace Foley. Initially, they form an uneasy team with some simmering tensions but over the series they form a strong team, although some tensions still surface, especially between Boyd and Wharton.
The five episodes included here are:
This is quality television and all episodes are worth watching while some are excellent. Recommended.
The video quality is good but not without issue.
The feature is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio 16x9 enhanced which may be the original aspect ratio. I have no concrete information one way or the other, however, the show seemed to be framed correctly.
The picture was reasonably clear and sharp although some scenes were a little softer. There was no evidence of low level noise. Shadow detail was decent but no more. There was light grain throughout.
The colour was decent but like many English television shows had a dull and gray colour scheme.
Artefacts included some aliasing here and there, some spots of macro-blocking such as at 77:00 in episode 1, some edge enhancement and an occasional speck or hair.
There are subtitles in English for the hearing impaired. The English subtitles were clear and easy to read, however included some summarization and changes from the spoken word.
Sharpness | |
Shadow Detail | |
Colour | |
Grain/Pixelization | |
Film-To-Video Artefacts | |
Film Artefacts | |
Overall |
The audio quality is good.
This DVD contains an English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack encoded at 192 Kb/s.
Dialogue was clear and easy to understand and there was no problem with audio sync.
The score of this series by Colin Towns adds significantly to the tension.
The surround speakers added some mild atmosphere.
The subwoofer was surprisingly used quite a bit for added tension and bass in the music. This was a function of my amp's bass management.
Dialogue | |
Audio Sync | |
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts | |
Surround Channel Use | |
Subwoofer | |
Overall |
None.
The menu included music, and the ability to select scenes and subtitles.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
This series is available in Region 2 but not Region 1. The Region 2 is the same except it is on 3 discs instead of 5.
The video quality is good.
The audio quality is good.
The set has no extras.
Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Review Equipment | |
DVD | Pioneer DV667A DVD-V DVD-A SACD, using Component output |
Display | Sony FD Trinitron Wega KV-AR34M36 80cm. Calibrated with Digital Video Essentials (PAL). This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 576i (PAL)/480i (NTSC). |
Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
Amplification | Pioneer VSX-511 |
Speakers | Monitor Audio Bronze 2 (Front), Bronze Centre & Bronze FX (Rears) + Yamaha YST SW90 subwoofer |