Life On Mars – The Complete Collection: The Original U.K. Series + Touching Evil – The Complete Collection: The Original U.K. Series + Doc Martin – Series Four (2009/Acorn DVDs)

 

Picture: C+/B-/C+     Sound: B-/C+/C+     Extras: C+/D/D     Episodes: B-

 

 

Acorn is back with more solid Mystery television from the U.K. in new sets and the continuation of a good comedy/drama to boot.  We have covered both of the full series before, so we’ll get to them first.

 

Life On Mars is a good show about a modern day police officer who suddenly awakes to find himself in the same place and at the same job, but in the 1970s!  We covered both seasons as follows:

 

Series One

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8816/Life+On+Mars+%E2%80%93+Series

 

Series Two

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9261/Life+On+Mars+%E2%80%93+Series

 

 

The show holds up well and makes for a better set and deal as a single unit, with the exact same DVDs as the separate editions.  For the record, a U.S. remake was attempted and was a disaster.  You can read more about at this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9057/Life+On+Mars+%E2%80%93+The+Co

 

 

Then there is Touching Evil, which Acorn has picked up for the U.S. market as an earlier release went out of print.  But this smart U.K. series is back and if you don’t know much about it, you can read more here:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2705/Touching+Evil+1+2+3+Set

 

 

Not surprisingly, a U.S. version as attempted by Universal and though not as bad as ABC’s wrecking of Mars, the show did not last.  An episode was issued on their Brilliant But Cancelled – Crime Dramas DVD:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3875/Brilliant+But+Cancelled+-+Crime+Dra

 

 

That leaves Doc Martin, which two of us have covered previously, as these links will show, complete with descriptions of that show:

 

Series Two

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8814/Doc+Martin+%E2%80%93+Series+2

 

Series Three

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9617/Doc+Martin+%E2%80%93+Series+Thr

 

 

The show has slowly improved and now, as a fan of The IT Crowd (also reviewed elsewhere on this site), the hilarious Katherine Parkinson from that show has also been staying on this show and making both at the same time.  They seem to have increased her visibility a bit as the seasons have increased, playing Pauline the secretary.  It is as good a season as any to date, but we recommend you begin at with the first set or you’ll miss out on the storyline.

 

Picture and sound are the same in all cases for the reissues and Doc Martin is slowly looking and sounding a little bit better as the seasons go on.  Once again, however, there are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo