Home video releases: Versions of episodes

[denis rigg]

Is there any British version of the The Avengers on DVD with English subtitles ?

Only color Emma Peel episodes from Kult TV/Contender.

[dissolute]

The blurays have English Hard of Hearing subtitles.

The Superlative Seven:

(Birds chirping)

(Rustling)

- (Quacks) You're needed!

[denis rigg]

I just realized that the print of episode "The Thirteenth Hole" on French DVD set (2015) is not identical to British DVD (Optimum)!!!

So, there are already at least five different versions of this episode on video.

1. Old french version.
1. Old german version.
3. USA version.
4. British version from Optimum.
5. French version from DVD set, released in 2015.

French version by DVD set (2015) differs from Optimum by two points:

1. While some scenes in Optimum print have "increased screen resolution", French have original or the most original resolution in whole.

Let's take a look at three prints:

USA print



French print from DVD set (2015)



Optimum (heavily cropped) (this shot is identical to the German DVD edition 2017 too, which in turn has two differences from Optimum in other episodes).




2. Optimum and German print from DVD set (2017) have following:
After the scene when Emma takes a coin from a Steed's hat and asks him: "And what's so important about three o'clock this afternoon anyway?" come the next scene: on the golf course Adams, in the presence of Jackson, has his hands against each other, and reaches for the bag with golf clubs.
Duration of footage: 2 seconds.



American and French print was as following: after the scene when Steed lying on the couch puts on his hat, is the footage "on the golf course Adams, in the presence of Jackson, looks at his watch and then puts a golf club on his shoulder".
Duration of footage: 2 seconds.



In turn, while American print has cuts, mentioned French print includes same footages as Optimum exclude the one.

Yes, "The Thirteenth Hole" is the only Avengers episode which has so many different prints only on video!

[denis rigg]

Based on the above, it is interesting that two new DVD sets of b/w Emma Peel episodes I have checked, not one is completely identical to Optimum.


German DVD (2017) has two differences:

1. Episode "Man-Eater of Surrey Green".

Used the original music fragment in the scene, when Lennox comes out from behind the trees on the way to the truck and watches the unloading of bags of fertilizer. Optimum have other music in this scene (before it was noticed by Denis Chauvet and posted on site Le Monde des Avengers).

2. The names of the screenwriter and director in the opening titles of the episode "Too Many Christmas Trees" are correct, unlike Optimum.


French DVD (2017) has three differences:

1. Screen resolution of all episodes is correct, unlike Optimum.

2. Episode "The Thirteenth Hole": slightly different version (see post above).

3. The names of the screenwriter and director in the opening titles of the episode "Too Many Christmas Trees" are correct, unlike Optimum.


In coming month, I hope, I will study the new Australian DVD set (b/w Emma Peel episodes) and we will see if it contains the prints of episodes completely identical to one of the new DVD sets that I have, or there are some differences too.

[denis]

Yes, "The Thirteenth Hole" is the only Avengers episode which has so many different prints only on video!

In its first French edtion on DVD, this episode has seven cuts !

[denis rigg]

Yes, "The Thirteenth Hole" is the only Avengers episode which has so many different prints only on video!

In its first French edtion on DVD, this episode has seven cuts !

Many thanks, Denis. I took it into account.

[denis rigg]

Supplement to my post in this thread, dated Dec 17, 2018 (supplement is below after the highlighted quote)...

I compared of prints DVD Optimum, French DVD-kiosk, A&E and Russian from TV for the episode Return of the Cybernauts.

Surprise, I discovered that on the British DVD Optimum there are two cuts.

The first cut was mentioned many years ago in various forums, blogs, etc, that is following .: in the British DVD edition by Optimum are cut out some seconds (three and a half seconds) of the beginning of the footage (this footage starts on 07:44, time by DVD Optimum), where the camera smoothly moves along the building, from where Dr. Neville comes out.
Footage starts from this frame:




Old French DVD edition presents other print:
This footage is cut a little less and begins with screen lightening (I'm sure this print is presented on some other European video editions too).




The American video editions, all or some Blu Rays editions, and the episode version shown on Russian television presents the full footage of this scene.





Now, we go to Second cut!!! Footage starts on 26:03, time by DVD Optimum.

In the British DVD edition by Optimum are cut out one and a half second of a footage, where Paul brings the bottle to the glass on the table.

British DVD edition by Optimum starts footage immediately from this frame:




Other video editions (perhaps all those that were released before Optimum's edition) contain a full footage, starts from lightening of the screen with this frame:



As a result, if you want to have a full episode Return of the Cybernauts in your collection, then look for American prints , because, alas, currently I can only confirm that exactly these prints are complete.

...I compared of prints French DVD (2015) and USA Blu Ray for the episode Return of the Cybernauts.

While USA Blu Ray is identical to Optimum, French DVD (2015) contains only the second cut (read the highlighted quote above).

[denis rigg]

Based on points the above, and others things here (below), it is interesting that French DVD (2015) and USA Blu Ray are not identical to Optimum in general.


French DVD (2015) has two differences:

1. While DVD from Optimum contains music cue for intro "The Avengers in Color" in episode "The Winged Avenger", French DVD (2015) not contains.

2. While DVD from Optimum contains two cuts in episode "Return of the Cybernauts", French DVD have only one.


USA Blu Ray has one difference:

While DVD from Optimum contains music cue for intro "The Avengers in Color" in all color episodes, USA Blu Ray not contains.

[denis rigg]

Verdict for Australian DVD set of b/w Emma Peel episodes (Madman, 2016):

Episode prints in this DVD set are completely identical to Optimum (including the same StudioCanal intro before the episode).

Yes, of all the DVD sets I tested on moment, this one is the first one that copies Optimum.

[denis rigg]

I compared of prints DVD Optimum, A&E and Russian from TV for the episode Dead Man's Treasure.

All three prints are different!!! Let's go to the details.

1. DVD Optimum, and most other new editions like Blu Rays and new DVDs (personally, I checked American Blu Ray and new French DVD), has one cut in one footage, unlike prints of A&E and Russian TV.

DVD Optimum. Footage with Emma in thinking behind the sofa ends on frame when she looks straight ahead:



Full footage ends when Emma behind the sofa looks to the right.




2. DVD Optimum and most other new editions presents two full footages that are cut on A&E and Russian TV print.

First footage.

This full footage ends when Carl puts a hotdog in his mouth.



A&E print: this footage ends when Carl brings a hot dog to his mouth.



Russian TV print: this footage ends when Carl just going to eat it (and following footage have a little cut in the beginning).




Second footage.

This full footage ends when Carl and Alex in the car leave the farm at Ridge and disappear from view of the camera.



A&E print: this footage ends when Carl and Alex in the car leave the farm at Ridge and their car is only half out of sight of the camera.



Russian TV print: this footage ends when Carl and Alex in the car leave the farm at Ridge, but their car is completely in sight of the camera (and following footage have a little cut in the beginning).