Customer Reviews

Adventures of Black Beauty: Season One

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For those of a certain age, the unexpected DVD release of this fine series in America will be a joy. It's family entertainment in the best sense of the phrase: suitable for all ages, but not overly saccharine or dumbed down in the least. The English landscape is lush & beautiful; the period flavor is just right, transporting the viewer into another time, when an adventure was always waiting just over the next hill.

The setup is classic: a widowed doctor, compassionate & strong; his warm but no-nonsense housekeeper; and his two children, full of life & curiosity. And of course, Black Beauty, the magnificent horse that becomes a beloved member of the family as well, especially for young Vicky Gordon.

Here we get to one of the show's most appealing aspects: the stunning Judi Bowker, who provided a lovely, spirited role model for girls, and was deeply & hopelessly adored by any shy, sensitive boy who watched each week. She was the daughter every parent wanted, and the girl every child wanted to befriend -- or become. She made Vicky Gorden plucky, thoughtful, and genuinely good & decent without ever being bland.

While the picture quality can be a little dark in places, that's a minor quibble. The important thing is that this wonderful series is available at last. And while longtime fans will enjoy seeing it all over again, their children & grandchildren could easily discover a new viewing treasure themselves -- highly recommended!

For those that remember this classic 1970's British children's drama, it was a fine show to them. It was produced by London Weekend Television and aired on ITV in the UK. It also aired in the United States in the 1980's on Nickelodeon and became a favorite of Generation Y Americans. I grew up watching this show and loved it.

This show was magnificently produced and I already have both seasons on R2 DVD's I am surprised that it is being released in the US, (it's obscurity might cause low sales,) but am glad it is. This being Season one, It is safe to assume that Season 2 will also be released.

The show's them tune "Galloping Home" was a hit on British music charts and is very memorable and one of my favorites.

This show can be enjoyed by all ages but is mainly intended for children.

After being available in the UK,The Adventures Of Black Beauty Season One will available here in the US in a region 1 set,ALL 26 CLASSIC EPISODES OF SEASON ONE!!! This is the original that starred Hammer star Willian Lucas,Peter Seller ex' girlfriend Charlotte Mitchell,future Clash Of The Titans star Judi Bowker,and Roderick Shaw!!! Classic guest stars in the first series are the late John Thaw(in one of hos very first roles),Peter Firth,Peter Bowles(star of Only When I Laugh,For the Love Of Benji),John Nettles,Christopher Benjamin,Geoffrey Bayldon,Leigh Lawson,Paul Angelis,Kenneth Gilbert,Maxine Audley,George Murcell,John White,Ray Smith,Harold Goodwin,Tony Selby,Fiona Walker,John Quentin,Keith Chegwin,Iian Cuthbertson,Derek Martin,Hazel Coppen,Glyn Edwards,Robert Coleby,Dave Maddern,John Hallam,William Moore(Mollie Sugden's late husband)Bernard Archer and many more!!! Many of these episodes are directed by none other than Charles Crichton,director of the classic films The Lavender Hill Mob and A Fish Called Wanda!!! Revised 5/03/09 The PQ and audio on this DVD is little rough,but so is the source material,this was most likely shot on 8 or 16 MM,The running order is different from the vastly superior Network 4-DVD Collection(which also has much better PQ and sound also,I have both seasons) which is available as only a PAL import which can be played only on certain machines!But waht really upsets me is that some episodes are edited,the pilot "The Fugitive" has scene with Mrs. Allingham totally cut out here(the scene where she tells Vicky and Kevin that her husband has died is completely AWOL),IT is on the Network DVD I'll update the review with any other edits as I watch the rest of the set!!!,I'm pretty dissapointed with this set overall,I mean the price is pretty good but if you have a PAL comaptible player get the Network sets,there complete,Image usually make quality products,not the case here,a real shame(the transfers are pretty bad too)!!! ,SEASON 2 IS IN THE WORKS(according to the inner artwork) AS IS SEASONS 1 and 2 of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BLACK BEAUTY(The set from Questar is now out of print!) The five stars is for the classic series,not this set!!! The could have made this incredible,in my opinion it's just so-so,theres a chance that Image used what masters were available,but the missing scenes etc,there's no excuse for that,they were more complete when I watched them on Nickelodeon ions ago(in broadcast order as well!),glad I kept my Network sets!!! Yes todays youngters watching would not care about PQ and mising stuff,but us people who grew up with this stellar show expect more!!!

I LOVED watching this show back when it was on Nickelodeon. I remember i couldn't wait to rush home to see this show. One of the great classics!

I used to watch the Black Beauty television series on PBS as a child and my family always loved it. I was so happy when it was recently released on DVD. This is a great series for kids and adults alike, the acting and production are of very good quality, and it is clean and portrays good moral values. I highly recommend it for families and especially for people who love horses!

I love horse shows,
I grew up on Black Beauty
and Dotor Gorden's family
for years. I was very happy to see
it again on dvd. It last forver,and
Black Beauty saves the day with the
child as well. Amy is a good house keeper
that just love's the family!

i've been trying to find a reasonably priced copy of this dvd for ages, was getting ready to purchase a multi region dvd player, just so i could watch a pal format version from europe! now i won't have to. i used to watch this series years ago on a very fuzzy reception canadian channel. [i live in michigan] how awesome to be able to watch the whole first season, uncut in clear pefect color! i loved judi bowker, she was totally my idol. what an icon to look up to as a teenage girl! she was SO classy.

I've owned the UK version from Network DVD and I now own this Image release. The UK DVD isn't great but at least it's from original film!

This disgusting release from Image is from a Video tape source off the 16mm print. The Image frame is missing information on all sides, you can even see the "blue warping" on the top edges of the frame! There are video tape glitches all over the place, and why they licensed the series and not the original masters, much less attempt to restore the original 35mm negative, is beyond me.

Completely disgraceful release of a wonderful series with excellent acting and would SHOULD BE beautiful cinematography.