Product Details

• Actors: Leonard Rossiter, Pauline Yates, John Barron, Sue Nicholls, John Horsley
• Directors: Gareth Gwenlan, John Howard Davies
• Writers: David Nobbs
• Producers: Gareth Gwenlan, John Howard Davies
• Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: E1 Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: May 5, 2009
• Run Time: 630 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001T46TCE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,870 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin: The Complete Series" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Opening with a naked Reggie running into the sea, this groundbreaking BBC comedy series tells the story of a man desperate to escape his daily monotony. Adapted by David Nobbs from his darkly-comedic novel, and powered by the unique performance of Leonard Rossiter, this brilliant satire had the world “cracking up” over one man’s nervous breakdown.

Reginald Perrin (Rossiter) has a respectable career at Sunshine Desserts, a happy marriage and two less than satisfactory children. But the pressures of the rat race are beginning to push Reggie over the edge. The mere mention of his mother-in-law conjures the image of a hippopotamus, the word ‘earwig’ keeps creeping into his conversations, and his thoughts are repeatedly interrupted by outrageous fantasies involving his secretary – what’s an overstressed food firm executive to do?

INCLUDES ALL 3 SEASONS (21 EPISODES) PLUS:
“The Very Best of Leonard Rossiter” – the ultimate film review of the acclaimed actor including unforgettable highlights, archival interviews with Rossiter and first-hand reflections from four of his Reginald Perrin co-stars.

“Reginald Perrin Christmas Special Sketch” – the long-lost sketch, which reunited the cast three years after the completion of the series; originally broadcast as part of BBC’s 1982 “The Funny Side of Christmas” special.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Politically corrected, so as not to offend the easily offended, June 18, 2009

By 

Gene (Overland Park, KS, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin: The Complete Series (DVD)

I waited for decades, literally, to be able to see the complete series again ... only to find it had been bowdlerized. Shame on them.

What is particularly galling about this censorship, is that the portions removed were making fun of the types of people who would flee a neighborhood just because somebody "different" moved in. Apparently, somebody who had no clue as to what was really going on, saw CJ in blackface and Tom with a turban, and decided that we would be scandalized by seeing it.

Leftist censorship is no better than rightist.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Very Best, March 9, 2009

By 

David Tallen (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin: The Complete Series (DVD)

In my opinion, this is the BEST comedy to ever come out of the UK, exceeding Fawlty Towers and all the rest. I bought the video tapes when they were available, and I bought the PAL DVDs when they came out(only being able to play them on my laptop). Now I am torn. Another $50 to own them in NTSC? My wife will kill me (although she also loves the show).

Word of warning: For some people, this show takes a bit of getting used to. Trust me, it is funnier every time you watch it (due, I suppose, to the fact that you begin to anticipate the funny lines). You need to invest a little time getting to know the characters.

I think my favorite scene is in the third season when Reggie goes out looking for C.J. and finds him panhandling on the streets of London. No, wait a minute. I think it is the scene in which Reggie attempts to sack Seamus Finnegan. Oh, I can't decide. You'd better buy the set and figure it out for yourself.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great! Super! Britcom fans rejoice!, March 1, 2009

By 

W. Zwirko - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin: The Complete Series (DVD)

I first saw TFARORP many years ago when the Dallas PBS affiliate KERA imported it, and it is completely on par with "Fawlty Towers" and "Ab Fab" as far as comedic worthiness while breaking through traditional sitcom barriers.

Reginald Perrin (as portrayed by Leonard Rossiter) is a middle-aged, middle manager at a London-area dessert factory who couldn't be more dissatisfied with the banality of day-to-day life. So he comes up with a plan to end it all (without really ending it all).

Rossiter is genius and the rest of the casting couldn't be more spot-on -- these are characters that will stay with you always (and that you'll probably recognize from your own lives).

And if you think "Saturday Night Live" is a catch-phrase factory, wait 'til you catch yourself trying to work the cleverness of Reggie and company into your conversations!

Like "The Office," they tried to "American-ize" this program in 1983; unlike "The Office," it failed. But while "Reginald Perrin" dates back to the 70s, I've seen the first few episodes again quite recently and it holds up superbly as a satire of the working world.