Customer Reviews

Waking The Dead - Series 5 [NON-U.S.A. FORMAT: PAL Region 2 U.K. Import] (Season Five)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Series 5 was broadcast in the UK in 2005. It was subsequently released on DVD in the UK in a Region 2 PAL version. It has not yet been released in the United States in Region 1 NTSC format. YOU MUST HAVE A REGION 2 OR REGION-FREE DVD PLAYER CAPABLE OF CONVERTING PAL SIGNAL TO NTSC TO PLAY THE UK VERSION SOLD HERE.

There are six episodes in Series 5, each episode having been shown in two parts. Each episode is on its own disk. The episodes are as follows:

Towers of Silence
Black Run
Subterraneans
Straw Dog
Undertow
Cold Fusion

This series picks up after the death of DS Mel Silver with the unit still in shock. Boyd is severely shaken by recent events and Grace and Spence must fight to hold the team together.

This series has a different feel from the prior series with Boyd returning to his previous bad temper and the group dynamic seriously threatened. While not up to the quality of the previous series, it is still better than most of the other mystery programs out there.

This DVD is Region 2 - UK - and does require a region-free or multi-region DVD player. This set was purchased out of necessity because I am hooked on this series! I even bought a region-free player so I could watch it. That said, I have seen this series from the beginning through dvd rentals - and with the shocking end to Season 4, I was very happy to find Season 5 available through purchase because it is not available through rental! I've also purchased Seasons 6 and 7, while 8 is due out soon.

What I enjoy about the series: interesting characters and relationships, complicated plots, no simple and neat resolutions, not focused on flashy technical forensics, some dry humor thrown in. Very satisfying entertainment.

THIS GREAT "CSI" TYPE BRITISH DRAMA JUST NEVER LOSES IT'S APPEAL. EVERY EPISODE IN THIS CURRENT SET IS EXCITING, SUSPENSEFUL AND WELL WRITTEN ALONG WITH THE GREAT ACTING BY THE ENTIRE CAST.

This season of the now cancelled tv show
'waking the dead' really got under some peoples skin. It's too bad they couldn't realize what was happening; and that this was one of the bbc's best shows of the 2000-11 seasons from the entire four channel network!
This gritty show really gets dark here and boyd begins to loose it over the loss of mel and frankies defection.
She left and doesn't even talk to him at all. It's like his work family is going under even! The stories are excellent here as usual but like I said some fans couldn't grasp what was happening. I find the complaining about dark episodes reviews very interesting. This show was always VERY DARK! one of tv lands darkest anywhere, it's played straight and gruesome. Which is why it's one of my fave crime shows ever. The dumb bbc just blew it on cancelling this one after 9 series. THe two new actors do a fine job and of course we get to know them slowly and this is the way REAL LIFE is often. The dvd set looks great and it's just sad that we are so many seasons behind on dvd releases as compared to the rest of the world , which has most series already on dvd.
Rip, to this gritty and unsentimental show. One of the best crime shows ever.

I had to purchase seasons 5 thru 9 from the UK. It took almost two weeks for the DVDs to arrive and were worth the wait. Here in the US only the first four seasons were aired and when I discovered they could be purchased from Amazon.com.UK I did, along with a multi-regiona DVD player. I was not aware that DVD's are sold by region and one's DVD player must be configure for a specific region. I purchased a multi regional DVD Player. It was cheap about
$50.00, easy to set up and now one can watch DVD anywhere in the world ( ain't technology grand!) I am also sorry that Waking the Dead has aired its last season. I expected at least another two or three seasons!!! These's are not simply murder mysteries, but mysteries with a conscience, delving into cultural, politcal and socio-ecomic matters, some of which I was unaware. But whatever the murder, this cold case series is certainly worth watching.

Really enjoy this series and can't hardly wait for Season 6 to come out in USA format. Just with it didn't take them so long, as British TV is already past Season 8.

After watching seasons 1-4 I was anxious to view season 5. The turn in the series is palpable, dark and frankly I didn't like it.
Boyd was always on the edge with me, now he's gone over it. He insists the team keep him constantly in the loop and he doesn't have respect enough for them to do the same. He is becoming increasing untrustworthy and more controling while he himself seems to be reeling with bad judgment. If he were my boss I'd put in for a transfer.
For me there doesn't seem to be enough evidence in his favor for me to stay with him and give him the benefit of the doubt. I did that in seasons 1 through 4.
I understand that the series is still alive and well in Britain, but I don't think I'll be too anxsious to purchase season 6.
And...I also miss Frankie.

I preordered Waking the Dead 5, having been extrememly impressed with the previous 4 series. I particularly enjoyed the ensemble nature of this 'team'. They melded so well. I found the stories intricate, and sometimes challenging. I had to pay careful attention to detail. A pleasant change to so many 'by the numbers' detective series!

The shocking death of Sgt. Mel Silver at the conclusion of Series 4 made me wonder how well the series would hold up with a cast change.

Unfortunately, not only was Sgt. Mel Silver missing from Series 5, but also ME 'Frankie'. I feel this left too much for the remaining actors to carry successfully. The first story Towers of Silence, took us into the now popular world of mysterious muslims. In an attempt to create a 'noirish' look, many of the scenes were so dark as to be almost unwatchable.

The new detective would only last for one episode. Never to be heard from again. The new ME 'Felix' seems decent enough, though not as dynamic as Frankie.

Series 5 is certainly not up to the standard of the previous four series. I think, if you haven't seen Waking the Dead, and started with Series 5, you might find it enjoyable. But, I don't recommend it for 'hardcore' fans.

I do wonder at the wisdom of attempting to continue a series, with the loss of two of five key characters.

With a new pathologist, new detectives and with the head of the "cold case" team., Boyd about to "fall apart" over the death of fellow-detective Mel in Season four, Season 5 of Waking the Dead is still some fantastic viewing. Previously, the Cold Case unit in this series was "rocked" by the sudden death of a member of its team and in Season 5, Boyd is back to his usual grumpy self displaying a very "short fuse"` plus being very frustrated with having to deal with some "new" personnel and trying to cope with the death of one of his team. It's up to the psychologist, Grace (wonderfully played by Sue Johnston) and sexy detective Spence (played by Wil Johnon, another very fine actor) to keep it "all together" and they do that in spite of Boyd and all of the changes to the team. By the way, I still adore the character of Grace, the Psychologist as fabulously played by Sue Johnston--she certainly is able to keep the character of Boyd (greatly played by Trevor Eve) grounded often in a very amusing way.

Season five (5) of Waking the Dead has six (6) episodes in two (2) parts on three (3) discs with each part running over an hour. Season five (5) has some very gruesome cold cases for the team to solve. Each of the cases, kept me "on the edge of my seat" trying to figure out the solutions to each case--the audience is NOT "spoon fed" the clues. My god, this series is fantastic and I intend to continue purchasing it.

(The episode called "Subterraneans", with Toby Stephens turning in a wonderful performance, is really great)

I've been watching season five on PAL format DVD and am happy to report it holds up as well as one through four. Peter is back to being wound really tightly and there are personnel changes but they seem to work their way seamlessly into the team. I do need closed-caption very badly for this series as there's a lot of muttering. This series is far more compelling than anything I've seen on any of the iterations of CSI, so, well done Brits. (As usual.)