Review: Daniel Farson’s Guide to Britain Volume 1
Daniel Farson’s Guide to Britain Volume 1
The second BFI home entertainment release from the Associated-Rediffusion television archive, Daniel Farson’s Guide to Britain Volume 1 (available now in a 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition) features the brash, bohemian and boozy, bon vivant ITV reporter and presenter Daniel Farson chatting with an eclectic collection of people about an even more eclectic selection of subjects.
Farson became a larger-than-life fixture of Soho in the 1950s, socialising with the likes of artist Francis Bacon and photographer John Deakin. But he was also a groundbreaking investigative journalist, reshaping approaches to screen reportage with the many dynamic television films he presented for Associated-Rediffusion in the late 1950s and early 1960s, finding widespread fame and acclaim along the way.
In VOLUME 1, join the intrepid investigator (who paved the way for later programme makers of the Louis Theroux school) as he takes a look at subjects ranging from Soho striptease, alien visitations and the Cavern Club in the afterglow of the Beatles, to witchcraft, the cult of celebrity and much more. All but one of the programmes have not previously been released on any home entertainment format.
On air warnings before shows about inappropriate opinions and language are commonplace today, and it certainly applies here…especially when Daniel interviews a guy in the segment about mixed marriages…even I was shocked, and I grew up watching TV in the 70’s!
The subjects and people are interesting and give a great snapshot of the time…even the guy who wasn’t to enamoured about mixed marriages! At around 13 minutes each segment, they don’t outstay their welcome and many can be rewatched with commentary too.
As a look back to Britain in the 50s and 60s it’s very interesting, so let Farson guide you as he travels around the country.
Chapters:
- Out of Step: Witchcraft (1957)
- Out of Step: Other Worlds Are Watching Us (1957)
- Keeping in Step: The Wedding (1958)
- Keeping in Step: Stock Exchange (1958)
- This Week: Soho Striptease (1958)
- This Week: Robert Graves (Production Material) (1957)
- People in Trouble: Mixed Marriages (1958)
- Success Story: Shelagh Delaney (1959)
- Success Story: Maurice Woodruff (1959)
- Success Story: Hank Janson (1959)
- Pursuit of Happiness: People Apart (1960)
- Celebrity: Cliff Richard (1959)
- Farson’s Guide to the British: Cats (1959)
- Beat City (1963)
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Newly remastered in 2K and presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
- Newly recorded audio commentaries on selected programmes by writer and publisher Mark Pilkington and the BFI’s Vic Pratt, Milo Holmes, Chantelle Boyea, Dick Fiddy, Dr Elinor Groom, Lisa Kerrigan and William Fowler
- Beat City image gallery
- **First pressing only** Illustrated booklet featuring new writing by the BFI’s William Fowler, Vic Pratt, Lisa Kerrigan and Milo Holmes, plus a new essay by Nic Wassell on the creation of the Associated-Rediffusion logo
Available to buy now. All BFI Blu-ray and DVD releases are available from usual home entertainment retailers and in person from the BFI Shop at BFI Southbank.
