Looking back at the "old" Series One VHS tapes I'm reminded of the controversy (and polite outrage) that surrounded the initial release of the first DVD set. Due to BH being their "surprise" hit show the BBC, according to the ubiquitous Barry Pilling, had not gained the proper legal copyright permissions for the terrific soundtrack / score used throughout the pioneering series. And so, when it came to producing a DVD, much of the atmospheric and music soundtrack had to be replaced with far less dramatic and effective library musak. This caused a great deal of foot-stamping and dramatic exists on the BBC BH Blog at the time - perhaps difficult to believe now but the BH purists were mightily affronted by the "butchery" of their hallowed First Series, some even refusing to buy the DVD or continue to follow the franchise any further. It was a situation akin to the "Star Wars Special Editions Scandal" some years before - only exquisitely English and slightly better behaved. Tea & cake anyone?
Do you remember the original broadcasts of the original series? and did you even notice the slight-of-hand soundtrack swap the BBC pulled off (if you then bought the DVD)? :)
__________________
"It's like the last days of Rome in 'ere..." ---INFINITY CURVEVIDEO&PHOTOGRAPHY---
Well, Van Helsey - I have to say that I DO notice a couple of the changes - one is the scene right near the beginning of episode 1 where George is running about in the woods, trying to find somewhere to transform, and the other time is when Herrick is leaving the vampires in episode 6 - he believes to fight Mitchell, but as we know, George has tricked him.
The episode 1 music was originally "something something something - the sun goes down." Ha - I'm sure someone will tell me what it really is. And the episode 6 music was originally "When the man comes around" by Johnny Cash - if I remember rightly it's just instrumental music on the DVD.
There were other changes I think, but I can't remember them all. I DO remember the furore it caused on the blog at the time though, one ex-blogger had put her DVD for sale on ebay before mine even came in the post! She severed all ties with the blog and BH and we never heard from her again!
I bought my s1 & s2 dvd's together, by which time I had absolultely no idea what had been used in the series. I'd be interested in finding out what tracks were used originally for which scenes, if anyone knows...
For a big corporation the Beeb are pretty rubbish at getting the right permissions. I remember a series about a scottish rock and roll band called Tutti Frutti back in the late 80's starring a young Robbie Coltrane and Emma Thompson. It came out on DVD in 2009, twenty years later because they had not got permission to use some of the songs.
I know this has nothing to do with BH but it is just a BBC whinge.