Review of Some Mothers Do `Ave `Em: The Complete First Series

Introduction

Michael Crawford one day saw a man waiting to cross a road patiently. He would slowly move forward, and then back, even though a car was a good few hundred metres away. He would then repeat this, over and over again...even reaching the middle of the road once, before venturing back. This is what gave Crawford the inspiration for Frank Spencer - a man with no evil in him, a man intent on pleasing his wife Betty, and trying to break his accident-prone nature.

This DVD contains all 7 episodes from the first series, analysed below:

The Job Interview
What can go wrong in a simple job interview? Well if you`re Frank Spencer, then a lot...
7/10

George`s House
Betty`s brother has fitted his house with the latest in electronic equipment, and when a prospective executive comes to visit, his visit unfortunately coincides with Frank`s...
8/10

Love Thy Neighbour
Betty and Frank`s new neighbour is intent on a peaceful life, writing scripts for a TV show. Then he meets the Spencers...
7/10

Have A Break, Take A Husband
Frank and Betty go to a hotel to spend their second honeymoon, but disaster strikes when a piece of lino on their floor becomes ripped...
7/10

The Hospital Visit
When Betty has to go to hospital for an operation, Frank his left to fend for himself. Oh dear...
8/10

The Psychiatrist
When Frank thinks he`s a failure, he seeks expert help. And for the first time, the expert is wrong - Frank really is a failure...
7/10

The Employment Exchange
When Frank is unable to keep a job for more than a few hours, in desperation the employment exchange offer him a job. Who in their right mind would give Frank Spencer a job...
7/10

Video

It is presented in 4:3 Fullscreen, and although this was made in the 70s, it still shows signs of vibrance and clarity. The print is generally crisp and clear, and there are no compression signs evident. Although a widescreen print would have been better, this is perfectly satisfactory.

Some Mothers Do `Ave `Em revolves around a lot of visual comedy, with the majority performed by Crawford (who does his own stunts), and most are amusing, some more than others.

Audio

A DD Mono track is on offer, and it does its job well, although this is crying out for a stereo track. What you do get is average to be honest, and although it is as good as Mono goes, a nice and ambient stereo (or dare say it, 5.1) track would have been much better.

The scripts are all sharp and place Frank and Betty in some pretty amusing situations, with the dialogue constantly sharp and the set-pieces fresh (if a little predictable).

Features

There are exactly no extras on offer, except from the amazing scene access. Oh well...

The menus are static with some music in the background.

Some Mothers Do `Ave `Em is presented in a black Amaray case with episode information printed on the back of the case.

Conclusion

Although this is a fair few years old, it still maintains some great comedic moments and a great performance from Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer. The episodes are all good, with a couple better than others.

Disc wise, rather poor I`m afraid - from average visuals and audio to non-existent extras it doesn`t add up to a groundbreaking package.

Overall, this is well worth owning if you are either a fan of old sitcoms, or just wanting to test fresh comedic waters. Only slight problem is the disc...