Lovejoy - The First Season DVD Review

By David Mumpower

June 5, 2007

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The first season of Lovejoy comprises ten episodes including a two part season finale. The episodes are around 52 minutes long each, and the quality of the transfers is not perfect. I have watched a couple of episodes on an up-converting DVD player at 1080i. The grainy nature of the episodes is distracting at points, but this appears to be an avoidable aspect of watching pre-2000 television. Other than the ten episodes of the first season, the DVD box set itself is light on the features. The only addition is a seven-minute interview with McShane wherein he discusses the genesis of Lovejoy's creation as well as the odd circumstances that led to its five year hiatus as well as its triumphant return. Filmed in 2004, this dialogue is fascinating in its own right, but a more detailed exploration of the world of Lovejoy would have been a welcome addition. Hopefully, later seasons will add something of the sort. Until then, Lovejoy on DVD has no further selling point other than the episodes themselves. In this day and age, it's unfortunate to see such a bare bones DVD release, but if the other option is no release at all, I'll gladly take it.




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Lovejoy - The Complete Season One is a title that any fan of British television should be interested in trying out, particularly given the impact the show had on the career of McShane as well as the evolution of BBC programming. For fans of Deadwood, the situation is much more straightforward. This is a chance to see Al Swearengen in the role that made him a star in his homeland. You have a chance to watch the first ten of the 73 episodes from this series. If you love him as an actor the way that anyone who has seen Deadwood should, this compilation is a slam dunk purchase upon its release on June 19th. It shouldn't even be a debate.



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