I don't think the adjective has yet been coined that adequately describes the 2 boxed-sets of Persuaders videos released in France. As Morely Lyndon, the hired thug from Someone Waiting, might put it, "Old darling, for a video set like this, I'd break my own arm - and smile while I was doing it".It's very difficult to make utter crap look crappier but this is exactly what this French collection has done to the shabby UK releases. Sod The Persuaders, I want Amicalement Votre.
3 episodes occupy each of 8 volumes; each volume is housed in a sturdy plastic box with a different colour sleeve adorned with all manner of Persuaders images and while the images are identical for each sleeve, there is no hint of the tacky cheapness and lack of effort that characterises the UK volumes.
To top the presentation off, each set of four tapes comes in an open-fronted cardboard box that also has Persuaders (or more correctly, Amicalement Votre) written all over it.
This is the sort of thing I envisaged when I first heard that The Persuaders were to be at last released in their episodic and uncut form.
As a special bonus a Picture CD of the stereo version of John Barry's theme was included with the set.
all scans supplied by Jaz Wiseman. for info on subscribing to the morning after contact Jaz Wiseman
In April 1997, Serie Club, the French magazine devoted to cult television, produced a video to be given away with a special Persuaders edition of the magazine. The video contained the premiere episode, Overture (or Premier Contact, to use the French title)