Jason King – The Complete Series – Special Edition
Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 106 August 2008
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1970s TV royalty!
The Lowdown: After the international success of ‘Department S’, Peter Wyngarde squeezed back into the flamboyant apparel of Jason King for another outing! King is now an author, working on a thinly veiled adventure novel based on his own scrapes. However, he still has an eye for the ladies and a nose for trouble!
Review: Anyone with a finely tuned taste for kitsch should pay attention, because it’s time to get reacquainted with Jason King! To give you an idea of what to expect, Mike Myers filched Austin Powers’ outlandish costumes from Wyngarde and his delightful super-sleuth King. However, truth be told, King’s luxurious moustache and snazzy array of suits leave Powers firmly in the shade!
Sadly the show itself isn’t half as fascinating. The image quality is rather grainy, reflecting the series’ ancient origins. Worse, despite King’s undoubted sophistication the plots are clumsy affairs that leave a lot to be desired. Compared to ‘Department S’, King is lumbered with ponderous, simplistic mysteries that do him and his arch deliveries no favours at all. Looking back at it now, it may be spectacularly camp, but Jason King is far from the trippy retro bonanza it could easily have been.
Nevertheless, whilst the show’s lustre may have faded over time, fans may still be persuaded to put their hands in their pockets by virtue of the new features slotted into the box set. The ‘Wanna Watch A Television Series?’ documentary is highly informative, and also up for grabs are a bizarre 2007 interview with Wyngarde himself and a Wyngarde-starring TV play called ‘The Cross Fire’.
Four years after making Jason King Peter Wyngarde, was convicted of gross indecency for committing an indiscretion with a truck driver in the toilets at Gloucester bus station and his career was in tatters. Nevertheless, this bulging box set offers a scintillating memory of the actor in action. He may not be at his glittering best, but it isn’t for lack of trying!
FILM: 5
EXTRAS: 6
DVD Info:
Certificate: PG
Starring: Peter Wyngarde, Anne Sharp, Anton Rodgers, Ronald Lacey
Directed By: Various, 1971-1972
Distributor: Network
Audio: Mono
Visuals: 4:3 Fullscreen
Running Time: 1300 mins
Price: £59.99
Special Features:
Episode Selection
‘Wanna Watch A Television Series?’ Documentary
Peter Wyngarde Interview (2007)
Episodic Image Gallery
Image Gallery With Music Suite
Peter Wyngarde Interview (With Russell Harty)
Textless Opening And Closing Titles
‘The Crossfire’ TV Play
