RRP: £29.99
Our Price: £10.93 (subject to change)
FOUR FEATHER FALLS is Fantastic...with one exception...
Review date: 2006-02-20 Rating: 8 out of 10
This complete set of FOUR FEATHER FALLS is a true treasure for fans of Gerry Anderson and Barry Gray (like me). However, there is a quality issue with Episode 8 on the first disc. About one minute into this show, the soundtrack becomes so scratchy as to almost be unlistenable. I realize these are old shows, but some indication that this one was in significantly worse shape would have helped. I did e-mail the manufacturer, Network DVD (UK), but to date, have received no response. I guess they don't appreciate business across the pond...(I have an all-region, code free DVD player).
A review seems to be the only way to alert Amazon to this error.
For those used to 'Captain Scarlet', the quality of this black-and-white puppetry will seem appalling. It just shows you how much Gerry Anderson improved his technique over ten years.
But the stories are quaint, even if Tex Tucker has a permanently stoned expression on his face. (Is that really Nichoals Parsons providing the non-singing voice?)
This series however is fantastic and is the perfect antidote for unhappiness. The songs are fantastic, the characters are charming and the stories are just as tension filled and action packed as those of the later series.
Everyone in your familly will love this and the only way to belive it is to see it.
In a word: Unmissably enjoyable.
In 1960, no longer doing work for Roberta Leigh but not yet under the famous ITC banner, AP Films made this fantasy western series for Granada Television and it's a delight for all ages (I'm 34!). FOUR FEATHER FALLS recounts the adventures of Sheriff TEX TUCKER as he fights off villains like PEDRO, FERNANDO and BIG BEN with the help of his talking horse & dog and two guns that magically fire by themselves (but I suppose you knew all this already?)
FOUR FEATHER FALLS is presented here in it's entirity: 39 13 minute episodes spread over three discs. Extras are pretty minimal for a series of this age, which is perfectly understandable, but the colour "home movie" footage of the cast and crew is nice to see. The episodes themselves have not been mastered or restored to the quality of the likes of SUPERCAR or FIREBALL XL5 (Episode one, "How It Began", has a bad scratch down the middle for it's entire duration) but given the relatively small (but dedicated) market for this series it would be unfair of me to criticise NETWORK for this.
It is amazing to see that, even at this early stage, the "feel" of later shows is present. This is due mostly to Barry Gray's score and the omnipresent (and wonderful) David Graham providing so many character voices. The other cast members, Denise Bryer, Kenneth Connor and of course Nicholas Parsons are equally good, doing great jobs despite them working on a "kid's show".
It's very easy to dismiss the appeal of shows such as this as pure nostalgia, but I think there's far more to it than that. I love them because they're GOOD! It's now impossible to find a television series (even those geared towards children) that are as free of cynicism or crowd-pleasing low-brow humour as FOUR FEATHER or SUPERCAR. It's a cliche to say that television was so much better then than it is now, but I stand by that statement 100 percent.