“It is astonishing that the BBC have just cobbled this man's work together in such a half-hearted fashion. There isn't even an insert for such a classic set nor even a listing of the contents (they have put a list behind the discs but it is unreadable because of the disc holder).

The cover is, by common consent, poorly designed and the discs have just been taken from the previous published series so that the menu screens don't match the disc number and don't even harmonize with each other. It is hard to see how the Beeb could have made a worse job of the presentation.

However the content is every bit as good as you would expect from Hancock and Co. For those of you who don't have the time to put a content list together here is mine for you.

The Tony Hancock Collection - DISC 11.THE ALPINE HOLIDAY2 AIR STEWARD HANCOCK, THE LAST OF THE MANY3 THE LAWYER: THE CROWN V SIDNEY JAMES4 COMPETITIONS: HOW TO WIN MONEY AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE5 THERE'S AN AIRFIELD AT THE BOTTOM OF MY GARD EN6 HANCOCK'S 43 MINUTES: CHRISTMAS SPECIALDISC 27 ERICSON THE VIKING8 THE SET THAT FAILED9 THE NEW NOSE10 THE OAK TREE11 THE KNIGHTHOODDISC 3 (VOLUME 3 DISC 1)12 THE ECONOMY DRIVE13 THE TWO MURDERERS14 LORD BYRON LIVED HERE15 TWELVE ANGRY MEN16 THE TRAIN JOURNEYDISC 4 (VOLUME 3 DISK 2)17 THE CRUISE18 THE BIG NIGHT19 THE TYCOON20 SPANISH INTERLUDE21 FOOTBALL POOLSDISC 5 (VOLUME 4 DISC 1)22 THE COLD23 THE MISSING PAGE24 THE EMIGRANT25 THE REUNION PARTY26 SID IN LOVEDISC 6 (VOLUME 4 DISC 2)27 THE BABYSITTERS28 THE LADIES MAN29 THE PHOTOGRAPHER30 THE EAST CHEAM CENTENARY31 THE POISON PEN LETTERSDISC 7 (THE VERY BEST OF HANCOCK)32 THE BEDSITTER33 THE BOWMANS34 THE RADIO HAM35 THE LIFT36 THE BLOOD DONORExtras: Artist profile, Galton and Simpson Interview, The Blood Donor with audio commentary.DISC 8 (THE TONY HANCOCK COLLECTION)37 THE SUCCESSOR: SON AND HEIRExtras: Face to Face, Script Archive.”

From: Dr Phil

“You either like Hancock or you don’t, but for those of us who do, the appearance - at long last - of this treasure trove of a collection is a matter for celebration. The collection contains the greatest piece of comedy in the history of the universe, namely The Train Journey, and such other brilliant classics as The Bowmans, The Lift, The Economy Drive, The Cold and The Tycoon. Apart from Hancock himself, the episodes are also a tribute to the writers Alan Simpson and Ray Galton, Hancock’s indispensible co-star Sid (whose subsequent departure was a major loss), and regulars like Patricia Hayes, Hugh Lloyd and Robert Dorning. Unfortunately the quality of the recordings is far from impressive, especially the earliest ones, where I got up several times to remove what I took to be a spot on the screen, only to discover that it must have been a spot on the original camera lens, as different episodes had spots in different places. Digital enhancement technology would surely have made a worthwhile difference here. A list of the contents of each disc would also have been useful - putting listings on the plastic behind each DVD has guaranteed maximum inconvenience.”

From: Wombat