Wombat

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.