Billy Connolly's World Tour Of England, Ireland And Wales (Box Set) (DVD)

...hysterically funny, and deliciously crude, Billy Connolly is also blessed with an infectious enthusiasm...for everything. It's this enthusiasm which leads to my only complaint about this dvd package, and thats that he is so engaging, that I could watch him forever, and 25 minutes per locale doesn't quite seem to do this project justice.

A 2 disc set featuring 8 episodes taking us from Dublin to Plymouth, finding time to squeeze in ...
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With childlike enthusiasm Billy drags us by the hair from location to location pumping us full of useful or completely useless information, and naturally making his own observations about the places, the people and the histories of England, Ireland and Wales. Following the format of his previous jaunts around Australia, and Scotland, his journeys are interspersed with excerpts from his stage shows, and it's typical Connolly fare. Side splittingly ... more

Aside from being hysterically funny, and deliciously crude, Billy Connolly is also blessed with an infectious enthusiasm...for everything. It's this enthusiasm which leads to my only complaint about this dvd package, and thats that he is so engaging, that I could watch him forever, and 25 minutes per locale doesn't quite seem to do this project justice.

A 2 disc set featuring 8 episodes taking us from Dublin to Plymouth, finding time to squeeze in Belfast, Killarney, Newcastle, London, Manchester/Sheffield and Wales. Wales seems to suffer most, with just one show, and perhaps London deserved more too, but these really are minor quibbles in the face of such an enjoyable series.

With childlike enthusiasm Billy drags us by the hair from location to location pumping us full of useful or completely useless information, and naturally making his own observations about the places, the people and the histories of England, Ireland and Wales. Following the format of his previous jaunts around Australia, and Scotland, his journeys are interspersed with excerpts from his stage shows, and it's typical Connolly fare. Side splittingly funny, likely to offend even the most liberal of minds, and it remains funny viewing after viewing.

Accompanied by a folk soundtrack, with Billy pitching in on Banjo occasionally, it is also a pleasure to listen to, and as an extra there are 7 audio tracks in this package, featuring Ralph McTell and award winning newcomer Cara Dillon.

Highlights from the series are numerous, and his tour of Belfast is not for the faint hearted as he explores the Shankhill Road, and all the fear inducing imagery it has to offer. There is a touching encounter with Phil Lynott's mother as she visits his grave, and later we get to see Billy at his most humble as he chats quite happily with a completely inebriated homeless man about Shelley, Shakespeare and 'do you have any fags?'. There is a stomach churning visit to the top of the shipyard cranes in the hauntingly empty Harland and Wolff site in Belfast. I could go on, but why spoil it for anyone who is yet to catch this series.

It's no great shakes as a DVD, quite clumsy to navigate and extras are welcome but not of any great quality. The picture is as good as it can be for a shot for television production, the sound is presented in stereo only, and the packaging is as Billy would no doubt say "F**king awful!" but as a series it is priceless, and I hope there is not a too long a wait for us to get his earlier series on DVD.

 

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