The Professionals: The Complete Series [DVD]

I only got to know of The Professionals through fandom of Martin Shaw because as far as I know, our TV never aired the series although we did see the closest equivalent Starsky and Hutch. But during the past months I heard so much of the series that when I noticed the great bargain, I decided to give it a chance. And I don't regret one bit! The series is a great combination of humour and action, wonderfully un-tech, sympathetically late 70's, and yet surprisingly little out-dated as the acting and chemistry between the actors, many of the plots AND the lack of "hi-tech" have made it timeless. Trio Jackson/Collins/Shaw must have been for this series a "match made in Heaven" as the old wolf Cowley is simply the perfect boss to keep in check the dynamic yet incompatibly compatible duo of Bodie and Doyle.Naturally, a show like this couldn't simply happen today. No company would allow the stars to do their own car-stunts, and the producers would never dare to let out even a fragment of the chauvinism and sexism seen here. For starters, that is... ;-)Yet, the series simply has a rare charm that makes you shrug off most of the goofs and blunders and most irritating 70'isms, and you just have to admire the charisma of the leading actors, also the sheer physical fitness of B&D along with their street-credibility, AND the wit of the producers and writers. So, even though this doesn't belong at all to my favourite genre, I totally and thoroughly have enjoyed watching through the series and warmly recommend it!

It was great viewing on the telly in the late 70s early 80s and it is still great viewing now that it has been released on region 2 DVDin its entirety of 4 marvellous and gritty series totalling 57 brilliant episodes . The retro look of the late 70s and early 80s withFord Capri's , Granada's and the nifty Escort's plus all that bling and wonderfully colourful clothing and you were allowed to smoke in your favourite boozer without any hassle . Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw played William Bodie and Raymond Doyle to perfection and Gordon Jackson as the gruff and sometimes by the book George Cowley who was the head of CI5 made a class act . The amount of recognisable actors and actresses , some who were already established and others who would go on to be famous themselves never failed to amaze me . Each episode lasted about 50 minutes and with 4 discs for each series , it was well worth the just under £32 which was a steal . This is a collector of this genre's dream and well worth every penny , just simply telly delight .

I first saw an episode of "The Professionals" on a late-night Canadian TV station in 1979, while in Michigan for a college event. When I saw the names of Brian Clemens and Albert Finnell in the credits, I knew this long-time "Avengers" fan would be interested.Now, years later, it is interesting to see the additional episodes. "The Professionals" may be seen as the 'reality' version of "The Avengers," with the same Clemens/Finnell touches of sharp dialogue, camera angles and visual feel as the preceding classic set in a much grittier realm. The blend of Gordon Jackson's classic acting style with the then 'up-and-coming' former 'sit-com' performers Martin Shaw ("Doctor In The House") and Lewis Collins ("The Cuckoo Waltz") simply works, and isn't dated.Most of the samplings from the set have played well, with a couple of digital skips showing up (a gentle disc-cleaning may be in order). Additional info on the show would have been a nice inclusion to the set, but the presence of the banned episode 'Klansmen" compensates for that a bit.

Well It's All That It Says But I Don't See The Pilot EPs In There i may have missed it ore it may be somwhere weird other than at the start of the first disc like on that knight rider box set i got. Other than that it has no subs and is just in engish mono so the volume will need to be put up louder but TV's nowadays can do that no problem. So I'm highly Delighted but if you dont speak english or are deaf you may not be,still don't be put off this is a great box set well worth the buy or it may just be that i am too much of a fan to care. PS A piece of info you may like, My Mother actually met Gordon Jackson (George Cowley) In the bank where she worked back in the day, wow huh! sadly i heard he passed away not sure though but if thats the case R.I.P G.J but if not then i wish him well.

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Here we have the complete 57 episodes of the Professionals, starring Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon Jackson as Doyle, Bodie and their Machiavellian boss Cowley.If you're looking at this page you probably know what the series is about. A show famous for its tough story lines, tougher heroes, fast car chases and plenty of action. All of it is presented here across 16 disks.Episodes are all presented in original 4:3 aspect ratio, with mono sound. The remastering is acceptable, and the picture is as good as a TV series from that era can be. Importantly, several violent scenes usually cut for broadcast are restored, and the controversial episode Klansmen is included.There are no extras, and the series are presented in thin card cases, which feel a little cheap. For the price being asked these are minor quibbles. An excellent value for money presentation, a great way to get your hands on this iconic British series!

I have always loved this show and glad to see it on dvd.

Anyone who loves and appreciates the flair of the 70ies is best served with this diamond! Martin Shaw and his Major George Cowley (Gordon Jackson), Raymond Doyle (Martin Shaw) and William Andrew Philip Bodie (Lewis Collins) really rock the show.Tough, witty, explosive, intriguing, smart, casual and yet with a great deal of sympathy. A truly brilliant work and far superior to the pale remake.

très bonne serie mais pas d'info a l'achat sur les langue disponible. Je suis donc obligée de regarder cette serie dans la langue original (anglais) heureusement que la langue ne me pose pas de problème

Komplette Serie von Die Profis in Englisch, durchaus wertvoll weil durch die Originalsprache viele Übersetzungen die in der Deutschen Übersetzung nicht wortgetreu wiedergegeben werden können hier erhalten blieben.

Ich hoffe immer noch daß ich mich täusche, aber, inzwischen bei der dritten Box des Sets angekommen, habe ich noch keinerlei Extras oder Ähnliches entdecken können. Zumindest ein paar Interviews wären nett gewesen.Der Ton ( Mono ) scheint mir ein bißchen leise zu sein, verglichen mit dem aktuellen Fernsehprogramm der BBC. Die Bildqualität, na ja, ich sage mal durchaus brauchbar, obgleich da schon ab und an mal ein paar Streifen durch das Bild laufen und es bei dunklen Szenen etwas rauschen kann - Ich sehe darin den Charme des Alten, welches hier unverfälscht wiedergegeben wird.Wenn man nicht gerade überteuert bei Amazon kauft bekommt man eine Menge Sendezeit für's Geld und bis auf ein paar "Ausrutscher" sind die Folgen durchweg spannend und auch vergnüglich, bei aller ( oft überzogener ) Ballerei kommt der Humor nicht zu kurz und die Reaktionen und Aktionen der Darsteller wirken im Gegensatz zu heutigen Serien eigentlich nie unnatürlich und überzogen. Wenn man sich das Ganze mal so in Retrospektive genüßlich mit Originalton anschaut wird Einem auch erst bewußt, wie gut diese Schauspieler auch waren."The Professionals" ist eine routiniert und qualitativ gut gemachte Serie mit größtenteils auch guten Drehbüchern, die zwar nicht ganz an "The Sweeney" herankommt aber doch die heutigen Produktionen der Privatsender meilenweit hinter sich lässt. Gerade für jüngere Krimi / Actionfans welche die Serie früher nicht gesehen haben ist diese Produktion durchaus eine Empfehlung wert. Drei Sterne gibt es deshalb, weil das eigentliche Produkt, also diese DVD-Box, außer den Filmen nichts zu bieten hat.Nachtrag:Ich muß noch einen Stern abziehen weil die dritte Folge der vorletzten DVD nicht lesbar ist, ( Etliche Read Errors, mehrere Laufwerke getestet ) die DVD ist physikalisch unbeschädigt aber da hat man wohl Datensalat produziert.