Back in September 2020, I bought the Man In A Suitcase DVD box set (by Network), and I thoroughly enjoyed working my way through all 30 episodes. Today, I received (via eBay) one of a limited number of promo cards hand-signed by Richard Bradford when he was conducting interviews for the DVD release in 2004. Sadly, both the actor and the company Network are no longer around, but Richard's name lives on - and I've got it, now securely ensconed within the DVD case (so these are the seller's pics). RB was a Terrific actor, I thought. If you'd care to refresh your memory on what I wrote about the box set nearly six years ago, click here.
As I grew up in the Southern TV area back in the sixties, I do not remember Man in a Suitcase being broadcast on ITV. However, when we visited my gran in Southampton, she had the Rediffusion service which carried ITV London, and I distinctly remember seeing an episode with Donald Sutherland. More recently I bought one of those "Retro TV" blu-ray discs that had a sample Man in a Suitcase episode on it, newly remastered, and it was very good indeed. A pal of mine has recently got the new full series set issued by the Aussie company Imprint, and says it is excellent.
ReplyDeleteIt truly is excellent, B. Richard McGill (Bradford's character) often got beat up in a fight or at least looked as though he'd been in one, unlike, say, Roger Moore, who only had to run a hand through his hair to look unmarked after his involvement in fisticuffs. I might watch MIAS again soon. Bradford always gave a convincing performance as McGill - shame the series didn't go on gor longer.
DeleteI bought the network blu ray complete series a few years ago which was boxed in a suitcase. Brilliant series. By the way at the grand age of 70 I have made my first ever visit to Scotland while on holiday in Berwick-Upon-Tweed. Edinburgh on Tuesday and dunbar today. I made sure I wore my Oor Wullie socks and tasted Tennents lager. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteWhit? Nae haggis, AL? Those Network DVDs (all of them) will probably go through the roof, price-wise, unless another company starts producing their own versions. I've got quite a few, though not as many as I'd like. Cheers (hic!).
DeleteToday (June 5th) is 50 years since the final batch of Saturday Marvel UK weeklies. The following week's comics went on sale four days later on Wednesday June 9th 1976 and Wednesday became the regular day for new Marvel UK comics.
ReplyDeleteDid they say Wednesday on the covers, CJ? I'm asking because quite a few comics used to say 'On sale every Wednesday' (or some other day), yet still appeared in newsagents on the Saturday (or some other day, though not one that matched the cover date). Tell us, o mighty memory man.
DeleteI'll answer for Colin as waiting for test results in hospital CT( for my "father in law") and bored lol. It never said Wednesday on the cover it was just the week ending date that changed to a Wednesday from the previous Saturday .
ReplyDeleteYes, on the Marvel weeklies, McS, which is what I suspected, but I think the DCT and IPC weeklies sometimes carried an 'Every Wednesday' (or whatever) on the covers. Hope everything turns out well for your "father-in-law". (You realise if you married the poor woman, you'd save a lot of time by not having to type 'quotes' around father-in-law.)
DeletePaul's "father-in-law" must be very old!
ReplyDeleteThere's none of us here on this page who could be described as young, CJ.
DeleteHe is 91 Colin.
ReplyDeleteThere you go, CJ - a mere skelf of a lad. My ma's 104 - and I feel like I'm older than that.
DeleteMy parents died aged 71 and 77, Kid, so reaching 91 and 104 seems like Methuselah to me.
ReplyDeleteThe Marvel UK weeklies did say 'Every Wednesday' in the corner-box by the time of Dez Skinn's Marvel Revolution in late '78/early '79 and the term 'Week Ending' had been dropped by then.
I'm hoping to live as long as 969 years as well, CJ - longer, in fact. Think I'll make it?
DeleteI still wonder if they actually came out on Wednesdays though. My local newspaper used to say 'Every Thursday', but went on sale on a Wednesday. Hard to keep up, ain't it?!
Considering your mother's age, Kid, you certainly have a good chance of reaching your 90s at least. But you'll need a bigger house to contain all the extra stuff you'll have bought by then!
ReplyDeleteMy weekly comics were ordered from a newsagents and my father picked them up on a Thursday (and on Mondays when they came out on a Saturday) so I don't know if they went on sale earlier.
Maybe I should just start buying smaller collectables, CJ? I plan on having a mirrored cupboard built along a wall of my back room to store comics and toys one day. The mirrored doors will give the illusion of the room being bigger, and I can look at some of my stuff by simply sliding a door open.
DeleteMost of my family reached their early/mid 80s to early 90s but my dad and brother sadly passed away early - 67 and 58 respectively.
ReplyDeleteKid, if you get to 104 you won't be able to move in your house with all your memorabilia purchases. Speaking of old comics I was surprised to see a batch of around 30 Wham!, Smash! and Pow! comics in a charity shop in Clarkston, most were in terrible condition but others were nice costing from £3 - £6 each. Sods law I had all the good quality issues already. They also had a lot of Marvel UK 1980s monthlies ( MWOM, Cap Britain, Blockbuster etc) and those Dez Skinn era weeklies. I passed on them although I did pick up a Guardians of the Galaxy GN in mint condition for £2.
I forgot that Dez Skinny era Marvel UK added the day to their titles .
No age at all really in regard to your dad and brother, is it, McS?
DeleteI always wonder when I see stuff like that, whether it's just a clear-out or the original owner has died. Charity shop workers aren't renowned for handling old stuff carefully in order to preserve the condition, so I'll have to make sure my stuff doesn't end up in one.
Yeah 58 and 67 are relatively young both were massive shocks . Sadly, some folk pass even earlier.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing when I saw those comics. Especially as the box contained UK Marvels the person may have been around our age and liked comics moving from Pow! etc onto Marvel etc.
I remember being shocked when a couple of old classmates I'd known from when I was 7 died a few years apart - at the age of around 18 or 19 in one case, and 21 or 22 in the other. Doesn't seem all that long ago since I spoke with them, even though it's been decades.
DeleteI hope those charity shop comics go to a good home or homes, where they'll be appreciated and cherished, even.
Paul, my sister died aged 19 and my mother's brother died aged 54 (on the day before Margaret Thatcher resigned).
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you don't refer to him as your uncle, CJ, though I seem to recall you saying once that he lived in Australia (?) and that you weren't close.
DeleteIt was my father's brother who lived in Australia, Kid, and his other brother lived in Nottinghamshire until he got divorced and moved elsewhere (can't recall where exactly). My mother's brother lived quite near to us when I was growing up - he was a former geography teacher and he needed crutches to walk due to permanent injuries sustained in a motorbike crash in his early twenties.
ReplyDeleteSo, right country, wrong uncle. Given the way my memory works these days, I'm surprised I even remembered you mentioning an uncle in Australia before. Gimme a Blue Peter Badge.
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