It does feel as if some of the different British releasing companies tend to slack off when it comes to releasing various seasons of shows from the BBC and ITV. For example, there seems to be something a little off with a release like the sixth series of Foyle’s War. Whether it be a slightly muddy print or a lack of additional features, it just makes sense to bring over titles as cheaply as possible and mark them up considerably for those that do not have region-free DVD players. Regardless, PBS has done Inspector Lewis justice, giving viewers a release that is at the very least an equivalent to the ITV Studios release from April of 2009.
Series 3 of Inspector Lewis captures all five of the episodes from the season, to give viewers essentially five movie-length mysteries. “Counterculture Blues” may just be the best of these episodes, as a band fondly remembered by Lewis in eir youth becomes a focal point in a murder.
While only on DVD at this point, there is a sharpness to this print that could conceivably fool even the biggest fans of the new media, while the vocal quality is nothing to scoff at. The only complaint that I could conceivably raise about this DVD set is that it had about an 18 month turnaround from the original British release. However, the cheap price and stunning transfer of this series is more than enough to make up for any slowness. Here’s to hoping that sales of this release are strong enough to merit a box set of the four episodes that comprised the 2010 season.
Rating: 8.4/10
Inspector Lewis: Series 3 (DVD Set) / 2010 PBS / 450 Minutes / http://www.pbs.org / http://www.shoppbs.org