Primeval: Volume 1

by Zach Oat November 11, 2008 2:18 PM
Primeval: Volume 1

Although it says "Volume 1" on the box, Amazon.com describes this set as "The Complete Series 1 & 2." Technically, it's accurate: while BBC America aired them all in a row, this is actually the first two British series, a grand total of 13 episodes, each of them full of ferocious, dino-tastic action. But the word "complete" only applies as far as Series 1 & 2 are concerned, because Series 3 starts in January. The episodes are worth the price of the set alone, but luckily there are a few extras to sweeten the pot.

Commentary: Of the 13 episodes in the set, only two get commentaries, both featuring the show's executive producer and co-creator Tim Haines, head writer and co-creator Adrian Hodge and director Jamie Payne. The first commentary is on Episode 7, the first episode of Series 2, which allows the creators to talk about how hard it is to sum up an entire series (the "Previouslies" apparently took longer to write than the rest of the episode), why they made certain changes for the second series, and why the raptors in the episode are technically the show's first true dinosaurs. The other commentary is on Episode 10, which featured the ridiculous walrus men, inconsistent lighting and the kickoff of the highly improbable Connor/Abby romance, thereby giving the team plenty to crack jokes about. (Believe it or not, Andrew-Lee Potts and Hannah Spearritt are dating in real life.) Sadly, there are no commentaries on all of Series 1, which boggles my mind. Wasn't the first series released on DVD in the U.K.? Was it released with NO commentaries? Why not, if it was so successful that they greenlit a second series? I'm not sure why I care, but I feel like there would be some interesting things to say about the early episodes, before the show had become a hit.

Behind the Scenes: The Series 1 making-of doc is 45 minutes long, and is fairly comprehensive -- basically, it's three 15-minute documentaries in one, which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how much of it you're interested in. (They're all mixed together, so you can't really skip ahead.) It serves as an on-set diary, where we see the pitfalls and problems of on-location shooting; a meet-and-greet, where you learn about the characters, the actors and their motivations; and a special-effects documentary, breaking down what goes into creating the dinosaurs -- including Rex -- and acting with them on set. If you have the time, and the attention span, it's pretty darn interesting.

Through the Anomaly: The Series 2 behind-the-scenes is aptly titled, because you feel as if you've been sent through a portal to a world where Andrew-Lee Potts ruled the Earth. It's similar to the first-series doc, but framed by a manic, hat-wearing Potts, who mugs for the camera -- possibly in character, possibly not -- and at one point puts on a dress. Apparently, this documentary aired on television as an episode, and there was one for Series 1, as well, starring James Murray ("Stephen Hart"). The Series 1 making-of seems to be a totally different thing, and as interesting as it is, I would have liked to have seen the poppier version, with Murray's dreamy narration. You know, for the ladies.

No need to travel through an anomaly to get your copy, just go through this web portal.

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