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Benidorm - Series 1 | 
 enlarge | Actor: Johnny Vegas
Studio: 2 Entertain Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £12.94
You Save: £7.05 (35%)
New (7) Used (1) from £12.88
Rating:  10 reviews
Format: Colour, Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: To Be Announced
Region: 2
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 134 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5014138601768
ASIN: B000VATXA2
Release Date: April 28, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New and Fully Guaranteed - Over 90% of orders are dispatched same day or next day by First Class post. Please note Danish customers may incur custom charges.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Solana resort, at the heart of Benidorm, sounds like quite a place to spend a holiday. It attracts a broad selection of characters, all sorts of antics, and fortunately for anyone picking this DVD up, a good few laughs too. A comedy programme that slipped under many people's radar, Benidorm puts an all-inclusive holiday destination at the heart of its setup, and then sets about filling it with a collection of fascinating characters. So you have the quiz kings for starters, along with a pair of mature swingers. There's a standard-ish stereotypical family, a gay couple on holiday to celebrate, and a squabbling married pair too. It's a broad ensemble, and this proves to be one of the many qualities of the programme. However, also in Benidorm's favour are some witty scripts, plenty of not-for-the-kids dialogue and a lot of belly laughs. All six episodes from the first series are collected here, and while the laughs don't always constantly flow throughout, the hit count is certainly high. And given the lack of quality fresh British sitcoms of late, Benidorm proves to be quite a collectors item. It might not, on the basis of this first series, be on the way to being a flat-out comedy classic, but there's so much enjoyment in the episodes here that a second series is hard to resist. --Jon Foster
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| Customer Reviews:
 Sun, sea ,sangria, swingers and "The Oracle" November 21, 2007
russell clarke (halifax, west yorks)
23 out of 25 found this review helpful
Sit-coms have become a graveyard for writers and terrestrial channels over the last few years-the dire "My Family" apart -though shows subverting the genres like "Spaced " and "The Mighty Boosh" have done very well.Benidorm suddenly appeared with little fanfare on ITV in February 2007 in the 10.00p.m slot and from the first episode it was clear that this something sufficiently different from the normal cosy suburban sit-com to mark it out as worth watching.
Written by Derren Litten, co-writer of The Catherine Tate Show Benidorm is set in an all inclusive apartment complex-The Solana Apartments- in the popular Spanish resort. The programme exploits the stereotypical working class depiction of Benidorm and seems uncertain whether it,s revelling in the rampaging tackiness of it all or condemning it as a soulless shallow exploitative enterprise.The truth is likely to be somewhere between the two but the real crux of the matter is whether it is funny or not and Benidorm is often very funny indeed-though it is a coarse bawdy type of humour that some may find offensive.
The shows very simple premise is to have disparate groups of people interact while they lounge around the pool, in their rooms or attend any of the complex,s horrendous entertainment nights.There is quiz show champ Geoff Matlby aka"The Oracle" ( Johnny Vegas) and his mother (Elsie Kelly)who he constantly badgers to test him with quiz questions. The Garvey family -dad Mick( Steve Pemberton), mum Janice ( Siobhan Finnerhan), teenage daughter Chantelle( Hannah Hobley) who is harbouring a secret(Not very well it must be said), young son Michael(Oliver Stokes) and Janices mother Madge( Sheila Reid), a wheelchair bound sun worshipping chain smoking bundle of spite. Incidentally she indirectly is responsible for the best line of the entire series when referring to her sunbathing and smoking a character asks Janice"Is,nt she worried about the C word?". To which Janice replies "Oh no ,she,s been called far worse than that".
Completing the line up are a couple of elderly swingers Jaqueline(Janine Duvitski)and Donald(Kenny Ireland) who are constantly trying to coerce their fellow holidaymakers into their enthusiastic shenanigans. Kate (Abigail Cruttenden) and Martin (Nicholas Burns) are a married couple going through a rough patch and he has booked the holiday as a surprise much to her disgust., though she finds compensation with a philandering pool waiter. Gay partners Gavin (Hugh Sachs) and Troy ( Paul Bazely)are on holiday celebrating the opening of their new hair salon.
Over six half hour episdoes these characters endure various farcical scenarios and engsage in scatalogical cross class and culture disccusions which usually end up revolving around sex or bodily functions. Anyone who loved crass northern comedy "Rita Sue And Bob Too" will probably love Benidorm though it must be said Benidorm is far wittier than that film ever was. Fans of dire middle class fare like "My Family" are probably best advised to steer well clear. The performances are uniformly excellent but special mention must go to Janine Duvitski and Kenny Ireland as the emollient hint dropping swingers.
I,m not convinced Benidorm will stand up to repeated viewings like say "Blackadder" or " I,m Alan Partridge" but one poor episode apart i laughed out loud consistently. Benidrom has been commissioned for a second series , this time over eight episodes so it was clearly a ratings success.The Brits aboard angle has rarely been given such a forensic and salacious going over and in doing so i feel this programme has comes close to the truth as it,s possible for drama to get. It,s an uncomfortable truth but it,s quite often a very amusing one.
Great british comedy December 7, 2007
MYSTICHSHAZ (UK)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
I don't understand why this wasn't put out at prime time instead of being aired around 10.30pm. It eclipses some of the rubbish that's been passing for 'comedy' of late - lets hope ITV sees sense with series two.
Derren Little (of 'The Catherine Tate Show' fame)is such a talented comedy writer - this is wonderfully typical British humour, so sadly missing on TV these days. I'm so looking forward to the next series - this has got all the makings of a classic comedy - so PLEASE put it on at 9pm!!
Funniest ITV series for a LONG time November 30, 2007
Mr Jimmy (UK)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I came to this sitcom late having missed the first showing of the series but was soon enjoying the repeat after been made aware of the show by enthusiastic friends at work. I very rarely laugh out loud while watching the TV but I think I did during almost every episode of this brilliant new comedy. As long as you like your humour rude you will love this show; I think it's worth mentioning the acting too, some brilliant performances from some very familiar faces who do justice to this very well written 6-parter. I can't wait for the 2nd series but also can't wait for the release of this, series one. Funniest ITV series in a LONG time.
Brilliant! April 29, 2008
Jake M (England)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I watched "Benidorm" for the first time several weeks ago and never has a comedy made me howl so much with laughter.
It is without doubt, one of the best programes in modern comedy. The jokes come thick and fast and as for the characters - hilarious!
Do yourself a favour and but this DVD today, you will not regret it.
This is hilarious April 9, 2008
M. Steele (London, UK)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Benidorm is a laugh-out-loud series written by Derren Litten, one of the main writers of The Catherine Tate show. Catherine's 3rd series was all the poorer for Derren having left but he's scored gold with his portrayal of Benidorm and the myriad of misfits who holiday there. The humour may verge on the bawdy at times but it fits beautifully with the residents of the hotel. It's brilliantly written and observed. All the actors are excellent and no-one in the cast lets the side down. It's a real change to see a comedy series that actually makes you laugh out loud. This started out small with little fan-fare but now has a cult following. The second series is shaping up well too. Definitely one to buy if you want an evening filled with laughter.
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