Animation fans can rejoice once again, as Fabulous Films has released another restored classic for DVD and Blu-Ray. The Perishers was a short-lived animated adaptation of a comic strip, which is now available in HD for the first time. This release follows recent FF restorations of FilmFair’s Paddington and The Wombles.

What is The Perishers?

The Perishers began as a comic strip in The Daily Mirror, running between 1959 and 2006. It was written by Maurice Dodd and illustrated by Dennis Collins. The strip followed a group of neighbourhood children and a dog.

It was brought to television in 1979 by FilmFair and Bill Melendez Productions. The show originally aired on the BBC for a total of twenty episodes, each lasting five minutes. It was repeated regularly until 1988. Sheila Steafel voiced the characters Maisie and Baby Grumpling, Leonard Rossiter voiced Boot, Judy Bennett voiced Wellington, and Peter Hawkins served as the narrator as well as voicing the characters Marlon and BH.

The Restoration

All 20 episodes have been scanned and restored from 35mm film elements, and it shows. The side-by-side comparison with a DVD version, included on the disc, shows an image with more clarity and sharper edges. It is almost criminal how bad and washed out the series looked previously; Now it appears clean with lots of definition in the design. It is like lifting the fog to reveal the beauty underneath.

While there is a major improvement in the audio and video, it does vary between episodes. The restorers have tried to keep the original feel, with grain still present.

Jamie’s Thoughts on the Series

This is a series which has passed me by, which surprises me considering FilmFair were involved. By looking at the promotional images, the art style reminded me very much of the Peanuts series. Considering the people involved, this isn’t surprising, but it does stand up on its own.

The episodes are short, around 5 minutes in length, but they gives enough time to pack in a joke or observation. I’ve laughed at Boot, been annoyed by Masie and made quips from the point of view as a parent. The focus is primarily on Wellington and his dog boot, the latter voiced by the brilliant Leonard Rossiter. The performer appears to have had fun on this series, as his delivery of dog-like thoughts in a droll British accent is superb.

It provides an innocent view on childhood that is engaging, from one burst of the memorable theme tune to another, made possible by the excellent writing, simple animation and excellent voices. Some parts of the narrative and execution perhaps haven’t aged particularly well, but this is a piece of history that deserves to be preserved.

A Little Something Extra…

Aside from the newly remastered quality, there isn’t much else in this package. The Blu-Ray comes in a standard blue case, with a nicely printed cover. The menu features basic options with an image from the front cover, with a 3D effect of balloons behind. Subtitles are provided. The only special feature is the comparison to the old transfers.

While it is frustrating that not many extra features have been included, it is understandable given the age of the programming. It’s a wonder that the restorers managed to track down 16mm prints of episodes; that’s the selling point here.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a solid package that is light on extras, but full of content that looks better than ever. The Perishers might not be the most timeless, but there is still a high rewatch factor. The episodes are short, but the jokes provide pleasure; Thanks to the performances of Rossiter and co.

The restoration hasn’t been overdone, with enough of the original presentation and feel still intact. Although it comes at a £20 price tag, it’s good value. In conclusion, this release comes highly recommended. Perishin’ Kids!

The Perishers is available to order on DVD and Blu-Ray from Fabulous Films.

Will you be picking up The Perishers on Blu-Ray? Let us know all your thoughts on social media, or by leaving a comment below!