Solar Flare: Science Fiction News

The Dragon Page brings me possibly the greatest news ever! Okay I’m exaggerating slightly. but it is very good news. They’re actually releasing Sapphire and Steel on DVD in the US. I don’t know if the show was every shown over here or not. Its something of a cult in the UK and this DVD release is the entire run of the show. All 34 episodes on 6 discs.

Sapphire and Steel is one of the most unique television shows ever. Not quite as unique as The Prisoner, perhaps, but not far behind either. Starring David McCallum (Steel) and Joanna Lumley (Sapphire) as two human looking agents who’s role is to control encursions by time into reality.

These are slow moving and old fashioned stories. Each some of the stories are 6 episodes long and they all work with a very small cast and limited locations. The feeling is more of a play than of what you would expect from a tv show these days. But what they do brilliantly is emphasize atmosphere. The stories are as much horror as sci-fi or fantasy.

This series isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste, but personally I love it. I had most of the episodes on VHS, but it was the British PAL format which wasn’t doing me any good over here. Now I have an opportunity to get them on DVD in NTSC format. The DVD goes on sale December 28th, but its up on Amazon already.

Buy Sapphire and Steel at Amazon.com