Thanks to ViaVision, some more classic Australian (and British) TV series are getting DVD releases in August (2021).
RUSH: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION (2008 – 2011)
The hit Melbourne-made drama starring Rodger Corser.
Rush follows the lives of the Tactical Response (TR) team, a highly mobile, highly trained team of elite cops at the cutting edge of policing. Based on the real-life Critical Incident Response Team, these young police officers are trained to be smarter, faster and technologically superior.
Hijackings, armed robberies, hostage negotiations and political assassinations are just some of the challenges the members of TR find themselves up against. Over four powerful series the team deal with the enormous pressure of their high stakes job as well as their increasingly complicated personal lives, as romances, personal rivalries and family secrets come into play.
With an incredible cast including Rodger Corser, Callan Mulvey, Jolene Anderson, Catherine McClements, Samuel Johnson, Nicole da Silva and Ashley Zukerman, this 19-disc complete collection includes every episode from the series.
DVD release date 4th of August.
BLUE MURDER: THE COMPLETE MINI SERIES (1995)
An all-star Aussie cast including Richard Roxburgh, Tony Martin and Peter Phelps.
Blue Murder is a two-part Australian television miniseries produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1995, based on true events as featured in the novel In the Line of Fire by Darren Goodsir.
Roger Rogerson was headed for the top. He was the golden-haired boy. He received more citations and made more arrests than any other officer on the force. To earn a reputation like that, you had to have your contacts on the inside. Sometimes, even cross the line. That’s when the distinction between cop and criminal can blur.
DVD release date 4th of August.
CHANCES: COLLECTION ONE (1991 – 1992)
The salacious Aussie drama finally arrives on DVD!
What would you do if you won $3 million? Chances are … your life would change forever! From diamonds and fast- cars, to blackmail and murder, CHANCES is enthralling entertainment.
This 16-disc collection brings together the first 59 episodes to DVD for the first time, plus the original never-before- broadcast feature-length pilot.
DVD release date 18th of August.
A COUNTRY PRACTICE: COLLECTION FIVE (1987 – 1989)
Return to Wandin Valley in this 34-disc set.
One of Australia’s most popular primetime television programmes, the award-winning A Country Practice is a drama series about the residents of the small country town of Wandin Valley, New South Wales. This warm series focuses on the town’s medical practice, hospital, veterinary clinic, and the pub.
This collector’s set features episodes 533 to 666 across 34 discs.
DVD release date 18th of August.
STINGERS: SEASONS 5-8 (2002 – 2004)
Starring Aussie acting royalty including Peter Phelps and Gary Sweet.
Inspired by true events, Stingers reveals the shadowy and ambiguous world of undercover cops; people with covert lives and constantly changing identities. They are police who defeat crime from within the criminal world; always without a badge and frequently without protection. The series follows the lives of the operatives as they befriend and betray those on the other side of the law. For these select few, it is a deadly way of life.
This 27-disc set includes every episode from Seasons 5 – 8.
DVD release date 18th of August.
MINDER: COLLECTION ONE (1979 – 1984)
Dodgy car dealer Arthur Daley (George Cole) specialises in moving shonky merchandise to unsuspecting punters. To protect him from customers with a grievance, and the long arm of the law, Arthur hires jailbird Terry McCann (Dennis Waterman) as his ‘minder’. McCann, an ex-boxer, has decided to go straight, but with “Arfur’s” shady deals, Terry has his work cut out for him.
Spanning 15 years with a staggering 108 episodes, Minder became one of Thames Television’s most successful series of the 1980s, screening in over 70 countries. Blending crime with cockney humour, the chemistry between the colourful characters, played brilliantly by George Cole and Dennis Waterman, was first rate, set against a backdrop of modern London.
This 17-disc collection brings together the first 5 series of Minder, complete and uncut as originally broadcast, with a collection of special features celebrating the success of one of Britain’s most popular and enduring television classics.
DVD release date 25th of August.
THE SWEENEY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION (1975 – 1978)
Every episode of the definitive 70’s cop show!
Considered the ultimate 70’s police drama, launching the careers of John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, THE SWEENEY is still regarded as one of the most successful, popular and influential action series made for television. With its tough, realistic, warts and all portrayal of violent criminals and no-nonsense approach to policing, D.I. Jack Regan and D.S. George Carter explode onto DVD in this ULTIMATE COLLECTION – bringing together all 4 digitally restored series, original pilot REGAN, the 2 big screen feature films Sweeney! and Sweeney 2, and the largest collection of Special Features ever assembled.