The US DVD release contained nearly everything that the UK release did, save for a handful of additional UK exclusives – adverts and the link specific to that country.
Eventually, with the advent of Blu-ray, Network remastered the complete series for HD from the original negatives. Series One was released on Blu-ray in the UK on 2010. Series Two was released on Blu-ray in the UK in 2015. Then a Complete Series package was released on Blu-ray in the UK in 2017.
Unfortunately, while New Video did release Season One of the series on Blu-ray on December 14, 2010, they declined to participate in licensing Season Two of the series from Network. This was a problem, because Network was using this licensing money to help fund the cost of remastering the show’s second season. This explains why there was a five year gap between their own releases.
Sadly, New Video’s decision also meant that Season Two was never released on Blu-ray here in the States, nor has there been a Complete Series Blu-ray release on this side of the Atlantic... until Shout! Factory finally announced their long-anticipated release today (which is due on 7/16).
It remains to be seen yet which of the previous US and UK special features will carry over to this new Blu-ray release, so if you have any of those previous versions on Blu-ray and DVD, you’re smart to hang onto them until we know more.
While we’re sharing, here’s a smattering of additional DVD content related to Space: 1999, including a Post-Con DVD from the Alpha: 2012 Space: 1999 convention, the Space: 1999/UFO Documentaries disc, and Gerry Anderson’s The Day After Tomorrow/Space Police on DVD.
That’s it for today’s Retro Release Day! Check back Tuesday for the next installment, and if you share links to this column on social media, be sure to use tag #RetroReleaseDay.
Stay tuned...
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