Billy Connolly has thus far completed three World Tour series, the only one yet to be released on DVD is the first one produced, World Tour of Scotland. This release is the second and looks at our beautiful country of Australia. It has been released to coincide with the third in the series Billy Connolly’s World Tour of England, Ireland and Wales , which was only aired on television this year. For all of these series', the Big Yin takes a tour on his trusty Harley Davidson three wheeler and shows the viewer many of the more interesting sights of the country he is touring. All this sightseeing is interspersed with segments of his live shows, so be warned the kids will learn some colourful language should you allow them to watch.
Being one of the most popular comedic figures in the world, I am sure most will be familiar with the style of humour of Billy Connolly. His at times brash humour is very infectious. He tackles subjects that many would never notice in a million years, but that become all too familiar when mentioned. He has been doing what he does for over 30 years now and his enthusiasm is undying. He is just about the only comedian that can continually use four letter words and not be deemed offensive by anyone.
For Billy Connolly’s World Tour of Australia we are taken on an extensive tour of this land down under. Going from location to location, Billy gives historical accounts of many places and also takes you to others you may never have known existed (nor perhaps wanted to for that matter), and his enthusiasm makes this very interesting and amusing. His knowledge of Australia may have been learned especially for this series, but he would put most Aussies to shame.
| "You people live in @!#&$*#@ paradise!" |
From the menu, which is a map of Australia, the viewer can select which episode they would like to view or even which area from the itinerary. Being a two disc set, there are four episodes on each disc and each episode runs for just under 30 minutes. Beginning the tour in Sydney, Billy travels all over the country pointing out sights of interest along with what this country has to offer in the way of art and culture. He goes to all the big cities like Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth (yes Perth is a big city!) and to the lesser recognised areas like Newcastle (that’s a joke Newcastle people, OK?). His obvious fascination for art and other cultures is infectious and, as he is known to do, he notices things that us mere mortals fail to see until pointed in the right direction.
There are many highlights in this highly entertaining series, running naked through the Pinnacles is one. While in Sydney he climbs to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and he is like a kid in a candy store, so thrilled at the experience while the rest of us that suffer from acrophobia are left cringing. Swimming with dolphins is another highlight for this self proclaimed hippy.
| "This is the greatest country on earth! Where your Prime Minister's eaten by a shark, why didn’t we think of that?" |
The only bad thing I can say about this series is that it has dated somewhat. Seeing Billy appearing on the Today Show interviewed by Ray Martin wannabe Richard Wilkins, plus references to other events of the time, do make you realise this series was made some time ago now. Thankfully the humour of Billy Connolly is ageless though, so these time references are soon forgotten. This is a wonderful series that I enjoyed much more this time than when first aired on television - check it out!
This is yet another full frame television series. The picture is sharp throughout with very few problems. There is some aliasing and the odd instance of grain, however generally this is a very good transfer. Colours are true and natural and detail is terrific. This country has wonderful and varied scenery to offer and this transfer shows it in all its glory. There is a layer change at 1:40 in episode two which is not too intrusive, but I didn’t spot a layer change on disc two at all. There are no subtitles supplied, but even with his strong accent, Connolly is generally not hard to understand.
Audio is the standard Dolby Digital 2.0 in glorious Scottish err.. English. This is not a remarkable audio track, but it's sufficient for this type of series. Dialogue is clear throughout with the odd problem due to location and external interference. There is one instance of pretty awful sound quality at 12:45 on episode two during a live stand up section, but this is the only really bad area of note. Overall this is an adequate audio track that is all it needs to be.
Overall this is a fabulous series and the Big Yin is again very entertaining. Those that live in this country could quite easily use it as a tool to attract tourists as it shows, along with the usual tourist spots, many other areas that are not so regularly visited. Again for those that live in paradise, check it out to see what Billy thinks of your home town.
