Wie Betaalt De Veerman? [DVD]

This review is on the Dutch DVD set entitled "Wie Betaalt De Veerman?" and not the 2012 English edition by Eureka.Watching this edition of "Who Pays The Ferryman" the serial came over as well as I remembered all those years ago. Once seen, the storyline, characterised by the Cretan culture and oozing with long-held local beliefs, understandings and the way of life - with long memories central to the plot - could easily be a once-only see but the storytelling scores the most points and makes it essential re-viewing material. No plot spoilers here though, I'm afraid.The picture is quite and shows little in the way of compression artefacts good if a little soft and with an off-white tint here and there, with some evidence of age here and there from the tapes, all of which is expected amongst programmes of this vintage where little evidence is seen of any digital clean-up is seen. (The Eureka edition is, if anything, worse.) But that should not deter from watching this strongly-plotted storyline one jot, neither should menu navigation to turn off the Dutch subtitles which is easy. Location filming added so much (the first 10 minutes of episode 1 is purely on film) and must have cost a bit for the BBC at the time. A pity therefore that the entire series couldn't have been on this format.I'm glad I have obtained this I'm also staggered that it took so long for such a well-remembered major drama serial such as this to be given an official British release on DVD. This fate is affecting many classic top-quality BBC shows of contemporary vintage which lie forgotten in the vaults in preference to the Corporations' pushing out of more recent popular shows (i.e. bigger sales from recent memories), some of which I'm already finding mundane, let alone what I may think of them in ten years from now.For the moment though, step back in time and enjoy seeing Crete in its now-historical perspective, before the hordes of invading tourists arrived, as inspired by this very series. And don't forget the specially-composed, atmospheric music courtesy of Yannis Markopoulos, the main ending theme of which made the upper reaches of the UK charts. The opening music is from his "Fanfare For Charon", charon being the ferryman of the title who required payment to transport souls across the Styx.

I first saw 'Who Pays The Ferryman' when it was originally aired in 1977. It was fantastic then, and it's every bit as good now! Jack Hedley is amazing as Alan Haldane, also known on the island of Crete, where 99% of the show is set, as Leandros, which was his code name when, as a young army officer, he worked with the resistance during the second world war. Hedley plays the character perfectly, making you feel genuine liking and sympathy for Leandros, and Neil McCarthy, as his old friend and fellow resistance member Babis, now a well respected solicitor on the island, is also excellent. (And for those who enjoyed 'The Lotus Eaters', Stephan Gryff, who played the police captain, appears here as the Major - also a policeman.) Each episode is a story in itself, but there is also a plot running through it, a story that build and builds, racking up the tension, and it unfolds in a typical Greek tragedy style. I bought the DVD to watch myself, but also for my four children (who are in their late teens) as we had previously watched Colditz, and they'd all been very impressed with Hedley's performance in that - which was what reminded me of 'Who Pays The Ferryman'. When I came to look for it, I could not believe that it was only available as a Dutch export!! What is wrong with this country? Michael J Bird did other great shows - 'The Aphrodite Inheritance', starring Alexandra Bastedo, and 'The Dark Side Of The Sun' starring Peter Egan, were particularly good, and yet you can't get them on DVD. Crazy!

Forty years since I watched the original series on television so I only remember the basic outline of the story. Yes it is dated and obviously made in a different era e.g fashion and the quality of the sound and some filming is less than we expect now. However, but the story and characters are just as relevant today and the depth of which are far superior to those found in many action packed drama series around at the moment. The series not only tells a good tale and encompasses some interesting cultural and historical information to interest the viewer. Good to watch again.

Despite the fact that this series was broadcast years ago I really enjoyed it. The scenery was very interesting and must have done wonders for the Cretan tourist industry before many resorts were no doubt commercialised. The accents were very good from the two English actors and they blended well with the Greek cast. I have liked Jack Hedley ever since his role in Colditz, and apart from the very short shorts (!) he played the part authentically. One reviewer mentioned that one person did not act quite as well as the others, but did not say who. I wonder if it was the reformed drug addict who was a bit too intense.The special effects ( I cannot give away the clue) were very realistic. The inhabitants of the island were so genuine and lent authenticity to the story. I could easily watch the whole series again. The picture quality was good, and once I had figured out how to remove the subtitles I thought the whole production was excellent.

Product arrive promptly. Disc one refused to load on main machine, but found another that accepted it, disc two had several hang ups, had to jog backwards and forwards and reload many times to play. Finished watching the whole 40 year old production to remind me of a 20 year old holiday experience in Crete by three am..

I love this series. It is great to get the chance to watch it again,

Lors d'un séjour en Crète en 2010, j'avais acheté ce livre et l'avais littéralement dévoré. Je suis même allée sur les sites (dont Elounda et Spinalonga) mentionnés dans l'histoire. Mon ressenti lors de la lecture et mes visites m'avaient offert une version très personnelle de ce que cela pouvait donner en images car je savais qu'il s'agissait d'une série produite par la BBC. Du coup, en visualisant le DVD, j'ai eu des larmes de joie et d'émotion. On y découvre la Crète des années 40 - 70. Le casting est attachant. Les couleurs ne sont pas au top de la qualité et la bande son originale (grec et anglais) n'a pas été retravaillée malgré une soi-disant re-mastérisation … mais qu'importe. J'ai retrouvé la Crète de mon cœur ! Par contre, notez que les sous-titres sont en anglais uniquement.

Formatted for the wrong Region. Will not play in Canada. Do not buy.

A good series from the era that British productions of drama were allowed in Greece by the military government. Interesting to see what the Greek islands were like before the Tourism developments along the mediterranean coasts.

Long awaited and frustrating search but all worth the effort. Great acting from all players and a satisfying story but don't expect a happy ending!Racy