Bottom: Series 1 - Region 2 DVD

Mayall and Edmondson had earlier perfected their surreal double act as The Dangerous Brothers and these first episodes of Bottom find them in side-splitting form. From a misadventure with pheromone spray and the wrong sort of dogs down the pub in "Smells" to a birthday "Accident", which introduces The Young Ones' Christopher Ryan as a regular guest character, this is BBC comedy at its best. Brace yourself, 'cos this is going to hurt.

On the DVD Bottom, Series 1 contains all six episodes presented in the original TV 4:3 ratio with mono sound. The transfer is flawless, if anything rather revealing the limitations of the source material. The only extra beyond optional English subtitles and a Danish dub is "Bottom Fluff" a 15-minute blooper reel that offers a masterclass in the art of swearing. --Gary S Dalkin