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Driver (The) (TV)
R2 - United Kingdom - Acorn Media Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (6th October 2014). |
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The Show
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the show from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** David Morrissey is... The Driver. Feeling the loss of their son who has cut all ties with the family, Vince McKee (David Morrissey) and his wife Ros (Claudie Blakley) have drifted further and further apart from each other emotionally. They blame themselves for Tim’s departure and, feeling utterly helpless about finding a way to get him back, have become accustomed to living separate lives. Vince has fallen into a rut and has tired of his job as a taxi driver. When his old friend Col (Ian Hart) resurfaces after a six-year stretch in prison, Vince’s life is turned upside down when he accepts an offer to be the driver for a criminal gang. At first it’s exciting, and the extra cash is extremely appealing when compared to his regular occupation. But as they prepare for a major job, Vince is confronted with a life-threatening situation that he can’t overlook, setting in motion a series of events that puts not only him, but his family in grave danger.
Video
Acorn Media have released BBC three-part drama series The Driver on to DVD only for its worldwide home media debut, using the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The transfer is anamorphic, in PAL format, and looks just as good as the original television broadcasts did. Shot on digital, "The Driver" has a very sharp look to it. Colours are very typical of British television dramas, with plenty of greys, blacks and blues throughout, though lighter colours do pop well and help add to the depth of the picture. Blacks are deep and inky at all times, with very little crush, though some of the lighter sky lines do show some light banding. Shadow details are above average, with good clarity in background items, whilst close-up details are very strong, with intricate clothing and internal environments the highlights. There were a couple of small instances of aliasing, though they were barely noticeable, and edge enhancement was non-existent. As to be expected for a digital transfer, there are no issues such as scratches, and although all three hour-long episodes are crammed on to a single disc, compression issues are minimal.
Audio
As per usual with Acorn's BBC releases, we are given a single audio option for "The Driver"; English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. Whilst this is normally sufficient, the show does have a number of scenes that would have really benefited from the inclusion of a 5.1 track. Still, there are no issues to be found here. Dialogue is clear and concise throughout, with no mumbling, and volume levels remaining consistent for the duration. Channel separation is minimal, but direction works well when utilised. The environmental effects don't sound flat, and add a good sense of depth to the proceedings. There are no signs of damage here such as drop outs or pops and scratches, and I noticed no background hiss. A technically solid track. Optional subtitles have been included in English for the hard-of-hearing.
Extras
We start the extras off with the "Behind the Scenes: Part 1" (4:45) and "Behind the Scenes: Part 2" (7:51) featurettes. These are unfortunately far too short to really give us in-depth information outside of some basic soundbites, though they work well as fluff pieces. I would have liked to have seen the technical aspects explored a bit more, but this is okay for a single watch at least. There are also a couple of photo galleries, both lasting a minute.
Overall
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