We're fast approaching the 30th anniversary of Dennis Potter's final teleplays Karaoke and Cold Lazarus. Out-of-print in physical format since a belated solitary bare bones DVD release in 2010, surely this ambitious swansong is due the blu-ray treatment?
"They're speaking my lines..."
Transmitted across April and May 1996 each episode of mystery drama Karaoke was screened first on BBC1 then repeated the following night on Channel 4 and vice versa for its sci-fi sequel Cold Lazarus. Karaoke was set in the then present-day London whilst its protagonist's cryogenically-frozen head is revived four centuries later in Cold Lazarus, initially to enable the scientific study of his memories, ultimately so these memories can be plundered for mass entertainment via virtual reality headsets.
"Finally, privacy has a true market value!"
The BBC repeat of the first episode of Cold Lazarus happened to be broadcast later the same evening as the premiere of the UK/US-produced Doctor Who TV Movie and perhaps affords us a contrasting glimpse of how solely British-produced Doctor Who might have looked had it returned to TV in the 1990s.
"Print and radio tell. Stage and film show. Cyberspace embodies."
A chunk of the budget for Cold Lazarus went on the creation of the 'live wall', a huge fluid screen upon which protagonist Daniel Feeld's memories are projected. The special effects for this hold up well, the rippling depiction of his mind's eye still utterly mesmerising.
"No biography."
Whilst Potter and lead actor Albert Finney are no longer with us, many cast and crew are. Director Renny Rye recently participated in a short 'Remembers..' intro prior to a screening of Karaoke on BBC4 last year. This 15 minute programme in which the director reminisces on how the project came about is the only one on the subject as far as I'm aware, and serves as a taster for what we could be offered if a blu-ray were released.
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The 2010 DVD editions of Karaoke and Cold Lazarus are only obtainable for extortionate prices online. Both serials however are currently available on demand via the All4 app, albeit with typically intrusive adverts.
Renny Rye Remembers Karaoke is currently available on iPlayer.
Silva Screen Records released the soundtrack on cassette and CD in 1996, which includes the songs featured in Karaoke as well as Christopher Gunning's sublime score for both series.
