It's that time of the year again when the majority of emails Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website's receives are...
Where can I get a DVD / Blu-ray of the BBC's version of [insert Ayckbourn play title of choice]?
The full answer can be found in the Film, TV & Radio section of the official website, but - apologies for constant blog readers who have read this before - it's worth repeating here.
The simple answer to the question is: unfortunately, none of the BBC's television adaptations of Alan Ayckbourn's plays have ever been commercially released. And as for the non-BBC television adaptations, you're limited to The Norman Conquests on DVD.
Frustrating as it may be for Ayckbourn fans, there appears to be little inclination to release the TV adaptations commercially either now or in the future.
The reasons for this are not obvious - and are not known to Sir Alan - but are presumably commercial in nature. Whilst, as Ayckbourn fans, it may seem a no-brainer to release archive television material onto DVD or blu-ray, there are always going to be hurdles in the way.
Not least the costs - be they restoration of prints, licensing costs or just the standard compensation to the creative talent involved - and on top of all that, there is the principal question of will it sell enough to be commercially viable!
And, sadly, if we're objectively looking at demand for the TV plays, the fact the last Ayckbourn repeated on the BBC (Season's Greetings in 2011) did not even make it into the BBC3 Top Ten for that week (which makes its a pitifully small viewing figure given BBC3's ratings) is hardly a glowing endorsement for the company to take the risk of a commercial release.
What is perhaps worth emphasising is that Alan Ayckbourn himself is not one of the reasons why the likes of the BBC’s Season’s Greetings, Absent Friends and Absurd Person Singular are not available. In principal, he has never had any objection to the release of the plays on DVD or blu-ray. However, he doesn't have any influence or say in the matter as the all important initial decision as to whether to release the films has to be taken by the BBC (or the relevant rights holder).
So, sadly, for those of you who hoping to see the BBC’s Season’s Greetings this Christmas - or any of the other BBC adaptations (Absent Friends, Absurd Person Singular, Relatively Speaking and Way Upstream) or the ITV adaptations (Bedroom Farce, Just Between Ourselves and Time And Time Again) - it’s going to be another frustrating year (probably best making that years).
But if the situation should ever change and the BBC does decide to release the Ayckbourn television adaptations or even just repeat them or make them available on iPlayer, we’ll be the first to let you know at www.alanayckbourn.net.
In the meantime, much as we'd like to help and much as we'd like to see the television adaptations ourselves, we don't have any means to access them or a secret stash of them. Sorry to all those who have written or may consider writing - the answer, for the foreseeable future, is there is no way to get them.
