After the show first aired the BBC issued a double video which ran for 235 minutes.
The equivalent of three episodes (and all opening/closing credits) were lost in the editing down.
Who Pays The Ferryman? on DVDEarly in 2006 a firm called 'Memphis Belle International' released the full series (all 8 episodes) on DVD (Region 2) with Dutch subtitles. It was sold in Belgium and Holland through a chain called Intertoys, priced at an amazingly cheap 15 Euros.
Anna Pereboom kindly translated both the DVD menu and the box cover into English for us ...The Menu ... The control "aan"means on and "uit" means off (for the subtitles).
The rest is a list of the episodes on the disc. You can play each one separately or the whole lot non stop.
That's what the last line under the episode guide says "Play all".
The Back Cover
(In the red block) The 1978 television hit for which the whole of the Netherlands stayed at home.
In the legendary BBC series Who Pays the Ferryman Alan Haldane, more commonly known as Leandros amongst the islanders, returns to Crete after 30 years where he fought alongside the partizans in the second world war. He wants to take stock of his life and search for Melina, the girl he loved during the war and has never heard from in all the following years. When his old friend Babis tells him that Melina is dead and has left him a daughter Alan decides to stay in Crete to be near his newly found family. When he meets Annika, Melina's sister he falls in love with her. However, he hasn't taken into acount the hate of the malicious eldery Katarina Matakis, who rekindles an old vendetta bringing great danger to his life. Torn between fear and longing, Alan slowly begins to move away from his past.
According to Greek mythology Charon, the ferryman, rows you down the river Styx to the realm of the dead. For this service he must be paid. The question remains: who will die?
(In the dark blue section) This DVD contains the following eight episodes:
followed by the names of the episodes.
Under that, the credits, actors etc.
Then the copyright.
At the very bottom it says "STEMRA" - the rights protection organization.
In June 2011 website visitor Keith Plummer spotted a BBC release of the series on Play.com selling for the ridiculously cheap price of £6.98 (with free delivery!)
Even though this was apparently a BBC release it was still Dutch.
"My latest copy of Razamataz tells me that "this much loved 1977 BBC drama series" will be available ... in black and white at a cost of £38.99."
[No idea where they get the "black and white" from!!] I discovered that Play.com was advertising it for £28.99 alongside the Dutch release at £7.51. I couldn't think why anyone would pay £28.99 when the subtitles on the Dutch release can be switched off leaving the English soundtrack so it is exactly the same as watching an English release.Finally on 31st January I received an e-mail from Steve Hills at Eureka Entertainment Ltd with a press release confirming the series was to be released in the UK on DVD on 20th February 2012 priced at £40.85.
The price has dropped since and recently (2019) it has been selling for under £30.
SYNOPSIS:
Jack Hedley stars as Alan Haldane an ex-soldier who returns to Crete, thirty years after fighting alongside the local resistance during the Second World War. Alan is wanting to take stock of his life following the sale of his boat-building business. He wants to look for his beloved Melina, from whom he has heard nothing from in his years away from the island. When he arrives in Crete he finds the ghosts of the past waiting for him, along with those who wish to do him harm. The shadows of his past interrupt and threaten his present happiness.
When an old friend tells him Melina passed away and left a daughter, his daughter, Alan decides to stay on the island to be close to his new family. When he meets Annika (Betty Arvaniti), Melina's sister he falls in love with her. However, he does not take into account the hatred of the elderly Katerina (Patience Collier) who breathes new life into an old feud, and puts his life at serious risk. Torn between fear and desire Alan is slowly but surely separated from the past.
According to Greek mythology, when you die Charon, the ferryman, takes you over the River Styx to the realm of the dead, Hades, for this he must be paid.
The plot of the series reaches the unbearable pitch of a genuine Greek tragedy by the stunning final episode. The question is: who will die?
Who Pays The Ferryman? was originally transmitted by the BBC in 1977. The programme was a major success, watched by millions, the theme tune made the top ten and Michael J. Bird (The Lotus Eaters) established himself as one of the leading screenwriters of the time. This long requested series is exclusively restored and presented here for the first time in the UK, released as a 3-disc DVD set on 20 February 2012.
DETAILS:
Label: Eureka Entertainment LtdCat. No: EKA50048 (RETAIL ONLY)
Barcode: 5060000500486
RRP: £40.85
Release Date: 20 February 2012
Certificate: 12
Run Time: 393 min. approx.
Format: 1.37:1 OAR/ Colour
Genre: TV Drama
Director: William SLATER
Year: 1977
Country: UK
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH (Optional)
If you have any problem tracking it down in your neck of the woods e-mail me for further details.