Before Cold Feet, there was sitcom and there was drama. This 1997 newcomer straddled both worlds effortlessly and single-handedly seemed to create a new genre. The programme introduced three Manchester couples at different stages of the relationship development continuum: Adam and Rachel, in the early throws of new-found love; Pete and Jenny, making their first foray into parenthood; and David and Karen, the immediately recognisable modern-day parents. Over the course of five series, creator Mike Bullen drags these hugely appealing characters through virtually the entire range of emotions, using intense and often sensitive storylines but never forgetting that Cold Feet is also a comedy: one of Bullen's greatest triumphs is in making events from everyday life appear totally familiar yet achingly funny.

James Nesbitt all but steals the show with his highly accomplished portrayal of Adam Williams, the laddish, loveable rogue, ever ready with a witty remark, blunt observation or hilarious put-down. His stop-start relationship with the lovely Rachel (Helen Baxendale) settles into married bliss in Series 3 … for a time. The culmination of their relationship in the final series is an absolute heartbreaker. Adam's best mate Pete (John Thomson) is a genuine, down-to-earth guy, usually down on his luck. Thomson excels in his role as he stumbles through fatherhood, careers into an affair, then struggles with a long-drawn out separation from childhood sweetheart Jenny (Faye Ripley at her brilliant best). In true Pete style, he reaches rock bottom before Aussie stunner Jo (Kimberley Joseph) walks into his life with the tantalising offer of true happiness. In the third household, David and Karen have possibly the most turbulent relationship. Hermione Norris as Karen is the long-suffering wife of a snobbish middle manager (Robert Bathhurst), delivering a particularly powerful performance in the fourth series as her world crumbles around her. From Series 1 until the end, husband and wife are torn between their comfortable home and family life on one hand and their search for extra-marital excitement on the other--a fascinating, comical and sometimes brutal take on modern matrimony.

By the end of the fifth series, the protagonists have each gone though several lifetimes' worth of emotion, but the conclusion doesn't seek to tie up the numerous loose ends; life just isn't like that. Soaring above the inevitable difficulties in ending such a popular, long-running comedy-drama, the final episodes provide a memorable and fitting finale. --David Thwaites

Sensational revelations by the cast, exclusive and rare behind the scene footages of some of the best scenes makes this a collector's edition.

The irresistible wit, comedy and drama we have come to expect from Cold Feet is again obvious in Series 5, but the lives of the ensemble of friends have changed almost beyond recognition. Adam (James Nesbitt) and Rachel (Helen Baxendale) are preoccupied with baby son Matthew, the stable Marsden family has disbanded and fall-guy Pete looks to have found true love at last. It seems wholly appropriate that Cold Feet should end at this juncture and it's all the more fitting that the show is given such a first-class send off. That's not to say that everything is conveniently tidied up in the final episode, nor that the series has run its course to the point of becoming dull. There's still much to enjoy in this fifth series, a triumph of scriptwriting, acting and production values that stands on a level with anything from the previous episodes, or indeed with anything else on television.

Simply put, it's the astonishing twist in the tale that singles this series out as the right place to stop. Cold Feet devotees will be hard pushed to hold back the tears in what is an emotional rollercoaster ride. It's all the more credible for the way it's presented: there's no over-the-top dramatics, no over-long sentimentality and no over-acting to speak of.

Writer Mike Bullen insists he penned his best script for the final episode of the final series. Few would disagree, for the conclusion soars above the inevitable difficulties in ending this long-running comedy-drama to deliver a highly memorable finale. Frankly it's impossible to imagine how this unique show could have ended any better. --David Thwaites

For many, Buster Keaton is the greatest comedian of the silent era rated even above Chaplin, and College (1927) is one of his finest films. A poor student who has to work his way through college, Buster is desperate to win the attention of a pretty girl and takes up sports. His attempt at the high jump is a classic piece of clowning, and as the cox in a boat race Buster displays his full genius for comic invention. Through every disaster, the great "stone face" as he was nicknamed betrays not a flicker of emotion, enduring all humiliations with aplomb. If not quite the equal of The Navigator (1924) or its immediate predecessor The General (1927), College shows Keaton at the top of his form. Tragically, the following year he lost his independence when he signed for MGM. His career collapsed, his marriage broke up and he became an alcoholic, never to regain former glories.

On the DVD: The organ music accompanying this silent feature is pleasantly unobtrusive, and apart from a short section in the middle where it deteriorates, the print quality is reasonable. In addition there are two excellent Keaton shorts, One Week (1920) and The Blacksmith (1922).-- Ed Buscombe

COMEDIAN is the fascinating documentary that looks behind-the-scenes at the lives of comedians.