"Up above the streets and houses Rainbow climbing high... "--as the familiar theme music begins on Rainbow, Zip-up Zippy, the memories flood back: the tears, the laughter, Rod, Jane and Freddy. The characters have become pop-culture icons: Bungle, the kind, gentle bear; George, the nice-but-dim hippo; and Zippy, the self-centred and mischievous, err--Zippy; and then there was Geoffrey of course, the sensible, omniscient, father-figure, who guided the others through the highs and lows of each episode.

It's easy to forget how much they packed into each programme--Rainbow effortlessly holds its own against current pre-school favourites in both educational and entertainment terms. There are ideas for dressing-up and role-play, stories, music and plenty of laughs--the humour often appealing to the adults as well as the younger viewers. The action in the studio is interspersed with film footage and animation, and the occasional guests provide yet another dimension to the show, usually singing a song or reading a story.

Over 90 minutes long, Rainbow, Zip-up Zippy contains seven classic episodes, including the priceless "Same & Different" in which Zippy's hip cousin, Zippo, comes to stay. Zippo, complete with baseball cap and large gold earring, communicates only in rap verse, spoken with a terrible American accent, and his visit causes poor Zippy much anguish...

With the release of Zip-up Zippy on video and DVD, a whole new generation can experience the joy of Rainbow--and once they have, they'll never be able to forget the theme tune either.--Helen Baker

Raining Stones is classic Ken Loach--an overtly bleak piece of drama shot through with defiant humour, a story of life beyond the edge of society. Bob (Bruce Jones in a role that foreshadows his more ludicrous Coronation Street character) is unemployed and struggling to make ends meet, especially with the added pressure of his young daughter's first communion and the expense involved. And that's it really--one man's struggle to maintain his dignity and provide for his family. Despite the film's frequent moments of comedy (more often than not provided by Loach regular Ricky Tomlinson), Raining Stones is ultimately more than a little disheartening. The film is in many ways similar to Loach's previous film, Riff Raff (1991), but here the examples of a community pulling together are countered with backstabbing and exploitation. In the end, there are no winners or losers in Loach's world, only those who survive and those who don't. --Phil Udell

The formidable combination of a cop and a criminal is sure to set sparks flying? but when the cop is unable to conceive, the thief goes about doing what he can do best-steal a baby?