New screenings

[julie]

I do believe ABC in New York are busy showing a re-run and has received positive reviews from the NYT. Trust the BBC to sell their best drama!

[Ian Menkins]

That would be right! Sold it to the Americans.

This may be a good thing. If the series gains a following in the US, the interest may prompt an official release on DVD. If not, then hopefully lots of americans will be saving it to their DVD-RW's!!

Recently I found a review for Diana on a Canadian Pay TV website, which stated that the series was being screened there. However I've been unable to find the site again. It may have been an old review.

I emailed the BBC last week requesting that they release the series again. I received the following reply

As you are e-mailing from outside of the UK, perhaps I could suggest you contact BBC Worldwide Australia directly via the contact details at the link below:

www.bbcworldwide.com/globaloffices.htm

How much you want to bet, if I contact their global office in Australia, I'll be told that I should contact the UK office?

[jpavia]

Hi Ian, what a fabulous forum you have created, As you say the more people that find out about this site it might just throw out some exciting news about this wonderful drama.

Sadly i fear that the ABC showing of "DIANA" was an old review, it was screened on the arts channel in sep & oct of 1985 and that NYT review was from about that time,

I'm at the moment doing my bit trying to find out who now own the rights I will keep the forum
posted as to what i find out, I am sure this forum will go from strength to strength, thanks again Ian

[Ian Menkins]

Thanks Joe,
I appreciate your comments.
I found an NYT Review online, which is probably the one in question.
query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9806E6D7123BF93AA3575AC0A963948260
A very good review, but from September 9, 1985.
I'm sure I found a fairly recent review of Diana on a Canadian pay TV site, but can't find it again. The internet is a vast place and it took me quite a few hours to track down all that biographical info on Stephen J. Dean. I made sure to quote the sources, or I might never have found some of them again.
Ian

[fred]

Mr Pavia,

I received your box in December and I must compliment you on the work you put into transferring the series onto DVD.

[jpavia]

Hi Fred,
It's Lovely to hear from you, thank you so much for your kind comments
I'm so pleased you enjoyed "DIANA" after all these years.
I'm still trying to find out whether an official DVD can become
a reality I will get back to you, until then keep watching your dvd, I find
that if I'm feeling down all I have to do is watch the drama and it makes
me feel better a real feel good Drama (or am i just an old romantic).
Anyway thanks again Fred ----- Joe

[Ian Menkins]

I also have Joe's set and can confirm that the quality is superb. Most of the photos that you see on this forum are screen captures from his discs, which show just how clear they are.

Joe, it may turn out that you have the only "master tapes" in existence! It is hard to believe that the BBC would have disposed of the master tapes intentionally, but I can easily understand that they may have been damaged. I am sure that "secondary" masters must still exist though, especially in the vaults and archives of TV studios. The show was sent to the US, Canada, NZ, Australia, various European countries, so there is a good likelihood that "near originals" exist. I notice a post on the IMDb message board that claims the masters had been bought by a private company, but that company went broke before it released the series on DVD. This also suggests that some kind of master copy must be out there... somewhere.

I wish I had taken better care of a video tape of mine. I taped a foreign subtitled movie some ten years ago, which, like Diana, has never been re-released. Recently when I tried to transfer it to DVD, I was very disappointed to find it kept getting chewed up and the picture quality had diminished greatly. It is still watchable I guess, but only a shadow of what it once was.

Joe, you really have to be congratulated for bringing the long lost Diana series back to life for us. Three cheers for Joe!!!

[jpavia]

hi thanks fred, have sent a personal message to our new member. my wife has set up a diana r f dederfield group on facebook. to all the members on this forum please join, its just abit of fun

[jsbach99]

I was very excited to find this site through IMDB, and to read that a DVD is available through Joe! My wife and I have been longing for the BBC 'Diana' to become available for many years after watching it on Australian ABCTV in the 1980s. I look forward to a reply, and to having the DVD Set spinning in Australia very soon. Many thanks to Ian and Joe for their work in trying to have this great series made available.

[bobby31]

Hi Bob from Watford received a J Pavia copy about 3 weeks ago & can confirm it is excellent in every respect described by others, Byeeee!

[domv]

Hi - I too have been looking for a copy of this drama for the last few years, I watched this with the unrequited love of my young life in the months before going off to University.
Is there any way to get a copy of Diana through this forum please?

Thanks Dom

[fuguewriter]

So grateful to Joe for being able to see the series again. It was a haunting and infinitely moving experience. The only parallel I know is another quiet, little-known movie - a theatrical one from New Zealand called "The Quiet Earth" - it grips my heart and my stomach just to think of it. These two quiet shows seem to explore the very meaning of life. We should all talk about why we like "Diana" so much.

[malc]

How does one get hold of a copy of Joe's dvd? Could someone prepared to share let me know. I was huge fan of this series when it first came out!

[Ian Menkins]

hi malc, I am not sure if Joe is still doing them. Try online auction sites, Google the title. I'm sure it is still around online if you can find it. Good luck!