Get a free Joss Whedon DVD today in the UK - Collectibles

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September 18 2009

Get a free Joss Whedon DVD today in the UK. The Daily Mirror and Asda are giving away an exclusive DVD which has an episode of Buffy, Angel and Dollhouse ('Hush', 'City Of' and 'Needs') on it. It has "collector's item" written all over it (well probably but it's a good way to promote Joss' shows).

Which begs the question - what newcomer friendly episodes would you put on the DVD?

Simon | Collectibles | 09:19 CET | 22 comments total | tags: dollhouse, buffy, angel, dvd, joss whedon

I have to buy a copy of the Daily Mirror? But I'm not a socialist!

zz9 | September 18, 09:37 CET

No Firefly? That's kinda lame. Not sure which Buffy episode I'd choose ("Earshot", maybe?), but for Angel and Dollhouse I'd definitely go with "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been" and "Man On The Street", respectively.

Racoon Boy | September 18, 09:57 CET

Are you kidding? I'm moving to the UK on the 23rd! O, Cruelest of fates!

Arobow | September 18, 10:09 CET

Since I have an Asda three minutes walk from my house I bought a Daily Mirror (I hid it inside this months issue of "Big Juggs" magazine so no one would see me buying the Mirror) and marched up to the CS desk.... Who knew nothing about it. After a few minutes searching and then going to the office they found a box and I got the DVD.

Needs, Hush and City Of are the three episodes. Doesn't mention any extras so I'd assume none.

zz9 | September 18, 10:26 CET

Thanks for finding out what the episodes are.

Simon | September 18, 10:42 CET

Hmm, not bought the Mirror in years, not cos it's left leaning (so am I) more cos it's gone from being a pretty decent populist newspaper to a crappy Sun wannabe. And any organisation that helps Piers Morgan perpetuate his existence by, y'know, paying him money can't be all good. Sure they had the good sense to sack him but it was too little too late IMO.

There's an Asda on my way home, might pop in and get one (no doubt to be met with blank stares). If there're no extras I doubt I can be arsed though.

Saje | September 18, 10:50 CET

Needs and Hush are good episodes to start people off with...although Hush is scaring me now as I realised the CEO of where I work looks like one of the Gentleman but slightly more tanned and wearing a dodgy wig.

jamesthegill | September 18, 11:03 CET

That's actually kind-of awesome. I've always felt like part of the problem with the relatively low viewership of Joss's shows was simply that people hadn't tried 'em. This sort of, rather random admittedly, mass marketing can only help spread the word.

MobileHQ | September 18, 11:05 CET

If you live in Northern Ireland like me, you'll have to send away for it (and fork out 52p worth of stamps as well).

Simon | September 18, 11:21 CET

To be fair, the vast majority of places will usually just give you the free CD if you ask nicely - especially towards the end of the day/week that the offer runs as there're usually more CDs than uptake on the offer. Have found this often myself with kids DVDs given out by the tabloids that I'd never want to buy but that appeal to my little ones.

[ edited by MobileHQ on 2009-09-18 11:40 ]

MobileHQ | September 18, 11:42 CET

I would have preferred just giving the disc with the paper as some have done in the past. Having to clip a coupon and ask for it at an Asda will mean that more or less everyone who bothers to do this will be a fan already.
Had it been automatically with the paper many people might have thought "I'll give it a go" and might have been hooked.
Of course that would have cost a lot more.

Maybe hit Asda customer service tomorrow and see if they have loads left. If they're happy to give them away they could make good discs to give to people who may not have seen any of the three shows.

zz9 | September 18, 12:00 CET

I work in the English Newspaper industry ( I couldn't bear to tell which one) and there are a couple of interesting points people probably aren't aware of.

1 - All Whedon DVD's are rated 15, that means Asda would seriously be fined for suppling them to a minor. There is a mountain of paperwork on both sides to make sure this doesn't happen.
2 - All CDs and DVDs must be witnessed to be destroyed by a 3rd party at the end of the working day, to ensure they don't just drift out into the public domain.

That said, I'd be amazed if these rules were enforced.

strangeaction | September 18, 12:15 CET

And Angel season one is rated 18, trying to think why that's the case.

ll CDs and DVDs must be witnessed to be destroyed by a 3rd party at the end of the working day, to ensure they don't just drift out into the public domain.

I've seen promoters giving away tons of free DVDs and books that came with The Guardian. Always did think that was a bit dodgy.

Simon | September 18, 12:22 CET

Pretty sure it's just rated 18 for 'I've got you under my skin', where the demon possesses the evil moppet.

JazzyP | September 18, 12:34 CET

Good point about the age restriction.
Maybe just hand them out at the till? I bought a bottle of water yesterday that cost £1.20 and the cashier gave me a Telegraph and said that buying both cost 99p. How hard would it have been to simply give every Mirror buyer (over 15) a disc at the till?

zz9 | September 18, 12:38 CET

The disk on S1 rated 18 is the fifth one (The Ring/Eternity/Five By Five/Sanctuary). I always assumed it was Five By Five rated 18 due to the torture.

Leaf | September 18, 13:07 CET

I thought Angel s1 was 18 rated for Faith torturing Wesley in "Sanctuary"? I'm fairly sure it was that video out of the three in the Angel season 1 part two boxset that was 18 and the other two were 15.

jamesthegill | September 18, 13:13 CET

BBFC confirms it was Five By Five here.

Leaf | September 18, 13:15 CET

For me "Earshot" immediately comes to mind for Buffy (though "Hush" is a great alternative.) I'd have chosen "Out of Gas" for Firefly and "Haunted" for Dollhouse.

For Angel the choice a bit more difficult "I've Got You Under My Skin" was the first that came to mind, but "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been" is also an excellent suggestion and "City Of" is also a great choice. And I think "Parting Gifts" could also work very well.

the Groosalugg | September 18, 14:04 CET

The Prom for Buffy, OOG or Shindig for Firefly (great Inara story and Kaylee gets pissed off - plus there's swords!), maybe Hero for Angel.

Willowy | September 18, 15:35 CET

Definitely Shindig for Firefly. Not sure about which one for AtS. As for Hush -- well, if you're going to follow the theory of "play to your strengths," why not?

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | September 18, 15:57 CET

Angel S1 is 18 due to Five by Five, and specifically (if the BBFC's previous form is anything to go by) Faith using the aerosol as a flamethrower, which the BBFC are very harsh on.

bivith | September 18, 20:15 CET

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