Season 1 USA DVD release
The whole of the first season of Urban Gothic has just been released on DVD in the US (Jan 2006) by Urbanworks. The DVD contains all 13 episodes from the first season.
Complete UK DVD release
The whole of Urban Gothic has been released as a superbly priced DVD set in the UK. This 4 disk set basically contains the disks which made up the individual releases of Seasons 1 and 2 previously, and also includes the extras from those sets. The booklet of Simon Clark's story is not however included.
Season 2 UK DVD release
The whole of the second season of Urban Gothic is about to be released (March 2004) on DVD in the UK by Stax Entertainment Ltd as yet another nifty boxed set. The set contains all 9 episodes, and among the extras this time are some of the items which were on the Channel 5 Urban Gothic site, and a new documentary which goes behind the scenes of some of the stories with exclusive footage and interviews. Also included is a booklet featuring horror author Simon Clark's original award winning Urban Gothic story Goblin City Lights.
UK DVD release - Update
The whole of the first season of Urban Gothic has just been released (September 9th 2003) on DVD in the UK by Stax Entertainment Ltd as a nifty boxed set. Retailing at £19.99, the set contains all 13 episodes, however there are no extras included. The second series is planned for release in Feburary 2004, and various extras are currently being discussed including a commentary on one of the episodes, outtakes and other video footage. More news as we get it.
Second French DVD release - Update
The second Elephant release of Urban Gothic is now scheduled for release on the 30th June 2003. It is called LEGENDES SANGLANTES and features the episodes listed below. Information from devildead.com.
Second French DVD release
It appears that Elephant in France may be releasing a second DVD of Urban Gothic on the 21st August 2002. The DVD may, however, be titled Bloody Legendes rather than Urban Gothic and features four more episodes from Season One: Lacuna, Deptford Voodoo, Turn On and Thirteen, plus, apparently, a trailer. Information from devildead.com.
Vampirology Stage Play Postponed
The stage version of Vampirology has been postponed until October 2002. Adam Fresco from the HTV Television Workshop explains: 'In a nutshell the show's postponed. The 150 seater CUBE is STILL closed to the public due to an insurance problem. So, we've gone to Bristol's most famous (infamous?) nightclub, LAKOTA (famed as the stomping ground of Ronni Size and the Reprazent crew, Massive Attack, Goldfrapp and Portishead amongst others) who are dead keen for us to stage VAMPIROLOGY 2 with them this Halloween - and what better date!' More news as we get it.
No Series Three
After the completion of transmission of Series Two over Christmas, Channel 5 have declined to take up the option of a third series of Urban Gothic. Exec Producer Steve Matthews is therefore looking elsewhere for interest. At around the same time as they declined Urban Gothic Channel 5 also pulled the plug on the Ivanhoe-based sword and sourcery series Dark Knight which had been pulling in respectible audiences at Saturday teatime. As a source close to the Dark Knight production office commented: 'You'd have thought that Channel 5 might be looking for a series with battles, wizards, trolls, monsters, magic and questing at the moment ...'
Changing Dates Two
According to the Christmas edition of Radio Times the air dates for the remainder of the second series of Urban Gothic are as follows:
The End - 26th December at 00:30 (or late night Christmas Day)
Ritual Slaughter - 27th December at 00:25 (or late night Boxing Day)
Dollhouse Burns 1 - 28th December at 00:30 (or late night Thursday 27th. This episode is also billed as Ritual Slaughter, with a different, but still correct for the episode, summary)
Dollhouse Burns 2 - 28th December at 23:50 (correctly billed this time)
Changing Dates
The second series of Urban Gothic has been temporarily taken off air for reasons known only to Channel 5. On the 19th November, the expected episode Ritual Slaughter was replaced by Seratonin Wild. This was apparently because Ritual Slaughter contains at its conclusion a reference to an airplane crash, and after the crash of a plane into Queens, Manhattan the previous week, it was felt that this was not suitable. However after Seratonin Wild the series was taken off air, to be replaced with Out There a show consisting of a compilation of clips from trashy horror films and series introduced by a scantily clad lady called Eden.
Vampirology On Stage
In Spring 2001, a production of Tom deVille's Vampirology was performed on stage by the HTV Television Workshop at the Alma Tavern Theatre in Bristol. This was a great success, and a second production is now planned for the last week of March 2002 at The Cube in Bristol. The producers are looking for film and video-makers, dancers, choreographers, musicians, acrobats, performers and artists of every kind to volunteer their services for the production. Full details can be found online at the HTV West Online site
Urban Gothic Text Game
Owners of mobile phones can top up their weekly fix of Urban Gothic horror with a new Text Message game from a company called Distractions.
Every week, spanning the broadcast of Urban Gothic, ghoulish humanoids with mobile phones will be able to download an original horrid logo or eerie ringtone to appropriate phones, and answer three questions about Urban Gothic lore, thereby entering to win a range of valuable prizes that include collectible T-shirts, books and videos.
Top prize each week is an individually chopped and unwashed human finger from the friendly cannibal's "finger-bowl". If you get all three quiz questions right, you'll be entered into the weekly draw for this prize. At the end of the nine-week broadcast there will be a draw where all players who answered three questions correctly in any week's competition will have the chance to win the monster prize---a human forearm, torn off at the elbow, and carefully preserved unwashed for this privileged competition player.
To play, phone 0906 406 2999. Calls cost £1.50 a minute and each game should take less than two minutes.
Series Two
Season Two is now airing on Channel 5 from Monday 22 October 2001.
FrightFest Screening
Attendees at the London-based FrightFest film festival were treated to the premiere of the episode Sandman on Sunday 26th August 2001. This episode had only recently completed post-production and Steve Matthews and Tom deVille were on hand to introduce it along with three of the cast members. For more details, visit the FrightFest Website.
Bizaare Coverage
The September 2001 edition of Bizaare magazine features a full page photograph from Eater and a short write up of the show.
