Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Professionals: MkII Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 23, 2017

Created and produced by Brian Clemens, The Professionals: MkII (1978-1979) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Network. The supplemental features on the four-disc set include archival production and promotional materials; outtakes; isolated score tracks; and more. The release also arrives with a 180-page book of program notes authored by TV historian Andrew Pixley. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for each of the show's thirteen episodes. Region-B "locked".

Doyle

The complete first season of The Professionals (1977-1978) was released on Blu-ray in 2014. You can see our listing and review of Network's four-disc set here.

The second season of The Professionals picks up exactly where the first left off -- with the dynamic duo Bodie (Lewis Collins) and Doyle (Martin Shaw) again doing their best to keep their boss, “The Cow” (Gordon Jackson), satisfied. It is still a very fluid relationship that routinely gives the old man a headache, but there are too many bad guys on the loose and he fully understands that they require Bodie and Doyle’s special attention.

However, this time around the bad guys are smarter, better organized, and frequently supported by international players with big agendas. In Man Without a Past, for instance, Bodie loses his girlfriend after a bomb is detonated in an upscale restaurant and then begins looking for a man that might have been connected to the Mafia in the United States. In First Night an Israeli minister is kidnapped by some shady characters and Body and Doyle are promptly dispatched to find out his whereabouts as government officials try to avoid an international crisis. And in A Stirring of Dust an elusive British double agent returns home and forces a strange meeting between “The Cow” and some KGB operatives that produces an even stranger agreement.

A few of the new episodes also have a bit of the exotic flavor that the early James Bond films liked to promote, though the material is quite modest both in terms of scope and complexity. Arguably the best is Blind Run in which Bodie and Doyle must act as bodyguards for a high-profile Middle Eastern diplomat. Then in Fall Girl Bodie gets a chance to meet a former lover from East Germany who has become a very successful actress and discovers that she effortlessly changes personalities even when she isn’t in front of the camera.

The second season retains the steady pacing of the first season, but there is an extra dose of light humor in it that has a noticeable effect on the overall atmosphere. The writing is also a bit more inventive, and while it is clear that the producers of the show still had a tight budget to work with, in the second season there is significantly more and better executed action footage as well.

A top-notch soundtrack created by Laurie Johnson complements the show. It blends catchy jazzy tunes, pop tracks, and very stylish '70s electronica. (Johnson also created the soundtracks for The Avengers and Stanley Kubrick’s classic film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb).

Each episode of The Professionals MkII is approximately fifty minutes long. On Network's Blu-ray box set they are grouped in the following order:

Disc One

1. Rogue
Directed by Ray Austin. Original ITV transmission November 11, 1978.

2. Hunter/Hinted
Directed by Anthony Simmons. Original ITV transmission October 7, 1978.

3. Rogue
Directed by David Wickes. Original ITV transmission October 21, 1978.

4. The Rack
Directed by Peter Medak. Original ITV transmission October 14, 1978.

Disc Two

5. Man Without a Past
Directed by Martin Campbell. Original ITV transmission October 28, 1978.

6. In the Public Interest
Directed by Pennant Roberts. Original ITV transmission November 4, 1978.

7. Not a Very Civil Civil Servant
Directed by Anthony Simmons. Original ITV transmission November 18, 1978.

8. A Stirring of Dust
Directed by Martin Campbell. Original ITV transmission November 25, 1978.

Disc Three

9. Blind Man
Directed by Tom Clegg. Original ITV transmission December 2, 1978.

10. Fall Girl
Directed by William Brayne. Original ITV transmission December 9, 1978.

11. Backtrack
Directed by Christopher King. Original ITV transmission November 3, 1979.

12. Servant of Two Masters
Directed by Ferdinand Fairfax. Original ITV transmission December 15, 1979.

Disc Four

13. The Madness of Mickey Hamilton
Directed by William Brayne. Original ITV transmission November 24, 1979.

Archive Material:

• Series 3 Ad Bumnper
• A Stirring of Dust Outtake
• Blind Run Outtake
• Blind Run Behind-the-Scenes
• U.S. Sales Trailer
• Image Galleries
• PDF Material

The Professionals: MkII Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in their original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted 1080/50i transfers, all 13 episodes of The Professionals MkII arrive on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Network.

The high-definition transfers are encoded in 1080/50i, but they actually contain progressive frames. This means that there is absolutely no motion-judder whatsoever. To be clear, they are solid progressive transfers "locked" inside 1080/50i encodes. (The 1080/50i encodes are needed to retain the show's native speed).

The second season of The Professionals has also been fully restored and the end result is again quite pleasing. Obviously, in terms of clarity and depth there are dramatic improvements that now make it very easy to appreciate the creative vision of the different directors that contributed to the show. Colors are natural and nicely balanced. Image stability is also outstanding. Once again there are small traces of degraining adjustments, and while they are very carefully applied, I would have preferred to have the entire second season transferred to the high-definition format without them. I am fairly certain that very few viewers will spot them, but on very large screens some traces can pop up. Still, overall balance and fluidity are very good. My score is 4.25/5.00.

(Note: Network's release is Region-Free. However, because the entire show is encoded in 1080/50i, which is a standard that is not supported in North America, it cannot be played by the overwhelming majority of native Region-A Blu-ray players, including the PS3 and PS4. This being said, there are a few Blu-ray players on the market that automatically convert 1080/50i content to 1080/60i or 1080/60p. If your player is capable of performing such conversions, you will be able to view the show on your North American TV set. All Region-Free players will automatically do the conversion described above).

The Professionals: MkII Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 2.0 (Mono). Also included is a Music LPCM 2.0 track. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for each episode.

I viewed the entire season with the lossy Mono track and quite liked it, though again I would have preferred to have an original LPCM 2.0 Mono track. I don't quite understand the rationale behind the decision to include a lossless music and effects track and provide only a lossy Mono track, but it is what it is. Still, I don't think that purists will be disappointed by the quality of the lossy track as it is very easy to tell that it has been fully remastered and handles the original audio mix very well. The 5.1 lossless track does expand the dynamic range, however, and my guess is that plenty of people will end up viewing the second season with it.

The Professionals: MkII Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NOTE: All of the supplemental features are placed on Disc Four.

• Series 2 Ad Bumper - original promo piece. (1 min).

• A Stirring of Dust Outtake - sound effects only. (1 min).

• Blind Run Outtake - a very funny outtake. Sound effects only. (1 min).

• Blind Run Behind-the-Scenes - in English, with music. (4 min).

• U.S. Sales Trailer - original U.S. promotional trailer. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Music Only Audio Tracks - included with every episode. Presented as LPCM 2.0.

• Galleries - a large collection of archival production and promotional materials.
  
  1. Portraits
  • Rogue
  • Hunter/Hunted
  • First Night
  • The Rack
  • Man Without a Past
  • In the Public Interest
  • Not a Very Civil Civil Servant
  • A Stirring of Dust
  • Blind Run
  • Fall Girl
  • Backtrack
  • Servant of Two Masters
  • The Madness of Mickey Hamilton
  2. Merchandise Gallery

• PDF Material - original production paperwork and contemporary memorabilia.

• Book - 180-page book of program notes authored by TV historian Andrew Pixley, which documents the complete production history of The Professionals MkII.

The Professionals: MkII Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The second season of The Professionals offers more of the same high-octane thrills that made it a huge hit for ITV. I personally prefer the rougher edge that a number of episodes from season one have, but if you liked Bodie and Doyle's company in the first season you will have a great time with the thirteen episodes in this four-disc set. Network has once again included a 180-page book of program notes authored by TV historian Andrew Pixley, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.