Alfresco - Hugh Laurie, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson & Stephen Fry in the Complete Run of this British Sketch Show

In the tradition of Monty Python's Flying Circus and Saturday Night Live, Alfresco brought hilariously inventive comedy to British TV in the 1980s. It also introduced an entire troupe of bright young talents - Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Robbie Coltrane, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, and others - who went on to stardom.

Wild and wacky, Alfresco serves up social satire and delightfully off-the-wall sketches that seem as fresh and funny today as when they originally aired. The laughs fly hard and fast, and no sacred cows escape the skewer when these versatile comic actors lampoon bureaucrats, Jesus freaks, self-righteous counter-culturists, and even their own show. Now, for the first time, American audiences can enjoy every episode of this British comedy landmark.

ITV's 1983 sketch series Alfresco comes to DVD in the USA on August 26th, courtesy of Acorn Media. This 3-disc set will go for $39.99 SRP (CA$46.99 SRP in Canada). As a bonus, you'll also get the full 3-episode run of There's Nothing To Worry About!, the 1982 pilot which had Paul Shearer instead of Robbie Coltrane. There will also be a featurette with the story of the alternative comedy boom in 1980s Britain, plus cast biographies and filmographies.

Total running time for the main 13 episodes is 315 minutes, and it will be presented in full screen video, English mono audio and contain English subtitles. Here's a look at the cover art: