Madman December DVD Releases

Celebrate the architectural achievements of the past with Restoration Man (Series 2), strap in and take off for an armchair tour of some of the most beautiful places in the world alongside Joanna Lumley, travel in the footsteps of Queen Victoria with Royal Upstairs Downstairs, get to know the real Marilyn Monroe and join the search for a '70s rock icon this month with Madman.

Restoration Man: The Complete Second Series

Back for a second series, Restoration Man celebrates the past, but crucially re-invents a future for architectural treasures in the 21st century.

All over Britain, thousands of old buildings lie forgotten and neglected, tangled up with red tape and development restrictions. Many of these property orphans are steeped in history and are of outstanding architectural interest, yet are slowly being left to rot. Luckily these forgotten gems are being bought by stubborn romantics who all share one dream – they want to create a home which is totally unique.

Architect George Clarke is passionate about Britain's architectural heritage and wants to help breathe new life into these architectural treasures. Sharing his vision and expertise to help these restoration warriors realise their dreams, George tours England, Wales and Scotland to find the finest examples of windmills, towers, churches, brickworks and medieval halls.

Series Two finds George discovering more magnificent buildings and tempering the enthusiasm of their new owner's grand designs. Plus as a bonus, George re-visits five of the structures from Series 1 to see if their dream transformation has gone to plan.

Joanna Lumley's Travel Collection

Armchair travel to the most beautiful places in the world with Joanna Lumley.

Joanna Lumley's travels have all the panache, flavour and excitement you'd expect from one of Britain's most loved talents, with her knack of showing us the places and meeting the people who have so much to tell, immersing us in cultures so far from our own. Collected for the first time together, Joanna follows the River Nile, the longest river in the world, from sea to source, then explores the ancient and modern aspects to Greece.

Joanna Lumley's Nile

Heading upstream, in the direction of the earliest explorers, Joanna travels by boat, train, ferry, car, plane, mule and camel along Africa's 'life line'. On a four thousand mile journey, passing through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda, Joanna revisits the romantic history of the Nile and talks with the people working and living on the river today.

As she travels past pyramids and ancient temples, through deserts, jungle and war torn landscapes, Joanna's charm, enthusiasm and graceful fortitude carries us along a fascinating and epic journey.

Joanna Lumley's Greek Odyssey

Greece is where western civilisation began; drama, democracy and language to science, philosophy and medicine all originated from here. This country has given the world so much, which has left an enduring legacy on the fabric of our everyday life.

Joanna Lumley embarks on her own Greek Odyssey to explore both the ancient and modern aspects to Greece – a land rich in history, myth and romance. Following in the footsteps of the ancient Greeks, she visits some of the most significant sites of the empire from the Greek islands to its far northern borders, from Mount Olympus to Corfu, exploring the history, Gods, beliefs, myths and legends which hail from this most significant chapter in European history.

Royal Upstairs Downstairs: The Complete Collection

A revealing journey through Britain's most historic houses in the footsteps of Queen Victoria.

Antiques expert Tim Wonnacott (BARGAIN HUNT) and chef Rosemary Shrager (LADETTE TO LADY) travel in the footsteps of Queen Victoria to the grand houses, castles and intimate family homes across Great Britain that Victoria visited throughout her 63 year reign.

We follow Victoria's royal progress, era by era, exploring the great houses of Britain during a time both steeped in tradition but led by invention – a time of unparalleled industrial, political and social change. Whilst Tim excitedly checks out the history and antiques of these grand houses, food historian and chef, Ivan Day, joins Rosemary to recreates some of the amazing dishes that would have been cooked for the Queen during her stay.

This four disc set includes the complete series – all 19 visits packed with fascinating history and mouthwatering dishes, plus a special compilation program looking at what has been uncovered during the journey.

Love, Marilyn

Get to know the real Marilyn Monroe.

50 years after the death of the beautiful, iconic, troubled Marilyn Monroe, two boxes of her personal letters, diaries and private musings were discovered in the home of her acting coach.

As read by some of Hollywood's finest actors, these papers give us new insight into the turbulent, troubled mind of Marilyn Monroe, and makes us truly understand what made her star shine so very, very bright.

Searching for Sugar Man (Special Edition)

The greatest '70s rock icon that never was.

In the late '60s, a musician of immense talent and soul was discovered by two celebrated producers who were certain that the album they recorded would be a huge hit.

In fact, the album bombed, and the singer disappeared into obscurity amid rumours of a gruesome on-stage suicide. But a bootleg recording found its way into apartheid South Africa and, over the next two decades, it became a phenomenon. Two South African fans then set out to find out what really happened to their hero, with their investigation leading them to a story more extraordinary than any of the existing myths about the artist known as Rodriguez.

The Oscar-winning SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN has captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences all over the world. This limited special edition of SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN includes Rodriguez's now-seminal album, Cold Fact, as well as a limited-edition booklet of his poetic lyrics, a live performance from Rodriguez and a Making Of documentary. Experience the pure joy of SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN.