Anyone else think it is a sneaky advert for the dvd? I know thats what I thought about when looking at all the clips from the series.

No, because I don't think the BBC can (now) advertise their DVDs on their own stations.

Exactly. They are forbidden from openly advertising their DVDs. So, instead, they run a long, exciting commercial for an episode 6 months away... by showing all the best bits from the first series. Very clever!

It's a ridiculous rule - the BBC should be allowed to make as much money as they can in whichever way they can, as it is in everybody's interests that they do so.

But thats Bunkers point, its noot advertising the DVD, its advertising the crimbo special.
The fact that it shows a load of juicy clips from the series, which justy happen to be on a newly available BBC is , I am sure co-incidental

Really? When did that start? I thought they still had still captions at the end of some programmes saying, for instance, "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is available on this BBC DVD and also on a series of CDs".

Maybe it's only on UKTV Gold that I've heard that?

No, it isn't.

However, I have been wondering for ages why the BBC seems to promote much more its cd's than its dvd's. It's common practice for the BBC to promote only cd's at the end of a show, although it has been released on dvd as well. The Good Life is just one example.

Maybe the profits are bigger for the Beeb on CD's? - after all, writers for radio get peanuts compared to their TV writer cousins, voice artists too...