Those of you old enough may well remember Channel Four's very first night, and if so you'll also recall the evening's centrepiece drama Walter (1982), directed by Stephen Frears and featuring a compelling central performance from Ian McKellen. It was followed in 1986 by Walter and June, in which McKellen was joined by an equally impressive Sarah Miles. The two films were later combined into a feature-length work, Loving Walter, which included footage previously unseen in either film.

Walter, adapted by David Cook from his award-winning novel, is set in the early 1960s and tells the disturbing story of a man with mental and physical disabilities who is left at the mercy of society's attitudes following the death of his parents. The play's unflinching treatment of its subject inevitably shocked, but also drew overwhelming praise from viewers and critics, with McKellen receiving a Royal Television Society award for his harrowing, rigorously researched portrayal. The film also features supporting roles for now-familiar faces Keith Allen and Jim Broadbent.

Walter and June, again written by Cook and directed by Frears, picks up Walter's story nineteen years on. It charts the friendships he has formed, and the tender, life-changing but precarious relationship that develops between Walter and mercurial fellow patient June (Sarah Miles), as the two leave the confines of the hospital to face an uncertain future in London. Jim Broadbent once again provides sturdy support.

Walter, Walter and June and Loving Walter will bee released as a 2-disc DVD set on 17th Januarty 2010 by Network Releasing at the RRP of £19.99. There are no extra features beyond the inclusion of Loving Walter.