Saturday, March 17, 2012

Digital Digest: Kojak - Season Three DVD Review

Happy St. Patrick's Day and welcome to Digital O'Digest! No, we haven't really changed our name, and we aren't even going to turn the blog green today. You'll have plenty of time to enjoy your holiday after you check out our news for this week, as well as Tuesday's upcoming releases, and our Click of the Week. And this week, you'll feel especially lucky after you read our review of Shout! Factory's upcoming release of Kojak - Season Three. So with all of that said, we'll go ahead and bring you what we bring you every Saturday--a little pot of gold about bringing the digital world and television together!


DIGITAL NEWS

We've been keeping you up-to-date on the happenings of the 2012 PaleyFest here in Digital Digest over the past few weeks, mostly because they have provided opportunities for fans at home to have a "look inside" on their events, and as we had already mentioned, those videos would be available on Hulu. But when? The time for that is now! There are far too many of these clips for us to cover each one individually, but you can find the clips on the respective pages for Community, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, and New Girl.

Speaking of Hulu, we thought we would tell you about some of their recent additions (and by recent, we mean a couple of months... we apologize for not keeping up the pace!) additions to their ever growing online library of video. Recently, series including The New Three Stooges, The Comedy Shop, and Celebrity Bowling. Admittedly, we can't say that any of these were great programs, but all of them do have their "classic television" ties and are worth checking out an episode or two (or as was the case for me, a few minutes of an episode) just for fun.

Amazon Prime subscribers have a lot of new material at their fingertips these days as well. The latest content agreement comes from Discovery Networks. Clearly, the deal doesn't include anything that is of real interest to us, as just about all of their content is reality series, but there are several popular series that fans will be happy to see online, all with their $79.99 per year (you can get it for half price if you have a valid *.edu email address) pricing structure.

Looking for that release of Saved by the Bell - The Complete Collection which we mentioned a few weeks ago? Well, you may have a hard time finding it in stores, because it is NOT coming from Lionsgate as the individual season sets did. In fact, it is not even a United States release, but rather a Canadian release. However, if you are interested in the series, it is in fact a Region 1 release (meaning that it will play on DVD players in the United States) and it is out on DVD from the Canadian distributor Alliance Films Media. The thirteen-disc set contains the five "regular" seasons of the series (that means no Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which has still not made it to DVD), as well as the two reunion movies featuring the original cast, Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style and Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas.

We've known for quite some time that the series Car 54, Where Are You? is coming to DVD in April, but if you try to find it what was the scheduled release date of April 10, you would literally be asking "where are you?" That is because the set has been delayed by two weeks, and will now be released on April 24. So there is no need to worry. We will, in fact, be getting the entire second season, and the episodes will be in order of when they actually aired this time and not that incredibly bizarre "order of popularity" as the first season was presented.

The sun has set on HBO's Entourage and now the series has already gone from a series which defined the current era to somewhat of a time capsule of the '00s (don't bother informing VH-1, though, I'm sure they're so past that and working on their '10s retrospectives). The time capsule gets closed on June 12 with HBO's release of Entourage - The Complete Eighth Season. As has been the case for the past few seasons, it will be available on both DVD and Blu-ray.

Finally, we know that voters across America are trying to decide on their choice for president in 2012 (even Roseanne Barr has her eyes on the White House, sort of), but there is another election that we specifically want you to take part in, and no, you won't hear anybody talking about eating grits in this one... although if the TV series Alice would be released on DVD in complete series sets, perhaps we could be talking about kissing grits. Our point here is that Home Media Magazine is now taking your votes for their home media awards for "the best of the best." The ballot includes categories for best current series on home media, best vintage series on home media, best complete series set, and more. The candidates in this election are all decisively highly qualified, but only one can be "the best," and you can help decide that! Additionally, you don't even have to be over 18 or a citizen of the United States. We suggest that you read more about the TV specific categories in this article from TVShowsOnDVD.com, and then when you finish that, head on over to the poll. Oh, and if you need a bit of help making your decisions, you can always check out our DVD reviews page, because we've done our own non-partisan candidate questionnaires of many of these!


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (March 20) brings a highly anticipated release from MPI, with that release being the classic (and largely forgotten) series, My Living Doll - The Official Collection: Volume 1. The release contains eleven episodes from the first twenty five. The other episodes are still lost and/or unrestored, for the time being, but the producers hope this will change and have ambitious plans to eventually bring us as many of the episodes as possible, if not all of them. You can read our review of this excellent set here. That isn't the only set that MPI has in the works for Tuesday, though. There is also a new release of The Lucille Ball Specials, with the final one, The Lucille Ball Specials - Lucy Moves to NBC. You can read our review of this DVD here. Mill Creek brings one of the Carsey-Werner sitcoms to Blu-ray for the first time ever with That '70s Show - Season One (Blu-ray). We hope to have a review of this set, one of the few (if not only) '90s sitcoms to ever make it to Blu-ray, as soon as possible. Warner Home Video continues their releases of the cult classic series Scarecrow and Mrs. King, with Scarecrow and Mrs. King - The Complete Third Season. Finally, Shout! Factory continues their releases of the classic series Kojak, with Kojak - Season Three. We have a review of this set today in Digital Digest.

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW



Blog DVD Review: Kojak - Season Three (Shout! Factory, $44.99)
by skees53

Lieutenant Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas) reports back for duty in the latest release of the classic detective series Kojak. The edgy police drama was among the "new breed" of police dramas from the '70s that didn't stick to the storylines of police dramas of earlier days, and dealt with tough issues such as coldblooded murder, the mafia, cop killers, rapists, and more. It certainly wasn't a series about a few purse thefts or bunco artists. The award-winning series ran for five seasons on CBS, and served as the backdrop for several made-for-TV movies that aired primarily on ABC in the late '80s and early '90s. Now, all 23 episodes of the action-packed 1975-1976 season are available together on DVD in the United States (it was actually released some time ago internationally) for the first time ever.

The third season kicks off with "A Question of Answers," a double-length episode where Kojak attempts to clear the name of a wrongly imprisoned man. In "My Brother, My Enemy," Kojak has to figure out how to protect a detective who accidentally shot a boy. Kojak's nephew is in danger of ending up like a friend who overdosed in "Sweeter than Life." A visit to a local Catholic school to give a lecture on rape suddenly turns into a murder investigation when a priest is killed in "Be Careful What You Pray For." In "Secret Snow, Deadly Snow," Kojak is out to get a drug dealer who shot a man who was already dead. In "Life, Liberation, and the Pursuit of Death," a woman really regrets seeing a body being dumped into the harbor. A cop battling alcoholism impedes Kojak's latest investigation in "Out of the Frying Pan..." In "Over the Water," a mobster's son puts out a contract on Kojak's life. One of Kojak's colleagues finds out that people aren't always how they used to be in "The Nicest Guys on the Block." Kojak interferes with an FBI investigation when he thinks that they are wrong in "No Immunity for Murder." A trip to Nevada to pick up a witness turns out to be much more in "A Long Way from Times Square."

Kojak is on the trail of a car-theft ring that seems very bizarre in "Money Back Guarantee." In "A House of Prayer, A Den of Thieves," a death complicates a counterfeiting investigation. It isn't such a great Christmas while Kojak is investigating why a man shot a woman at a bar in "How Cruel the Frost, How Bright the Stars." Kojak is out to defend a man that he doubts is guilty of the murder of a prostitute in "The Forgotten Room." In "On the Edge," Kojak is concerned about a fellow detective's obsessive work habits. Kojak has to prevent a murder in "A Wind from Corsica." In "Bad Dude," Kojak is trying to figure out why a recently arrived private detective wants to be a killer's next target. Kojak is accused of taking a bribe in "The Frame." In "Deadly Innocence," a hit-and-run death of a police chemist becomes complicated very quickly. An 18-year-old murder case is reopened in "Justice Deferred." In "Both Sides of the Law," Kojak is out to recover five priceless Rembrandt drawings. The season ends with "A Grave Too Son," where an undercover cop is murdered, and of course, Kojak is on the case.

The episodes appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "A Question of Answers" (1:40:58)
2. "My Brother, My Enemy" (50:25)
3. "Sweeter than Life" (49:56)

Disc 2:
4. "Be Careful What You Pray For" (49:06)
5. "Secret Snow, Deadly Snow" (50:29)
6. "Life, Liberation, and the Pursuit of Death" (50:00)
7. "Out of the Frying Pan..." (50:08)

Disc 3:
8. "Over the Water" (50:12)
9. "The Nicest Guys on the Block" (49:51)
10. "No Immunity for Murder" (50:07)
11. "A Long Way from Time Square" (50:07)

Disc 4:
12. "Money Back Guarantee" (50:29)
13. "A House of Prayer, A Den of Thieves" (50:08)
14. "How Cruel the Frost, How Bright the Stars" (50:28)
15. "The Forgotten Room" (50:27)

Disc 5:
16. "On the Edge" (49:48)
17. "A Wind from Corsica" (50:28)
18. "Bad Dude" (50:29)
19. "The Frame" (50:29)

Disc 6:
20. "Deadly Innocence" (50:20)
21. "Justice Deferred" (50:28)
22. "Both Sides of the Law" (50:28)
23. "A Grave Too Soon" (50:25)

When Shout! Factory released the second season of the series just a few short months ago (their first release after taking over the series from Universal), they used slimcase packaging, which was unusual considering that Shout! had mostly gone to Viva cases by then. Well, now, for the third season, we actually DO have Viva case packaging. The cover art has a photo of Kojak with a shot of the New York City skyline in the background. On the back, there are a few episode snapshots, along with a brief description of the season, including the unique tagline that the studio gave to describe Kojak: "Bald, bold, and badass." Inside the case, you'll find the six discs, with each containing four episodes (except Disc 1, which contains the double-length pilot and two more episodes). The bonus feature can be found on Disc 6. The disc artwork is rather basic, with the series logo and the New York City skyline in an orangish-brown color scheme. All of the episode titles are printed inside the case, and a brief description and original airdate is listed with each episode.

The menus on the set are very basic, but also very nicely done. An animated transition plays on the main menu that is similar to the opening credits, while the opening theme song plays in the background. Once the menu comes up, you have options of Play All and a listing of all of the episodes on the disc. Each episode contains chapters that are placed appropriately throughout the episode.

As the case usually seems to be for, well, all of these '70s police dramas from Universal, the video and audio quality of the episodes is very good. I honestly couldn't really find any defects to complain about, although it does show a bit of age for sure. The audio is presented in mono (as it originally aired), and seems to be pretty loud and clear. Unfortunately, the episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitled.

The DVD set actually has one special feature, and it is actually a pretty nice one. On Disc 6, there is an interview featurette (16:26) where we get to see a few interviews with those involved with the show, as well as many of those related to Savalas. In a sense, this is basically a continuation of the interview featurette that was featured on Kojak - The Complete Movie Collection. Among those interviewed here are Kario Salem, Brian Murray, Alan Metzger, Christina Savalas, Ariana Savalas, Selwyn Raab, Christopher Savalas, Gus Savalas, Angie Dickinson, Robert Dorfman, Dan Frazer, Roger Robinson, Geoffrey Erb, and Candace Savalas. Hopefully, I didn't forget anybody in that long and extensive list which seems to include all of his surviving family members! It is obvious that his family is really dedicated to the legacy left in his role of Kojak, which is something that is very rare (but also very nice) to see. I think that the interviews on these sets have been very nice, and if special features continue on future releases, I honestly think that these are more than sufficient. It is just too bad that Telly Savalas himself is no longer with us, because I believe that he would have contributed even more to these great interviews.

I never really watched this series much until recently (primarily when I started to watch it on MeTV), but surprisingly, it has quickly become one of my (many) favorite police dramas. The stories and crimes presented on the series were unique and really pushed the edge in the era that the episodes aired. I certainly believe that fans of police dramas of all eras will love this series, including the ones of the modern era. Of course, you shouldn't expect to find all of the excessive (and if you ask me, obnoxious) flash and glitz that the current series have, but that leaves plenty of time in each episode to develop a great storyline. Shout! Factory has already announced Kojak - Season Four for a May 1 release (only six weeks after this release!), so that'll leave only one more season of the series to be released. But in the meantime, check out this set... and to borrow (and mangle and rearrange) a famous quote, "you'll love it, baby."

(4/5 stars)

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Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Kojak TV.com Page


CLICK OF THE WEEK

allinthefamilysit.com - We made a reference this week to us being Digital "O'Digest," which we aren't, but that does transition us into our Click of the Week, a website about a series starring Carroll O'Connor (of course, that was his real name). Of course, O'Connor's best known sitcom role was his starring role as Archie Bunker in the classic series All in the Family. And allinthefamilysit.com is, as the name suggests, a website that is all about the classic sitcom.

The website is hardly a newcomer to the internet. Like many of the websites that we bring you as our Click of the Week, this is one of those websites that has been around since the earliest days of the internet. In fact, the website has been around since 1995, a time when most of us probably didn't even know what the internet was. But the website is a content-filled website (and, unlike many websites of that era, still regularly updated) which has all of the basics such as an episode guide and FAQs, and goes a little bit beyond that. For example, there is a page dedicated to Archie-isms, which explains all of the unusual vocabulary which comes from Archie's mouth throughout the series. You'll find plenty of archived news articles on the site, which you can read the full text of. And if you are looking for photos, the website has a very large image gallery which you can browse. In short, the website is great when it comes to historical archive materials, and fans of the series should check it out.

That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Monday, September 25

Son of a Critch - "Particip-action" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mark is forced to participate in the school's Sports Day; Fox fights for her mother's attention and attempts to break the school record for gold medals.

Run the Burbs - "Li Xi" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT)
As they celebrate Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Andrew worries about his parents' relationship; Camille pitches her business to Andrew's mother; the kids get into trouble with their business startup.

Children Ruin Everything - "Dignity" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Following embarrassing run-ins with her boss and co-workers, Astrid feels on the back foot and disconnected from her younger co-workers; Astrid realizes her best move might be to attend a drink night with the rest of her team.

American Dad! - "Productive Panic" (TBS, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Francine becomes an overnight sensation when a famous art dealer discovers her homemade pottery.

Breeders - "No Matter What: Part Two" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Jackie's health is continuing to worsen; Paul helps out a distressed Luke but finds himself in more conflict with Ally; at Baby Jay's naming party, Ava declares her love, and Paul makes an offer that will take him and Ally back in time.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 25)

Monday, September 25

  • Eddie Murphy (The PJs) - Watch Eddie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place/Barry) - D'Arcy is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Idris Elba (Turn Up Charlie) - Idris appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Jon Lovitz (Mr. Box Office/NewsRadio/Foley Square) - Jon is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
  • Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) and Mark Consuelos (Alpha House/Hope & Faith) - E! News has interviews with Kelly and Mark at 11pm on E!.
  • Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Guys with Kids/Entourage) - Jamie-Lynn appears on Watch What Happens: Live at 3:30am on Bravo.
  • Kerry Washington (Unprisoned) - Kerry talks about her new book Thicker than Water: A Memoir on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Punkie Johnson (After Life) - Punkie talks about her podcast Love Thang with Punkie Johnson on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about her Big Boss album and tour on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (June-October)

Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)

06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
07/18 - South Park - Seasons 21-25 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/25 - The Neighborhood - Season Five
07/25 - Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin - Season One
07/25 - Superstore - The Complete Series
08/22 - Back to Life - Season 1 / Season 2
08/29 - Smiling Friends - Season 1 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

09/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 25, 2023)
09/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: An End on the Horizon for WGA Strike?; Hallmark Ready for Christmas
09/22 - The Santa Clauses Season 2 Launches November 8; CBS Alters Fall Schedule
09/21 - Penn & Teller: Fool Us Gets New Return Date; Netflix's Unicorn Academy Premieres November 2
09/20 - Paramount+ Announces Colin from Accounts; The Really Loud House Gets Halloween Movie
09/19 - The Simpsons Season 34 Streams October 11 on Disney+; Good Burger 2 Set for Holiday Season
09/18 - Hulu's Huluween and Disney+'s Hallowstream Line-Up; Shining Vale Returns October 13 on STARZ
09/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 18, 2023)
09/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Cancels Wonder Years Reboot; Byron Allen Makes $10 Billion Offer to Buy ABC
09/15 - Antenna TV's Bewitched Halloween Marathon; Rewind TV's Sabrina the Teenage Witch-O-Ween Marathon
09/14 - Dancing with the Stars Season 32 Cast; BUZZR Celebrates 40 Years of Press Your Luck
09/13 - TBS Acquires Modern Family; The Frasier Awards on COZI TV
09/12 - Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen Gets CBS Late Night Run; Unsolved Mysteries: Behind the Legacy Special
09/11 - Matt Rife Gets Netflix Special; Star Trek Day and Kid Cudi Join Forces
09/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 11, 2023)
09/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Bros. Television Suspends Deals with Top Creators; Fran Drescher Re-Elected President of SAG-AFTRA
09/08 - CBS Announces Hosts of Game Show; New Goosebumps Premieres Friday the 13th This October on Disney+ and Hulu
09/07 - MeTV Presents Svengoolie's Halloween BOOnanza!; The CW Moving Fall Comedies to Thursdays
09/06 - CBS to Air NCIS: Sydney This Fall; Fox Makes Fall Change
09/05 - TBS and TNT September Stunts Include Big Bang Theory Batman Day Marathon; Netflix UK Produced Series Updates
09/04 - TV Marathons on Labor Day 2023 Include Three's Company
09/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 4, 2023)
09/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: No Third Season for How I Met Your Father; Spectrum Dispute with Disney Could Spell End of Cable
09/01 - September Is Anniversary Month on Hulu; Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween Returns for Its 25th Anniversary
08/31 - Max's Original Comedy Series Starstruck Season 3 and Our Flag Means Death Season 2 Premiere Dates; AXS TV Announces Fall Programming Lineup
08/30 - The Partridge Family Coming to AXS TV Starting Oct. 2; CBS to Air A Tribute to Bob Barker Special Aug. 31, Marathon of Match Game Episodes to Air Sept. 2 on Game Show Network
08/29 - Once Upon a Time Coming to Hulu; Young Love Launches on Max in September
08/28 - Remembering TV Legend Bob Barker; Wolf Like Me Returns in October on Peacock
08/27 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 28, 2023)
08/26 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Frasier Reboot Date Set, With CBS Also Airing First Two Episodes; Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. Cancelled
08/25 - Rick and Morty Returns October 15; Switch New Season Begins September 18 on Game Show Network
08/24 - Hulu Fall 2023 Slate; Apple TV+ Series Still Up Debuts Trailer