Saturday, July 21, 2012
Digital Digest: All in the Family Complete Series Details; Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volumes 1 and 2 DVD Review; Harry O - The Complete First Season DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! We've got a light news week this week, but once we get past that, we've got not one, but two reviews for you this week, with Dynasty - The Sixth Season (Volume 1 and Volume 2) and Harry O - The Complete First Season. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
Fox wrapped up some loose ends (perhaps not completely, though) with their release slate for continuing sitcoms on DVD this week with their announcement of New Girl - Season One. The release is scheduled for October 2, and will include a nice collection of special features, which you can read more about here.
We've already mentioned the September 4 release of The Office - Season Eight (DVD and DVD/Blu-ray/Ultraviolet Combo), but fans of more "classic" episodes of the series will see a special single-DVD release on October 16 with The Office - Secret Santa Pack. The $14.98 DVD will include four classic Christmas episodes of the series. The episodes to be included are "Christmas Party" (season 2), "A Benihana Christmas" (season 3), "Moroccan Christmas" (season 5), and "Secret Santa" (season 6).
We told you just last week about Shout! Factory's October 30 release of All in the Family - The Complete Series, but now we know a bit more about the special features which will be included. Among those special features, we have a 40-page collectible booklet, a new interview with Norman Lear, two documentaries (Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family" and The Television Revolution Begins: "All In The Family" Is On The Air), both original pilots of the series, and the pilot episodes of the spinoffs Archie Bunker's Place, Gloria, and 704 Hauser.
Finally, looking for that MOD release of the series Dave's World which was announced a few weeks ago? Well, it is coming very soon... on Tuesday.. with Dave's World - The Third Season! We don't know much about this set yet, but if we find out more about it, we'll let you know.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (July 24) is a light release day, with only two sitcom releases. CBS DVD continues the sitcom Dave's World with Dave's World - The Third Season, but it is a MOD title which can only be purchased online. Meanwhile, Inception Media Group has The Real McCoys - Season 1. We did not receive a review copy of this set, but the studio has indicated that this release is the same as the previously released set from Roxbury Entertainment.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volumes 1 and 2 (CBS DVD, $36.98 each)
by Pavan
The addictive, primetime soap opera that quickly became a 1980s hit and lives on in popular cult status returns to DVD with Dynasty: The Sixth Season, Volume One & Volume Two. Each volume includes four discs of all the over-the-top glamour and drama from the series' sixth season. Explore the conflicts, passions, drives, and tensions of the Carringtons, a rich and powerful oil family, as they struggle to maintain their status of wealth and influence. This two-volume set brings all 30 episodes of season six in two sets, and like season five, they come out on the same date so we don't have to wait for the second half later on! Still, they are actually two different volumes, that you could buy separately, but there is a two-pack available if you want that instead!
John Forsythe, Linda Evans, Joan Collins star and we find out what happens after the Moldavian massacre! This is the season where ratings were still strong but were on the decline. Seasons 3-6 all were in the time of the height of the popularity, with the previous season, season five, hitting being the peak. The series lasted 9 seasons on ABC, from 1981-89. We get the the entire sixth season (1985-86) on this two-pack set. I'm just glad we don't have to wait for the conclusion of the sixth season, but they are still splitting the seasons in half. For the last two releases, it's just that they are out on the same day! Anyway, the drama in Denver continues whether it is at the mansion, the LaMirage hotel or even California.
Diahann Carroll and Heather Locklear are also back this season, as they were in season five. The sixth season begins with "The Aftermath," as the fifth season cliffhanger is revealed about the attack at Michael & Amanda's wedding leaves two guests dead, while the rest of the wedding party is held captive in Moldavia. In the two-hour episode "The Titans," Blake prepares for the arrival of the Colbysm, while Krystle is held hostage at Delta Rho by Joel while Rita takes her place at the mansion. In "The Proposal," qfter marrying Adam and gaining financial independence due to an oil well willed to her by the late Walter Lankershim, Claudia decides to move back into the Carrington mansion, while the family discovers that Fallon is not dead, but alive and living in California with Miles Colby. In "The Vigil," Blake is taken to the hospital after his collapse, while panicked and seeking comfort from Joel, Rita rushes to Delta Rho, only to discover Krystle instead of Joel and the two women engage in a vicious physical battle. On the two-part episode, "the Trial," Caress finally discovers that Alexis has purchased the publishing house who was to distribute her book, "Sister Dearest" and it is quickly canceled and Alexis celebrates destroying her sister's vengeful plans, while Ben confronts Blake and demands his share of their father's estate, and a court battle begins. On the season finale, "The Choice," after Alexis manipulates him, Ben agrees to go into business with her, and together, the two finally bankrupt Blake, during Dominique's engagement party, Claudia accidentally sets fire to La Mirage, leaving several lives in danger.
Each episode on this set is just around 46-47 minutes on average, though some lower, which is strange. Nearly every CBS DVD has a disclaimer on the back of the box saying, "Some episodes maybe be edited from their original network versions." So there is a chance something could be edited, but I didn't see anything, but some runtimes in the 44-45 minute range are suspicious. There is one two-hour episode on this set, clocking in over 95 minutes. Runtimes are as follows:
Volume 1
Disc 1:
1. "The Aftermath" (45:52)
2. "The Homecoming" (46:32)
3. "The Califnornians" (46:39)
4. "The Man" (46:46)
Disc 2:
5. "The Gown" (46:29)
6. "The Titans" (95:31)
7. "The Decision" (45:39)
Disc 3:
8. "The Proposal" (46:34)
9. "The Close Call" (47:02)
10. "The Quarrels" (46:48)
11. "The Roadhouse" (46:44)
Disc 4:
12. "The Solution" (46:39)
13. "Suspicions" (46:57)
14. "The Alarm" (44:56)
15. "The Vigil" (46:15)
Volume 2
Disc 1:
1. "The Accident" (46:50)
2. "Souvenirs" (46:33)
3. "The Divorce" (46:34)
4. "The Dismissal" (45:15)
Disc 2:
5. "Ben" (44:45)
6. "Masquerade" (46:42)
7. "The Subpoenas" (46:42)
Disc 3:
8. "The Trial, Part 1" (46:39)
9. "The Trial, Part 1" (45:28)
10. "The Vote" (46:30)
11. "The Warning" (46:43)
Disc 4:
12. "The Cry" (46:21)
13. "The Rescue" (46:04)
14. "The Triple-Cross" (46:32)
15. "The Choice" (46:10)
Packaging for both volumes once again is a snap case holding the discs inside, similar to previous sets. Again the discs don't overlap each other, which is great. We have two plastic holders on both volumes. Discs one and two are in the first plastic holder, while discs three and four are in the second plastic holder. That little holder is cheap, but I guess it works. The cover art of the first volume has Blake surrounded by the women of the series (Krystal, Alexis and Dominique) with the Dynasty logo below them. Volume two's cover art has Blake and the men in similar style. The color schemes are tan for volume one and gray for volume two. The back of the case's on both volumes has a synopsis of the show, the set, and technical information. We also have three episodic photos and a feature cast photo. Back inside the cases, there is a disc-by-disc breakdown on the left and right panel for every episode on this set. We get episode titles and a synopsis of each episode. Like season five, it seems like they removed the original airdates for some reason...anyway, don't be reading it before watching the episode now! Artwork on the discs is just plain again. It is plain silver for each one. Dynasty logo and whatever disc number it is on the disc, and episode titles are listed. Disc-by-disc breakdown is available above in episode runtimes, but basically we either have 3 or 4 episodes on each disc. There is nothing different about the packaging here, as like in season five except they expanded to 4 discs per volume instead of 3. This section is always consistent, it seems.
And the consistency continues for the menus. CBS DVD is terrible in menus, as you all probably know. Each menu has different artwork but it is so plain again. The episodes are listed right on the main menu once again. Subtitles option is also available below the list of episodes, but it is only English again. Main menu artwork has three shots of the same image. For volume one, disc 1's main menu has three shots of Blake, disc two has three shots of Krystal, disc three has three shots of Alexis and disc four has three shots of Dominique. For volume two, disc 1's main menu has three shots of Claudia, disc two has three shots of Sammy Jo, disc three has three shots of Jeff & Fallon and disc four has three shots of Amanda. It is very similar to the previous sets. No theme music or any music in the background once again. Before the main menu on both disc one's, there is an option for previews...we get previews such as The Good Wife DVD and Melrose Place S3 DVD...AGAIN. But you can skip to the main menu if you wish.
The video is on par with the previous season and it looks good. Just some debris here and there in the opening credits, like flashing black dots, but it is still good quality. It isn't in widescreen, obviously. The audio is decent, a nice sounding mono...that is crisp and clear. No problems here at all. It seems the video and audio get better as the seasons go on, which makes sense. There are 6 chapter stops once again each for every episode, counting the opening and closing credits stops. The two-hour episode has 10 chapter stops and is presented in its original two-hour form. This is all consistent again from previous sets.
We are back to zero special features. On season five, volume two we got one special feature actually. As a recap, the second season had a little family tree thing, which was something at least and the first season was done by 20th Century Fox, and they did a decent job with some featurettes and commentaries, but CBS DVD has done basically nothing...which is typical. But on the second volume of season five we did get something archival! It was a clip from Entertainment Tonight in 1985 as Leeza Gibbons interviews guest star Rock Hudson and we also have Linda Evans talking about Rock. I wish they cleared more archival stuff like this for season six, instead we are getting nothing here. Disappointing.
Season six is a wrap and all in one day, just like the fifth season release, and no waiting for months to continue! I highly do recommend any fan of the show to pick-up these two volumes (in a two-pack set!), because the episodes are so good and addictive and you'll want to see the conclusion of the Moldavian cliffhanger from season five. We have great episodes on this set, and yet another cliffhanger on the sixth season finale. I cannot stop watching whenever I put the DVD in. This is the mother of all primetime soaps (sorry never was big into Dallas, but the new TNT series is great)! If you have the first five seasons, then you have to get this to continue your collection of course because it wouldn't make sense if you didn't continue. If you haven't gotten those yet, what are you waiting for? It won't make sense buying these two volumes for your first buy of this series, as the episodes are heavily serialized and you'll be VERY lost. I hope CBS reconsiders and gives us the ENTIRE seventh season instead in one volume instead of splitting it up into two volumes, but they won't. At least both volumes for seasons five ans six came out on one day. It's just expensive to get two volumes, as the MSPR is $72.99 sold together. That's a lot for 30 episodes and no special features. Still, I urge fans to buy it so we keep getting more sets. CBS DVD is at least consistent with their sets. They are very predictable as the sets are nearly identical to each other (it makes the reviews boring). But like I said last time (and the time before that), complain to CBS DVD for the lack of extras and splitting the seasons in half. Anyway, you're going to get glued in this sixth season and you'll want to see the season premiere to see what happens in "The Aftermath." You don't have to travel to Denver (or California or Moldavia) to buy these two volumes, just click below and Blake will be pleased or he will strangle you (oops not giving anything away for season six)!
(4/5 stars)
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volume 1, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volume 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volumes 1 and 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Dynasty on TV.comJohn Forsythe, Linda Evans, Joan Collins star and we find out what happens after the Moldavian massacre! This is the season where ratings were still strong but were on the decline. Seasons 3-6 all were in the time of the height of the popularity, with the previous season, season five, hitting being the peak. The series lasted 9 seasons on ABC, from 1981-89. We get the the entire sixth season (1985-86) on this two-pack set. I'm just glad we don't have to wait for the conclusion of the sixth season, but they are still splitting the seasons in half. For the last two releases, it's just that they are out on the same day! Anyway, the drama in Denver continues whether it is at the mansion, the LaMirage hotel or even California.
Diahann Carroll and Heather Locklear are also back this season, as they were in season five. The sixth season begins with "The Aftermath," as the fifth season cliffhanger is revealed about the attack at Michael & Amanda's wedding leaves two guests dead, while the rest of the wedding party is held captive in Moldavia. In the two-hour episode "The Titans," Blake prepares for the arrival of the Colbysm, while Krystle is held hostage at Delta Rho by Joel while Rita takes her place at the mansion. In "The Proposal," qfter marrying Adam and gaining financial independence due to an oil well willed to her by the late Walter Lankershim, Claudia decides to move back into the Carrington mansion, while the family discovers that Fallon is not dead, but alive and living in California with Miles Colby. In "The Vigil," Blake is taken to the hospital after his collapse, while panicked and seeking comfort from Joel, Rita rushes to Delta Rho, only to discover Krystle instead of Joel and the two women engage in a vicious physical battle. On the two-part episode, "the Trial," Caress finally discovers that Alexis has purchased the publishing house who was to distribute her book, "Sister Dearest" and it is quickly canceled and Alexis celebrates destroying her sister's vengeful plans, while Ben confronts Blake and demands his share of their father's estate, and a court battle begins. On the season finale, "The Choice," after Alexis manipulates him, Ben agrees to go into business with her, and together, the two finally bankrupt Blake, during Dominique's engagement party, Claudia accidentally sets fire to La Mirage, leaving several lives in danger.
Each episode on this set is just around 46-47 minutes on average, though some lower, which is strange. Nearly every CBS DVD has a disclaimer on the back of the box saying, "Some episodes maybe be edited from their original network versions." So there is a chance something could be edited, but I didn't see anything, but some runtimes in the 44-45 minute range are suspicious. There is one two-hour episode on this set, clocking in over 95 minutes. Runtimes are as follows:
Volume 1
Disc 1:
1. "The Aftermath" (45:52)
2. "The Homecoming" (46:32)
3. "The Califnornians" (46:39)
4. "The Man" (46:46)
Disc 2:
5. "The Gown" (46:29)
6. "The Titans" (95:31)
7. "The Decision" (45:39)
Disc 3:
8. "The Proposal" (46:34)
9. "The Close Call" (47:02)
10. "The Quarrels" (46:48)
11. "The Roadhouse" (46:44)
Disc 4:
12. "The Solution" (46:39)
13. "Suspicions" (46:57)
14. "The Alarm" (44:56)
15. "The Vigil" (46:15)
Volume 2
Disc 1:
1. "The Accident" (46:50)
2. "Souvenirs" (46:33)
3. "The Divorce" (46:34)
4. "The Dismissal" (45:15)
Disc 2:
5. "Ben" (44:45)
6. "Masquerade" (46:42)
7. "The Subpoenas" (46:42)
Disc 3:
8. "The Trial, Part 1" (46:39)
9. "The Trial, Part 1" (45:28)
10. "The Vote" (46:30)
11. "The Warning" (46:43)
Disc 4:
12. "The Cry" (46:21)
13. "The Rescue" (46:04)
14. "The Triple-Cross" (46:32)
15. "The Choice" (46:10)
Packaging for both volumes once again is a snap case holding the discs inside, similar to previous sets. Again the discs don't overlap each other, which is great. We have two plastic holders on both volumes. Discs one and two are in the first plastic holder, while discs three and four are in the second plastic holder. That little holder is cheap, but I guess it works. The cover art of the first volume has Blake surrounded by the women of the series (Krystal, Alexis and Dominique) with the Dynasty logo below them. Volume two's cover art has Blake and the men in similar style. The color schemes are tan for volume one and gray for volume two. The back of the case's on both volumes has a synopsis of the show, the set, and technical information. We also have three episodic photos and a feature cast photo. Back inside the cases, there is a disc-by-disc breakdown on the left and right panel for every episode on this set. We get episode titles and a synopsis of each episode. Like season five, it seems like they removed the original airdates for some reason...anyway, don't be reading it before watching the episode now! Artwork on the discs is just plain again. It is plain silver for each one. Dynasty logo and whatever disc number it is on the disc, and episode titles are listed. Disc-by-disc breakdown is available above in episode runtimes, but basically we either have 3 or 4 episodes on each disc. There is nothing different about the packaging here, as like in season five except they expanded to 4 discs per volume instead of 3. This section is always consistent, it seems.
And the consistency continues for the menus. CBS DVD is terrible in menus, as you all probably know. Each menu has different artwork but it is so plain again. The episodes are listed right on the main menu once again. Subtitles option is also available below the list of episodes, but it is only English again. Main menu artwork has three shots of the same image. For volume one, disc 1's main menu has three shots of Blake, disc two has three shots of Krystal, disc three has three shots of Alexis and disc four has three shots of Dominique. For volume two, disc 1's main menu has three shots of Claudia, disc two has three shots of Sammy Jo, disc three has three shots of Jeff & Fallon and disc four has three shots of Amanda. It is very similar to the previous sets. No theme music or any music in the background once again. Before the main menu on both disc one's, there is an option for previews...we get previews such as The Good Wife DVD and Melrose Place S3 DVD...AGAIN. But you can skip to the main menu if you wish.
The video is on par with the previous season and it looks good. Just some debris here and there in the opening credits, like flashing black dots, but it is still good quality. It isn't in widescreen, obviously. The audio is decent, a nice sounding mono...that is crisp and clear. No problems here at all. It seems the video and audio get better as the seasons go on, which makes sense. There are 6 chapter stops once again each for every episode, counting the opening and closing credits stops. The two-hour episode has 10 chapter stops and is presented in its original two-hour form. This is all consistent again from previous sets.
We are back to zero special features. On season five, volume two we got one special feature actually. As a recap, the second season had a little family tree thing, which was something at least and the first season was done by 20th Century Fox, and they did a decent job with some featurettes and commentaries, but CBS DVD has done basically nothing...which is typical. But on the second volume of season five we did get something archival! It was a clip from Entertainment Tonight in 1985 as Leeza Gibbons interviews guest star Rock Hudson and we also have Linda Evans talking about Rock. I wish they cleared more archival stuff like this for season six, instead we are getting nothing here. Disappointing.
Season six is a wrap and all in one day, just like the fifth season release, and no waiting for months to continue! I highly do recommend any fan of the show to pick-up these two volumes (in a two-pack set!), because the episodes are so good and addictive and you'll want to see the conclusion of the Moldavian cliffhanger from season five. We have great episodes on this set, and yet another cliffhanger on the sixth season finale. I cannot stop watching whenever I put the DVD in. This is the mother of all primetime soaps (sorry never was big into Dallas, but the new TNT series is great)! If you have the first five seasons, then you have to get this to continue your collection of course because it wouldn't make sense if you didn't continue. If you haven't gotten those yet, what are you waiting for? It won't make sense buying these two volumes for your first buy of this series, as the episodes are heavily serialized and you'll be VERY lost. I hope CBS reconsiders and gives us the ENTIRE seventh season instead in one volume instead of splitting it up into two volumes, but they won't. At least both volumes for seasons five ans six came out on one day. It's just expensive to get two volumes, as the MSPR is $72.99 sold together. That's a lot for 30 episodes and no special features. Still, I urge fans to buy it so we keep getting more sets. CBS DVD is at least consistent with their sets. They are very predictable as the sets are nearly identical to each other (it makes the reviews boring). But like I said last time (and the time before that), complain to CBS DVD for the lack of extras and splitting the seasons in half. Anyway, you're going to get glued in this sixth season and you'll want to see the season premiere to see what happens in "The Aftermath." You don't have to travel to Denver (or California or Moldavia) to buy these two volumes, just click below and Blake will be pleased or he will strangle you (oops not giving anything away for season six)!
(4/5 stars)To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volume 1, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volume 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volumes 1 and 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
We all love the private eyes of television, whether they are the Simon brothers, Thomas Magnum (he'd prefer to call himself a private investigator, of course), or Maddie Hayes and David Addison. However, before all of those, ABC debuted in 1974 a new private eye series of their own with a star memorable to fans of The Fugitive, with David Janssen as Harry O. Janssen played the role of the title character, Harry Orwell, a former police detective who had been shot at least more than once in his career. But one of those bullets turned out to be a bit too much for Harry, and he was forced to retire much earlier than expected from being disabled from a bullet shot. But that isn't keeping him from doing what he loves in life, except now he isn't a police officer (although he frequently does work with the police department on his cases). He is a bit unconventional, frequently doing his investigations while riding on the city bus (his car was constantly in the shop) and never trying to make himself appear more than ordinary, but he had all of the savvy and sophistication of detectives before and after him on TV.
The series was really one of the pioneering series of a new era of detective series which would continue with those other series, where the private eye is portrayed as just an average man trying to make a living in society (as opposed to previous private eye series where the lead character was viewed as some infallible superhero). But it wasn't easy to get on the air, or even too easy to survive once it did make it on the air. It took two pilot movies with constant retooling, both of which aired in the 72-73 and 73-74 seasons respectively, to get the series started. This was followed by another retooling less than halfway through the first season, dramatically changing the supporting cast and even the city in which the series was set, and even more changes in the second season... and if that wasn't challenging enough, ABC (under the leadership of Fred Silverman) decided to pull the plug on it at the end of the second season to make room for some more "jiggly" detectives... Charlie's Angels. But now, the first season of the series, along with the first pilot, are available on DVD from Warner Archive.
The series begins with the episode "Gertrude," where a sister of an AWOL sailor hires Harry to find him. Harry is hired to find an Admiral's wife (presumed to be dead) in "The Admiral's Lady." Joan Collins guest stars in "Guardian at the Gates," where Harry protects an architect who witnessed a murder. A man confesses a murder to a priest in "Mortal Sin," but not everything stays in confession when the priest calls on Harry. In "Coinage of the Realm," Harry must find a man to donate a kidney to his daughter... before two killers find the man! A blind teenager is a witness to a murder in "Eyewitness." Harry goes undercover at a mental hospital accused of holding patients as prisoners in "Shadows at Noon," but things don't exactly go as planned when his undercover operation makes him a prisoner. A divorce case turns into murder in "Ballinger's Choice."
A psychic predicts the perfect murders in "Second Sight." In "Material Witness," Harry has to protect a physician who witnessed a crime... she doesn't exactly want Harry around, but she'll soon find out she really needs him. In the two-part episode "Forty Reasons to Kill," an investigation in a small town becomes an arrest for murder... and the suspect is Harry himself! Paul Benedict guest stars in a minor role. Harry is hired by a woman who believes her husband (Robert Reed) is having an affair in "Accounts Balanced." In "The Final Heir," Harry's latest investigation becomes like a murder mystery weekend, except the murders are real. A woman helps her boyfriend steal $25,000 in "For the Love of Money," but he goes missing with the money.
A murder framing goes wrong in "The Confetti People." Diana Hyland guest stars. Jim Backus guest stars in "Sound of Trumpets," where a recently-released from prison jazz musician has to deal with much more serious problems on the outside. A deaf-mute is arrested for arson in "Silent Kill." Farrah Fawcett makes her first appearance in the series in "Double Jeopardy," where a crime boss makes a mistake which could prove to be fatal for an aspiring actor. Kurt Russell guest stars as, oddly enough, the aspiring actor. A college student who wants to be a detective himself becomes a murder suspect in "Lester." Harry pursues the killer of his former police friend in "Elegy for a Cop." The season ends with "Street Games," where Maureen McCormick plays a teenage addict... and her mother is desperate to find her after her boyfriend is murdered by a dealer.
You'll find plenty of other guest stars in the series as well, including Hal Williams (three episodes), Gordon Jump, Florence Stanley, Juliet Mills, Milt Kogen, Lawrence Pressman, Sylvia Field (her last TV appearance ever), Mel Stewart, Nathaniel Taylor, and more.
The episode runtimes vary quite a bit from episode to episode, but this is likely due to the series constantly evolving throughout the first season (changes were made to the series frequently, including adding episode previews about 1/3 of the way through the season, and of course the retooling which occurred beginning with the episode "For the Love of Money"). All episodes run around 51 or 52 minutes, with exact runtimes as follows:
I have never watched this series too much prior to this DVD (aside from the few rare occasions when it did air somewhere, such as on GoodLife several years ago), but having the opportunity to watch the entire first season over the course of a week, as I did, was a nice treat. I knew that this was a good series, but it was actually much better than the bits and pieces that I had seen before this set. I like how it really sets the stage for future private eye series, although in all fairness, Mannix (another great and much more successful series which aired even earlier) did the exact same thing. There are some really good stories in these episodes, and for the most part, they'll keep you entertained from the beginning of the episode to the end of the episode. It is still hard to keep in mind that David Janssen was only in his 40s when this series aired... he certainly looked much older, as if he was in his 50s or even his 60s! Hopefully, Warner Archive will follow this up with the second (and final) season sometime very soon. Fans would certainly appreciate it. It would have been nice if they'd included the second pilot for the series on this set as well, but actually, that was already released on DVD separately a while back from Warner Archive under the title Smile Jenny, You're Dead. I think, though, that fans of Janssen's previous work on The Fugitive, as well as fans of the era of private eye series starting with Mannix and going all the way through the end of series like Magnum, PI will enjoy this series.
The series was really one of the pioneering series of a new era of detective series which would continue with those other series, where the private eye is portrayed as just an average man trying to make a living in society (as opposed to previous private eye series where the lead character was viewed as some infallible superhero). But it wasn't easy to get on the air, or even too easy to survive once it did make it on the air. It took two pilot movies with constant retooling, both of which aired in the 72-73 and 73-74 seasons respectively, to get the series started. This was followed by another retooling less than halfway through the first season, dramatically changing the supporting cast and even the city in which the series was set, and even more changes in the second season... and if that wasn't challenging enough, ABC (under the leadership of Fred Silverman) decided to pull the plug on it at the end of the second season to make room for some more "jiggly" detectives... Charlie's Angels. But now, the first season of the series, along with the first pilot, are available on DVD from Warner Archive.
The series begins with the episode "Gertrude," where a sister of an AWOL sailor hires Harry to find him. Harry is hired to find an Admiral's wife (presumed to be dead) in "The Admiral's Lady." Joan Collins guest stars in "Guardian at the Gates," where Harry protects an architect who witnessed a murder. A man confesses a murder to a priest in "Mortal Sin," but not everything stays in confession when the priest calls on Harry. In "Coinage of the Realm," Harry must find a man to donate a kidney to his daughter... before two killers find the man! A blind teenager is a witness to a murder in "Eyewitness." Harry goes undercover at a mental hospital accused of holding patients as prisoners in "Shadows at Noon," but things don't exactly go as planned when his undercover operation makes him a prisoner. A divorce case turns into murder in "Ballinger's Choice."
A psychic predicts the perfect murders in "Second Sight." In "Material Witness," Harry has to protect a physician who witnessed a crime... she doesn't exactly want Harry around, but she'll soon find out she really needs him. In the two-part episode "Forty Reasons to Kill," an investigation in a small town becomes an arrest for murder... and the suspect is Harry himself! Paul Benedict guest stars in a minor role. Harry is hired by a woman who believes her husband (Robert Reed) is having an affair in "Accounts Balanced." In "The Final Heir," Harry's latest investigation becomes like a murder mystery weekend, except the murders are real. A woman helps her boyfriend steal $25,000 in "For the Love of Money," but he goes missing with the money.
A murder framing goes wrong in "The Confetti People." Diana Hyland guest stars. Jim Backus guest stars in "Sound of Trumpets," where a recently-released from prison jazz musician has to deal with much more serious problems on the outside. A deaf-mute is arrested for arson in "Silent Kill." Farrah Fawcett makes her first appearance in the series in "Double Jeopardy," where a crime boss makes a mistake which could prove to be fatal for an aspiring actor. Kurt Russell guest stars as, oddly enough, the aspiring actor. A college student who wants to be a detective himself becomes a murder suspect in "Lester." Harry pursues the killer of his former police friend in "Elegy for a Cop." The season ends with "Street Games," where Maureen McCormick plays a teenage addict... and her mother is desperate to find her after her boyfriend is murdered by a dealer.
You'll find plenty of other guest stars in the series as well, including Hal Williams (three episodes), Gordon Jump, Florence Stanley, Juliet Mills, Milt Kogen, Lawrence Pressman, Sylvia Field (her last TV appearance ever), Mel Stewart, Nathaniel Taylor, and more.
The episode runtimes vary quite a bit from episode to episode, but this is likely due to the series constantly evolving throughout the first season (changes were made to the series frequently, including adding episode previews about 1/3 of the way through the season, and of course the retooling which occurred beginning with the episode "For the Love of Money"). All episodes run around 51 or 52 minutes, with exact runtimes as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "Gertrude" (51:08)
2. "The Admiral's Lady" (52:06)
3. "Guardian at the Gates" (52:02)
4. "Mortal Sin" (51:49)
Disc 2:
5. "Coinage of the Realm" (52:05)
6. "Eyewitness" (52:00)
7. "Shadows at Noon" (51:02)
8. "Ballinger's Choice" (51:40)
Disc 3:
9. "Second Sight" (51:35)
10. "Material Witness" (51:05)
11. "Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 1)" (52:08)
12. "Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 2)" (52:00)
Disc 4:
13. "Accounts Balanced" (52:03)
14. "The Last Heir" (52:02)
15. "For the Love of Money" (51:46)
16. "The Confetti People" (51:40)
Disc 5:
17. "Sounds of Trumpets" (51:43)
18. "Silent Kill" (51:43)
19. "Double Jeopardy" (51:44)
20. "Lester" (51:19)
Disc 6:
21. "Elegy for a Cop" (51:42)
22. "Street Games" (51:42)
Like most Warner Archive titles, the set comes in a standard Viva case. The cover art is very nicely done with a blue color scheme featuring Harry inside of a big O on the cover art (like the original opening credits for the series), and on the back of the case, there is another large photo of Harry along with a description of the series and the season. There are also a few episode snapshots on the back of the case. Inside, the six discs all have the same artwork as seen on the cover, and the episode titles are printed on each disc. Each disc contains four episodes, except for Disc 6, which contains two episodes and the pilot movie (not sure why this wasn't included on Disc 1). And, it is definitely worth mentioning that like most recent Warner Archive titles, the DVDs are presented on pressed DVDs and NOT DVD-R discs, although this will likely only apply to the early orders for the set (later copies purchased will likely be DVD-R).
1. "Gertrude" (51:08)
2. "The Admiral's Lady" (52:06)
3. "Guardian at the Gates" (52:02)
4. "Mortal Sin" (51:49)
Disc 2:
5. "Coinage of the Realm" (52:05)
6. "Eyewitness" (52:00)
7. "Shadows at Noon" (51:02)
8. "Ballinger's Choice" (51:40)
Disc 3:
9. "Second Sight" (51:35)
10. "Material Witness" (51:05)
11. "Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 1)" (52:08)
12. "Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 2)" (52:00)
Disc 4:
13. "Accounts Balanced" (52:03)
14. "The Last Heir" (52:02)
15. "For the Love of Money" (51:46)
16. "The Confetti People" (51:40)
Disc 5:
17. "Sounds of Trumpets" (51:43)
18. "Silent Kill" (51:43)
19. "Double Jeopardy" (51:44)
20. "Lester" (51:19)
Disc 6:
21. "Elegy for a Cop" (51:42)
22. "Street Games" (51:42)
Like most Warner Archive titles, the set comes in a standard Viva case. The cover art is very nicely done with a blue color scheme featuring Harry inside of a big O on the cover art (like the original opening credits for the series), and on the back of the case, there is another large photo of Harry along with a description of the series and the season. There are also a few episode snapshots on the back of the case. Inside, the six discs all have the same artwork as seen on the cover, and the episode titles are printed on each disc. Each disc contains four episodes, except for Disc 6, which contains two episodes and the pilot movie (not sure why this wasn't included on Disc 1). And, it is definitely worth mentioning that like most recent Warner Archive titles, the DVDs are presented on pressed DVDs and NOT DVD-R discs, although this will likely only apply to the early orders for the set (later copies purchased will likely be DVD-R).
The menus are very barebones, but unlike other studios, Warner Archive does create professional looking menus for their MOD products. This is no exception. The main menu on each disc has artwork just like the cover art, and lists all of the episodes on the disc along with a Play All option. There are chapters placed at all of the commercial breaks throughout the episodes.
The video and audio quality of the episodes is perfectly fine, but it doesn't look like a whole lot of restoration was done to the episodes. You'll find quite a bit of grain and debris on some episodes, but it doesn't really detract from the episodes too much. Still, I've seen other series from the same era which look better on DVD. The audio is loud and clear, presented in glorious mono. It is worth noting, though, that the pilot movie on this set looks better than the rest of the episodes, so perhaps more effort was put into restoring this. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitles, unfortunately.
The video and audio quality of the episodes is perfectly fine, but it doesn't look like a whole lot of restoration was done to the episodes. You'll find quite a bit of grain and debris on some episodes, but it doesn't really detract from the episodes too much. Still, I've seen other series from the same era which look better on DVD. The audio is loud and clear, presented in glorious mono. It is worth noting, though, that the pilot movie on this set looks better than the rest of the episodes, so perhaps more effort was put into restoring this. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitles, unfortunately.
The set does contain one item which can somewhat be described as a special feature, that being the original movie pilot for the series. Since it doesn't exactly follow the format of the series and has typically not aired in the form presented here, I think it is reasonable to consider it a special feature. "Such Dust as Dreams are Made on" (1:15:36). This aired on March 11, 1973 (over a year before the series began) and features Martin Sheen as a member of a gang that shot Harry four years earlier (ending his career), now turning to Harry to find his accomplices... before they kill him. This was intended to be the pilot for the series, but it was never picked up at this stage, thus there was some major retooling between this pilot and the first episode of the series (including a second pilot movie, which is NOT included in this set).
I have never watched this series too much prior to this DVD (aside from the few rare occasions when it did air somewhere, such as on GoodLife several years ago), but having the opportunity to watch the entire first season over the course of a week, as I did, was a nice treat. I knew that this was a good series, but it was actually much better than the bits and pieces that I had seen before this set. I like how it really sets the stage for future private eye series, although in all fairness, Mannix (another great and much more successful series which aired even earlier) did the exact same thing. There are some really good stories in these episodes, and for the most part, they'll keep you entertained from the beginning of the episode to the end of the episode. It is still hard to keep in mind that David Janssen was only in his 40s when this series aired... he certainly looked much older, as if he was in his 50s or even his 60s! Hopefully, Warner Archive will follow this up with the second (and final) season sometime very soon. Fans would certainly appreciate it. It would have been nice if they'd included the second pilot for the series on this set as well, but actually, that was already released on DVD separately a while back from Warner Archive under the title Smile Jenny, You're Dead. I think, though, that fans of Janssen's previous work on The Fugitive, as well as fans of the era of private eye series starting with Mannix and going all the way through the end of series like Magnum, PI will enjoy this series.
(4/5 stars)
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CLICK OF THE WEEK
Game Show Follies (gameshowfollies.blogspot.com) - We love a good news blog here, and since you're here, we know you do too... or at least you should! We're continuing again this week with our game show themed websites for our Click of the Week, and this week, we're featuring a very simple (but resourceful) news blog that does to game shows what we do for sitcoms. This particular blogger describes himself as a "(f)an of game shows and veteran of the Internet wars about them," and has provided almost (but not quite) daily updates since 2009 on news about current and upcoming game shows, stories about contestants, ratings for the syndicated game shows and shows on GSN, and as promised, his own rants and opinions on game shows sure to cause those "Internet wars" among the game show loyalists. There are also plenty of links to GSN weekly schedules and other vital game show websites, including a link which he provides to our very own message boards where you can also discuss game shows (in case we've failed to mention that!). The website is very simple and to the point, but it is also a very resourceful place to check out not only today, but everyday. We really like this website, and although we don't want to be accused of "fixing" our Click of the Week, we're pretty sure this one makes it to the bonus round.
That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, November 21
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "The 6:10 to Lubbock" (CBS, 10:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie and Mandy get fed up staying with her parents and reconsider their living situation after a fight with Mandy’s mom, Audrey.
Ghosts - "Man of Your Dreams" (CBS, 10:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sam learns that one of the ghosts’ powers is to enter the dreams of the livings and influence their decisions. Also, two of the ghosts think they’ve learned the secret to moving on.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 18)
Thursday, November 21
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Catch Jim on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced/9 to 5) - Rita appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela), Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This/GLOW) and Timothy Simons (HouseBroken/Veep) - Justine, Jackie and Timothy are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kristin Chenoweth (Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
- Maura Tierney (NewsRadio/The Van Dyke Show) - Maura is in the studio to discuss the neww season of Law and Order on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- Paul Reiser (Mad About You/Red Oaks/Married/My Two Dads) - Paul is telling Drew about his huge return to comedy after thirty years with his standup special, Life, Death and Rice Pudding, and his new movie The Gutter on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- John O'Hurley (Seinfeld/Over the Top/The Mullets) - John will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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