Showing posts with label Father Dowling Mysteries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Father Dowling Mysteries. Show all posts
Saturday, May 01, 2021
SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Reboot One Step Closer to Reality; IMDb TV Picks Up Comedy From My Name Is Earl Creator
Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're learning more about the potential Night Court reboot, a new comedy at IMDb TV, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- The Night Court reboot is looking closer to becoming a reality at NBC, with Melissa Rauch set to star. (Deadline)
- IMDb TV, a free streaming service, has ordered Sprung, a comedy from My Name Is Earl creator Greg Garcia. (Deadline)
- Young Rock and Kenan have both been renewed for a second season at NBC. (Hollywood Reporter)
- ABC hasn't officially renewed it yet, but the cast members of The Conners have signed deals to come back for a fourth season. (Deadline)
- Two different visions of a Flintstones reboot at Fox has been tossed around for about a decade now, and it seems that one of those might finally be making a little bit of progress. (Variety)
- Antenna TV is getting a sibling, with Rewind TV set to launch in September. (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (MAY 1 - MAY 7)
- Decades has a binge of Father Dowling Mysteries this weekend.
- Crank Yankers returns for a new season on Wednesday on Comedy Central.
- Musical comedy series Girls5eva debuts Thursday on Peacock.
Saturday, December 28, 2019
SitcomsOnline Digest: The On-Going Feud Between Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy; Writer of Friends Theme Song Dies
Welcome
to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's a very slow week for news since we're between holidays (and it'll probably stay that way for another week), but we've got some news about some TV related deaths, an ongoing feud between two comedians, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- Eddie Murphy and Bill Cosby (or at least Bill Cosby's publicist) have had a few words to say to each other in the past week. (Vanity Fair)
- Allee Willis is not a household name, but she wrote the theme song for Friends, and she has died this week at age 72. (NY Post)
- Lee Mendelson, the producer of A Charlie Brown Christmas, died on Christmas Day. (CNN)
- Freeform has really come a long way from the days of being the religious cable network that would bleep out mild swears and even skip episodes of Punky Brewter for being controversial, as they will have a lineup in January that includes The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Superstore. (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (DECEMBER 28 - JANUARY 3)
- Decades is airing a binge marathon of Father Dowling Mysteries this weekend.
- The eighth season of Last Man Standing (who knew it would go on that long?) debuts Friday on Fox
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Digital Digest: Date Set for Season 3 of Alice; Father Dowling Mysteries - The Final (Third) Season DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! We're reaching the end of winter, but before that, we'll "warm you up" with a review of Father Dowling Mysteries - The Final (Third) Season. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
Alice is finally on the way! Rumors were floating last month about a mysterious pre-order listing that appeared on amazon.com last month for the item, but now it seems that it will really be coming on March 19. On that day, Warner Archive will begin shipping Alice - The Complete Third Season. Hopefully, they'll continue with this steady pace of releases of the classic sitcom.
Shout! Factory's release MADtv - The Complete Second Season is still a few weeks away (oh, and we'll have a review soon, by the way), but it appears that the wait for season three won't be too long. MADtv - The Complete Third Season is scheduled to be released on June 25.
Last week, we mentioned that The Cleveland Show - The Complete Third Season was available to order from amazon.com, as a CreateSpace MOD item. We can confirm that this is actually shipping already, as many customers (including myself) have received their copy of this DVD! So if you want to see these episodes on DVD, your chance to get them has arrived!
Shout! Factory's release MADtv - The Complete Second Season is still a few weeks away (oh, and we'll have a review soon, by the way), but it appears that the wait for season three won't be too long. MADtv - The Complete Third Season is scheduled to be released on June 25.
Last week, we mentioned that The Cleveland Show - The Complete Third Season was available to order from amazon.com, as a CreateSpace MOD item. We can confirm that this is actually shipping already, as many customers (including myself) have received their copy of this DVD! So if you want to see these episodes on DVD, your chance to get them has arrived!
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (March 12) has two releases of interest for fans of classic rural sitcoms, with MPI's releases of The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction - Return to Hooterville: 50th Anniversary Collection. Additionally, CBS completes a classic drama with Father Dowling Mysteries - The Final (Third) Season.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Father Dowling Mysteries - The Final (Third) Season (CBS DVD, $59.98)
by Todd
Sleuth or dare. Heaven help the criminals who cross paths with Father Frank Dowling (Tom Bosley) and Sister Steve (Tracy Nelson). For the first time on DVD, the third and final season of Father Dowling Mysteries has something for every congregation of fans. From undercover nuns and sinister Santas to run-ins with a devil of an enemy and an appearance by "Sherlock Holmes" himself. Frank and Steve investigate their hearts out. With the support of loyal housekeeper Marie (Mary Wickes) and fellow man of the cloth, Father Prestwick (James Stephens), Frank and Steve ensure that Chicago's bad guys don't have a prayer.
The third and final season was the only season to have full order of episodes. They broadcast 22 one-hour episodes this season. The show continued to air on ABC on Thursday nights at 8pm. Here are the episodes included in this release, including the runtimes:
Disc 1:
"The Royal Mystery" (09/20/90) (48:06) - When a murderer targets a British noblewoman, Sister Steve trades places with the royal while Father Dowling tries to corner the killer.
Notable Guest Star: David McCallum, Thomas Calabro
"The Medical Mystery" (9/27/90) (47:09) - Father Dowling and Sister Steve investigate a string of murders at a hospital, where Father Prestwick is in danger of becoming the next victim.
"The Devil in the Deep Blue Sea Mystery" (10/04/90) (48:04) - Father Dowling faces off with an underworld crime boss whom he perceives as the Dark Prince himself.
"The Showgirl Mystery" (10/18/90) (48:03) - Sister Steve's friend, a nightclub showgirl, loses her mogul fiancé on her wedding day.
Notable Guest Star: Bill Macy
Disc 2:
"The Movie Mystery" (10/25/90) (47:41) - When St. Michael's is used as a location for a movie shoot, a series of deadly accidents threatens everyone on set.
Notable Guest Star: Philip Charles MacKenzie, Mark Moses
"The Undercover Nun Mystery" (11/01/90) (47:25) - Sister Steve returns to the convent to celebrate its silver jubilee.
Notable Guest Stars: Fionnula Flanagan, John Vernon, Colm Meeney
"The Murder Weekend Mystery" (11/08/90) (47:38) - A murder mystery weekend for writers turns a little too real when the terminally ill host arranges his own murder, then leaves a video challenging the scribes to find the killer.
Notable Guest Stars: Jim Beaver, David Warner
"The Reasonable Doubt Mystery" (11/15/90) (48:06) - While serving an a murder trial, juror Father Dowling expresses reasonable doubt that deadlocks the jury.
Disc 3:
"The Vanishing Victim Mystery" (11/29/90) (47:15) - Father Dowling befriends a young woman at the airport, who becomes the target of a kidnapping plot.
"The Christmas Mystery" (12/13/90) (48:08) - While Father Dowling investigates the attempted murder of a young widow, Sister Steve helps out at a department store where there is a gun-wielding Santa.
"The Fugitive First Mystery" (01/03/91) (48:03) - Father Dowling has faith that his con man twin brother is turning over a new leaf.
Notable Guest Stars: Tony Todd, Michelle Forbes
"The Substitute Sister Mystery" (1/10/91) (48:04) - An amnesiac nun wanders into the rectory claiming to be Sister Steve.
"The Missing Witness Mystery" (1/24/91) (48:01) - Father Dowling must figure out if a businessman charged with murder was framed.
Notable Guest Stars: Jenny O'Hara, Charles Frank
Disc 4:
"The Prodigal Son Mystery" (1/31/91) (46:59) - A man shows up in Father Dowling's confessional admitting to an affair and claiming to be the priest's long-lost son.
Notable Guest Star: John Rubinstein, Kate Vernon
"The Moving Target Mystery" (2/07/91) (48:05) - A hitman warns Father Dowling that someone wants him dead.
Notable Guest Star: Richard Kline
"The Priest Killer Mystery" (2/14/91) (47:04) - A serial killer targeting priests puts Father Dowling's life in jeopardy.
Notable Guest Stars: Eugene Roche, John Astin
"The Mummy's Curse Mystery" (2/21/91) (46:56) - Father Dowling tries to determine if an ancient Egyptian curse claimed the life of a museum curator.
Notable Guest Star: Grant Heslov
"The Monkey Business Mystery" (03/07/91) (47:37) - When a zookeeper is seemingly killed by a chimp, Father Dowling and Sister Steve attempt to keep the docile primate from being put down while trying to find the real killer.
Notable Guest Stars: Dan O'Herlihy, Ethan Phillips, Vanessa Bell Calloway
Disc 5:
"The Hardboiled Mystery" (3/28/91) (47:30) - One of Father Dowling's friends pens a book featuring characters based on real-life people, including Frank and Steve.
Notable Guest Star: Kevin McCarthy
"The Malibu Mystery" (4/04/91) (47:10) - While in Los Angeles for a conference, Father Dowling and Sister Steve stand by an old friend who confesses to a murder they know he did not commit.
Notable Guest Star: Stanley Kamel
"The Consulting Detective Mystery" (4/25/91) (48:04) - After Father Dowling mistakenly gets an innocent man arrested, he loses confidence in his detective abilities.
Notable Guest Star: Kurt Fuller
"The Joyful Noise Mystery" (5/02/91) (48:06) - Father Dowling supports the campaign of a potential District Attorney.
Notable Guest Star: Ivan Dixon
The episodes run between 47-48 minutes. A few seem about 30-60 seconds shorter than the average. They may just have had more commercials that week. Once again, there's a disclaimer on the back cover which reads: "Some episodes may be edited from their original network versions. Music has been changed for the home entertainment version." This is a standard disclaimer on most CBS DVD releases, so it doesn't necessarily mean any episodes are actually edited. I don't know how much music the show originally used, but hopefully any music substitutions are very minor. The set has a total running time of approximately 17 hours, 29 minutes.
The packaging for this 5-disc set is a clear plastic Viva case. On the cover, we have a photo of Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson, along with the show title and interior church background. A cast photo of Tracy Nelson, James Stephens, Tom Bosley and Mary Wickes is used on the back cover. There are four or five additional episode snapshots below it. Tom Bosley is, once again, featured on the spine of the case. Inside, the episode titles, original airdates and short summaries are listed by disc. A tinted photo of the city skyline is used as the background. Discs 1 and 2 contain 4 episodes. Discs 3 and 4 contain 5 episodes. Disc 5 rounds out the set with the final 4 episodes of the series.
Moving on to the menus, they are simple and easy to navigate. Each main menu features a different photo: Tom Bosley on Disc 1, Tracy Nelson Disc 2, James Stephens on Disc 3, Mary Wickes on Disc 4 and Tracy Nelson and Tom Bosley on Disc 5. The church exterior is in the background. The show logo is in a red bar at the top of the screen. Below that is a gold bar with the season and disc number. The episode titles are listed vertically in yellow text. When you select an episode, it takes you to another sub-menu where there is a different episode snapshot for each episode. The episode title is listed in a red banner at the top. There are options to play the episode or the episodic promo. There is no Play All option. The subtitles menu features a photo of the four main cast members. Chapters are placed at the appropriate places. When you first insert Disc 1, there is an option to play previews or go to the main menu. There are trailers (2:14) for Hawaii Five-O - The Final Season, Perry Mason - The 50th Anniversary Edition and two special editions of Touched by an Angel.
The video and audio quality seems a bit improved over the first two seasons. These episodes could have benefited from additional remastering, but they are all certainly watchable. Episodes are presented in their original full screen 4x3 format. They show some age and have some occasional dirt, debris and other digital artifacts. The series always had a somewhat dark and gritty look, but the episodes in the final two seasons when they moved the show to Los Angeles appear a bit brighter. The audio is a Dolby Digital English Stereo track. There are no major problems. I always loved the opening credits and theme. Composer Bruce Babcock received an Emmy nomination for his work on the score this season. English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are available on all of the episodes.
Only episodic promos have been included as a special feature on the previous two seasons. It's the same story here. These are 35-40 second previews that tell you what's happening "next on Father Dowling". The video quality of these promos isn't as good as the episodes, but they are fun to see. They give you a good idea of what each episode is about. Every episode from the final season has a promo included. It would have been great to see some cast and crew interviews and audio commentaries, but these promos are better than no extras at all.
All 43 episodes and the TV pilot movie are now available on DVD. Paramount released all three seasons in a little over a year, so they did a nice job making them available at a quick pace. I always thought the show was underrated and had a decent-sized following, so I'm not surprised that it didn't take them very long to complete the series. If you enjoy mystery/crime dramas like Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder, this is a series to check out.
This set is priced noticeably higher than the first two seasons. The final season had nine more episodes and runs seven more hours than the second season, however. Hopefully the price drops considerably in a few months. The first two seasons are great buys at their current low prices. Paramount apparently intends to bundle all three seasons together, so keep an eye for that. It's too bad that this was the only full season of the series. The show was delayed by a writer's strike in the first season. It never really caught on ratings wise the first season on NBC. ABC picked it up for the final two seasons.
This was my first time viewing the complete series. I have always been a Tom Bosley fan from his work on Happy Days, so it was nice to see him have more success on the series. Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson may have seemed like an odd pairing, but they made it work. James Stephens and Mary Wickes were also excellent in their supporting roles. Overall, it was just an enjoyable series. Look for many notable guest stars in the final season, including David McCallum, Thomas Calabro, Bill Macy, Philip Charles MacKenzie, Mark Moses, Fionnula Flanagan, John Vernon, Colm Feeney, Jim Beaver, David Warner, Tony Todd, Michelle Forbes, Jenny O'Hara, Charles Frank, John Rubinstein, Kate Vernon, Richard Kline, Eugene Roche, John Astin, Grant Heslov, Dan O'Herlihy, Ethan Phillips, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Kevin McCarthy, Stanley Kamel, Kurt Fuller and Ivan Dixon.
(4/5 stars)
To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Father Dowling Mysteries on TV.comThe third and final season was the only season to have full order of episodes. They broadcast 22 one-hour episodes this season. The show continued to air on ABC on Thursday nights at 8pm. Here are the episodes included in this release, including the runtimes:
Disc 1:
"The Royal Mystery" (09/20/90) (48:06) - When a murderer targets a British noblewoman, Sister Steve trades places with the royal while Father Dowling tries to corner the killer.
Notable Guest Star: David McCallum, Thomas Calabro
"The Medical Mystery" (9/27/90) (47:09) - Father Dowling and Sister Steve investigate a string of murders at a hospital, where Father Prestwick is in danger of becoming the next victim.
"The Devil in the Deep Blue Sea Mystery" (10/04/90) (48:04) - Father Dowling faces off with an underworld crime boss whom he perceives as the Dark Prince himself.
"The Showgirl Mystery" (10/18/90) (48:03) - Sister Steve's friend, a nightclub showgirl, loses her mogul fiancé on her wedding day.
Notable Guest Star: Bill Macy
Disc 2:
"The Movie Mystery" (10/25/90) (47:41) - When St. Michael's is used as a location for a movie shoot, a series of deadly accidents threatens everyone on set.
Notable Guest Star: Philip Charles MacKenzie, Mark Moses
"The Undercover Nun Mystery" (11/01/90) (47:25) - Sister Steve returns to the convent to celebrate its silver jubilee.
Notable Guest Stars: Fionnula Flanagan, John Vernon, Colm Meeney
"The Murder Weekend Mystery" (11/08/90) (47:38) - A murder mystery weekend for writers turns a little too real when the terminally ill host arranges his own murder, then leaves a video challenging the scribes to find the killer.
Notable Guest Stars: Jim Beaver, David Warner
"The Reasonable Doubt Mystery" (11/15/90) (48:06) - While serving an a murder trial, juror Father Dowling expresses reasonable doubt that deadlocks the jury.
Disc 3:
"The Vanishing Victim Mystery" (11/29/90) (47:15) - Father Dowling befriends a young woman at the airport, who becomes the target of a kidnapping plot.
"The Christmas Mystery" (12/13/90) (48:08) - While Father Dowling investigates the attempted murder of a young widow, Sister Steve helps out at a department store where there is a gun-wielding Santa.
"The Fugitive First Mystery" (01/03/91) (48:03) - Father Dowling has faith that his con man twin brother is turning over a new leaf.
Notable Guest Stars: Tony Todd, Michelle Forbes
"The Substitute Sister Mystery" (1/10/91) (48:04) - An amnesiac nun wanders into the rectory claiming to be Sister Steve.
"The Missing Witness Mystery" (1/24/91) (48:01) - Father Dowling must figure out if a businessman charged with murder was framed.
Notable Guest Stars: Jenny O'Hara, Charles Frank
Disc 4:
"The Prodigal Son Mystery" (1/31/91) (46:59) - A man shows up in Father Dowling's confessional admitting to an affair and claiming to be the priest's long-lost son.
Notable Guest Star: John Rubinstein, Kate Vernon
"The Moving Target Mystery" (2/07/91) (48:05) - A hitman warns Father Dowling that someone wants him dead.
Notable Guest Star: Richard Kline
"The Priest Killer Mystery" (2/14/91) (47:04) - A serial killer targeting priests puts Father Dowling's life in jeopardy.
Notable Guest Stars: Eugene Roche, John Astin
"The Mummy's Curse Mystery" (2/21/91) (46:56) - Father Dowling tries to determine if an ancient Egyptian curse claimed the life of a museum curator.
Notable Guest Star: Grant Heslov
"The Monkey Business Mystery" (03/07/91) (47:37) - When a zookeeper is seemingly killed by a chimp, Father Dowling and Sister Steve attempt to keep the docile primate from being put down while trying to find the real killer.
Notable Guest Stars: Dan O'Herlihy, Ethan Phillips, Vanessa Bell Calloway
Disc 5:
"The Hardboiled Mystery" (3/28/91) (47:30) - One of Father Dowling's friends pens a book featuring characters based on real-life people, including Frank and Steve.
Notable Guest Star: Kevin McCarthy
"The Malibu Mystery" (4/04/91) (47:10) - While in Los Angeles for a conference, Father Dowling and Sister Steve stand by an old friend who confesses to a murder they know he did not commit.
Notable Guest Star: Stanley Kamel
"The Consulting Detective Mystery" (4/25/91) (48:04) - After Father Dowling mistakenly gets an innocent man arrested, he loses confidence in his detective abilities.
Notable Guest Star: Kurt Fuller
"The Joyful Noise Mystery" (5/02/91) (48:06) - Father Dowling supports the campaign of a potential District Attorney.
Notable Guest Star: Ivan Dixon
The episodes run between 47-48 minutes. A few seem about 30-60 seconds shorter than the average. They may just have had more commercials that week. Once again, there's a disclaimer on the back cover which reads: "Some episodes may be edited from their original network versions. Music has been changed for the home entertainment version." This is a standard disclaimer on most CBS DVD releases, so it doesn't necessarily mean any episodes are actually edited. I don't know how much music the show originally used, but hopefully any music substitutions are very minor. The set has a total running time of approximately 17 hours, 29 minutes.
The packaging for this 5-disc set is a clear plastic Viva case. On the cover, we have a photo of Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson, along with the show title and interior church background. A cast photo of Tracy Nelson, James Stephens, Tom Bosley and Mary Wickes is used on the back cover. There are four or five additional episode snapshots below it. Tom Bosley is, once again, featured on the spine of the case. Inside, the episode titles, original airdates and short summaries are listed by disc. A tinted photo of the city skyline is used as the background. Discs 1 and 2 contain 4 episodes. Discs 3 and 4 contain 5 episodes. Disc 5 rounds out the set with the final 4 episodes of the series.
Moving on to the menus, they are simple and easy to navigate. Each main menu features a different photo: Tom Bosley on Disc 1, Tracy Nelson Disc 2, James Stephens on Disc 3, Mary Wickes on Disc 4 and Tracy Nelson and Tom Bosley on Disc 5. The church exterior is in the background. The show logo is in a red bar at the top of the screen. Below that is a gold bar with the season and disc number. The episode titles are listed vertically in yellow text. When you select an episode, it takes you to another sub-menu where there is a different episode snapshot for each episode. The episode title is listed in a red banner at the top. There are options to play the episode or the episodic promo. There is no Play All option. The subtitles menu features a photo of the four main cast members. Chapters are placed at the appropriate places. When you first insert Disc 1, there is an option to play previews or go to the main menu. There are trailers (2:14) for Hawaii Five-O - The Final Season, Perry Mason - The 50th Anniversary Edition and two special editions of Touched by an Angel.
The video and audio quality seems a bit improved over the first two seasons. These episodes could have benefited from additional remastering, but they are all certainly watchable. Episodes are presented in their original full screen 4x3 format. They show some age and have some occasional dirt, debris and other digital artifacts. The series always had a somewhat dark and gritty look, but the episodes in the final two seasons when they moved the show to Los Angeles appear a bit brighter. The audio is a Dolby Digital English Stereo track. There are no major problems. I always loved the opening credits and theme. Composer Bruce Babcock received an Emmy nomination for his work on the score this season. English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are available on all of the episodes.
Only episodic promos have been included as a special feature on the previous two seasons. It's the same story here. These are 35-40 second previews that tell you what's happening "next on Father Dowling". The video quality of these promos isn't as good as the episodes, but they are fun to see. They give you a good idea of what each episode is about. Every episode from the final season has a promo included. It would have been great to see some cast and crew interviews and audio commentaries, but these promos are better than no extras at all.
All 43 episodes and the TV pilot movie are now available on DVD. Paramount released all three seasons in a little over a year, so they did a nice job making them available at a quick pace. I always thought the show was underrated and had a decent-sized following, so I'm not surprised that it didn't take them very long to complete the series. If you enjoy mystery/crime dramas like Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder, this is a series to check out.
This set is priced noticeably higher than the first two seasons. The final season had nine more episodes and runs seven more hours than the second season, however. Hopefully the price drops considerably in a few months. The first two seasons are great buys at their current low prices. Paramount apparently intends to bundle all three seasons together, so keep an eye for that. It's too bad that this was the only full season of the series. The show was delayed by a writer's strike in the first season. It never really caught on ratings wise the first season on NBC. ABC picked it up for the final two seasons.
This was my first time viewing the complete series. I have always been a Tom Bosley fan from his work on Happy Days, so it was nice to see him have more success on the series. Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson may have seemed like an odd pairing, but they made it work. James Stephens and Mary Wickes were also excellent in their supporting roles. Overall, it was just an enjoyable series. Look for many notable guest stars in the final season, including David McCallum, Thomas Calabro, Bill Macy, Philip Charles MacKenzie, Mark Moses, Fionnula Flanagan, John Vernon, Colm Feeney, Jim Beaver, David Warner, Tony Todd, Michelle Forbes, Jenny O'Hara, Charles Frank, John Rubinstein, Kate Vernon, Richard Kline, Eugene Roche, John Astin, Grant Heslov, Dan O'Herlihy, Ethan Phillips, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Kevin McCarthy, Stanley Kamel, Kurt Fuller and Ivan Dixon.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Elizabeth Perkins (Twitter), "Wait...did I leave the gas on?!"
Claim to Fame: While she found her original success in movies, she has worked her way into TV in recent years. One of her first series roles was in the NBC sitcom Battery Park, an experience that she'd probably like for people to forget (don't worry, we did). Later, she went on to the series Weeds, where she stayed through the first five seasons. Her next journey will take her to a starring role in ABC's upcoming mid-season sitcom How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life).
Why You Should Follow Her: We love to follow stars who are coming into a new series, as Perkins will be soon. While I haven't personally seen the series, I have high hopes for it, simply because Perkins has proven to be an awesome actress in her portrayal of Celia Hodes on Weeds. Her Twitter feed suggests that she is a bit like Celia in real life... at least in regards to her sarcasm (sans the hatefulness and bitterness, of course!). While admittedly a lot of her tweets are retweets and responses of others, we still think she's worth following... because she only provides the best of the best.
Pick of the Tweets: "Dont leave your animals in the car. Cuz I will smash your window with a rock." (July 3, 2012)
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Digital Digest: More Carsey-Werner Sitcoms from Mill Creek; Father Dowling Mysteries - The Second Season DVD Review; 87th Precinct - The Complete Series DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! We still have a little more than a month to go until the fall season starts for the broadcast networks, but we're here for more news about all things digital relating to your favorite TV series all summer long! This week, we have all of our regular features, including reviews of Father Dowling Mysteries - The Second Season and 87th Precinct - The Complete Series. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
This week, Universal announced a few more DVD releases, essentially finishing up their slate of releases of returning series on DVD from the 2011-2012 season. Announcements this week came for 30 Rock - Season Six and Whitney - Season One. Tentatively, 30 Rock is scheduled for September 11, and Whitney is scheduled for October 9.
Several October releases from Shout! appeared on amazon.com this week. First up, on October 9, is Webster - 20 Timeless Episodes, containing 20 fan favorite episodes of the '80s series starring Emmanuel Lewis. October 23 brings more of Mr. Roarke and Tattoo with Fantasy Island - The Complete Third Season. Finally, on October 30, Shout! brings fans of All in the Family the entire series with All in the Family - The Complete Series. The set will contain every episode of the series, but we don't know what (if any) special features it will include just yet.
Mill Creek is moving ahead with more releases from the Carsey-Werner library on September 4, but as usual, all of these are just re-releases of DVDs previously released by Anchor Bay and Fox. Roseanne continues with Roseanne - The Complete Fifth Season and Roseanne - The Complete Sixth Season, while That '70s Show continues with That '70s Show - The Complete Fifth Season and That '70s Show - The Complete Sixth Season. Fans of Grounded for Life won't get any new season releases on September 4, but instead will get much more with Grounded for Life - The Complete Series. There is no word on any new re-releases for 3rd Rock from the Sun yet, but we'll let you know if we do hear something.
Finally we mentioned in early June, the '70s detective drama Harry O would be coming soon from Warner Archive. Now, it is no longer just "coming soon," it is already released! This past Wednesday (all Tuesday releases from Warner Archive were pushed back a day this week), Harry O - The Complete First Season was made available to order from Warner Archive. We had hoped to have a review of this today, but we did not receive our copy in time... so look for our review of it next week in Digital Digest.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (July 17) doesn't have a whole lot in store, but it does bring two new sitcom releases to DVD from Shout! Factory, with Diff'rent Strokes - The Complete Third Season (DVD review) and Designing Women - The Final Season (DVD review).
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Father Dowling Mysteries - The Second Season (CBS DVD, $29.98)
by Todd
Crime doesn't have a prayer. No one has more faith than Father Frank Dowling (Tom Bosley) and Sister Stephanie "Steve" Oskowski (Tray Nelson) in Season 2 of Father Dowling Mysteries. Together, they guide a congregation in the ways of good, even as they track down Chicago's agents of evil. At home, trusty housekeeper Marie (Mary Wickes) keeps the good priest sane and fed, while still managing to get entangled in a little mystery herself. From an impostor priest to a spy couple to an evil twin, there's no case that can't be solved with a little help from above.
Father Dowling Mysteries moved to ABC for the second and third seasons. It aired on Thursdays at 8pm for the second season. The season premiere was broadcast on January 4, 1990. Here are the episodes included in this release.
Disc 1:
"The Visiting Priest Mystery" (1/04/90) (48:55) - Father Dowling and Sister Steve are suspicious of a visiting priest, who turns out to be a hit man out to kill an ex-mobster turned informant.
Notable Guest Star: Anthony LaPaglia
"The Exotic Dance Mystery" (1/11/90) (48:36) - To solve the murder of an exotic dancer, Father Dowling sends Steve undercover as a dealer in a backroom, high-stakes poker game.
Notable Guest Star: Xander Berkeley
"The Santcuary Mystery" (1/18/90) (48:30) - Sister Steve's troubled younger brother witnesses a murder. But when the killer turns out to be a police captain, little brother ends up being framed for the crime.
Notable Guest Star: Stephen Dorff
"The Stone Killer Mystery" (1/25/90) (48:26) - An ex-con who Father Dowling helped put away is out on parole and gunning for vengeance...hoping to give Frank a death sentence.
Notable Guest Stars: Yaphet Kotto, Paul Gleason
Disc 2:
"The Woman Scorned Mystery" (2/01/90) (48:20) - Scandal erupts when Father Dowling is mistaken for his evil twin brother, who is seducing and swindling young women. But when the scam takes a murderous turn, Frank must clear his name.
Notable Guest Star: Steven Culp
"The Ghost of a Chance Mystery" (2/08/90) (47:36) - When a young woman believes her house is haunted, Father Dowling and Steve spend the night in her home to get to the bottom of the supernatural happenings.
"The Blind Man's Bluff Mystery" (2/15/90) (46:20) - Sister Steve falls for the scam of a "blind man" who in reality is a con man out to blackmail a parishioner.
"The Falling Angel Mystery" (2/22/90) (47:50) - Frank receives a visit from an "angel," who warns him that one of his parishioners is in grave danger. Now, Father Dowling steps in to try and save a life.
Disc 3:
"The Perfect Couple Mystery" (3/08/90) (47:13) - When one of their parishioners suspects her husband of infidelity, Father Dowling and Sister Steve are embroiled in a case that escalates into a matter of national security.
Notable Guest Stars: Brenda Strong, Stacy Edwards
"The Confidence Mystery" (3/15/90) (47:22) - Father Prestwick is in charge of returning a valuable chalice to Romania, but a con artist is looking to steal the sacred item...unless Father Dowling and Sister Steve can thwart the con man's plan.
Notable Guest Stars: Ed Lauter, Stanley Kamel
"The Solid Gold Headache Mystery" (3/29/90) (47:50) - A wealthy parishioner names Sister Steve as the administrator of his $6 million trust. But the late man's grown and greedy children go to dangerous lengths to keep the money in the family.
Notable Guest Stars: Eric Christmas, Valerie Mahaffey
"The Legacy Mystery" (4/12/90) (47:52) - Someone has been stealing art objects that belong to the wealthy Cabot family estate. But Father Dowling suspects that the Cabots' sole surviving son may be to blame.
Notable Guest Star: Robin Thomas
"The Passionate Painter Mystery" (4/26/90) (47:39) - A troubled artist's alcohol addiction may jeopardize his promising future...but not as much as the threat from whoever is trying to kill him.
Notable Guest Star: Roscoe Lee Browne
All 13 episodes run between 46-48 minutes. There's a disclaimer on the back cover that reads: "Some episodes may be edited from their original network versions. Music has been changed for this home entertainment version." This is a standard disclaimer on most CBS DVD releases, so it doesn't necessarily mean any episodes are actually edited. I don't know how much music the show originally used, but hopefully any music substitutions are very minor. The set has a total running time of approximately 10 hours, 23 minutes.
The packaging for this 3-disc set is a clear plastic Viva case. On the cover, we have a photo of Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson, along with the show title and interior church background. A cast photo of James Stephens, Tracy Nelson, Tom Bosley and Mary Wickes is used on the back cover. There are four additional episode snapshots below it. A short synopsis, a listing of the special features and the DVD specs are provided. Tom Bosley is, once again, featured on the spine of the case. Inside, the episode titles, original airdates and short summaries are listed by disc. A tinted photo of the church interior is used as the background. The discs just have gray artwork, with the show logo and episode titles on them. Discs 1 and 2 contain 4 episodes. Disc 3 contains 5 episodes.
Moving on to the menus, they are simple and easy to navigate. Each main menu features a different photo: Tom osley on Disc 1, Tracy Nelson on Disc 2, and Tracy Nelson and Tom Bosley on Disc 3. A church altar and pews are in the background. The show logo is in a red bar at the top of the screen. Below that is a gold bar with the season and disc number. The episode titles are listed vertically in yellow text. When you select an episode, it takes you to another sub-menu where there is a different episode snapshot of Bosley and Nelson for each episode. The episode title is listed in a red banner at the top. There are options to play the episode or the episodic promo. There is no Play All option. The subtitles menu features a photo of the four main cast members. Chapters are placed at the appropriate places. When you first insert Disc 1, there is an option to play previews or go to the main menu. There are about 3 minutes worth of previews for Blue Bloods - The First Season, Hawaii Five-0 - The Final Season and Perry Mason - The 50th Anniversary Edition.
The video and audio quality seems slightly improved over the first season. I don't know how much remastering these episodes received, but they certainly could have used some more cleaning. These episodes were shot over 20 years ago, so they do show some age. They are presented in their original full frame ratio and in their original broadcast order. Father Dowling Mysteries was shot on film. There were many outdoor scenes and different locations used. After the first season was shot in Denver, CO, the show's production was moved to Los Angeles for the final two seasons. The first season episodes looked a bit dark and gritty, but the second season episodes appear brighter. Maybe it was the switch in shooting locations. There is some dirt, debris and other digital artifacts in the episodes, but I didn't see any major problems. The audio is a Dolby Digital English Stereo track. I didn't hear any problems with the audio. This show had a very nice melodic theme and score in the episodes. English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are available on all of the episodes.
Original episodic promos are included as a special feature. These are 35-40 second previews that tell you what's happening "next on Father Dowling". The video quality of these promos isn't as good as the episodes, but they are fun to see. They give you a good idea of what each episode is about. Every episode includes one this time. It would have been nice to have some other additional material like cast and crew interviews or audio commentaries.
Everyone's favorite mystery-solving priest is back on DVD. I wasn't sure how well the first season would sell, but it apparently did well enough for the second season to be released. It was only about a five month wait between seasons, which isn't too bad these days. Shows like Murder She, Wrote, Diagnosis: Murder and Matlock have many fans and are popular on DVD. Father Dowling Mysteries falls into the same genre. Everyone enjoys a good mystery.
Season two was notable for a couple of reasons. Production was moved from Denver to Los Angeles. They also switched networks from NBC to ABC. Some notable guest stars this season included Anthony LaPaglia, Xander Berkeley, Stephen Dorff, Yaphet Kotto, Paul Gleason, Steven Culp, Brenda Strong, Stacy Edwards, Ed Lauter, Stanley Kamel, Eric Christmas, Valerie Mahaffey, Robin Thomas and Roscoe Lee Browne. If the release pattern holds, we should see the third and final season sometime later this year or early next year. The third season had a full order of 22 episodes, so let's hope they release them all together in one release and don't split them into two volumes.
(4/5 stars)
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Father Dowling Mysteries on TV.comFather Dowling Mysteries moved to ABC for the second and third seasons. It aired on Thursdays at 8pm for the second season. The season premiere was broadcast on January 4, 1990. Here are the episodes included in this release.
Disc 1:
"The Visiting Priest Mystery" (1/04/90) (48:55) - Father Dowling and Sister Steve are suspicious of a visiting priest, who turns out to be a hit man out to kill an ex-mobster turned informant.
Notable Guest Star: Anthony LaPaglia
"The Exotic Dance Mystery" (1/11/90) (48:36) - To solve the murder of an exotic dancer, Father Dowling sends Steve undercover as a dealer in a backroom, high-stakes poker game.
Notable Guest Star: Xander Berkeley
"The Santcuary Mystery" (1/18/90) (48:30) - Sister Steve's troubled younger brother witnesses a murder. But when the killer turns out to be a police captain, little brother ends up being framed for the crime.
Notable Guest Star: Stephen Dorff
"The Stone Killer Mystery" (1/25/90) (48:26) - An ex-con who Father Dowling helped put away is out on parole and gunning for vengeance...hoping to give Frank a death sentence.
Notable Guest Stars: Yaphet Kotto, Paul Gleason
Disc 2:
"The Woman Scorned Mystery" (2/01/90) (48:20) - Scandal erupts when Father Dowling is mistaken for his evil twin brother, who is seducing and swindling young women. But when the scam takes a murderous turn, Frank must clear his name.
Notable Guest Star: Steven Culp
"The Ghost of a Chance Mystery" (2/08/90) (47:36) - When a young woman believes her house is haunted, Father Dowling and Steve spend the night in her home to get to the bottom of the supernatural happenings.
"The Blind Man's Bluff Mystery" (2/15/90) (46:20) - Sister Steve falls for the scam of a "blind man" who in reality is a con man out to blackmail a parishioner.
"The Falling Angel Mystery" (2/22/90) (47:50) - Frank receives a visit from an "angel," who warns him that one of his parishioners is in grave danger. Now, Father Dowling steps in to try and save a life.
Disc 3:
"The Perfect Couple Mystery" (3/08/90) (47:13) - When one of their parishioners suspects her husband of infidelity, Father Dowling and Sister Steve are embroiled in a case that escalates into a matter of national security.
Notable Guest Stars: Brenda Strong, Stacy Edwards
"The Confidence Mystery" (3/15/90) (47:22) - Father Prestwick is in charge of returning a valuable chalice to Romania, but a con artist is looking to steal the sacred item...unless Father Dowling and Sister Steve can thwart the con man's plan.
Notable Guest Stars: Ed Lauter, Stanley Kamel
"The Solid Gold Headache Mystery" (3/29/90) (47:50) - A wealthy parishioner names Sister Steve as the administrator of his $6 million trust. But the late man's grown and greedy children go to dangerous lengths to keep the money in the family.
Notable Guest Stars: Eric Christmas, Valerie Mahaffey
"The Legacy Mystery" (4/12/90) (47:52) - Someone has been stealing art objects that belong to the wealthy Cabot family estate. But Father Dowling suspects that the Cabots' sole surviving son may be to blame.
Notable Guest Star: Robin Thomas
"The Passionate Painter Mystery" (4/26/90) (47:39) - A troubled artist's alcohol addiction may jeopardize his promising future...but not as much as the threat from whoever is trying to kill him.
Notable Guest Star: Roscoe Lee Browne
All 13 episodes run between 46-48 minutes. There's a disclaimer on the back cover that reads: "Some episodes may be edited from their original network versions. Music has been changed for this home entertainment version." This is a standard disclaimer on most CBS DVD releases, so it doesn't necessarily mean any episodes are actually edited. I don't know how much music the show originally used, but hopefully any music substitutions are very minor. The set has a total running time of approximately 10 hours, 23 minutes.
The packaging for this 3-disc set is a clear plastic Viva case. On the cover, we have a photo of Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson, along with the show title and interior church background. A cast photo of James Stephens, Tracy Nelson, Tom Bosley and Mary Wickes is used on the back cover. There are four additional episode snapshots below it. A short synopsis, a listing of the special features and the DVD specs are provided. Tom Bosley is, once again, featured on the spine of the case. Inside, the episode titles, original airdates and short summaries are listed by disc. A tinted photo of the church interior is used as the background. The discs just have gray artwork, with the show logo and episode titles on them. Discs 1 and 2 contain 4 episodes. Disc 3 contains 5 episodes.
Moving on to the menus, they are simple and easy to navigate. Each main menu features a different photo: Tom osley on Disc 1, Tracy Nelson on Disc 2, and Tracy Nelson and Tom Bosley on Disc 3. A church altar and pews are in the background. The show logo is in a red bar at the top of the screen. Below that is a gold bar with the season and disc number. The episode titles are listed vertically in yellow text. When you select an episode, it takes you to another sub-menu where there is a different episode snapshot of Bosley and Nelson for each episode. The episode title is listed in a red banner at the top. There are options to play the episode or the episodic promo. There is no Play All option. The subtitles menu features a photo of the four main cast members. Chapters are placed at the appropriate places. When you first insert Disc 1, there is an option to play previews or go to the main menu. There are about 3 minutes worth of previews for Blue Bloods - The First Season, Hawaii Five-0 - The Final Season and Perry Mason - The 50th Anniversary Edition.
The video and audio quality seems slightly improved over the first season. I don't know how much remastering these episodes received, but they certainly could have used some more cleaning. These episodes were shot over 20 years ago, so they do show some age. They are presented in their original full frame ratio and in their original broadcast order. Father Dowling Mysteries was shot on film. There were many outdoor scenes and different locations used. After the first season was shot in Denver, CO, the show's production was moved to Los Angeles for the final two seasons. The first season episodes looked a bit dark and gritty, but the second season episodes appear brighter. Maybe it was the switch in shooting locations. There is some dirt, debris and other digital artifacts in the episodes, but I didn't see any major problems. The audio is a Dolby Digital English Stereo track. I didn't hear any problems with the audio. This show had a very nice melodic theme and score in the episodes. English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are available on all of the episodes.
Original episodic promos are included as a special feature. These are 35-40 second previews that tell you what's happening "next on Father Dowling". The video quality of these promos isn't as good as the episodes, but they are fun to see. They give you a good idea of what each episode is about. Every episode includes one this time. It would have been nice to have some other additional material like cast and crew interviews or audio commentaries.
Everyone's favorite mystery-solving priest is back on DVD. I wasn't sure how well the first season would sell, but it apparently did well enough for the second season to be released. It was only about a five month wait between seasons, which isn't too bad these days. Shows like Murder She, Wrote, Diagnosis: Murder and Matlock have many fans and are popular on DVD. Father Dowling Mysteries falls into the same genre. Everyone enjoys a good mystery.
Season two was notable for a couple of reasons. Production was moved from Denver to Los Angeles. They also switched networks from NBC to ABC. Some notable guest stars this season included Anthony LaPaglia, Xander Berkeley, Stephen Dorff, Yaphet Kotto, Paul Gleason, Steven Culp, Brenda Strong, Stacy Edwards, Ed Lauter, Stanley Kamel, Eric Christmas, Valerie Mahaffey, Robin Thomas and Roscoe Lee Browne. If the release pattern holds, we should see the third and final season sometime later this year or early next year. The third season had a full order of 22 episodes, so let's hope they release them all together in one release and don't split them into two volumes.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
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Blog DVD Review: 87th Precinct - The Complete Series (TMG, $49.98)
by skees53
(4/5 stars)
In 1956, Ed McBain (born Salvatore Albert Lombino, and already having legally changed his name to Evan Hunter) began writing a series of crime novels which fans just couldn't put down. One of his most popular series of novels, though, came from his 87th Precinct series, which began with a book called Cop Hater. The book (and series) was inspired in part by a TV series which McBain had seen on television and admired starring Jack Webb: the original version of Dragnet. Little would he have expected, then, that just five years later in 1961, McBain's own work would be brought to life on the small screen on NBC with their TV series 87th Precinct, a series focusing on neighborhood crime in Manhattan.
The TV series featured a group of detectives and even their families, starring Robert Lansing as Steve Carella (not to be confused with Steve Carell, of course) and Gena Rowlands as Teddy, his wife. Ron Harper filled the role of the rookie detective Bert Kling, Gregory Walcott was the long-time veteran Gregory Walcott, and then there was the wryly philosophical character Meyer Meyer (that isn't a typo, it's a same first and last name), played by a man who was very much just at the beginning of what would be a much larger television career: the one and only Norman Fell. The TV series only lasted one year on NBC, mostly due to facing time slot competition from the second season of a more lighthearted sitcom about a police officer on CBS: The Andy Griffith Show.
The set begins with "The Floater," where Carella is on the hunt for a sadistic man (played by Robert Culp) preying on lonely women. In "Lady in Waiting," a woman decides to wait for her husband's release from prison by bringing a gun into the precinct and threatening to use it. The detectives follow up on an anonymous note about a death threat in "Lady Killer." A disgruntled ex-cop keeps committing the perfect robberies in "The Modus Man." In "Line of Duty," Kling is forced to shoot (and kill) a suspect, and can't help but to feel badly about it. A pregnant wife keeps a man from cooperating with the police in "Occupation, Citizen." Beverly Garland and Jack Albertson guest star in "Killer's Payoff," where a blackmailer is murdered. Meyer arrests an old friend for a robbery in "The Guilt," but things get worse for the man when he escapes police custody. In "The Empty Hours," a woman (Pat Crowley) decides to pretend to be a deceased friend for financial gain, unaware that the friend is wanted by a killer. A young man is suspected of murdering a coed in "My Friend, My Enemy."
Leonard Nimoy guest stars in "The Very Hard Sell," where a used car salesman is found dead, slumped over a steering wheel. In "'Til Death," an about-to-be-married couple is getting some anonymous threats. A crook (played by Robert Vaughn) sets off false alarms everywhere to commit a more serious crime, hopefully unnoticed, in "The Heckler." In "Run, Rabbit, Run," a condemned gangster has much more planned beyond his death. The detectives investigate death threats toward a boxer in "Main Event." In "Man in a Jam," a man arrested for murder has some creative ways of trying to get out of trouble. A hand found in a dumpster leads to a murder investigation in "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand." Dawn Wells guest stars in "Out of Order," where telephone booths (what are those, again?) are the target of explosions. In "The Pigeon," a man (played by Peter Falk) is a smalltime criminal but wants to pretend to be bigger... making him the perfect fall guy for some serious criminals. Frank Sutton also guest stars. A 10-year-old may be helpful in solving a murder in "A Bullet for Katie."
A kidnapping doesn't go as planned in "King's Ransom." Both John Astin and Nancy Reagan (in one of her very last appearances as "just another actress" in a TV series) guest star. Meyer needs some rest while feeling ill in "Feel of the Trigger," but he just can't stop working hard. The detectives have a lot of clues to go through in the murder of a beautiful woman in "Killer's Choice." In "Square Cop," one officer is about to retire and the other one is a rookie being trained by the veteran... and one of them is shot by the others son during a burglary. Carella needs extra cash and takes a job as a night security guard at a bank in "Step Forward." A baseball star risks everything by hiding his fugitive brother from the cops in "Idol in the Dust." Havilland's new friend wants to kill a South American dignitary in "Ramon." In "New Man in the Precinct," there is a new guy at the 87th, and isn't quite used to being at such a rough and tumble precinct. Another detective ends up at the precinct after being demoted in "The Last Stop," and he isn't quite well-received after he drives everybody crazy. The series ends with "Girl in the Case," where Havilland becomes attracted to a stenographer who is being threatened.
There is a bit of variance in the episode runtimes, but I believe that they are all unedited... though you'll notice that runtimes can be anywhere from just over 48 minutes up to nearly 51 minutes. Runtimes for each episode are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Floater" (48:25)
2. "Lady in Waiting" (49:02)
3. "Lady Killer" (48:59)
4. "The Modus Man" (49:25)
5. "Line of Duty" (49:27)
Disc 2:
6. "Occupation, Citizen" (49:28)
7. "Killer's Payoff" (49:00)
8. "The Guilt" (49:05)
9. "Empty Hours" (49:44)
10. "My Friend, My Enemy" (49:00)
Disc 3:
11. "The Very Hard Sell" (49:25)
12. "'Til Death" (49:13)
13. "The Heckler" (49:05)
14. "Run, Rabbit, Run" (50:41)
15. "Main Event" (49:19)
Disc 4:
16. "Man in a Jam" (49:33)
17. "Give the Boys a Hand" (49:09)
18. "Out of Order" (49:29)
19. "The Pigeon" (49:30)
20. "A Bullet for Katie" (49:41)
Disc 5:
21. "King's Ransom" (49:33)
22. "Feel of the Trigger" (49:36)
23. "Killer's Choice" (49:01)
24. "Square Cop" (49:14)
25. "Step Forward" (49:24)
Disc 6:
26. "Idol in the Dust" (49:50)
27. "Ramon" (49:40)
28. "New Man in the Precinct" (49:32)
29. "The Last Stop" (49:15)
30. "Girl in the Case" (48:26)
The set comes packaged in a six disc case that is twice as thick as a standard DVD case. The cover art has a color photo of the four male stars of the series with their guns drawn, and on the back, we get a brief description of the series, along with a few photos and a breakdown of episode titles by disc. Inside, you'll find the six discs containing the episodes, all of which have a different photo of one of the stars and the logo from the cover (which is not the logo used in the series, but that isn't a huge deal). Each disc contains five episodes. Oddly enough, you'll find inside the case a seventh "unadvertised" disc inside of a white paper envelope. This contains the unannounced special feature, which we'll discuss a bit later.
All in all, this isn't a perfect set, but considering the rarity of the series, it is surprising that we even got to see it on DVD at all. Really, the only issue is the video and audio quality, but I doubt that anybody could really restore that to "perfection" profitably. The series has been neglected over the past five decades (mostly by just sitting in the vaults), so honestly, I'm surprised it doesn't look worse. Personally, I think those issues are very easy to look past once you see what you have here: an entertaining drama about a police precinct from the early days of television. It is a lot like Dragnet (the original version, anyway, not necessarily the late '60s version), except of course the stories here are not based upon true stories, and are excellent works of fiction. The series really reminds me a lot of something like Perry Mason, only here, things are focused on the precinct angle of the action rather than the attorney in the court room. It is too bad that this series only made it through one season, as there are infinitely many ways to write stories for a series like this. But of course, the competition made it hard to go too far.
It is worth noting that there is a bit of irony in the novel series written by Ed McBain, which by the way were still written all the way up through his death in 2005. By his own admission, he received his inspiration from Dragnet. Over 20 years after the first 87th Precinct novel was published, elements of this novel series inspired another TV show on NBC... Hill Street Blues. And reportedly, this didn't exactly thrill McBain, as he felt that his ideas had been stolen (although he didn't make a big deal over it, because by his own acknowledgment, he, too, had used ideas of others). We probably don't have too many people reading this who actually remember this series from the original airing, but that isn't really a prerequisite to enjoying the stories. I think that fans of those novels are certain to love this series, and also fans of very early police dramas will be pleased.
The TV series featured a group of detectives and even their families, starring Robert Lansing as Steve Carella (not to be confused with Steve Carell, of course) and Gena Rowlands as Teddy, his wife. Ron Harper filled the role of the rookie detective Bert Kling, Gregory Walcott was the long-time veteran Gregory Walcott, and then there was the wryly philosophical character Meyer Meyer (that isn't a typo, it's a same first and last name), played by a man who was very much just at the beginning of what would be a much larger television career: the one and only Norman Fell. The TV series only lasted one year on NBC, mostly due to facing time slot competition from the second season of a more lighthearted sitcom about a police officer on CBS: The Andy Griffith Show.
The set begins with "The Floater," where Carella is on the hunt for a sadistic man (played by Robert Culp) preying on lonely women. In "Lady in Waiting," a woman decides to wait for her husband's release from prison by bringing a gun into the precinct and threatening to use it. The detectives follow up on an anonymous note about a death threat in "Lady Killer." A disgruntled ex-cop keeps committing the perfect robberies in "The Modus Man." In "Line of Duty," Kling is forced to shoot (and kill) a suspect, and can't help but to feel badly about it. A pregnant wife keeps a man from cooperating with the police in "Occupation, Citizen." Beverly Garland and Jack Albertson guest star in "Killer's Payoff," where a blackmailer is murdered. Meyer arrests an old friend for a robbery in "The Guilt," but things get worse for the man when he escapes police custody. In "The Empty Hours," a woman (Pat Crowley) decides to pretend to be a deceased friend for financial gain, unaware that the friend is wanted by a killer. A young man is suspected of murdering a coed in "My Friend, My Enemy."
Leonard Nimoy guest stars in "The Very Hard Sell," where a used car salesman is found dead, slumped over a steering wheel. In "'Til Death," an about-to-be-married couple is getting some anonymous threats. A crook (played by Robert Vaughn) sets off false alarms everywhere to commit a more serious crime, hopefully unnoticed, in "The Heckler." In "Run, Rabbit, Run," a condemned gangster has much more planned beyond his death. The detectives investigate death threats toward a boxer in "Main Event." In "Man in a Jam," a man arrested for murder has some creative ways of trying to get out of trouble. A hand found in a dumpster leads to a murder investigation in "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand." Dawn Wells guest stars in "Out of Order," where telephone booths (what are those, again?) are the target of explosions. In "The Pigeon," a man (played by Peter Falk) is a smalltime criminal but wants to pretend to be bigger... making him the perfect fall guy for some serious criminals. Frank Sutton also guest stars. A 10-year-old may be helpful in solving a murder in "A Bullet for Katie."
A kidnapping doesn't go as planned in "King's Ransom." Both John Astin and Nancy Reagan (in one of her very last appearances as "just another actress" in a TV series) guest star. Meyer needs some rest while feeling ill in "Feel of the Trigger," but he just can't stop working hard. The detectives have a lot of clues to go through in the murder of a beautiful woman in "Killer's Choice." In "Square Cop," one officer is about to retire and the other one is a rookie being trained by the veteran... and one of them is shot by the others son during a burglary. Carella needs extra cash and takes a job as a night security guard at a bank in "Step Forward." A baseball star risks everything by hiding his fugitive brother from the cops in "Idol in the Dust." Havilland's new friend wants to kill a South American dignitary in "Ramon." In "New Man in the Precinct," there is a new guy at the 87th, and isn't quite used to being at such a rough and tumble precinct. Another detective ends up at the precinct after being demoted in "The Last Stop," and he isn't quite well-received after he drives everybody crazy. The series ends with "Girl in the Case," where Havilland becomes attracted to a stenographer who is being threatened.
There is a bit of variance in the episode runtimes, but I believe that they are all unedited... though you'll notice that runtimes can be anywhere from just over 48 minutes up to nearly 51 minutes. Runtimes for each episode are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Floater" (48:25)
2. "Lady in Waiting" (49:02)
3. "Lady Killer" (48:59)
4. "The Modus Man" (49:25)
5. "Line of Duty" (49:27)
Disc 2:
6. "Occupation, Citizen" (49:28)
7. "Killer's Payoff" (49:00)
8. "The Guilt" (49:05)
9. "Empty Hours" (49:44)
10. "My Friend, My Enemy" (49:00)
Disc 3:
11. "The Very Hard Sell" (49:25)
12. "'Til Death" (49:13)
13. "The Heckler" (49:05)
14. "Run, Rabbit, Run" (50:41)
15. "Main Event" (49:19)
Disc 4:
16. "Man in a Jam" (49:33)
17. "Give the Boys a Hand" (49:09)
18. "Out of Order" (49:29)
19. "The Pigeon" (49:30)
20. "A Bullet for Katie" (49:41)
Disc 5:
21. "King's Ransom" (49:33)
22. "Feel of the Trigger" (49:36)
23. "Killer's Choice" (49:01)
24. "Square Cop" (49:14)
25. "Step Forward" (49:24)
Disc 6:
26. "Idol in the Dust" (49:50)
27. "Ramon" (49:40)
28. "New Man in the Precinct" (49:32)
29. "The Last Stop" (49:15)
30. "Girl in the Case" (48:26)
The set comes packaged in a six disc case that is twice as thick as a standard DVD case. The cover art has a color photo of the four male stars of the series with their guns drawn, and on the back, we get a brief description of the series, along with a few photos and a breakdown of episode titles by disc. Inside, you'll find the six discs containing the episodes, all of which have a different photo of one of the stars and the logo from the cover (which is not the logo used in the series, but that isn't a huge deal). Each disc contains five episodes. Oddly enough, you'll find inside the case a seventh "unadvertised" disc inside of a white paper envelope. This contains the unannounced special feature, which we'll discuss a bit later.
The menus on the set are very basic, but functional. The main menu shows a black and white photo of the cast (same one seen on the cover), and lists all of the episodes on the disc. The theme song plays in the background of the menus. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. Chapters are placed throughout each episode at all of the commercial break points.
This series has largely remained in obscurity since it originally aired 50 years ago. In fact, I'm not sure that it has ever aired anywhere. So it should be no surprise that the video and audio quality is far from perfect. Nothing is too sharp in any of the episodes, and there is grain, debris, and scratches all over the place. But there is also some variance between the episodes. I'm sure that Universal (the rights holder) for the series hasn't really bothered restoring this series at all, so everything was likely left up to TMG to clean them up. With that being said, though, the episodes do not look terrible. They don't look like low-budget public domain episodes (and they shouldn't since this prints are "direct from the Universal vault" as the packaging indicates). The audio is a little low and has some crackle in it, but it won't be enough to bother most people. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitled.
This series has largely remained in obscurity since it originally aired 50 years ago. In fact, I'm not sure that it has ever aired anywhere. So it should be no surprise that the video and audio quality is far from perfect. Nothing is too sharp in any of the episodes, and there is grain, debris, and scratches all over the place. But there is also some variance between the episodes. I'm sure that Universal (the rights holder) for the series hasn't really bothered restoring this series at all, so everything was likely left up to TMG to clean them up. With that being said, though, the episodes do not look terrible. They don't look like low-budget public domain episodes (and they shouldn't since this prints are "direct from the Universal vault" as the packaging indicates). The audio is a little low and has some crackle in it, but it won't be enough to bother most people. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitled.
This set wasn't advertised as having any special features, and nowhere on the packaging does it indicate that there are any... but much to my surprise, upon opening up the set, a bonus disc inside of a paper sleeve popped out! Considering that this wasn't announced or even advertised on the set, and only included inside of the white paper sleeve, I have a feeling that this may have been a last minute addition, but I'm sure those buying the set will appreciate it. The main feature here is an interview with Ron Harper (34:38), the actor who played Bert Kling on the series. It is a very nice in-depth interview where he talks a bit about his life in general, and also about his experiences on the series and working with the costars. "Ron Harper's 87th Precinct Scrapbook" (4:38), where Harper goes through a personal scrapbook which he created about the series. He shows some of the original articles about the series (including one from his hometown newspaper), photos of Nancy Reagan on the set, a crossword puzzle where his own name was a clue, and some photos of him with Marlo Thomas. These are really nice features to see, and it is clear that this was an important part in his life. I am very glad that TMG managed to include this.
All in all, this isn't a perfect set, but considering the rarity of the series, it is surprising that we even got to see it on DVD at all. Really, the only issue is the video and audio quality, but I doubt that anybody could really restore that to "perfection" profitably. The series has been neglected over the past five decades (mostly by just sitting in the vaults), so honestly, I'm surprised it doesn't look worse. Personally, I think those issues are very easy to look past once you see what you have here: an entertaining drama about a police precinct from the early days of television. It is a lot like Dragnet (the original version, anyway, not necessarily the late '60s version), except of course the stories here are not based upon true stories, and are excellent works of fiction. The series really reminds me a lot of something like Perry Mason, only here, things are focused on the precinct angle of the action rather than the attorney in the court room. It is too bad that this series only made it through one season, as there are infinitely many ways to write stories for a series like this. But of course, the competition made it hard to go too far.
It is worth noting that there is a bit of irony in the novel series written by Ed McBain, which by the way were still written all the way up through his death in 2005. By his own admission, he received his inspiration from Dragnet. Over 20 years after the first 87th Precinct novel was published, elements of this novel series inspired another TV show on NBC... Hill Street Blues. And reportedly, this didn't exactly thrill McBain, as he felt that his ideas had been stolen (although he didn't make a big deal over it, because by his own acknowledgment, he, too, had used ideas of others). We probably don't have too many people reading this who actually remember this series from the original airing, but that isn't really a prerequisite to enjoying the stories. I think that fans of those novels are certain to love this series, and also fans of very early police dramas will be pleased.
(4/5 stars)
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CLICK OF THE WEEK
Game Show Temple (www.thegameshowtemple.com) - We're continuing up our game show theme for Click of the Week this week with a much broader game show website dedicated to multiple game shows rather than just one. It isn't the sleekest website out there, but it is a very nice website with information for several game shows. First, they have the rule sheets for game shows going back to the '70s, including some game shows which many of us have long forgotten (such as the Peter Tomarken hosted Hit Man). In these rule sheets, you can go through the series and read how each game was played, along with screenshots from many of these series to demonstrate what is being discussed. The video database gives a ton of links to YouTube for an astonishing 76 different game shows. Theoretically, you could find all of these one-by-one on YouTube, but this site places it all in a nicely organized fashion. There are even interviews with game show contestants (you'll see that many of them work their way around the circuit), although you may not know who these people are unless you are a game show junkie. But still, it is interesting to read about game show experiences from the contestant's end. Mostly, what we have here is a fun website, dedicated primarily to game shows of the '70s and '80s (one of my favorite eras), and I think that game show fans will appreciate this, our Click of the Week.
That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Digital Digest: New Big Bang Blu-rays, Bazinga!; Father Dowling Mysteries - The First Season DVD Review
It is hard to tell if it is fall, winter, or spring with the crazy and changing weather that we are having all over the US, but one thing that we can tell for sure is that it is yet another Saturday. So, welcome to Digital Digest! This week, in addition to our regular features, we have a review of CBS Home Entertainment's release of Father Dowling Mysteries - The First Season. Let's get started.
Lately, we've started to see more and more Blu-ray Disc releases of sitcoms, even including That '70s Show - Season One (Blu-ray), which we mentioned last week. Now, Warner Home Video is going back a little bit with The Big Bang Theory, and finally releasing season one and season two on the high-definition format. Of course, the most recent seasons of the series have been released on Blu-ray, but now fans will be able to own every season released to date on Blu-ray. According to TVShowsOnDVD.com, these DVDs should be expected in the first half of the year.
TVShowsOnDVD.com had even more news this week with information about Saved by the Bell. Apparently, there is a release of the complete series in the works. Not a whole lot is known about this release just yet. In fact, it is entirely possible that the release is just the previous releases wrapped together in one package. When we do know more, we'll be sure to update you on it.
Fans of the animated comedy American Dad! will be pleased to know that more episodes of that series will be coming to DVD soon, with American Dad! - Volume Seven. The release is scheduled to hit store shelves on April 17. Unfortunately, there isn't a Blu-ray release scheduled at this time, which actually would have been appropriate for this set since it is the first one that will include all high-definition episodes. Still, the DVDs for this set have been perfectly adequate, and fans shouldn't be disappointed.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (January 31) brings another slow day of DVDs with only two releases, both from Shout! Factory. First is Leave it to Beaver - 20 Timeless Episodes, which contains twenty of the "best" episodes of the classic series. Additionally, Shout! Factory has Hey Dude! - Season 2.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Father Dowling Mysteries - The First Season (CBS DVD, $29.99)
by Todd
Catholic priest Father Frank Dowling (Tom Bosley) continually stumbles over murders, abductions and other high crimes in his hometown of Chicago. Assisted by street-smart Sister Stephanie "Steve" Oskowski (Tracy Nelson), wherever the holy duo go, someone usually turns up dead. While the local police are quick to find a likely suspect, the snooping priest just as quickly finds a good reason to take a closer look. Now, for the first time on DVD, you can enjoy this 2-Disc collection of the first season of Father Dowling Mysteries which includes the Original TV Pilot Movie! Father Phil (James Stephens) is going to have to take 10 o'clock Mass, because Father Dowling has got a murder to solve!
Father Dowling Mysteries began with a two-hour TV pilot movie called "Fatal Confession," which originally aired on NBC on November 1, 1987. The show was picked up for the fall 1988-89 season, but it did not begin airing until January 20, 1989 because of a writer's strike. After the first season was broadcast on Friday nights on NBC, it moved to ABC on Thursday nights for the last two seasons. A total of 43 episodes were broadcast plus the pilot movie. Here are the episodes included on this release:
Disc 1:
"Fatal Confession" (Original TV Pilot Movie) (11/30/87) (1:36:00) - The pilot episode finds Father Dowling and Sister Steve investigating the apparent suicde of a former parishoner. In between saying Mass, hearing confessions and managing the softball team, Father Dowling somehow finds time to conduct his own investigation.
Notable Guest Stars: Susan Blakely, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Scolari, Sada Thompson, Stella Stevens
1-2. "The Missing Body Mystery" (01/20/89) (1:33:44) - Father Dowling lands on the wrong side of the FBI after a dying man falls dead at his feet. Father Dowling puts the church in a bad light when he insists on tracking down the killer.
Notable Guest Star: Robert Walden
3. "What Do You Call a Call Girl Mystery" (01/27/89) (47:47) - Father Dowling comes to the aid of a man whose fiancée was murdered just as she was about to confess being a prostitute. A search leads to three powerful clients, none of whom want to be invovled in a scandal.
Notable Guest Stars: David L. Lander, James Noble
Disc 2:
4. "The Man Who Came to Dinner Mystery" (02/10/89) (47:32) - Father Dowling Mysteries becomes a family affair when guest star Harriet Nelson appears alongside granddaughter Tracy Nelson.
Notable Guest Stars: Harriet Nelson, John Slattery
5. "The Mafia Priest Mystery, Part 1" (02/17/89) (47:47) - Father Dowling finds himself caught in a bizarre mystery when he attempts to prove a fellow priest innocent of murder. He and street-smart schemer Sister Steve get more than they bargained for when they discover the young priest's family is indeed connected to organized crime!
Notable Guest Star: Andreas Katsulas
6. "The Mafia Priest Mystery, Part 2" (02/24/89) (47:51) - Undeterred by appearances, FAther Dowling sets out to prove a young priest innocent of murder after he discovers the priest has been framed by a member of his own family. Nothing is ever easy, of course, and when th real assassin is himself killed. Dowling must rely on a family member who is too afraid to tell the truth.
Notable Guest Star: Andreas Katsulas
7. "The Face in the Mirror Mystery" (03/03/89) (47:50) - When the good Father's evil half-brother shows up unexpectedly, Dowling suspects right away that the evil one is up to no good. After thrwarting his brother's attempted diamond heist, Dowling finds himself in hot water when he discovers that the police can't tell the two brothers apart.
Notable Guest Star: Diane Ladd
8. "The Pretty Baby Mystery" (03/10/89) (46:24) - Father Dowling and Sister Steve find themselves in the most unlikely role of parents when an abandoned baby is discovered at the rectory. When they attempt to reunite mother and child they learn that the mother is being chased by violent kidnappers.
The TV Pilot Movie and premiere episode are presented in their original two-hour format. All of the other episodes have runtimes of 46-47 minutes. There's a disclaimer on the back cover that reads: "Some episodes may be edited from their original network versions. Music has been changed for this home entertainment version." This is a standard disclaimer on most CBS DVD releases, so it doesn't necessarily mean any episodes are actually edited. I don't know how much music the show originally used, but hopefully any music substitutions are very minor. The set has a total running time of approximately 7 hours, 54 minutes.
The packaging for this 2-disc set is clear plastic Viva-case. On the cover, we have a photo of Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson, along with the show title at the top and a church glass background. On the back, there are more episode snapshots of Bosley and Nelson, along with a description of the series and the DVD specs. Tom Bosley is featured on the spine of the case. Inside, you'll find the episode titles, original airdates and short summaries listed by disc. The discs just have gray artwork with the series logo on them. Disc 1 contains three episodes (two of which are two-hour episodes). Disc 2 contains five one-hour episodes.
Moving on to the menus, they are simply designed and easy to navigate. The main menu features Tom Bosley on Disc 1 and Tracy Nelson on Disc 2. A partially shattered glass church background is used. The episode titles are listed vertically in yellow text. The episode you highlight is blue than turns red upon your selection. When you select an episode, it takes you to another sub-menu that features a different photo of Bosley and Nelson on each disc. The subtitles menu features a different photo of Bosley and Nelson on each disc. You can turn on the English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on this menu. Chapters are placed throughout each episode at all of the appropriate places.
The video and audio quality is very good. I don't have any original episodes on tape to compare, but it looks like the episodes were probably remastered a bit for this release. These episodes were shot over 20 years ago, so they do show some age. They are presented in their original full frame ratio and in their original broadcast order. Father Dowling Mysteries was shot on film. There were many outdoor scenes and different locations used. According to the IMDB, Father Dowling's church is in Denver, CO and the first season was shot there as well before moving to Los Angeles for the final two seasons. I thought the episodes may look a little brighter, but this may have just been the way they were originally shot. The show has kind of a dark and gritty look to it. The audio is a Dolby Digital English Stereo track. I didn't hear any problems with the audio. This show had a very nice melodic theme and score in the episodes. English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are available on all of the episodes.
Only episode promos are included as a special feature. These are 35-40 second previews that tell you what's happening "next on Father Dowling". The video quality of these promos isn't as good as the episodes, but they are fun to see and they give you a good idea of what each episode is about. They are avaiable for all of the episodes except for "The Mafia Priest Mystery, Part 2." It would have been nice to have some vintage or new interviews with the cast and crew. Sadly, Tom Bosley died in October 2010. This is a show that I know so little about. It would be interesting to hear about the show's production history. The show also featured a number of guest stars. They could have highlighted some of them in a featurette.
Everyone's favorite mystery-solving priest is now on DVD! Despite being a big fan of Happy Days and Tom Bosley, this is a series that I've only seen a handful of episodes over the years. It's always been a series that I've wanted to see in its entirety, but I just never got around to watching it. Only three seasons were made, but the show has popped up in syndication over the years and seems to have a devoted fan base. I've liked what I've seen in the episodes in the past and look forward to catching up with it on DVD.
There was a lot to like about this series. Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson may have seemed like an unlikely pairing, but they had good chemistry and worked well together. The show also had some great writing, directing and production values. I also loved the show's opening theme credits and music. I'll never forget seeing Tom Bosley wearing his beloved Chicago Cubs jacket. With a relatively small main cast, the show brought in quite a few guest stars on a weekly basis. The TV Pilot Movie and first season included notable guest stars like Susan Blakely, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Scolari, Sada Thompson, Stella Stevens, Robert Walden, David L. Lander, James Noble, Harriet Nelson, John Slattery, Andreas Katsulas and Diane Ladd. Before CSI and all of the violent crime shows of today, there were more family friendly mystery shows like Father Dowling Mysteries, Murder, She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder and Matlock. It was a different era back then. It's easy to understand why these types of shows remain popular today. Everybody likes a good mystery. If the first season sells well, hopefully we'll see the remaining two seasons released soon.
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CLICK OF THE WEEK
LeaveItToBeaver.org (www.leaveittobeaver.org) - The past few weeks, we've been giving you "broader" pop-culture Click of the Week items, but this week, we're switching gears to a TV series that has had a huge impact on pop-culture, and is also related to one of Tuesday's DVD releases. LeaveItToBeaver.org should not have surprising content based upon the name. In fact, it is just what it sounds like: a Leave it to Beaver website. We bring up this website, though, because it is full of great content. Among the content, you'll find frequently asked questions, video clips relating to the show, audio clips, interviews, some of Beaver's "writings," articles, collectibles, and much more. The only thing truly missing from the site, though, is a thorough episode guide. It was a bit surprising to see all of the great content on the site, but no detailed episode guide. It doesn't appear that the website has been updated much recently, though there isn't a whole lot of new stuff to put up Still, there is plenty of content here for you to check out.
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, August 28
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 24)
Friday, August 28
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) - Watch Glen on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Donnell Rawlings (Twenties) - Donnell is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 11:35pm on CBS.
- LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta) - LaKeith appears on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Drew chats with the legendary Laura Dern on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
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