Showing posts with label Mannix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mannix. Show all posts
Saturday, May 16, 2020
SitcomsOnline Digest: Renewals and Cancellations of 2019-2020 (So Far); Soaps Running Out of Episodes
Welcome
to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're looking at some of the renewals and cancellations of the current season, some soap opera COVID-19 production issues, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- In case you're wondering, here are the renewals and cancellations of the current season, so far anyway. (Deadline)
- This may be the standard for next season: The CW has set their "new fall season" to begin in January. (Deadline)
- Due to pandemic production shutdowns, General Hospital will run out of episodes by this coming Thursday, leaving Days of Our Lives as the only soap opera airing new episodes. (TVLine)
- Lin-Manuel Miranda will be part of the One Day at a Time animated special. (Hollywood Reporter)
- We have a look at Fox's fall schedule, which is notably devoid of any live action sitcoms. (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (MAY 16 - MAY 22)
- Fox's Sunday night lineup is full of season finales tomorrow night.
- Cozi has some "best of Jim" episodes of The Office tomorrow.
- The binge on Decades this weekend is Mannix.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
SitcomsOnline Digest: Reboots for The Office and Even Hogan's Heroes?; The Boondocks Returning for Two New Seasons on HBO Max
Welcome
to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week is it! Fall begins, and not just the season on the calendar, but the fall TV season kicks off on Monday, starting with season premieres of several sitcoms on CBS! This week, we're hearing a lot about reboots (surprised?) and the new streaming services that will take us from peak TV to super peak TV in the next few months. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- It's not to the point where we can even call it a project yet (as far as we know), but as NBC prepares to launch their new Peacock streaming service, they've already decided that they want a reboot of The Office. (The Verge)
- Who asked for a reboot of Hogan's Heroes? Because we're getting one whether we like it or not. (Deadline)
- The Boondocks is coming back to TV, for two new seasons on the new HBO Now streaming service. (Deadline)
- Not exactly a major news story, but we thought it was a little amusing that Fox Entertainment has given the job of SVP Talent Relations to a woman named Lisa Simpson. (Deadline)
- Meghan McCain walked off the stage after an argument this week on the always friendly and happy show, The View. (CNN)
- Special themed weeks of programming were huge in the 90s (especially in the early days of Fox) and we still see it some today, and now ABC has a themed week of cast reunions from other TV series and movies for many of their series coming up. (SitcomsOnline)
WEEKLY PLANNER (SEPTEMBER 21 - SEPTEMBER 27)
- This coming week is it! The big week of fall premieres, so many that we can't list them all here, but we'll mention a few new sitcoms, such as Bob ♥ Abishola on Monday night on CBS, Mixed-ish on Tuesday night on ABC, The Unicorn and Carol's Second Act on Thursday on CBS, and Perfect Harmony and Sunnyside on Thursday on NBC.
- By the way, you can watch the first episode of The Unicorn now online for free, through Amazon Prime, CBS.com, and other digital platforms.
- Honestly, it wouldn't be surprising if it sets a record for low ratings again since these awards shows are quickly becoming irrelevant to a lot of viewers in the peak TV era, but the Emmys will air on Fox on Sunday night.
- The new Netflix comedy, The Politician, debuts on Friday.
- It's a weekend of Mannix on Decades.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Orders Four Pilots for Fall Season; Dynasty Reboot at The CW Gets Pilot Order
Welcome
to SitcomsOnline Digest! Sadly, it's been a busy week of deaths for classic TV stars, including two of the biggest ones from the 70s. Also, we have news of comedy pilot orders at ABC and a pilot order for a reboot of a classic primetime soap opera on The CW. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- ABC has been busy ordering comedy pilots for the fall season, including one that stars (and is also produced and directed by) Scrubs alum Zach Braff. (Hollywood Reporter)
- We're sort of eager to see how such a quintessentially 80s show would work in 2017, as The CW has ordered a pilot for a reboot of Dynasty. (Entertainment Weekly)
- NBC is turning 90 (to be clear, the earlier years were as a radio network), and they're getting a special to celebrate those 90 years. (Hollywood Reporter)
- Actor Mike Connors, who played the title role on Mannix, has died at age 91. (Washington Post)
- Actress Barbara Hale, best known for her role as Della Street on Perry Mason, has died at age 94. (Variety)
- Mary Tyler Moore, of course, also died this week, and there are plenty of tributes to her to be found. (SitcomsOnline)
- Law & Order: SVU is known for ripping stories out of headlines, and the latest one that they've decided to do their take on is the story of former Fox News executive Roger Ailes and anchor Gretchen Carlson. (TVLine)
- Despite the fact that the kids on the show are now all adults and a one of cast members (Charlie McDermott) almost leaving the series two years ago when he was cast in a pilot that didn't go forward at CBS, the ABC sitcom The Middle continues to thrive and has been renewed for a ninth season. (SitcomsOnline)
TUESDAY (JANUARY 31) HOME MEDIA RELEASES
- Ballers - The Complete Second Season (DVD, $29.99; Blu-ray, $34.98): The second season of the HBO series starring Dwayne Johnson arrives to home media in this release.
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Atticus Shaffer (Twitter),
"Count all the hours lost which are not accompanied by some worthy deed. I am a huge nerd and a homesteader who enjoys the simple things in life."
Claim to Fame: With news that The Middle has been renewed for a ninth season, we thought we'd get to the youngest kid on the series... who himself is no longer truly a kid (though his smaller stature has had him aging at a slower pace than the rest of the family on the series), as he turned 18 years old last year. Nonetheless, he still plays youngest son Brick on the series. Previously, he had guest roles in series such as The Class, Days of Our Lives, and My Name is Earl. While he has a regular role on The Middle now, he has been doing voice work lately as well, including the voice of Ono in the Disney Junior series The Lion Guard.
Pick
of the Tweets: "First day of High School for Brick! Yay!!!" (October 11, 2016)
Monday, December 12, 2016
MeTV Winter 2017 Schedule; The Mick to Air Live in All Time Zones on Jan. 1
We told you that MacGyver is coming on Dec. 19, but now we have the full MeTV Winter 2017 schedule that begins in January. From the return of one of television's most iconic series to brand-new action and adventure, criminal investigations and even supernatural situations, the MeTV winter 2017 schedule — starting Monday, January 2, 2017 — promises to thaw out those wintertime blues. All he needs is his Swiss Army knife, a roll of duct tape and maybe a paperclip or two. Angus MacGyver brings his bad-guy-busting ingenuity to our schedule twice every weekday. And Mac joins the schedule early: Starting December 19, catch MacGyver weekdays at 5PM | 4C and weeknights at 9PM | 8C. Gee Whiz! One of television's most iconic series returns and moved to MeTV - Leave It to Beaver comes to weekdays at 8AM | 7C and 8:30AM | 7:30C. The hunks of the California Highway Patrol are cruising back into action on CHiPs. And like MacGyver, Ponch and Jon join the schedule early: Starting December 19, watch the motorcycle-riding officers keep law and order in sunny Los Angeles weekdays at 4PM | 3C.
The original, 30-minute episodes of Gunsmoke return, weekdays at 1PM | 12C & 1:30PM | 12:30C. These black-and-white episodes, which originally ran from 1955 to 1961, compose the series' first six seasons. Also, a fresh batch of Columbo movies comes to Sunday nights at 8PM | 7C. See Peter Falk as the sleuth during his ABC years, which comprises made-for-TV movies produced between 1989 and 2003. He may not be a gunslinger, but he's unstoppable in a fistfight. James Garner stars as Bret Maverick, an Old West anti-hero who's a good guy at heart. Tune in for Maverick on Saturdays at 10AM | 9C. Late night crime doesn't stand a chance — Mannix, Ironside and 77 Sunset Strip slap the cuffs on criminals weeknights starting at 2AM | 1C. And finally, Carl Kolchak investigates the bizarre and supernatural Sunday nights at 10PM | 9C. See the intrepid newspaper man face off against a myriad of monsters on Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
The special premiere of new comedy The Mick will air Sunday, Jan. 1 in all time zones immediately following NFL doubleheader game coverage and The OT, at 8:00 PM ET and 5:00 PM PT, on Fox. The episode then will encore that same night in the Pacific time zone at 8:00 PM and the Mountain time zone at 7:00 PM. The series will make its time period premiere with an all-new episode Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 8:31 PM ET/PT. The Mick is a comedy about an unapologetic degenerate (Kaitlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) who suddenly finds herself stuck raising her spoiled niece and nephews (Sofia Black-D'Elia, Thomas Barbusca, Jack Stanton) in affluent Greenwich, CT. It's pretty much everything she never wanted. Regardless, she's determined to rise to the occasion and transform these little monsters into honest, hard-working, decent members of society - something she knows absolutely nothing about. The series also stars Carla Jimenez and Scott MacArthur.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Cloo's 2nd Classic TV Jump the Shark Marathon; WLNY-TV New York's 2nd Annual I Love Lucy 4th of July Marathon
We hinted last week that Cloo will have a special event coming up soon and now we can tell you what that is! On Friday, July 5, 2013, Cloo presents its second "Jump the Shark" Marathon! A 24-hour party full of classic TV all day and all night with "jump the shark" moments. The first one was back in November, as we announced. There comes a time when a long running television series desperately tries to keep viewers' interest. These gimmicks started when Fonzie "Jumped the Shark" on Happy Days. Cloo is celebrating these classic television moments with an all-day marathon featuring Get Smart, Bosom Buddies, Family Ties, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, MacGyver, Mannix, The Unit, House, and Charlie's Angels. Among the episodes you'll see are "The Birth of a Keaton" on Family Ties, the infamous 3-part "Hollywood" episode of Happy Days, the move to Burbank on Laverne & Shirley, the wedding on Mork & Mindy, and many more.
Late in the month, Cloo will have a Cloo Classics Marathon of MacGyver on Saturday, July 20, starting at 6:00am running 24 straight hours! MacGyver airs regularly on Mondays from 1pm-6am, following classic sitcoms Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, Taxi and Mork & Mindy from 6am-1pm. Stay with us for continued updates on Cloo and the classic TV they air! We will have more news for August, so come on back!
We stick with classic TV for this second story. Last year on the 4th of July, WLNY-TV 10/55 in New York City started a tradition of airing classic TV marathons on major holidays. The first one was I Love Lucy on the 4th of July. Back by popular demand... the I Love Lucy July 4th Marathon returns for the second straight year! As usual with the WLNY-TV classic TV marathons, they will be 12-hours and start at 9:00am running to 9:00pm. The 24 classic episodes airing are: "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her," "The Great Train Robbery," "The Seance," "Charm School," "The Handcuffs," "The Ballet," "The Million Dollar Idea," "The Diner," "Never Do Business With Friends," "Redecorating," "Lucy Wants New Furniture," "Lucy Learns to Drive," "L.A. at Last," "Staten Island Ferry," "Lucy & John Wayne," "Lucy and Bob Hope," "The Camping Trip," "The Black Eye," "Ricky Thinks He's Going Bald," "Breaking the Lease," "Job Switching," "Lucy Does a TV Commercial," "Lucy's Italian Movie" and "Return Home From Europe."
WLNY's last marathon was on Memorial Day for Happy Days. The other marathons they have aired in the last year were I Dream of Jeannie for President's Day, The Odd Couple for New Year's, Taxi for Thanksgiving, The Munsters for Halloween, and The Andy Griffith Show for Labor Day. Will these shows also become annual traditions like Lucy or will they change the shows up? We shall see, so stay tuned! We hope more holidays are added, perhaps Love American Style or The Love Boat for Valentine's Day, Columbo on Columbus Day, or a classic TV holiday episode marathon on Christmas?
Watch the I Love Lucy July 4th Marathon promo:
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Digital Digest: China Beach Headed to DVD; Mannix - The Final (Eighth) Season DVD Review; Quincy, M.E. - Season 4 DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! We're getting closer to Christmas, but we've still got a little more than a week to go (oh, by the way, we'll have a special Christmas review for you next weekend). Until then, we've got your regular news, a preview of Tuesday's releases, reviews of Mannix - The Final (Eighth) Season and Quincy, M.E. - Season 4, and a somewhat unusual Follow Me this week. Let's get started!
DIGITAL NEWS
This has been a rather slow and disappointing week for news, but we do have a few items of note. First, TVShowsOnDVD.com announced a big complete series release that many people have been waiting for over the past ten years that'll be coming soon from Time Life and Warner Home Video. The drama series China Beach will be released early next year from Time Life, with a wide retail release coming later. Music rights have held this series up for many years, but it is interesting to note that the press release indicates that "most" of the original music will be intact. This suggests that there will be a few things missing, but hopefully it won't be anything too noticeable.
CBS will be finishing up the crime drama Father Dowling Mysteries in early 2013 with Father Dowling Mysteries - The Third Season. The five disc set will be released on March 12 at a $59.98 MSRP.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (December 18) is the last Tuesday that we'll see anything released for the rest of the year, and it brings very few releases... but they are both solid releases. First, MPI has Here's Lucy - Season Six. We'll have a review of this excellent set posted this weekend. Second, Shout! Factory has Quincy, M.E. - Season 4, which we review today in Digital Digest.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
DVD Review: Quincy, M.E. - Season 4 (Shout!, $39.97)
by skees53
NBC was well-known for their Mystery Movie franchise that they had in the '70s. From this franchise, we got a lot of "series" (which were actually just a bunch of movies) including Columbo, McMillan and Wife, McCloud, and more. However, one of the movie series in this franchise ended up being turned into a regular weekly series... that was Jack Klugman's series, Quincy, M.E., the series about the "original crime scene investigator." Klugman played the role of Dr. Quincy (first name was never fully given), a Los Angeles Medical Examiner who would always get to the bottom of each and every crime. Now, Shout! Factory is releasing the fourth season (some would call it the third season, which is technically more correct, but we'll use the title that the studio uses to avoid confusion) on DVD for the very first time.
Quincy heads off for some rest and relaxation in "The Last Six Hours," but it seems that crime will follow him wherever he goes. A race-car driver is killed in "Speed Trap," so was it a homicide? Quincy tries to get a seven-year-old re-evaluated as autistic in "Test for Living." An Affirmative Action doctor is blamed when a patient dies after a surgical operation in "Death by Good Intention." In "Images," Quincy announces that well-known anchor woman (played by Jessica Walter) died in a fire... except she ends up mysteriously appearing at the press conference. Quincy becomes part of an investigation in his own office in "Even Odds." In "Dead and Alive," anonymous messages begin turning up informing a model that someone close to her is in danger of being murdered. Quincy's latest flame moves into a new apartment... and finds two mummified bodies already living there... in "No Way to Treat a Body."
In "A Night to Raise the Dead," Quincy's latest investigation has him trying to dig up an entire cemetery. A malpractice lawyer is after Quincy in "A Question of Death." In "House of No Return," Quincy poses as a murdered PI to find out why the man was killed. A star athlete dies from a drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea in "A Small Circle of Friends," leading Quincy to demand a round-up of prostitutes. In "Depth of Beauty," Quincy gets involved in the world of cosmetic surgery. Quincy investigates a doctor who will give any prescription for the right price in the two-part episode "Walk Softly Through the Night." Quincy has to perform autopsies on all of the bodies of the deceased in a plane crash in "Aftermath."
In "Dark Angel," two cops are accused of beating a suspect to death, and Quincy has to prove (or disprove) that. Quincy has to find out why a 17-year-old girl died after undergoing an abortion in "Physician, Heal Thyself." Quincy thinks a lot about life after a spat with his girlfriend in "Promises to Keep." In "Semper-Fidelis," Quincy autopsies the body of a Marine who died in an accident during training... or did he? An autopsy of a construction worker finds much more in "An Ounce of Prevention." In "The Death Challenge," a magician dies during a stunt, so was it an accident or murder? The season ends with "The Eye of the Needle," where Quincy clashes with a holistic medicine doctor after the death of one of her patients.
(4/5 stars)
To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main Reviews Page
Quincy, M.E. TV.com Page
FOLLOW ME
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Mannix - The Final (Eighth) Season (CBS DVD, $49.99)
by skees53
Mike Conners returns to DVD one final time in his role of Mannix in Mannix - The Final (Eighth) Season. The six disc set compiles the final 24 episodes of the classic private eye series in one set, bringing closure to the series that fans waited for years to see on DVD. In fact, many of the episodes in this set are new to most fans, as this season has not been included in any of the American syndication packages of the series (although one episode did air on TV Land a decade ago).
The season begins with "Portrait in Blues," where half of a singing duo is nearly executed, and Mannix has to find out why somebody would want them dead. Mannix's goddaughter goes missing in "Game Plan." Rue McClanahan guest stars. Katherine Helmond guest stars in "A Fine Day for Dying," where a victim of a hit-and-run accident awakes from a year-long coma, only to find someone is out to murder her. Peggy is kidnapped after being mistaken for an informant in "Walk on the Blind Side." Mannix is hired by a mother looking for her son, a counterfeiter, in "The Green Man." In "Death Has No Face," Mannix ends up being framed for murder while on a case. Mannix's latest case involves a mob courier who was Mannix's war buddy (and he is killed while making a delivery) in "A Small Favor for an Old Friend." A Japanese private eye enlists Mannix's help in "Enter Tami Okada."
Mannix attempts to solve the murder of a photographer in "Picture of a Shadow." In "Desert Sun," a trip to Albuquerque to prove an Indian's accidental death was actually murder turns very ugly for Mannix. Mannix is on the case of solving a mystery involving a plane crash victim who undergoes plastic surgery in "The Survivor Who Wasn't." A bomb kills a starlet's husband in "A Choice of Victims," but was he the intended victim? A war vet is out to prove that anybody can give up military secrets under torture in "A Ward Called Courage." In "Man in a Trap," Joe discovers a fellow detective who was shot took a job for a syndicate boss. Peggy's cousin may be a target for murder in "Chance Meeting." In "Edge of the Web," the son of Mannix's friend is jailed for killing his PhD professor after being denied his degree (and being accused of sleeping with the professor's wife). Look for Gerald McRaney in the unusual role of a college professor in this episode... and as is common for any role played by McRaney, the professor is also a Vietnam vet.
A mother receives a ransom note for her son who has been missing for six years in "A Ransom for Yesterday." Thieves attempt to rob every office in a high-rise in "The Empty Tower." Mannix believes in the innocence of a hitchhiker accused of murder, and takes his case, in "Quartet for Blunt Instrument." In the two-part episode "Birds of Prey," a search for a hero who saved a client's son in South America results in another man's death. Tom Selleck guest stars in "Design for Dying," where a publisher with political ambitions hires Mannix to find out if his wife has committed adultery. A hitman kills a mob boss in "Search for a Dead Man," but the dead body vanishes and he has to hire Mannix to find the corpse to prove he did the job. The series ends with "Hardball," where a ruthless drug dealer takes hostages at a courthouse. John Ritter guest stars.
Mannix attempts to solve the murder of a photographer in "Picture of a Shadow." In "Desert Sun," a trip to Albuquerque to prove an Indian's accidental death was actually murder turns very ugly for Mannix. Mannix is on the case of solving a mystery involving a plane crash victim who undergoes plastic surgery in "The Survivor Who Wasn't." A bomb kills a starlet's husband in "A Choice of Victims," but was he the intended victim? A war vet is out to prove that anybody can give up military secrets under torture in "A Ward Called Courage." In "Man in a Trap," Joe discovers a fellow detective who was shot took a job for a syndicate boss. Peggy's cousin may be a target for murder in "Chance Meeting." In "Edge of the Web," the son of Mannix's friend is jailed for killing his PhD professor after being denied his degree (and being accused of sleeping with the professor's wife). Look for Gerald McRaney in the unusual role of a college professor in this episode... and as is common for any role played by McRaney, the professor is also a Vietnam vet.
A mother receives a ransom note for her son who has been missing for six years in "A Ransom for Yesterday." Thieves attempt to rob every office in a high-rise in "The Empty Tower." Mannix believes in the innocence of a hitchhiker accused of murder, and takes his case, in "Quartet for Blunt Instrument." In the two-part episode "Birds of Prey," a search for a hero who saved a client's son in South America results in another man's death. Tom Selleck guest stars in "Design for Dying," where a publisher with political ambitions hires Mannix to find out if his wife has committed adultery. A hitman kills a mob boss in "Search for a Dead Man," but the dead body vanishes and he has to hire Mannix to find the corpse to prove he did the job. The series ends with "Hardball," where a ruthless drug dealer takes hostages at a courthouse. John Ritter guest stars.
The episodes appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "Portrait in Blues" (50:42)
2. "Game Plan" (49:47)
3. "A Fine Day for Dying" (50:13)
4. "Walk on the Blind Side" (50:45)
2. "Game Plan" (49:47)
3. "A Fine Day for Dying" (50:13)
4. "Walk on the Blind Side" (50:45)
Disc 2:
5. "The Green Man" (50:44)
6. "Death Has No Face" (50:44)
7. "A Small Favor for an Old Friend" (50:43)
8. "Enter Tami Okada" (50:44)
6. "Death Has No Face" (50:44)
7. "A Small Favor for an Old Friend" (50:43)
8. "Enter Tami Okada" (50:44)
Disc 3:
9. "Picture of a Shadow" (50:44)
10. "Desert Sun" (50:14)
CBS has kept the packaging for this set consistent with previous releases. Once again, the set uses a Viva case. On the cover, there is a large head shot of Mannix, the series logo, and of course, there are eight bullets to indicate that this is the eighth season. You'll find a few episode snapshosts and a brief series description on the back. Inside, you'll find the six discs, each containing the standard CBS gray artwork with the series logo. Each disc contains four episodes. Episode titles, descriptions, and original airdates are printed inside the case.
11. "The Survivor Who Wasn't" (50:43)
12. "A Choice of Victims" (50:43)
Disc 4:
13. "A Word Called Courage" (50:47)
14. "Man in a Trap" (50:45)
15. "Chance Meeting" (50:38)
16. "Edge of the Web" (50:44)
12. "A Choice of Victims" (50:43)
Disc 4:
13. "A Word Called Courage" (50:47)
14. "Man in a Trap" (50:45)
15. "Chance Meeting" (50:38)
16. "Edge of the Web" (50:44)
Disc 5:
17. "A Ransom for Yesterday" (50:43)
18. "The Empty Tower" (50:45)
19. "Quartet for Blunt Instrument" (50:43)
20. "Bird of Prey (Part 1)" (50:49)
18. "The Empty Tower" (50:45)
19. "Quartet for Blunt Instrument" (50:43)
20. "Bird of Prey (Part 1)" (50:49)
Disc 6:
21. "Bird of Prey (Part 2)" (50:44)
22. "Design for Dying" (50:46)
23. "Search for a Dead Man" (50:46)
24. "Hardball" (50:45)
22. "Design for Dying" (50:46)
23. "Search for a Dead Man" (50:46)
24. "Hardball" (50:45)
CBS has kept the packaging for this set consistent with previous releases. Once again, the set uses a Viva case. On the cover, there is a large head shot of Mannix, the series logo, and of course, there are eight bullets to indicate that this is the eighth season. You'll find a few episode snapshosts and a brief series description on the back. Inside, you'll find the six discs, each containing the standard CBS gray artwork with the series logo. Each disc contains four episodes. Episode titles, descriptions, and original airdates are printed inside the case.
The menus on the set are very simple, but nicely done. The main menu has video clips from the episodes, with the theme song playing in the background. On the bottom of the screen is a listing of all of the episodes, along with a Play All option and a Subtitles option. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately, and chapters are also placed throughout each episode.
The video and audio quality is excellent on this set... again. When they say that these episodes were remastered for the highest quality video and audio, they really do mean it, and it isn't just an exaggeration. These episodes truly look the best that I could ever imagine them looking. The mono audio is very loud and clear, and there are English subtitles available for those who require them.
Sadly, they didn't include any special features for this release of the final season. We only saw special features on the release of the first season (which was actually produced by Paul Brownstein), but since then, we've gotten nothing. Something along the lines of original promos would have been nice. There was also a Here's Lucy episode where Connors appeared in his role as Mannix in 1971... it would have been nice to have seen that included on one of these sets. I seriously doubt that Mike Connors would be interested in participating in any special features since he actually sued CBS over not being properly compensated for royalties on the series.
It is always a time to celebrate when a long running series is completed on DVD, especially when we've gotten (mostly) flawless releases. What is even nicer about this series, though, is that we have about two and a half seasons worth of episodes (including this seasons) that have been withheld from syndication over the years, so owning these DVDs is really the only way to even see a lot of these episodes... and for the younger fans who are too young to remember when the series originally aired, that is like getting brand new episodes of the series. I'm still disappointed in the lack of special features that we got throughout the releases, but the important thing, I suppose, is that every episode is now available on DVD for everybody to enjoy. Fans of crime dramas are sure to enjoy this, and if you just want to see something that you'll probably never see on TV, this set in particular is definitely worth picking up.
(4/5 stars)
To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Mannix on TV.com
It is always a time to celebrate when a long running series is completed on DVD, especially when we've gotten (mostly) flawless releases. What is even nicer about this series, though, is that we have about two and a half seasons worth of episodes (including this seasons) that have been withheld from syndication over the years, so owning these DVDs is really the only way to even see a lot of these episodes... and for the younger fans who are too young to remember when the series originally aired, that is like getting brand new episodes of the series. I'm still disappointed in the lack of special features that we got throughout the releases, but the important thing, I suppose, is that every episode is now available on DVD for everybody to enjoy. Fans of crime dramas are sure to enjoy this, and if you just want to see something that you'll probably never see on TV, this set in particular is definitely worth picking up.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Mannix on TV.com
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
DVD Review: Quincy, M.E. - Season 4 (Shout!, $39.97)
by skees53
NBC was well-known for their Mystery Movie franchise that they had in the '70s. From this franchise, we got a lot of "series" (which were actually just a bunch of movies) including Columbo, McMillan and Wife, McCloud, and more. However, one of the movie series in this franchise ended up being turned into a regular weekly series... that was Jack Klugman's series, Quincy, M.E., the series about the "original crime scene investigator." Klugman played the role of Dr. Quincy (first name was never fully given), a Los Angeles Medical Examiner who would always get to the bottom of each and every crime. Now, Shout! Factory is releasing the fourth season (some would call it the third season, which is technically more correct, but we'll use the title that the studio uses to avoid confusion) on DVD for the very first time.
Quincy heads off for some rest and relaxation in "The Last Six Hours," but it seems that crime will follow him wherever he goes. A race-car driver is killed in "Speed Trap," so was it a homicide? Quincy tries to get a seven-year-old re-evaluated as autistic in "Test for Living." An Affirmative Action doctor is blamed when a patient dies after a surgical operation in "Death by Good Intention." In "Images," Quincy announces that well-known anchor woman (played by Jessica Walter) died in a fire... except she ends up mysteriously appearing at the press conference. Quincy becomes part of an investigation in his own office in "Even Odds." In "Dead and Alive," anonymous messages begin turning up informing a model that someone close to her is in danger of being murdered. Quincy's latest flame moves into a new apartment... and finds two mummified bodies already living there... in "No Way to Treat a Body."
In "A Night to Raise the Dead," Quincy's latest investigation has him trying to dig up an entire cemetery. A malpractice lawyer is after Quincy in "A Question of Death." In "House of No Return," Quincy poses as a murdered PI to find out why the man was killed. A star athlete dies from a drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea in "A Small Circle of Friends," leading Quincy to demand a round-up of prostitutes. In "Depth of Beauty," Quincy gets involved in the world of cosmetic surgery. Quincy investigates a doctor who will give any prescription for the right price in the two-part episode "Walk Softly Through the Night." Quincy has to perform autopsies on all of the bodies of the deceased in a plane crash in "Aftermath."
In "Dark Angel," two cops are accused of beating a suspect to death, and Quincy has to prove (or disprove) that. Quincy has to find out why a 17-year-old girl died after undergoing an abortion in "Physician, Heal Thyself." Quincy thinks a lot about life after a spat with his girlfriend in "Promises to Keep." In "Semper-Fidelis," Quincy autopsies the body of a Marine who died in an accident during training... or did he? An autopsy of a construction worker finds much more in "An Ounce of Prevention." In "The Death Challenge," a magician dies during a stunt, so was it an accident or murder? The season ends with "The Eye of the Needle," where Quincy clashes with a holistic medicine doctor after the death of one of her patients.
The episodes appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Last Six Hours" (49:15)
Disc 1:
1. "The Last Six Hours" (49:15)
2. "Speed Trap" (49:18)
3. "A Test for Living" (49:20)
4. "Death by Good Intentions" (49:11)
Disc 2:
5. "Images" (49:48)
6. "Even Odds" (49:16)
7. "Dead and Alive" (49:14)
8. "No Way to Treat a Body" (49:15)
Disc 3:
9. "A Night to Raise the Dead" (49:45)
10. "A Question of Death" (49:02)
11. "House of No Return" (49:22)
12. "A Small Circle of Friends" (49:44)
Disc 4:
13. "The Depth of Beauty" (49:13)
14. "Walk Softly Through the Night (Part 1)" (49:54)
15. "Walk Softly Through the Night (Part 2)" (48:43)
16. "Aftermath" (49:47)
Disc 5:
17. "Dark Angel" (49:16)
18. "Physician, Heal Thyself" (49:53)
19. "Promises to Keep" (49:11)
20. "Semper-Fidelis" (49:13)
Disc 6:
21. "An Ounce of Prevention" (49:15)
22. "The Death Challenge" (49:18)
23. "The Eye of the Needle" (49:14)
As usual, Shout! kept the packaging style for this set in line with the packaging that Universal used for their releases (although Shout! did switch to Viva cases for their release). The cover art has two photos of Quincy with a blue background, and offers the tagline "The Original Crime Scene Investigator." On the back, there is a brief description of the season, along with a few episode snapshots. Inside, you'll find the six discs, each containing the series logo on a blue background. Episodes titles, descriptions, and airdates are printed inside of the case.
The menus for this set are very simple, but elegant. There is just one menu, the main menu, which has a photo of Quincy, and gives options of Play All and lists all of the episodes. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. There are chapters throughout each episode.
The set looks fine in regards to video and audio quality. A lot of these older Universal series tend to look pretty good, even without a lot of restoration. There are still minor issues here and there, but nothing too big. The audio is presented in mono. And the episodes are all closed-captioned.
Disc 2:
5. "Images" (49:48)
6. "Even Odds" (49:16)
7. "Dead and Alive" (49:14)
8. "No Way to Treat a Body" (49:15)
Disc 3:
9. "A Night to Raise the Dead" (49:45)
10. "A Question of Death" (49:02)
11. "House of No Return" (49:22)
12. "A Small Circle of Friends" (49:44)
Disc 4:
13. "The Depth of Beauty" (49:13)
14. "Walk Softly Through the Night (Part 1)" (49:54)
15. "Walk Softly Through the Night (Part 2)" (48:43)
16. "Aftermath" (49:47)
Disc 5:
17. "Dark Angel" (49:16)
18. "Physician, Heal Thyself" (49:53)
19. "Promises to Keep" (49:11)
20. "Semper-Fidelis" (49:13)
Disc 6:
21. "An Ounce of Prevention" (49:15)
22. "The Death Challenge" (49:18)
23. "The Eye of the Needle" (49:14)
As usual, Shout! kept the packaging style for this set in line with the packaging that Universal used for their releases (although Shout! did switch to Viva cases for their release). The cover art has two photos of Quincy with a blue background, and offers the tagline "The Original Crime Scene Investigator." On the back, there is a brief description of the season, along with a few episode snapshots. Inside, you'll find the six discs, each containing the series logo on a blue background. Episodes titles, descriptions, and airdates are printed inside of the case.
The menus for this set are very simple, but elegant. There is just one menu, the main menu, which has a photo of Quincy, and gives options of Play All and lists all of the episodes. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. There are chapters throughout each episode.
The set looks fine in regards to video and audio quality. A lot of these older Universal series tend to look pretty good, even without a lot of restoration. There are still minor issues here and there, but nothing too big. The audio is presented in mono. And the episodes are all closed-captioned.
I've never actually watched this series too much, but I always liked what I had seen and decided to give the series a chance on DVD. Based upon what I've seen here, I'm more impressed with the series than I was even before. It is a slightly different series from most of the crime dramas of the era, and while it is a little like CSI, it doesn't resort to all of that ridiculous technology and methods that CSI portrays as common techniques for solving crimes (something that has actually complicated some real-life court cases, since jurors believe CSI is real life). Still, despite the differences from other 70s crime dramas, I think fans of those series will still enjoy this series. It is nice that Shout! picked up the series from Universal. Otherwise, it would have remained stalled for a while, I'm sure.
(4/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main Reviews Page
Quincy, M.E. TV.com Page
FOLLOW ME
What to Follow: Modern Seinfeld (Twitter), "What if Seinfeld was still on the air?"
What It Is: Modern Seinfeld is one of the most unusual things we've seen pop up on Twitter. It first appeared on December 9... just a few days ago... and has gone viral in just the past few days, gaining attention from prominent national press and already gaining nearly 200,000 followers (perhaps it'll go past that by the time you read this) in that short period of time. Created by comedian Jack Moore, editor of BuzzFeed Sports, and also a self-professed Seinfeld addict, the Twitter feed brings back to the sitcom about "nothing" back to life, in the form of Tweets about episodes of the series that "could" happen in this modern era. Even if you aren't a fan of the series, it is still a fun Twitter feed to read, and the viral effect of it has shown how fast things can spread over the internet.
Pick of the Tweets: "Jerry breaks up with his gf (Jenna Fischer) because she over-identifies with Liz Lemon. George tries to pick up women on the subway." (December 11, 2012)
What It Is: Modern Seinfeld is one of the most unusual things we've seen pop up on Twitter. It first appeared on December 9... just a few days ago... and has gone viral in just the past few days, gaining attention from prominent national press and already gaining nearly 200,000 followers (perhaps it'll go past that by the time you read this) in that short period of time. Created by comedian Jack Moore, editor of BuzzFeed Sports, and also a self-professed Seinfeld addict, the Twitter feed brings back to the sitcom about "nothing" back to life, in the form of Tweets about episodes of the series that "could" happen in this modern era. Even if you aren't a fan of the series, it is still a fun Twitter feed to read, and the viral effect of it has shown how fast things can spread over the internet.
Pick of the Tweets: "Jerry breaks up with his gf (Jenna Fischer) because she over-identifies with Liz Lemon. George tries to pick up women on the subway." (December 11, 2012)
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Monday, October 08, 2012
Cloo's Classic TV Jump the Shark Marathon; ABC Family's 2012 Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas Schedule
Cloo will be celebrating classic TV on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 with a 24-hour "Jump the Shark" marathon starting at 6am! This will be a marathon of classic shows that ran for many seasons but there might have been a turning point where viewers started scratching their heads and said, "did that really just happen?" The classic shows airing in this very unique marathon are Get Smart, Bosom Buddies, Family Ties, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, Cheers, MacGyver, Mannix, The Unit, House and Charlie's Angels. Yep you will get to see The Fonz on Happy Days jump the shark on water skis on the 3-part "Hollywood" episode. Other "Jump the Shark" episodes include "The Birth of a Keaton" on Family Ties, "Not Quite New York" & "Welcome to Burbank" on Laverne & Shirley, Sam Malone returning to Cheers in "Home is the Sailor," and Mork & Mindy getting married in "Limited Engagement" and "The Wedding."
See all the jump the shark moments that you just can't keep away from actually watching. It's so cheesy that it is good! There are no Ted McGinley sightings! So make sure you watch Cloo on Sunday, November 4 for this all-day event!
ABC Family will once again start Christmas early and will give thanks with new holiday programming during the "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas" from November 18-30, 2012. The annual "countdown" event will include the world premiere of the new movie Home Alone: The Holiday Heist on Sunday, November 25 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. ABC Family will also air an all-new holiday episode of the hit drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager on Monday, November 19 at 8:00PM ET/PT, plus the basic cable premiere of Nanny McPhee Returns on Friday, November 23 from 8:30-11:00 PM ET/PT) and a special airing of The Blind Side on Thanksgiving Thursday, November 22 from 8:00PM-11:00 PM ET/PT.
In the new Home Alone film, which will be the fifth in the franchise, on Sunday, November 25 at 8:00 PM ET/PT, has eight-year-old Finn (Christian Martyn) terrified to learn that his family is relocating from sunny California to Maine, and to the scariest house he has ever seen! Convinced that his new house is haunted, Finn sets up a series of elaborate traps to catch the "ghost" in action. Left home alone with his sister while their parents are stranded across town, Finn's traps catch a new target - a group of thieves (Malcolm McDowell, Debi Mazar and Eddie Steeples) who have targeted Finn's house. Ed Asner co-stars. See how the Home Alone hijinks began with the original Home Alone airing on Saturday, November 24 at 8:00 PM ET/PT.
View the full Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas" (Nov. 18-30) schedule. Stay tuned for the actual "25 Days of Christmas" (Dec. 1-25) schedule very soon. We will have it for you as soon as we get it. Holiday season is already right around the corner -- wow!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Cloo Classics Olympics August 2012 Has Happy Days, Get Smart and More; FX Renews Louie for 4th Season, Anger Management Likely Will Get Season 2
We all know that the day of the opening of the Summer 2012 Olympics, Cloo aired a Cloo Classics Olympics marathon of many classic sitcoms to start their Cloo Classics Olympics... now as we promised over a month ago, we have the rest of the classic schedule for you during the Olympics. Yesterday saw the launch of Cloo Classics that will air for the next two weeks on weekdays. Mondays (July 30 and Aug. 6) will feature a Cloo Classics marathon of MacGyver beginning at 6:00am ET/3:00am PT on both days. On Tuesdays, (July 31 and Aug. 7), we have a Cloo Classics Olympics marathon featuring 24-hours of T.J. Hooker beginning at 6:00am ET/3:00am PT on both days. On Wednesdays, August 1 and 8, it's a Cloo Classics Olympics marathon featuring 24-hours of the '70s series Charlie's Angels beginning at 6:00am ET/3:00am PT on both days. Then on Thursday (Aug. 2 and Aug. 9), we have a Cloo Classics Olympics marathon of Mannix at also 24-hours beginning 6:00am ET/3:00am PT. The week ends with a classic sitcom marathon just like the previous Friday during the Opening Ceremonies. We once again get Paramount sitcoms The Odd Couple, Bosom Buddies, Taxi, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, Family Ties and Get Smart on Fridays, Aug. 3 and Aug. 10.
So if you're not into the Olympic Games, then NBC-owned Cloo Classics Olympics is the way to go every weekday until the summer games are over. And the monthly Cloo Classic marathon will air on Saturday, August 25 featuring Get Smart, Mannix and Charlie's Angels, so be sure to catch that as well!
FX has ordered 13 episodes of its hit comedy Louie for its fourth season. The current third season of Louie has eight all new episodes remaining this season airing Thursdays at 10:30 PM ET/PT. Louie will conclude with a special one-hour season finale on Thursday, September 27. Louie is a comedy filtered through the observational humor of Louis C.K. Each episode puts a spotlight on Louis' hectic life as a successful stand-up comedian and newly single father raising his two daughters in New York City.
Stay tuned for news on a pick-up for Charlie Sheen's sitcom Anger Management for a second season (probably for 90 episodes). It is expected that his father Martin Sheen will join the series as his father if there is a second season. Martin Sheen will guest star this season on the ninth episode airing Aug. 16. Anger Management airs Thursdays at 9:30pm through Thursday, August 23. FX will air a marathon of the entire first season of its new hit series Anger Management, running all ten episodes back-to-back on Thursday, Sept. 6 from 6-11pm. Charlie Sheen stars as a non-traditional therapist specializing in anger management. Prior to his career as a therapist, he was a stalled minor league baseball prospect whose road to the majors was sidetracked by his own struggle with anger issues. Thriving on the chaos in his life while still battling his own anger issues, his life is complicated by his relationships with his own therapist/best friend, an ex-wife with a positive outlook but poor choice in men, and their 13-year-old daughter with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Digital Digest: Missing - The Complete First Season DVD Review; Mannix - The Seventh Season DVD Review
Welcome back to this week's edition of Digital Digest! Summer is here, but we're not slacking off. In addition to our regular news, we have another double feature for our reviews this week, with reviews of Missing - The Complete First Season and Mannix - The Seventh Season. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
The big announcement this week has been "Blu," as Warner Home Video has announced that once again, they'll be releasing the series Friends... but this time on Blu-ray! On November 13, the entire series will come out in one big chunk as an ultimate 21-disc Blu-ray set, with every single episode presented in high definition. The set includes over 20 hours of special features, three of which have never been presented on any previous release.
We've got more news this week, which brings us closer (but not quite all the way) to completing the 2011-2012 seasons of ongoing series on home media. We start with the Universal series, as we have more definitive details on those. Universal treats us with a double feature on September 4 with releases of The Office - Season Eight (DVD, DVD/Blu-ray/Digital Download Combo Pack) and Parks and Recreation - Season Four (just on DVD, sorry!). The Blu-ray release of The Office, as suggested above, is not JUST a Blu-ray release this time, but includes the DVD and an Ultraviolet digital download this time. It seems, though, that Universal has chosen to place the DVD and Blu-ray versions on the same discs utilizing double-sided discs, a standard which Universal seemed to have abandoned some time ago (but obviously it isn't gone for good, it appears). While it is already available to preorder, there is still no date for 30 Rock - Season Six, but most likely we'll see it just before the final season begins (since it will be a midseason replacement in the 2012-2013 season).
TVShowsOnDVD.com has come across some release dates for some series from 20th Century Fox, courtesy of listing dates provided on Amazon.ca (Amazon's Canadian outlet). We should stress that these dates are unofficial, and subject to change... but generally speaking, Canadian release dates are the same as release dates in the United States. On September 18, you can find Modern Family - Season Three (DVD/Blu-ray) in retailers. How I Met Your Mother - Season Seven is scheduled for another "legendary" release on October 2. Moving over to Fox animated series, Family Guy - Volume Ten is set for a September 25 release. Surprisingly, they are not trying a Blu-ray release for this set... at least not yet. And moving all the way into December, Fox has The Simpsons - The Fifteenth Season (leaving the series with seven seasons still not yet released... the pacing of this series seriously needs to be picked up a bit) on December 4, and Futurama - Volume Seven on December 18. Both releases will be on both DVD and Blu-ray.
Amazon.com announced some new additions to their Amazon Prime streaming service last week, this time coming from the MGM library. While the announcement for the deal mostly discusses movies, it does include some TV series from the MGM library. The only series which we could find that are included in this deal so far, though, are thirtysomething and series from the Stargate franchise. Hopefully as this deal "develops" over time, we'll see more MGM TV series appear on the service for unlimited streaming, such as Green Acres, Cagney & Lacey, Fame, and more. Those series are, in fact, already available to purchase as streaming video from the website, but are NOT included in the "all you can watch" Amazon Prime plan (which costs about $80 a year, unless you are eligible for one of their discounted flavors of the service). We'll let you know if more comes out of this.
Finally, we have been covering a lot of news lately about the in-demand actress Christine Lakin, including our recent story with the actress on her latest endeavor Worst Audition Ever. You'll be able to see much more of her coming up starting July 16 on Hulu, with her own webseries mockumentary, Lovin' Lakin. The "mockumentary" focuses on her rise from child star to a working actress in Hollywood, where she provides insight on how to make it there. There is an intro trailer available now where fans can preview the comedic webseries, which will feature guests including Kristen Bell, Patrick Duffy, Kristin Chenowith, and Seth MacFarlane. We will have much more on this webseries in the coming weeks!
TVShowsOnDVD.com has come across some release dates for some series from 20th Century Fox, courtesy of listing dates provided on Amazon.ca (Amazon's Canadian outlet). We should stress that these dates are unofficial, and subject to change... but generally speaking, Canadian release dates are the same as release dates in the United States. On September 18, you can find Modern Family - Season Three (DVD/Blu-ray) in retailers. How I Met Your Mother - Season Seven is scheduled for another "legendary" release on October 2. Moving over to Fox animated series, Family Guy - Volume Ten is set for a September 25 release. Surprisingly, they are not trying a Blu-ray release for this set... at least not yet. And moving all the way into December, Fox has The Simpsons - The Fifteenth Season (leaving the series with seven seasons still not yet released... the pacing of this series seriously needs to be picked up a bit) on December 4, and Futurama - Volume Seven on December 18. Both releases will be on both DVD and Blu-ray.
Amazon.com announced some new additions to their Amazon Prime streaming service last week, this time coming from the MGM library. While the announcement for the deal mostly discusses movies, it does include some TV series from the MGM library. The only series which we could find that are included in this deal so far, though, are thirtysomething and series from the Stargate franchise. Hopefully as this deal "develops" over time, we'll see more MGM TV series appear on the service for unlimited streaming, such as Green Acres, Cagney & Lacey, Fame, and more. Those series are, in fact, already available to purchase as streaming video from the website, but are NOT included in the "all you can watch" Amazon Prime plan (which costs about $80 a year, unless you are eligible for one of their discounted flavors of the service). We'll let you know if more comes out of this.
Finally, we have been covering a lot of news lately about the in-demand actress Christine Lakin, including our recent story with the actress on her latest endeavor Worst Audition Ever. You'll be able to see much more of her coming up starting July 16 on Hulu, with her own webseries mockumentary, Lovin' Lakin. The "mockumentary" focuses on her rise from child star to a working actress in Hollywood, where she provides insight on how to make it there. There is an intro trailer available now where fans can preview the comedic webseries, which will feature guests including Kristen Bell, Patrick Duffy, Kristin Chenowith, and Seth MacFarlane. We will have much more on this webseries in the coming weeks!
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (June 26) brings to DVD the Warner Archive release of Night Court - The Complete Sixth Season. It isn't available to order yet, but it will be on Tuesday morning. Also, Lionsgate has Meet the Browns - Season 6 (Episodes 101-120). We will have a review of this set soon.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Missing - The Complete First Season (ABC Studios, $39.99)
by Pavan
How far would you go to save the one you love most? Emmy Award Nominee Ashley Judd stars in Missing, ABC's thrilling series that aired this past season, bursting with international intrigue and a full season of brilliant twists and turns. After Becca Winstone's son disappears while overseas for a summer internship, she takes it upon herself to travel to Europe to track him down. It soon becomes clear that Becca is no ordinary woman, but a former CIA agent deactivated after the devastating death of her husband. If she wants to find her son alive, Becca will have to rely on old friends...and old enemies...thus reopening old wounds. Her resourcefulness, skill and determination will be put to the test – but a mother's love knows no limits. ABC's inspiring, action-packed drama grabs you from the very first minute and never lets go. This season one DVD set includes exclusive bonus features, plus interviews with star Ashley Judd and the show's creators, all on a three-disc DVD set.
The season stars Ashley Judd as Rebecca "Becca" Winstone, Sean Bean as Paul Winstone, Cliff Curtis, Adriano Giannini as as Agent Dax Miller, Nick Eversman as Michael Winstone, Tereza Voriskova as Oksana, and Adriano Giannini as Giancarlo Rossi. However, there are many recurring stars such as Aunjanue Ellis as Mary, Laura Donnelly as Violet Heath and Keith Carradine as Martin Newman. Other guest stars include Karel Roden as Victor Asimov and Nikola Navratil as Maxim Asimov. The series aired for 10 episodes this past season and didn't deliver in the ratings in the key 18-49 demo despite a decent total viewer count. Thus, ABC canceled the series in May. The series is being shopped to other networks to try to continue. I think ABC should have brought it back as a summer series. It is good fun.
Anyway, as for this set, there are many memorable episodes in this suspenseful juicy series. All ten episodes have to be seen in pretty much order as they are all connected. The series starts off with the episode "Pilot," where Becca Winstone's son Michael Winstone goes to Europe for an architecture program, but when Michael doesn't call home in over a week, Becca Winstone goes to Rome and she finds out that he was kidnapped, so as she was a former CIA Agent, she is going for a hunt. In "Ice Queen," with Becca still on the hunt to find Michael, her best friend, Mary, complicates matters with her surprise arrival in Europe, while Michael struggles to uncover answers behind his kidnapping. In "Tell Me No Lies," Becca is reunited with her CIA mentor, Martin Newman, and they join Dax Miller in trying to find the assassin who killed Paul, also Michael gets a severe warning about what happens if he tries to escape. In "Measure of a Man," Becca is forced to recall details of a traumatic former case in order to prove her innocence now, while Michael goes to new lengths to protect himself and Oksana. On the finale, "Rain on the Evil and on the Good," in a last-ditch effort to save her son, Becca faces her inner demons, while Suspect Zero tries to finish his sale.
Episodes are usually around 42 minutes and unedited, as they should be. Most series on ABC are 43 or so usually, but this one probably just ran short. Runtimes are below:
Disc 3:
The DVD comes in a case held by an outer thin box. The thin outer box is in black with a very cool shot of Becca Winstone on the bottom and has a nice shot of Paris on top with the series logo in the middle and the complete first season mention below that. The back of the thin outer box has info on the set and series, with a nice quote from Keck from TV Guide. We have a nice shot of Becca leaving an explosion along with four cool episodic photos. There is also a box showcasing the bonus features as well. When we remove the outer box, we get to the case. The case has the same artwork as the thin box, both cover and back, so everything is the exact same. Inside the case we have a nice shot of Becca on the left panel and like five episodic images on the right panel. There is also a disc-by-disc breakdown below the photos on the panels listing episode titles per disc. As for the discs themselves, disc one is on a little plastic holder that you can flip like a page in a book. Disc two is on the back of that little plastic holder, while disc three is on the right panel itself. All three discs are in the black and red design with the series logo and a character. Disc one holds episodes 1-4 with an image of Becca, disc two holds episodes 5-7 with a shot of Paul and disc three holds episodes 8-10 with a shot of Michael. There is also an insert booklet showcasing other ABC TV DVDs that are coming soon like Once Upon a Time and Revenge, and it is placed on the left panel.
The menu design is well designed! We have different pictures and we have background music from the show playing. Before the main menu, we have auto trailers. On disc one we have trailers for ABC TV DVDs coming this summer and fall, Castle Season 4, and the theatrical movie The Avengers. Disc three has trailers for more ABC TV on DVD and the upcoming Odd Life of Timothy Green. Back to the main menu, the options are: Play All, Episode Selection, Bonus Features, Set Up and Sneak Peeks. Sneak Peeks is only on disc three and has the same trailers as the auto trailers on disc three. Set Up gives us the option for subtitles in English, French, Espanol, and Portuguese. You can also register your DVD here. Bonus Features is just on disc three and lists what is available, while Episode Selection gives us an episode number and title. All this is sort of similar to other recent ABC TV DVDs like The River.
Video and audio quality are both outstanding, similar to other recent ABC TV DVDs we have reviewed like Scandal. We have Digital Dolby 5.1 surround sound and it is perfect. For the video, we are in widescreen (1.78:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions. It is excellent quality but that is expected for newer/current series. As I keep saying, if anything goes wrong with audio/video for current series, then there is a major problem. Each episode has 8 or 9 chapter stops, so it is easy to jump through an episode if you are looking for something in particular. Nothing out of the ordinary here but it is all perfectly done.
There are some special features on this set as well! They are all on disc three. First up, another is the featurette "Missing: In Action" (16:01). Viewers get a look at the genesis and production of this international project. It's a very good and informative featurette and has interviews with Ashley Judd, Greg Poirier (creator/executive producer), Gina Matthews (executive producer), Grant Scharbo (executive producer), Nick Eversman, Nikola Navratil, and Lukus Katakaliois (stand-by props). Then we have a second featurette, the best one on the set, and this one is called "On Location: Inside Istanbul" (32:35). On this one, we will get to see firsthand what it takes to shoot an international television production when the cast and crew show how they broke language barriers and borders on location in Turkey for 12 days to wrap-up the season. Interviewed are Grant Scharbo, Nick Eversman, Gideon Amir (unit production manager), Greg Poirier, Miro Gabor (second unit director of photography), James Strong (director), Dale Wyatt (dialogue coach), Tereza Voriskora, Lukus Katakaliois, Kenny Bates (co-producer), Frauk Ozerten (producer, Istanbul), Cliff Curtis, Keith Carradine, and Rudolph Urba (flight coordinator). And finally we even have some Deleted Scenes that run about 6 and a half minutes total! Now fans can delve further into the mystery with seven never-before-seen deleted scenes that include: Standard Delivery (from episode 110, 0:40), Red Tape (from episode 101, 1:07), No Escape (from episode 106, 0:32), No Better Adventure (from episode 106, 0:32), Close Call (from episode 109, 0:34), Lock Up (from episode 110, 1:50) and Cornered (from episode 110, 0:25).
This is a nicely done set for a series that ended. It's a quick turnaround like for other ABC TV DVDs that came out in May and June! The series just aired its series finale on May 17 and this DVD was released on June 12! Unfortunately ABC canceled it at their upfront in May, so it will not be returning. Hopefully someone can revive it. As for the DVD, it is well done and similar to previous ABC TV DVDs. We get great audio/video, menus, packaging and special features. I think the special features are adequate for something with only 10 episodes. The Istanbul featurette is superb and well produced. Really liked that one. And we got deleted scenes, too! All that was missing really were audio commentaries though, like The River DVD had. ABC Studios knows how to make good DVDs, especially for their current series. Even though this show is done, you should still "see what you've been missing" (pun intended). If you only watched the pilot or one more episode, you need to watch them all because like more series, it got better. That is why I don't understand viewers these days. They only try one or two episodes and then give up. If it was like that in the old days, then shows like Cheers and Family Ties would have been long gone. This show was just good fun. Nothing Emmy worthy, but it has plenty of action and network TV is missing that right now. What other show on network TV films internationally actually? So see what you've been missing and try Missing...it's only 10 episodes and there is a satisfying ending to this "chapter."
(4/5 stars)
The season stars Ashley Judd as Rebecca "Becca" Winstone, Sean Bean as Paul Winstone, Cliff Curtis, Adriano Giannini as as Agent Dax Miller, Nick Eversman as Michael Winstone, Tereza Voriskova as Oksana, and Adriano Giannini as Giancarlo Rossi. However, there are many recurring stars such as Aunjanue Ellis as Mary, Laura Donnelly as Violet Heath and Keith Carradine as Martin Newman. Other guest stars include Karel Roden as Victor Asimov and Nikola Navratil as Maxim Asimov. The series aired for 10 episodes this past season and didn't deliver in the ratings in the key 18-49 demo despite a decent total viewer count. Thus, ABC canceled the series in May. The series is being shopped to other networks to try to continue. I think ABC should have brought it back as a summer series. It is good fun.
Anyway, as for this set, there are many memorable episodes in this suspenseful juicy series. All ten episodes have to be seen in pretty much order as they are all connected. The series starts off with the episode "Pilot," where Becca Winstone's son Michael Winstone goes to Europe for an architecture program, but when Michael doesn't call home in over a week, Becca Winstone goes to Rome and she finds out that he was kidnapped, so as she was a former CIA Agent, she is going for a hunt. In "Ice Queen," with Becca still on the hunt to find Michael, her best friend, Mary, complicates matters with her surprise arrival in Europe, while Michael struggles to uncover answers behind his kidnapping. In "Tell Me No Lies," Becca is reunited with her CIA mentor, Martin Newman, and they join Dax Miller in trying to find the assassin who killed Paul, also Michael gets a severe warning about what happens if he tries to escape. In "Measure of a Man," Becca is forced to recall details of a traumatic former case in order to prove her innocence now, while Michael goes to new lengths to protect himself and Oksana. On the finale, "Rain on the Evil and on the Good," in a last-ditch effort to save her son, Becca faces her inner demons, while Suspect Zero tries to finish his sale.
Episodes are usually around 42 minutes and unedited, as they should be. Most series on ABC are 43 or so usually, but this one probably just ran short. Runtimes are below:
Disc 1:
1. "Pilot" (41:28)
2. "The Hard Drive" (42:26)
3. "Ice Queen" (42:30)
4. "Tell Me No Lies" (41:36)
Disc 2:
5. "The Three Bears" (42:13)
6. "A Busy Solitude" (42:27)
7. "Measure of a Man" (42:36)
Disc 3:
8. "Answers" (41:58)
9. "Promise" (41:33)
10. "Rain on the Evil and on the Good" (43:03)
The menu design is well designed! We have different pictures and we have background music from the show playing. Before the main menu, we have auto trailers. On disc one we have trailers for ABC TV DVDs coming this summer and fall, Castle Season 4, and the theatrical movie The Avengers. Disc three has trailers for more ABC TV on DVD and the upcoming Odd Life of Timothy Green. Back to the main menu, the options are: Play All, Episode Selection, Bonus Features, Set Up and Sneak Peeks. Sneak Peeks is only on disc three and has the same trailers as the auto trailers on disc three. Set Up gives us the option for subtitles in English, French, Espanol, and Portuguese. You can also register your DVD here. Bonus Features is just on disc three and lists what is available, while Episode Selection gives us an episode number and title. All this is sort of similar to other recent ABC TV DVDs like The River.
Video and audio quality are both outstanding, similar to other recent ABC TV DVDs we have reviewed like Scandal. We have Digital Dolby 5.1 surround sound and it is perfect. For the video, we are in widescreen (1.78:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions. It is excellent quality but that is expected for newer/current series. As I keep saying, if anything goes wrong with audio/video for current series, then there is a major problem. Each episode has 8 or 9 chapter stops, so it is easy to jump through an episode if you are looking for something in particular. Nothing out of the ordinary here but it is all perfectly done.
There are some special features on this set as well! They are all on disc three. First up, another is the featurette "Missing: In Action" (16:01). Viewers get a look at the genesis and production of this international project. It's a very good and informative featurette and has interviews with Ashley Judd, Greg Poirier (creator/executive producer), Gina Matthews (executive producer), Grant Scharbo (executive producer), Nick Eversman, Nikola Navratil, and Lukus Katakaliois (stand-by props). Then we have a second featurette, the best one on the set, and this one is called "On Location: Inside Istanbul" (32:35). On this one, we will get to see firsthand what it takes to shoot an international television production when the cast and crew show how they broke language barriers and borders on location in Turkey for 12 days to wrap-up the season. Interviewed are Grant Scharbo, Nick Eversman, Gideon Amir (unit production manager), Greg Poirier, Miro Gabor (second unit director of photography), James Strong (director), Dale Wyatt (dialogue coach), Tereza Voriskora, Lukus Katakaliois, Kenny Bates (co-producer), Frauk Ozerten (producer, Istanbul), Cliff Curtis, Keith Carradine, and Rudolph Urba (flight coordinator). And finally we even have some Deleted Scenes that run about 6 and a half minutes total! Now fans can delve further into the mystery with seven never-before-seen deleted scenes that include: Standard Delivery (from episode 110, 0:40), Red Tape (from episode 101, 1:07), No Escape (from episode 106, 0:32), No Better Adventure (from episode 106, 0:32), Close Call (from episode 109, 0:34), Lock Up (from episode 110, 1:50) and Cornered (from episode 110, 0:25).
This is a nicely done set for a series that ended. It's a quick turnaround like for other ABC TV DVDs that came out in May and June! The series just aired its series finale on May 17 and this DVD was released on June 12! Unfortunately ABC canceled it at their upfront in May, so it will not be returning. Hopefully someone can revive it. As for the DVD, it is well done and similar to previous ABC TV DVDs. We get great audio/video, menus, packaging and special features. I think the special features are adequate for something with only 10 episodes. The Istanbul featurette is superb and well produced. Really liked that one. And we got deleted scenes, too! All that was missing really were audio commentaries though, like The River DVD had. ABC Studios knows how to make good DVDs, especially for their current series. Even though this show is done, you should still "see what you've been missing" (pun intended). If you only watched the pilot or one more episode, you need to watch them all because like more series, it got better. That is why I don't understand viewers these days. They only try one or two episodes and then give up. If it was like that in the old days, then shows like Cheers and Family Ties would have been long gone. This show was just good fun. Nothing Emmy worthy, but it has plenty of action and network TV is missing that right now. What other show on network TV films internationally actually? So see what you've been missing and try Missing...it's only 10 episodes and there is a satisfying ending to this "chapter."
(4/5 stars)
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BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Mannix - The Seventh Season (CBS DVD, $49.99)
by skees53
This is another fine release of the series, and it is especially great to see some of these rare episodes reappear for the first time. This is one of those series which seems to stay consistent over the seasons, without the series showing weakness as it ages. There is only one season remaining of the series, and just like the first season, none of the episodes from that season have ever appeared in syndication packages... so it will be even more exciting to see that one when it comes (which I think it will, it is just a matter of time). For now, though, I think fans will appreciate this DVD set. If you've never seen the series before (and I think by now, most fans have), it would probably appeal quite a bit to fans of other private eye series of the era (which were actually somewhat falling out of favor by this time, only to be revived just a few short years later with series like Magnum, P.I. and Simon & Simon), as well as action series such as Mission: Impossible.
(4/5 stars)
Joe Mannix is the straight-talking, straight-shooting private eye who was a fixture on television in the late '60s and early '70s, and now, we get more of him on DVD with the release of Mannix - The Seventh Season! The six-disc set from CBS DVD brings 24 more episodes of the classic series not only to DVD for the first time, but also to many fans for the first time. Yes, many diehard fans of the series who did not watch the series during the original airing will be seeing something "new" with this DVD set, as there are 16 episodes (that would be 2/3 of the episodes) included in this set which have not been included in American syndication packages.
The season begins with "The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress," where Mannix has to determine if a woman with clairvoyant visions is a fraud or can actually prevent a future murder. Joan Van Ark guest stars. In "A Way to Dusty's Death," Mannix gets mixed up with a corrupt police chief while searching for a friend's missing son. Mannix is rescued by an escaped convict when his plane crashes in "Climb a Deadly Mountain," but the guards want that prisoner (and anybody he meets along the way) dead. Mannix follows the trail of clues after a newspaper columnist is shot in front of his own daughter in "Little Lost Girl." Mannix takes down a gang in "The Gang's All Here," so now the rest of the gang wants to take down Mannix. In "Desert Run," a pilot goes missing and Mannix is begged by his wife to find him... but things get muddied up when he finds the pilot had two wives. A relaxing fishing trip leads Mannix to a house of professional hit men in "Silent Target." In "A World Without Sundays," a mobster's girlfriend and a retired football star are entangled in the murder of a young woman's roommate.
Mannix has to find out who wants to murder an opera star (and try not to fall in love with her in the meantime) in "Sing a Song of Murder." Finding jewels can help Mannix find an assault suspect in "Search in the Dark." In "The Deadly Madonna," a legendary actress (played by Anne Baxter) is about to make a comeback, that is if she isn't murdered first. Mannix is kidnapped at the airport in San Francisco in "Cry Danger." Plane crash survivors are a target for murder in "All the Dead were Strangers," and Mannix must find out why. In the two-part episode "Race Against TIme," Mannix has to get a Latin American revolutionary in and out of America for critical heart surgery... without getting him killed by factors other than his heart. Mannix tries to remember what leads to a near death situation (don't worry, Mannix can be shot infinitely many times without dying!) in "The Dark Hours."
In "A Night Full of Darkness," Mannix is out to find out if an investigation of a mob boss caused the assault that killed Lt. Malcolm's new bride. Mannix has to prove the innocence of an accused gunman in "Walk a Double Line." In "The Girl From Nowhere," Mannix wants to find the identity of an unknown little girl who was a murder victim. Lucille Benson (you may not know the name, but you definitely know her face when you see her) guest stars in this episode. A psychiatrist supposedly commits suicide in "A Rage to Kill," but was it really suicide? Sergeant Reardon (Claude Akins) is identified as the suspect in the murder of a loan shark in "Mask for a Charade," and Mannix has to prove that wrong. A boxer is killed by a hit-and-run driver in "A Question of Murder," and his dying words identify the killer... and now a young boy who idolized the boxer seeks Mannix's help in proving it was murder. In "Trap for a Pigeon," Mannix gets entangled with the mob when he retrieves a stolen briefcase for a lawyer. The season ends with "The Ragged Edge," where Mannix goes deep undercover as a heroin addict to expose corruption on the police force. Linda Evans guest stars in this episode, and as an interesting side note, pay attention to the house where most of this episode is set... you'll see very clearly that they've invaded the house from The Brady Bunch!
The episodes on the set all seem to be unedited (as far as I can tell), with runtimes are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress" (49:34)
2. "A Way to Dusty Death" (48:58)
3. "Climb a Deadly Mountain" (49:36)
4. "Little Girl Lost" (49:38)
Disc 2:
5. "The Gang's All Here" (49:56)
6. "Desert Run" (49:33)
7. "Silent Target" (49:32)
8. "A World Without Sundays" (49:44)
Disc 3:
9. "Sing a Song of Murder" (49:46)
10. "Search in the Dark" (49:43)
11. "A Deadly Madonna" (49:45)
12. "Cry Danger" (49:46)
Disc 4:
13. "All the Dead Were Strangers" (49:47)
14. "Race Against Time (Part 1)" (49:39)
15. "Race Against Time (Part 2)" (49:44)
16. "The Dark Hours" (49:46)
Disc 5:
17. "A Night Full of Darkness" (49:44)
18. "Walk a Double Line" (49:46)
19. "The Girl From Nowhere" (49:47)
20. "A Rage to Kill" (49:43)
Disc 6:
21. "Mask for a Charade" (49:47)
22. "A Question of Murder" (49:45)
23. "Trap for a Pigeon" (49:48)
24. "The Ragged Edge" (49:47)
The season begins with "The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress," where Mannix has to determine if a woman with clairvoyant visions is a fraud or can actually prevent a future murder. Joan Van Ark guest stars. In "A Way to Dusty's Death," Mannix gets mixed up with a corrupt police chief while searching for a friend's missing son. Mannix is rescued by an escaped convict when his plane crashes in "Climb a Deadly Mountain," but the guards want that prisoner (and anybody he meets along the way) dead. Mannix follows the trail of clues after a newspaper columnist is shot in front of his own daughter in "Little Lost Girl." Mannix takes down a gang in "The Gang's All Here," so now the rest of the gang wants to take down Mannix. In "Desert Run," a pilot goes missing and Mannix is begged by his wife to find him... but things get muddied up when he finds the pilot had two wives. A relaxing fishing trip leads Mannix to a house of professional hit men in "Silent Target." In "A World Without Sundays," a mobster's girlfriend and a retired football star are entangled in the murder of a young woman's roommate.
Mannix has to find out who wants to murder an opera star (and try not to fall in love with her in the meantime) in "Sing a Song of Murder." Finding jewels can help Mannix find an assault suspect in "Search in the Dark." In "The Deadly Madonna," a legendary actress (played by Anne Baxter) is about to make a comeback, that is if she isn't murdered first. Mannix is kidnapped at the airport in San Francisco in "Cry Danger." Plane crash survivors are a target for murder in "All the Dead were Strangers," and Mannix must find out why. In the two-part episode "Race Against TIme," Mannix has to get a Latin American revolutionary in and out of America for critical heart surgery... without getting him killed by factors other than his heart. Mannix tries to remember what leads to a near death situation (don't worry, Mannix can be shot infinitely many times without dying!) in "The Dark Hours."
In "A Night Full of Darkness," Mannix is out to find out if an investigation of a mob boss caused the assault that killed Lt. Malcolm's new bride. Mannix has to prove the innocence of an accused gunman in "Walk a Double Line." In "The Girl From Nowhere," Mannix wants to find the identity of an unknown little girl who was a murder victim. Lucille Benson (you may not know the name, but you definitely know her face when you see her) guest stars in this episode. A psychiatrist supposedly commits suicide in "A Rage to Kill," but was it really suicide? Sergeant Reardon (Claude Akins) is identified as the suspect in the murder of a loan shark in "Mask for a Charade," and Mannix has to prove that wrong. A boxer is killed by a hit-and-run driver in "A Question of Murder," and his dying words identify the killer... and now a young boy who idolized the boxer seeks Mannix's help in proving it was murder. In "Trap for a Pigeon," Mannix gets entangled with the mob when he retrieves a stolen briefcase for a lawyer. The season ends with "The Ragged Edge," where Mannix goes deep undercover as a heroin addict to expose corruption on the police force. Linda Evans guest stars in this episode, and as an interesting side note, pay attention to the house where most of this episode is set... you'll see very clearly that they've invaded the house from The Brady Bunch!
The episodes on the set all seem to be unedited (as far as I can tell), with runtimes are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress" (49:34)
2. "A Way to Dusty Death" (48:58)
3. "Climb a Deadly Mountain" (49:36)
4. "Little Girl Lost" (49:38)
Disc 2:
5. "The Gang's All Here" (49:56)
6. "Desert Run" (49:33)
7. "Silent Target" (49:32)
8. "A World Without Sundays" (49:44)
Disc 3:
9. "Sing a Song of Murder" (49:46)
10. "Search in the Dark" (49:43)
11. "A Deadly Madonna" (49:45)
12. "Cry Danger" (49:46)
Disc 4:
13. "All the Dead Were Strangers" (49:47)
14. "Race Against Time (Part 1)" (49:39)
15. "Race Against Time (Part 2)" (49:44)
16. "The Dark Hours" (49:46)
Disc 5:
17. "A Night Full of Darkness" (49:44)
18. "Walk a Double Line" (49:46)
19. "The Girl From Nowhere" (49:47)
20. "A Rage to Kill" (49:43)
Disc 6:
21. "Mask for a Charade" (49:47)
22. "A Question of Murder" (49:45)
23. "Trap for a Pigeon" (49:48)
24. "The Ragged Edge" (49:47)
The packaging for the set is basically just like all of the previous releases. The cover art has a photo of Mannix, along with the series title and seven bullets to indicate the seventh season. On the back, there are a few episode snapshots, a photo of Mannix and his secretary Peggy, and a very brief description of the series. Inside the case are the six discs, which have just basic gray artwork with the series logo and a few "bullet holes" on each disc. Each disc contains four episodes. Imprinted inside the case is a listing of episodes, along with descriptions and original airdates.
The menus on the set are very nicely done, as they have been on all of the previous releases. The main menu begins with an intro similar to the opening credits, while the theme song plays in the background. After that, there are clips from the episodes playing on the top half of the screen with a listing of the episodes on the bottom of the screen, along with options for Play All and Subtitles. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. There are chapters at all of the appropriate places.
Like a majority of the CBS DVD releases, the video and audio quality of the episodes on this set is absolutely pristine. The series has looked pretty good when shown in syndication, but the episodes presented on this set look great, with few problems aside from the expected occasional grain on screen. The audio is presented in mono, but is very loud and clear. Each episode on the set contains English subtitles for those who require them.
The menus on the set are very nicely done, as they have been on all of the previous releases. The main menu begins with an intro similar to the opening credits, while the theme song plays in the background. After that, there are clips from the episodes playing on the top half of the screen with a listing of the episodes on the bottom of the screen, along with options for Play All and Subtitles. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. There are chapters at all of the appropriate places.
Like a majority of the CBS DVD releases, the video and audio quality of the episodes on this set is absolutely pristine. The series has looked pretty good when shown in syndication, but the episodes presented on this set look great, with few problems aside from the expected occasional grain on screen. The audio is presented in mono, but is very loud and clear. Each episode on the set contains English subtitles for those who require them.
There are no special features on this set, just as has been the case with previous sets. It would be nice if Mike Connors could be included in the special features, but he has been in somewhat of a dispute with CBS over these DVDs in the first place... so it would be unexpected to see any on any sets of the series (although he did do some stuff for the release of the first season).
This is another fine release of the series, and it is especially great to see some of these rare episodes reappear for the first time. This is one of those series which seems to stay consistent over the seasons, without the series showing weakness as it ages. There is only one season remaining of the series, and just like the first season, none of the episodes from that season have ever appeared in syndication packages... so it will be even more exciting to see that one when it comes (which I think it will, it is just a matter of time). For now, though, I think fans will appreciate this DVD set. If you've never seen the series before (and I think by now, most fans have), it would probably appeal quite a bit to fans of other private eye series of the era (which were actually somewhat falling out of favor by this time, only to be revived just a few short years later with series like Magnum, P.I. and Simon & Simon), as well as action series such as Mission: Impossible.
(4/5 stars)
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CLICK OF THE WEEK
Ultimate Dallas (www.ultimatedallas.com) - Last week, TNT introduced a "new" series to many fans with their debut of Dallas, but fans of vintage television know that this series is hardly new, and is in fact a continuation of something which began on CBS over three decades ago (and when it ran there, it stayed on the air for nearly a decade and a half). In fact, both series continue to feature Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy as J.R. and Bobby, the Ewing brothers. Ultimate Dallas is the definitive website for the series (and is being regularly updated as the new series progressing), dating back to the 1997.
If you need to know something about the series, this website has everything that you'll ever need to know about it. Beginning with the episode guide, you'll find complete information about every episode of the original series, every reunion movie, and even every episode of the current TNT series. You'll even find an overview of all of the cliffhangers and reviews of the original series from critics here. If you are interested in the characters, you'll find complete biographies of every character of any level of importance, a Ewing family tree, famous J.R. quotes, and details of all of the women that J.R. ever slept with (particularly, his secretaries!). There are many other features on the website which we haven't even scratched the surface of here, so we suggest heading on over to the site to check out our Click of the Week.
If you need to know something about the series, this website has everything that you'll ever need to know about it. Beginning with the episode guide, you'll find complete information about every episode of the original series, every reunion movie, and even every episode of the current TNT series. You'll even find an overview of all of the cliffhangers and reviews of the original series from critics here. If you are interested in the characters, you'll find complete biographies of every character of any level of importance, a Ewing family tree, famous J.R. quotes, and details of all of the women that J.R. ever slept with (particularly, his secretaries!). There are many other features on the website which we haven't even scratched the surface of here, so we suggest heading on over to the site to check out our Click of the Week.
That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Cloo's Classic Get Smart, Mannix and Charlie's Angels Marathon; CBS Season Finale Dates in May 2012
Cloo will be airing some classic marathons once again in April and May. As we mentioned, we have already gotten classic Saturday marathons of Mannix and Get Smart, but now we'll get more! On Saturday, April 21, 2012 it's three shows in one day! First, we'll get Get Smart from 6-10am ET! Then its time for some Mannix from 10am-4pm ET and what better way to finish it off with Charlie's Angels from 4pm-6am. It's nice to see Get Smart and Mannix get some play again and Charlie's Angels is always nice to see, as it also airs on sister network Universal HD.
What about in May? There will also be a Cloo Classic Marathon that month. On Saturday, May 19 we will get a full 24-hour marathon of Charlie's Angels! Hello, Angels indeed! We'll of course continue to keep you up to date of any future Cloo Classic marathons and we hope we get plenty more to come! And hopefully some more classics join in on the fun. View the Cloo website to see if you get this cable network.
CBS announced the dates for its 2011-12 series' season finales. Finales include two-hour editions of The Amazing Race, Survivor: One World, NCIS: Los Angeles and Criminal Minds. Also, sitcoms 2 Broke Girls and How I Met Your Mother will both get one-hour season finales! The finales kick-off on Sunday, April 29 with the season finale of The Good Wife in its 9pm timeslot. Then on the following week on May 6, it will be the two-hour season finale of The Amazing Race from 8-10pm. The very next night on Monday, May 7, CBS will air a one-hour season finale of 2 Broke Girls starting at a special time of 8pm, as How I Met Your Mother is preempted. That sitcom will get the one-hour finale treatment the following week on May 14 from 8-9pm. New drama Unforgettable, whose fate is still not revealed, will have its finale on Tuesday, May 8 at 10pm. CSI will end its season on Wednesday, May 9 at 10pm. The Big Bang Theory is ending pretty early as it has its season finale on Thursday, May 10 -- a week before the final Thursday of the season. The Friday finales will also end a week before the final Friday of the season, as these shows end on May 11: Undercover Boss, CSI: NY and Blue Bloods. On Sunday, May 13, it is the Survivor finale event from 8-11pm with a two-hour finale and a live Reunion show at 10pm. Following the Mother finale on Monday, May 14, will be the finales of the other Monday series Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly and Hawaii Five-0 -- also a week before the final Monday of the season. And CBS continues that pattern on Tuesdays, with the NCIS finale at 8pm and a two-hour NCIS: LA finale from 9-11pm on Tuesday, May 15. Criminal Minds will also get a two-hour finale on Wednesday, May 16 from 9-11pm. No word what airs at 8pm on that night, as Survivor will have its finale Wednesday episode on May 9. On Thursday, May 17, Rules of Engagement will have its season finale at 8:30pm. It looks like a Bang repeat will lead-in. Weird. Dramas Person of Interest and The Mentalist will have their season finales also on that night from 9-11pm.
So everything but the Thursday, May 17 finales are ending early. CBS looks like will air a lot of repeats from May 18-23 (like last season) -- the final week of the season. Look for a new Jesse Stone movie on Sunday, May 20.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Digital Digest: Mannix - The Sixth Season DVD Review
It just wouldn't be Saturday if there wasn't a Digital Digest, and this week is no exception... so welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got all of our regular weekly features, of course, and we have a review of CBS Home Entertainment's upcoming release of Mannix - The Sixth Season. Let's get going!
We all know that Mill Creek licensed several Carsey-Werner series not too long ago, and that they have started releasing many of these series. Among those series, we heard of That '70s Show - Season One (Blu-ray) debuting on Blu-ray, but there had been some delays along the way. Now, it seems that Mill Creek is ready to get this set rolling, with a scheduled release date of March 20 for the set. The four-disc set (yes, that is one more disc than the DVD release from Mill Creek contained, which is unusual given that Blu-ray Disc sets typically contain less discs) will contain the entire first season, along with the original special features, a new green screen feature, and even some episodes from the second season, in high-definition format. As a side note, this marks the very first time that a sitcom from the '90s will appear on Blu-ray. In fact, unless we are forgetting a series (speaking strictly of sitcoms; The Twilight Zone obviously is not a sitcom), this will also be the oldest sitcom to make it to the format so far.
This week, TVShowsOnDVD.com brought some new information to light about a DVD set that has been "in the works" for almost a year now that finally appears to be coming to light. Bob's Burgers - Season One is finally making it in to the "ready to be announced" phase of DVD production, rather than just being mentioned as a "Coming Soon" released in several Fox DVD releases. In other words, the studio finally officially announced it, and set a release date of April 17. You can read more about this release, and the bonus features to be included on the set, by visiting TVShowsOnDVD.com.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (January 24) is a good day if you are a fan of crime dramas, with the release of another season of a classic crime drama and a collection of movies from another classic crime drama. From CBS Home Entertainment comes Mannix - The Sixth Season, a six-disc set containing every episode of the 1972-1973 season of the series. We have a review of this DVD set in today's Digital Digest. Additionally, Shout! Factory is releasing Kojak - The Complete Movie Collection, an excellent collection of eight (the original pilot and seven post-series) movies featuring the iconic detective. We reviewed this set last weekend in Digital Digest. Finally, there is one sitcom release for Tuesday, with Lionsgate's Meet the Browns - Season 4. You can read our review of this set here.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Mannix - The Sixth Season (CBS DVD, $49.99)
by skees53
One of America's classic private eyes from the '70s returns to DVD once again with Mannix - The Sixth Season. The six disc set contains all 24 episodes from the 1972-1973 of the action-packed, crime-solving series starring Mike Conners as Joe Mannix, and Gail Fisher as his secretary Peggy Fair, in a six-disc set.
The sixth season begins with "The Open Web," where Mannix leads the manhunt for a gang leader after he escapes from police custody. Mannix is out to investigate who killed an attorney's high-profile client in "The Crimson Halo." A pilot doesn't live to see the presentation of an experimental plane in "Portrait of a Hero." In "To Kill a Memory," an amnesiac soldier believed to be dead suddenly returns. A child's prize winning stamp collection could be motivation for murder in "The Upside Down Penny." In "One Step to Midnight," the granddaughter of an exiled mob boss is being stalked by one of her grandfather's dangerous friends. Crop dusters are missing in "Harvest of Death." Mannix investigates the death of a fellow private eye in "A Puzzle for One," and ends up taking on one of his cases in the meantime.
Mannix has to clear the name of the son of one of Peggy's friends after clues lead to him being the perpetrator of a fatal mugging in "See No Evil." In "A Game of Shadows," Mannix searches for a wanted killer with no identity. A hit-and-run leads to murder accusations for a man in "A Matter of Principle." Peggy goes undercover as a hooker to break up a drug ring in "Out of the Night." In "The Faces of Murder," Mannix must sift through a family of lies after a brother and sister confess to the same crime. A bum's patchwork coat makes him a murder target in "To Quote a Dead Man." The season concludes with "The Danford File," where political blackmail takes an eerie turn when all clues point to the blackmailer being dead.
The episodes appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Open Web" (50:44)
2. "Cry Silence" (50:45)
3. "The Crimson Halo" (50:46)
4. "Broken Mirror" (50:43)
Disc 2:
5. "Portrait of a Hero" (50:45)
6. "The Inside Man" (50:44)
7. "To Kill a Memory" (50:43)
8. "The Upside Down Penny" (50:44)
Disc 3:
9. "One Step to Midnight" (50:42)
10. "Harvest of Death" (50:42)
11. "A Puzzle For One" (50:44)
12. "Lost Sunday" (50:42)
Disc 4:
13. "See No Evil" (50:46)
14. "Light and Shadow" (50:44)
15. "A Game of Shadows" (50:41)
16. "The Man Who Wasn't There" (50:18)
Disc 5:
17. "A Matter of Principle" (50:30)
18. "Out of the Night" (50:32)
19. "Carol Lockwood, Past Tense" (50:25)
20. "The Faces of Murder" (50:25)
Disc 6:
21. "Search for a Whisper" (50:21)
22. "To Quote a Dead Man" (50:25)
23. "A Problem of Innocence" (50:27)
24. "The Danford File" (50:25)
The packaging for this set is just like the previous releases, employing the usual Viva-case. On the cover, we have a large photo of Joe Mannix, along with the set title, and like the previous sets, there are six "bullets" shown on the cover to indicate the sixth season. On the back, there are several episode snapshots, along with a very generic description of the series. Inside, you'll find the six discs, all of which have gray artwork with the series logo on them. Each disc contains exactly four episodes. Also, inside the case, you'll find a listing of all of the episodes, along with descriptions and original airdates.
As has been the case in the previous releases, the menus on this set are actually very nicely done. The main menu on each disc begins with a video sequence similar to the opening credits, while the theme song plays in the background. After a few seconds, you get to the menu, which lists the episodes, along with Play All and Subtitles, on the bottom of the screen, and plays video clips from the episodes on the top of the screen. Once you select an episode, it plays right away. Chapters are placed throughout each episode at all of the appropriate places.
The video and audio quality on this set is excellent. Like most other CBS DVD releases, considerable effort was taken to remaster the episodes to bring them up to current standards as best as possible. There really don't seem to be any major defects in the video or audio, and even grain and debris seems to be kept to a minimum. The black levels on the video seem to be a tiny bit off, but it isn't too bad. The audio is presented in mono, and is mostly loud and clear. Every episode on the set contains English subtitles.
There are no special features on this set at all. It would have been nice to have seen some original promos or something along those lines. Apparently, there is an on-going legal dispute between Mike Connors and CBS regarding royalties on these sets, so I wouldn't expect to see him taking part in any new special features on these sets.
Despite being a barebones set, this is still another great set for the series. I have a feeling that we will certainly see the final two seasons in the upcoming year or so, but they'll likely be barebones sets, just as this one and most of the previous ones have been. It is really too bad, considering that this series is a fan favorite. But it is really nice to see that this series has been coming along rather nicely on DVD. Fans of the series will definitely want to own this release, and if you've never seen the series, you may enjoy it if you are a fan of '70s crime drama. This series is definitely one of the "classics" and has rightfully earned that spot.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Mannix on TV.com
CLICK OF THE WEEK
Retroality.tv (www.retroality.tv) - Like last week, we're going more into pop-culture territory again this week than we normally do for our Click of the Week, but it is for a good pop-culture television website. Retroality.tv will certainly appear at first glance to be another blog, just from the perspective of a different person. However, the "different person" who runs this particular blog is Chris Mann, a name that many of our blog readers know. And if you don't know who he is, we'll just tell you who he says he is, described in his own word: "A TV tell-all author and producer, Chris has covered celebrities, controversy, pop culture and health as a freelance writer for the LA Times, TV Guide, emmy, Radar and lifestyle magazines." In other words, he is no bedroom blogger, but he goes out to get the stories, interviews, and covers the celebrities--the good, the bad, and the ugly--as a career. Given that, it should be no surprise what this website is all about.
For the most part, you'll find most of Mann's recent articles from various publications on this website, and a lot of them are about the television stars that we all know and love. You'll also find some original pieces on this website, complete with Mann's ability to uncover parts of the story that we haven't heard before. And just this past October, one of the newest features of the website debuted, the "Retroality.TV Presents Reimagine That! with Chris Mann" podcast, which makes appearances with new episodes roughly once a month. You'll find many interviews and scoops here, and considering that it is still a relatively new feature, there are still a lot of possibilities for the feature as time goes on. So we'd like to suggest that you head on over to Retroality.TV, our Click of the Week.
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
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