Saturday, July 21, 2012
Digital Digest: All in the Family Complete Series Details; Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volumes 1 and 2 DVD Review; Harry O - The Complete First Season DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! We've got a light news week this week, but once we get past that, we've got not one, but two reviews for you this week, with Dynasty - The Sixth Season (Volume 1 and Volume 2) and Harry O - The Complete First Season. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
Fox wrapped up some loose ends (perhaps not completely, though) with their release slate for continuing sitcoms on DVD this week with their announcement of New Girl - Season One. The release is scheduled for October 2, and will include a nice collection of special features, which you can read more about here.
We've already mentioned the September 4 release of The Office - Season Eight (DVD and DVD/Blu-ray/Ultraviolet Combo), but fans of more "classic" episodes of the series will see a special single-DVD release on October 16 with The Office - Secret Santa Pack. The $14.98 DVD will include four classic Christmas episodes of the series. The episodes to be included are "Christmas Party" (season 2), "A Benihana Christmas" (season 3), "Moroccan Christmas" (season 5), and "Secret Santa" (season 6).
We told you just last week about Shout! Factory's October 30 release of All in the Family - The Complete Series, but now we know a bit more about the special features which will be included. Among those special features, we have a 40-page collectible booklet, a new interview with Norman Lear, two documentaries (Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family" and The Television Revolution Begins: "All In The Family" Is On The Air), both original pilots of the series, and the pilot episodes of the spinoffs Archie Bunker's Place, Gloria, and 704 Hauser.
Finally, looking for that MOD release of the series Dave's World which was announced a few weeks ago? Well, it is coming very soon... on Tuesday.. with Dave's World - The Third Season! We don't know much about this set yet, but if we find out more about it, we'll let you know.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (July 24) is a light release day, with only two sitcom releases. CBS DVD continues the sitcom Dave's World with Dave's World - The Third Season, but it is a MOD title which can only be purchased online. Meanwhile, Inception Media Group has The Real McCoys - Season 1. We did not receive a review copy of this set, but the studio has indicated that this release is the same as the previously released set from Roxbury Entertainment.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volumes 1 and 2 (CBS DVD, $36.98 each)
by Pavan
The addictive, primetime soap opera that quickly became a 1980s hit and lives on in popular cult status returns to DVD with Dynasty: The Sixth Season, Volume One & Volume Two. Each volume includes four discs of all the over-the-top glamour and drama from the series' sixth season. Explore the conflicts, passions, drives, and tensions of the Carringtons, a rich and powerful oil family, as they struggle to maintain their status of wealth and influence. This two-volume set brings all 30 episodes of season six in two sets, and like season five, they come out on the same date so we don't have to wait for the second half later on! Still, they are actually two different volumes, that you could buy separately, but there is a two-pack available if you want that instead!
John Forsythe, Linda Evans, Joan Collins star and we find out what happens after the Moldavian massacre! This is the season where ratings were still strong but were on the decline. Seasons 3-6 all were in the time of the height of the popularity, with the previous season, season five, hitting being the peak. The series lasted 9 seasons on ABC, from 1981-89. We get the the entire sixth season (1985-86) on this two-pack set. I'm just glad we don't have to wait for the conclusion of the sixth season, but they are still splitting the seasons in half. For the last two releases, it's just that they are out on the same day! Anyway, the drama in Denver continues whether it is at the mansion, the LaMirage hotel or even California.
Diahann Carroll and Heather Locklear are also back this season, as they were in season five. The sixth season begins with "The Aftermath," as the fifth season cliffhanger is revealed about the attack at Michael & Amanda's wedding leaves two guests dead, while the rest of the wedding party is held captive in Moldavia. In the two-hour episode "The Titans," Blake prepares for the arrival of the Colbysm, while Krystle is held hostage at Delta Rho by Joel while Rita takes her place at the mansion. In "The Proposal," qfter marrying Adam and gaining financial independence due to an oil well willed to her by the late Walter Lankershim, Claudia decides to move back into the Carrington mansion, while the family discovers that Fallon is not dead, but alive and living in California with Miles Colby. In "The Vigil," Blake is taken to the hospital after his collapse, while panicked and seeking comfort from Joel, Rita rushes to Delta Rho, only to discover Krystle instead of Joel and the two women engage in a vicious physical battle. On the two-part episode, "the Trial," Caress finally discovers that Alexis has purchased the publishing house who was to distribute her book, "Sister Dearest" and it is quickly canceled and Alexis celebrates destroying her sister's vengeful plans, while Ben confronts Blake and demands his share of their father's estate, and a court battle begins. On the season finale, "The Choice," after Alexis manipulates him, Ben agrees to go into business with her, and together, the two finally bankrupt Blake, during Dominique's engagement party, Claudia accidentally sets fire to La Mirage, leaving several lives in danger.
Each episode on this set is just around 46-47 minutes on average, though some lower, which is strange. Nearly every CBS DVD has a disclaimer on the back of the box saying, "Some episodes maybe be edited from their original network versions." So there is a chance something could be edited, but I didn't see anything, but some runtimes in the 44-45 minute range are suspicious. There is one two-hour episode on this set, clocking in over 95 minutes. Runtimes are as follows:
Volume 1
Disc 1:
1. "The Aftermath" (45:52)
2. "The Homecoming" (46:32)
3. "The Califnornians" (46:39)
4. "The Man" (46:46)
Disc 2:
5. "The Gown" (46:29)
6. "The Titans" (95:31)
7. "The Decision" (45:39)
Disc 3:
8. "The Proposal" (46:34)
9. "The Close Call" (47:02)
10. "The Quarrels" (46:48)
11. "The Roadhouse" (46:44)
Disc 4:
12. "The Solution" (46:39)
13. "Suspicions" (46:57)
14. "The Alarm" (44:56)
15. "The Vigil" (46:15)
Volume 2
Disc 1:
1. "The Accident" (46:50)
2. "Souvenirs" (46:33)
3. "The Divorce" (46:34)
4. "The Dismissal" (45:15)
Disc 2:
5. "Ben" (44:45)
6. "Masquerade" (46:42)
7. "The Subpoenas" (46:42)
Disc 3:
8. "The Trial, Part 1" (46:39)
9. "The Trial, Part 1" (45:28)
10. "The Vote" (46:30)
11. "The Warning" (46:43)
Disc 4:
12. "The Cry" (46:21)
13. "The Rescue" (46:04)
14. "The Triple-Cross" (46:32)
15. "The Choice" (46:10)
Packaging for both volumes once again is a snap case holding the discs inside, similar to previous sets. Again the discs don't overlap each other, which is great. We have two plastic holders on both volumes. Discs one and two are in the first plastic holder, while discs three and four are in the second plastic holder. That little holder is cheap, but I guess it works. The cover art of the first volume has Blake surrounded by the women of the series (Krystal, Alexis and Dominique) with the Dynasty logo below them. Volume two's cover art has Blake and the men in similar style. The color schemes are tan for volume one and gray for volume two. The back of the case's on both volumes has a synopsis of the show, the set, and technical information. We also have three episodic photos and a feature cast photo. Back inside the cases, there is a disc-by-disc breakdown on the left and right panel for every episode on this set. We get episode titles and a synopsis of each episode. Like season five, it seems like they removed the original airdates for some reason...anyway, don't be reading it before watching the episode now! Artwork on the discs is just plain again. It is plain silver for each one. Dynasty logo and whatever disc number it is on the disc, and episode titles are listed. Disc-by-disc breakdown is available above in episode runtimes, but basically we either have 3 or 4 episodes on each disc. There is nothing different about the packaging here, as like in season five except they expanded to 4 discs per volume instead of 3. This section is always consistent, it seems.
And the consistency continues for the menus. CBS DVD is terrible in menus, as you all probably know. Each menu has different artwork but it is so plain again. The episodes are listed right on the main menu once again. Subtitles option is also available below the list of episodes, but it is only English again. Main menu artwork has three shots of the same image. For volume one, disc 1's main menu has three shots of Blake, disc two has three shots of Krystal, disc three has three shots of Alexis and disc four has three shots of Dominique. For volume two, disc 1's main menu has three shots of Claudia, disc two has three shots of Sammy Jo, disc three has three shots of Jeff & Fallon and disc four has three shots of Amanda. It is very similar to the previous sets. No theme music or any music in the background once again. Before the main menu on both disc one's, there is an option for previews...we get previews such as The Good Wife DVD and Melrose Place S3 DVD...AGAIN. But you can skip to the main menu if you wish.
The video is on par with the previous season and it looks good. Just some debris here and there in the opening credits, like flashing black dots, but it is still good quality. It isn't in widescreen, obviously. The audio is decent, a nice sounding mono...that is crisp and clear. No problems here at all. It seems the video and audio get better as the seasons go on, which makes sense. There are 6 chapter stops once again each for every episode, counting the opening and closing credits stops. The two-hour episode has 10 chapter stops and is presented in its original two-hour form. This is all consistent again from previous sets.
We are back to zero special features. On season five, volume two we got one special feature actually. As a recap, the second season had a little family tree thing, which was something at least and the first season was done by 20th Century Fox, and they did a decent job with some featurettes and commentaries, but CBS DVD has done basically nothing...which is typical. But on the second volume of season five we did get something archival! It was a clip from Entertainment Tonight in 1985 as Leeza Gibbons interviews guest star Rock Hudson and we also have Linda Evans talking about Rock. I wish they cleared more archival stuff like this for season six, instead we are getting nothing here. Disappointing.
Season six is a wrap and all in one day, just like the fifth season release, and no waiting for months to continue! I highly do recommend any fan of the show to pick-up these two volumes (in a two-pack set!), because the episodes are so good and addictive and you'll want to see the conclusion of the Moldavian cliffhanger from season five. We have great episodes on this set, and yet another cliffhanger on the sixth season finale. I cannot stop watching whenever I put the DVD in. This is the mother of all primetime soaps (sorry never was big into Dallas, but the new TNT series is great)! If you have the first five seasons, then you have to get this to continue your collection of course because it wouldn't make sense if you didn't continue. If you haven't gotten those yet, what are you waiting for? It won't make sense buying these two volumes for your first buy of this series, as the episodes are heavily serialized and you'll be VERY lost. I hope CBS reconsiders and gives us the ENTIRE seventh season instead in one volume instead of splitting it up into two volumes, but they won't. At least both volumes for seasons five ans six came out on one day. It's just expensive to get two volumes, as the MSPR is $72.99 sold together. That's a lot for 30 episodes and no special features. Still, I urge fans to buy it so we keep getting more sets. CBS DVD is at least consistent with their sets. They are very predictable as the sets are nearly identical to each other (it makes the reviews boring). But like I said last time (and the time before that), complain to CBS DVD for the lack of extras and splitting the seasons in half. Anyway, you're going to get glued in this sixth season and you'll want to see the season premiere to see what happens in "The Aftermath." You don't have to travel to Denver (or California or Moldavia) to buy these two volumes, just click below and Blake will be pleased or he will strangle you (oops not giving anything away for season six)!
(4/5 stars)
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volume 1, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volume 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volumes 1 and 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Dynasty on TV.comJohn Forsythe, Linda Evans, Joan Collins star and we find out what happens after the Moldavian massacre! This is the season where ratings were still strong but were on the decline. Seasons 3-6 all were in the time of the height of the popularity, with the previous season, season five, hitting being the peak. The series lasted 9 seasons on ABC, from 1981-89. We get the the entire sixth season (1985-86) on this two-pack set. I'm just glad we don't have to wait for the conclusion of the sixth season, but they are still splitting the seasons in half. For the last two releases, it's just that they are out on the same day! Anyway, the drama in Denver continues whether it is at the mansion, the LaMirage hotel or even California.
Diahann Carroll and Heather Locklear are also back this season, as they were in season five. The sixth season begins with "The Aftermath," as the fifth season cliffhanger is revealed about the attack at Michael & Amanda's wedding leaves two guests dead, while the rest of the wedding party is held captive in Moldavia. In the two-hour episode "The Titans," Blake prepares for the arrival of the Colbysm, while Krystle is held hostage at Delta Rho by Joel while Rita takes her place at the mansion. In "The Proposal," qfter marrying Adam and gaining financial independence due to an oil well willed to her by the late Walter Lankershim, Claudia decides to move back into the Carrington mansion, while the family discovers that Fallon is not dead, but alive and living in California with Miles Colby. In "The Vigil," Blake is taken to the hospital after his collapse, while panicked and seeking comfort from Joel, Rita rushes to Delta Rho, only to discover Krystle instead of Joel and the two women engage in a vicious physical battle. On the two-part episode, "the Trial," Caress finally discovers that Alexis has purchased the publishing house who was to distribute her book, "Sister Dearest" and it is quickly canceled and Alexis celebrates destroying her sister's vengeful plans, while Ben confronts Blake and demands his share of their father's estate, and a court battle begins. On the season finale, "The Choice," after Alexis manipulates him, Ben agrees to go into business with her, and together, the two finally bankrupt Blake, during Dominique's engagement party, Claudia accidentally sets fire to La Mirage, leaving several lives in danger.
Each episode on this set is just around 46-47 minutes on average, though some lower, which is strange. Nearly every CBS DVD has a disclaimer on the back of the box saying, "Some episodes maybe be edited from their original network versions." So there is a chance something could be edited, but I didn't see anything, but some runtimes in the 44-45 minute range are suspicious. There is one two-hour episode on this set, clocking in over 95 minutes. Runtimes are as follows:
Volume 1
Disc 1:
1. "The Aftermath" (45:52)
2. "The Homecoming" (46:32)
3. "The Califnornians" (46:39)
4. "The Man" (46:46)
Disc 2:
5. "The Gown" (46:29)
6. "The Titans" (95:31)
7. "The Decision" (45:39)
Disc 3:
8. "The Proposal" (46:34)
9. "The Close Call" (47:02)
10. "The Quarrels" (46:48)
11. "The Roadhouse" (46:44)
Disc 4:
12. "The Solution" (46:39)
13. "Suspicions" (46:57)
14. "The Alarm" (44:56)
15. "The Vigil" (46:15)
Volume 2
Disc 1:
1. "The Accident" (46:50)
2. "Souvenirs" (46:33)
3. "The Divorce" (46:34)
4. "The Dismissal" (45:15)
Disc 2:
5. "Ben" (44:45)
6. "Masquerade" (46:42)
7. "The Subpoenas" (46:42)
Disc 3:
8. "The Trial, Part 1" (46:39)
9. "The Trial, Part 1" (45:28)
10. "The Vote" (46:30)
11. "The Warning" (46:43)
Disc 4:
12. "The Cry" (46:21)
13. "The Rescue" (46:04)
14. "The Triple-Cross" (46:32)
15. "The Choice" (46:10)
Packaging for both volumes once again is a snap case holding the discs inside, similar to previous sets. Again the discs don't overlap each other, which is great. We have two plastic holders on both volumes. Discs one and two are in the first plastic holder, while discs three and four are in the second plastic holder. That little holder is cheap, but I guess it works. The cover art of the first volume has Blake surrounded by the women of the series (Krystal, Alexis and Dominique) with the Dynasty logo below them. Volume two's cover art has Blake and the men in similar style. The color schemes are tan for volume one and gray for volume two. The back of the case's on both volumes has a synopsis of the show, the set, and technical information. We also have three episodic photos and a feature cast photo. Back inside the cases, there is a disc-by-disc breakdown on the left and right panel for every episode on this set. We get episode titles and a synopsis of each episode. Like season five, it seems like they removed the original airdates for some reason...anyway, don't be reading it before watching the episode now! Artwork on the discs is just plain again. It is plain silver for each one. Dynasty logo and whatever disc number it is on the disc, and episode titles are listed. Disc-by-disc breakdown is available above in episode runtimes, but basically we either have 3 or 4 episodes on each disc. There is nothing different about the packaging here, as like in season five except they expanded to 4 discs per volume instead of 3. This section is always consistent, it seems.
And the consistency continues for the menus. CBS DVD is terrible in menus, as you all probably know. Each menu has different artwork but it is so plain again. The episodes are listed right on the main menu once again. Subtitles option is also available below the list of episodes, but it is only English again. Main menu artwork has three shots of the same image. For volume one, disc 1's main menu has three shots of Blake, disc two has three shots of Krystal, disc three has three shots of Alexis and disc four has three shots of Dominique. For volume two, disc 1's main menu has three shots of Claudia, disc two has three shots of Sammy Jo, disc three has three shots of Jeff & Fallon and disc four has three shots of Amanda. It is very similar to the previous sets. No theme music or any music in the background once again. Before the main menu on both disc one's, there is an option for previews...we get previews such as The Good Wife DVD and Melrose Place S3 DVD...AGAIN. But you can skip to the main menu if you wish.
The video is on par with the previous season and it looks good. Just some debris here and there in the opening credits, like flashing black dots, but it is still good quality. It isn't in widescreen, obviously. The audio is decent, a nice sounding mono...that is crisp and clear. No problems here at all. It seems the video and audio get better as the seasons go on, which makes sense. There are 6 chapter stops once again each for every episode, counting the opening and closing credits stops. The two-hour episode has 10 chapter stops and is presented in its original two-hour form. This is all consistent again from previous sets.
We are back to zero special features. On season five, volume two we got one special feature actually. As a recap, the second season had a little family tree thing, which was something at least and the first season was done by 20th Century Fox, and they did a decent job with some featurettes and commentaries, but CBS DVD has done basically nothing...which is typical. But on the second volume of season five we did get something archival! It was a clip from Entertainment Tonight in 1985 as Leeza Gibbons interviews guest star Rock Hudson and we also have Linda Evans talking about Rock. I wish they cleared more archival stuff like this for season six, instead we are getting nothing here. Disappointing.
Season six is a wrap and all in one day, just like the fifth season release, and no waiting for months to continue! I highly do recommend any fan of the show to pick-up these two volumes (in a two-pack set!), because the episodes are so good and addictive and you'll want to see the conclusion of the Moldavian cliffhanger from season five. We have great episodes on this set, and yet another cliffhanger on the sixth season finale. I cannot stop watching whenever I put the DVD in. This is the mother of all primetime soaps (sorry never was big into Dallas, but the new TNT series is great)! If you have the first five seasons, then you have to get this to continue your collection of course because it wouldn't make sense if you didn't continue. If you haven't gotten those yet, what are you waiting for? It won't make sense buying these two volumes for your first buy of this series, as the episodes are heavily serialized and you'll be VERY lost. I hope CBS reconsiders and gives us the ENTIRE seventh season instead in one volume instead of splitting it up into two volumes, but they won't. At least both volumes for seasons five ans six came out on one day. It's just expensive to get two volumes, as the MSPR is $72.99 sold together. That's a lot for 30 episodes and no special features. Still, I urge fans to buy it so we keep getting more sets. CBS DVD is at least consistent with their sets. They are very predictable as the sets are nearly identical to each other (it makes the reviews boring). But like I said last time (and the time before that), complain to CBS DVD for the lack of extras and splitting the seasons in half. Anyway, you're going to get glued in this sixth season and you'll want to see the season premiere to see what happens in "The Aftermath." You don't have to travel to Denver (or California or Moldavia) to buy these two volumes, just click below and Blake will be pleased or he will strangle you (oops not giving anything away for season six)!
(4/5 stars)To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volume 1, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volume 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
To purchase Dynasty - The Sixth Season, Volumes 1 and 2, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
We all love the private eyes of television, whether they are the Simon brothers, Thomas Magnum (he'd prefer to call himself a private investigator, of course), or Maddie Hayes and David Addison. However, before all of those, ABC debuted in 1974 a new private eye series of their own with a star memorable to fans of The Fugitive, with David Janssen as Harry O. Janssen played the role of the title character, Harry Orwell, a former police detective who had been shot at least more than once in his career. But one of those bullets turned out to be a bit too much for Harry, and he was forced to retire much earlier than expected from being disabled from a bullet shot. But that isn't keeping him from doing what he loves in life, except now he isn't a police officer (although he frequently does work with the police department on his cases). He is a bit unconventional, frequently doing his investigations while riding on the city bus (his car was constantly in the shop) and never trying to make himself appear more than ordinary, but he had all of the savvy and sophistication of detectives before and after him on TV.
The series was really one of the pioneering series of a new era of detective series which would continue with those other series, where the private eye is portrayed as just an average man trying to make a living in society (as opposed to previous private eye series where the lead character was viewed as some infallible superhero). But it wasn't easy to get on the air, or even too easy to survive once it did make it on the air. It took two pilot movies with constant retooling, both of which aired in the 72-73 and 73-74 seasons respectively, to get the series started. This was followed by another retooling less than halfway through the first season, dramatically changing the supporting cast and even the city in which the series was set, and even more changes in the second season... and if that wasn't challenging enough, ABC (under the leadership of Fred Silverman) decided to pull the plug on it at the end of the second season to make room for some more "jiggly" detectives... Charlie's Angels. But now, the first season of the series, along with the first pilot, are available on DVD from Warner Archive.
The series begins with the episode "Gertrude," where a sister of an AWOL sailor hires Harry to find him. Harry is hired to find an Admiral's wife (presumed to be dead) in "The Admiral's Lady." Joan Collins guest stars in "Guardian at the Gates," where Harry protects an architect who witnessed a murder. A man confesses a murder to a priest in "Mortal Sin," but not everything stays in confession when the priest calls on Harry. In "Coinage of the Realm," Harry must find a man to donate a kidney to his daughter... before two killers find the man! A blind teenager is a witness to a murder in "Eyewitness." Harry goes undercover at a mental hospital accused of holding patients as prisoners in "Shadows at Noon," but things don't exactly go as planned when his undercover operation makes him a prisoner. A divorce case turns into murder in "Ballinger's Choice."
A psychic predicts the perfect murders in "Second Sight." In "Material Witness," Harry has to protect a physician who witnessed a crime... she doesn't exactly want Harry around, but she'll soon find out she really needs him. In the two-part episode "Forty Reasons to Kill," an investigation in a small town becomes an arrest for murder... and the suspect is Harry himself! Paul Benedict guest stars in a minor role. Harry is hired by a woman who believes her husband (Robert Reed) is having an affair in "Accounts Balanced." In "The Final Heir," Harry's latest investigation becomes like a murder mystery weekend, except the murders are real. A woman helps her boyfriend steal $25,000 in "For the Love of Money," but he goes missing with the money.
A murder framing goes wrong in "The Confetti People." Diana Hyland guest stars. Jim Backus guest stars in "Sound of Trumpets," where a recently-released from prison jazz musician has to deal with much more serious problems on the outside. A deaf-mute is arrested for arson in "Silent Kill." Farrah Fawcett makes her first appearance in the series in "Double Jeopardy," where a crime boss makes a mistake which could prove to be fatal for an aspiring actor. Kurt Russell guest stars as, oddly enough, the aspiring actor. A college student who wants to be a detective himself becomes a murder suspect in "Lester." Harry pursues the killer of his former police friend in "Elegy for a Cop." The season ends with "Street Games," where Maureen McCormick plays a teenage addict... and her mother is desperate to find her after her boyfriend is murdered by a dealer.
You'll find plenty of other guest stars in the series as well, including Hal Williams (three episodes), Gordon Jump, Florence Stanley, Juliet Mills, Milt Kogen, Lawrence Pressman, Sylvia Field (her last TV appearance ever), Mel Stewart, Nathaniel Taylor, and more.
The episode runtimes vary quite a bit from episode to episode, but this is likely due to the series constantly evolving throughout the first season (changes were made to the series frequently, including adding episode previews about 1/3 of the way through the season, and of course the retooling which occurred beginning with the episode "For the Love of Money"). All episodes run around 51 or 52 minutes, with exact runtimes as follows:
I have never watched this series too much prior to this DVD (aside from the few rare occasions when it did air somewhere, such as on GoodLife several years ago), but having the opportunity to watch the entire first season over the course of a week, as I did, was a nice treat. I knew that this was a good series, but it was actually much better than the bits and pieces that I had seen before this set. I like how it really sets the stage for future private eye series, although in all fairness, Mannix (another great and much more successful series which aired even earlier) did the exact same thing. There are some really good stories in these episodes, and for the most part, they'll keep you entertained from the beginning of the episode to the end of the episode. It is still hard to keep in mind that David Janssen was only in his 40s when this series aired... he certainly looked much older, as if he was in his 50s or even his 60s! Hopefully, Warner Archive will follow this up with the second (and final) season sometime very soon. Fans would certainly appreciate it. It would have been nice if they'd included the second pilot for the series on this set as well, but actually, that was already released on DVD separately a while back from Warner Archive under the title Smile Jenny, You're Dead. I think, though, that fans of Janssen's previous work on The Fugitive, as well as fans of the era of private eye series starting with Mannix and going all the way through the end of series like Magnum, PI will enjoy this series.
The series was really one of the pioneering series of a new era of detective series which would continue with those other series, where the private eye is portrayed as just an average man trying to make a living in society (as opposed to previous private eye series where the lead character was viewed as some infallible superhero). But it wasn't easy to get on the air, or even too easy to survive once it did make it on the air. It took two pilot movies with constant retooling, both of which aired in the 72-73 and 73-74 seasons respectively, to get the series started. This was followed by another retooling less than halfway through the first season, dramatically changing the supporting cast and even the city in which the series was set, and even more changes in the second season... and if that wasn't challenging enough, ABC (under the leadership of Fred Silverman) decided to pull the plug on it at the end of the second season to make room for some more "jiggly" detectives... Charlie's Angels. But now, the first season of the series, along with the first pilot, are available on DVD from Warner Archive.
The series begins with the episode "Gertrude," where a sister of an AWOL sailor hires Harry to find him. Harry is hired to find an Admiral's wife (presumed to be dead) in "The Admiral's Lady." Joan Collins guest stars in "Guardian at the Gates," where Harry protects an architect who witnessed a murder. A man confesses a murder to a priest in "Mortal Sin," but not everything stays in confession when the priest calls on Harry. In "Coinage of the Realm," Harry must find a man to donate a kidney to his daughter... before two killers find the man! A blind teenager is a witness to a murder in "Eyewitness." Harry goes undercover at a mental hospital accused of holding patients as prisoners in "Shadows at Noon," but things don't exactly go as planned when his undercover operation makes him a prisoner. A divorce case turns into murder in "Ballinger's Choice."
A psychic predicts the perfect murders in "Second Sight." In "Material Witness," Harry has to protect a physician who witnessed a crime... she doesn't exactly want Harry around, but she'll soon find out she really needs him. In the two-part episode "Forty Reasons to Kill," an investigation in a small town becomes an arrest for murder... and the suspect is Harry himself! Paul Benedict guest stars in a minor role. Harry is hired by a woman who believes her husband (Robert Reed) is having an affair in "Accounts Balanced." In "The Final Heir," Harry's latest investigation becomes like a murder mystery weekend, except the murders are real. A woman helps her boyfriend steal $25,000 in "For the Love of Money," but he goes missing with the money.
A murder framing goes wrong in "The Confetti People." Diana Hyland guest stars. Jim Backus guest stars in "Sound of Trumpets," where a recently-released from prison jazz musician has to deal with much more serious problems on the outside. A deaf-mute is arrested for arson in "Silent Kill." Farrah Fawcett makes her first appearance in the series in "Double Jeopardy," where a crime boss makes a mistake which could prove to be fatal for an aspiring actor. Kurt Russell guest stars as, oddly enough, the aspiring actor. A college student who wants to be a detective himself becomes a murder suspect in "Lester." Harry pursues the killer of his former police friend in "Elegy for a Cop." The season ends with "Street Games," where Maureen McCormick plays a teenage addict... and her mother is desperate to find her after her boyfriend is murdered by a dealer.
You'll find plenty of other guest stars in the series as well, including Hal Williams (three episodes), Gordon Jump, Florence Stanley, Juliet Mills, Milt Kogen, Lawrence Pressman, Sylvia Field (her last TV appearance ever), Mel Stewart, Nathaniel Taylor, and more.
The episode runtimes vary quite a bit from episode to episode, but this is likely due to the series constantly evolving throughout the first season (changes were made to the series frequently, including adding episode previews about 1/3 of the way through the season, and of course the retooling which occurred beginning with the episode "For the Love of Money"). All episodes run around 51 or 52 minutes, with exact runtimes as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "Gertrude" (51:08)
2. "The Admiral's Lady" (52:06)
3. "Guardian at the Gates" (52:02)
4. "Mortal Sin" (51:49)
Disc 2:
5. "Coinage of the Realm" (52:05)
6. "Eyewitness" (52:00)
7. "Shadows at Noon" (51:02)
8. "Ballinger's Choice" (51:40)
Disc 3:
9. "Second Sight" (51:35)
10. "Material Witness" (51:05)
11. "Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 1)" (52:08)
12. "Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 2)" (52:00)
Disc 4:
13. "Accounts Balanced" (52:03)
14. "The Last Heir" (52:02)
15. "For the Love of Money" (51:46)
16. "The Confetti People" (51:40)
Disc 5:
17. "Sounds of Trumpets" (51:43)
18. "Silent Kill" (51:43)
19. "Double Jeopardy" (51:44)
20. "Lester" (51:19)
Disc 6:
21. "Elegy for a Cop" (51:42)
22. "Street Games" (51:42)
Like most Warner Archive titles, the set comes in a standard Viva case. The cover art is very nicely done with a blue color scheme featuring Harry inside of a big O on the cover art (like the original opening credits for the series), and on the back of the case, there is another large photo of Harry along with a description of the series and the season. There are also a few episode snapshots on the back of the case. Inside, the six discs all have the same artwork as seen on the cover, and the episode titles are printed on each disc. Each disc contains four episodes, except for Disc 6, which contains two episodes and the pilot movie (not sure why this wasn't included on Disc 1). And, it is definitely worth mentioning that like most recent Warner Archive titles, the DVDs are presented on pressed DVDs and NOT DVD-R discs, although this will likely only apply to the early orders for the set (later copies purchased will likely be DVD-R).
1. "Gertrude" (51:08)
2. "The Admiral's Lady" (52:06)
3. "Guardian at the Gates" (52:02)
4. "Mortal Sin" (51:49)
Disc 2:
5. "Coinage of the Realm" (52:05)
6. "Eyewitness" (52:00)
7. "Shadows at Noon" (51:02)
8. "Ballinger's Choice" (51:40)
Disc 3:
9. "Second Sight" (51:35)
10. "Material Witness" (51:05)
11. "Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 1)" (52:08)
12. "Forty Reasons to Kill (Part 2)" (52:00)
Disc 4:
13. "Accounts Balanced" (52:03)
14. "The Last Heir" (52:02)
15. "For the Love of Money" (51:46)
16. "The Confetti People" (51:40)
Disc 5:
17. "Sounds of Trumpets" (51:43)
18. "Silent Kill" (51:43)
19. "Double Jeopardy" (51:44)
20. "Lester" (51:19)
Disc 6:
21. "Elegy for a Cop" (51:42)
22. "Street Games" (51:42)
Like most Warner Archive titles, the set comes in a standard Viva case. The cover art is very nicely done with a blue color scheme featuring Harry inside of a big O on the cover art (like the original opening credits for the series), and on the back of the case, there is another large photo of Harry along with a description of the series and the season. There are also a few episode snapshots on the back of the case. Inside, the six discs all have the same artwork as seen on the cover, and the episode titles are printed on each disc. Each disc contains four episodes, except for Disc 6, which contains two episodes and the pilot movie (not sure why this wasn't included on Disc 1). And, it is definitely worth mentioning that like most recent Warner Archive titles, the DVDs are presented on pressed DVDs and NOT DVD-R discs, although this will likely only apply to the early orders for the set (later copies purchased will likely be DVD-R).
The menus are very barebones, but unlike other studios, Warner Archive does create professional looking menus for their MOD products. This is no exception. The main menu on each disc has artwork just like the cover art, and lists all of the episodes on the disc along with a Play All option. There are chapters placed at all of the commercial breaks throughout the episodes.
The video and audio quality of the episodes is perfectly fine, but it doesn't look like a whole lot of restoration was done to the episodes. You'll find quite a bit of grain and debris on some episodes, but it doesn't really detract from the episodes too much. Still, I've seen other series from the same era which look better on DVD. The audio is loud and clear, presented in glorious mono. It is worth noting, though, that the pilot movie on this set looks better than the rest of the episodes, so perhaps more effort was put into restoring this. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitles, unfortunately.
The video and audio quality of the episodes is perfectly fine, but it doesn't look like a whole lot of restoration was done to the episodes. You'll find quite a bit of grain and debris on some episodes, but it doesn't really detract from the episodes too much. Still, I've seen other series from the same era which look better on DVD. The audio is loud and clear, presented in glorious mono. It is worth noting, though, that the pilot movie on this set looks better than the rest of the episodes, so perhaps more effort was put into restoring this. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitles, unfortunately.
The set does contain one item which can somewhat be described as a special feature, that being the original movie pilot for the series. Since it doesn't exactly follow the format of the series and has typically not aired in the form presented here, I think it is reasonable to consider it a special feature. "Such Dust as Dreams are Made on" (1:15:36). This aired on March 11, 1973 (over a year before the series began) and features Martin Sheen as a member of a gang that shot Harry four years earlier (ending his career), now turning to Harry to find his accomplices... before they kill him. This was intended to be the pilot for the series, but it was never picked up at this stage, thus there was some major retooling between this pilot and the first episode of the series (including a second pilot movie, which is NOT included in this set).
I have never watched this series too much prior to this DVD (aside from the few rare occasions when it did air somewhere, such as on GoodLife several years ago), but having the opportunity to watch the entire first season over the course of a week, as I did, was a nice treat. I knew that this was a good series, but it was actually much better than the bits and pieces that I had seen before this set. I like how it really sets the stage for future private eye series, although in all fairness, Mannix (another great and much more successful series which aired even earlier) did the exact same thing. There are some really good stories in these episodes, and for the most part, they'll keep you entertained from the beginning of the episode to the end of the episode. It is still hard to keep in mind that David Janssen was only in his 40s when this series aired... he certainly looked much older, as if he was in his 50s or even his 60s! Hopefully, Warner Archive will follow this up with the second (and final) season sometime very soon. Fans would certainly appreciate it. It would have been nice if they'd included the second pilot for the series on this set as well, but actually, that was already released on DVD separately a while back from Warner Archive under the title Smile Jenny, You're Dead. I think, though, that fans of Janssen's previous work on The Fugitive, as well as fans of the era of private eye series starting with Mannix and going all the way through the end of series like Magnum, PI will enjoy this series.
(4/5 stars)
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CLICK OF THE WEEK
Game Show Follies (gameshowfollies.blogspot.com) - We love a good news blog here, and since you're here, we know you do too... or at least you should! We're continuing again this week with our game show themed websites for our Click of the Week, and this week, we're featuring a very simple (but resourceful) news blog that does to game shows what we do for sitcoms. This particular blogger describes himself as a "(f)an of game shows and veteran of the Internet wars about them," and has provided almost (but not quite) daily updates since 2009 on news about current and upcoming game shows, stories about contestants, ratings for the syndicated game shows and shows on GSN, and as promised, his own rants and opinions on game shows sure to cause those "Internet wars" among the game show loyalists. There are also plenty of links to GSN weekly schedules and other vital game show websites, including a link which he provides to our very own message boards where you can also discuss game shows (in case we've failed to mention that!). The website is very simple and to the point, but it is also a very resourceful place to check out not only today, but everyday. We really like this website, and although we don't want to be accused of "fixing" our Click of the Week, we're pretty sure this one makes it to the bonus round.
That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Hot in Cleveland Coming to Syndication Fall 2014; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 23, 2012)
Late in December we told you CBS Television Distribution was selling TV Land's Hot in Cleveland for off-network syndication and some news would be reported in six-nine months, and now we have some deals to report! CBS Television Distribution has sold the hit TV Land Betty White sitcom to local TV stations in more than 65% of the United States. The strip is already sold in 9 of the top 10 markets and 18 of the top 20 for a Fall 2014 launch. CBS Television Stations in five of the top 10 markets bought the sitcom: WLNY, New York; KCAL, Los Angeles; WPSG, Philadelphia; KTXA, Dallas-Ft. Worth; and KBCW, San Francisco-Oakland; as well as Weigel Broadcasting's WCIU, Chicago; Sunbeam Television's WLVI, Boston; Gannett's WATL, Atlanta; and Belo's KHOU, Houston. Other sales include stations from Sinclair Broadcast Group, LIN TV, Cox Enterprises and Meredith Corp. CBS Television Distribution acquired the exclusive broadcast domestic distribution rights for Hot in Cleveland from TV Land last fall.
Debuting June 2010, Hot in Cleveland's premiere episode was the highest-rated telecast in TV Land's 14-year history. Through its past three full seasons, Hot in Cleveland averaged 3 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. The fourth season of Hot in Cleveland starts production in August 2012 and will start airing later in the year with 24 all-new episodes, which will bring the total to 80 total episodes after four seasons. By the time the series premieres in syndication during Fall 2014, it will likely surpass the 100-episode mark (likely 104 episodes will be available) after five seasons (but it still needs to be renewed for a season five).
Stay tuned for more clearance news we get closer to Fall 2014! The ensemble cast stars Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White, and also features many special guest stars that pop-in like Regis Philbin, Doris Roberts, Carl Reiner, Amy Yasbeck, Don Rickles, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ed Asner, Kristin Chenoweth, Jimmy Kimmel, David Spade, Susan Lucci and many many more!
It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of July 23-27, 2012, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!
Monday, July 23, 2012
- Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Watch Kevin on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Megan Fox (Hope & Faith) - Megan appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Niecy Nash (The Soul Man/The Cleveland Show/Reno 911!) - Niecy guest co-hosts a repeat of Anderson, so check your local listings.
- Roseanne Barr (Roseanne) - Catch Roseanne on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) - Eric drops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Eric Andre (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Eric appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Tony Danza (Who's the Boss?) - Tony stops by NBC's Today between 10-11am.
- Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) - Watch Melissa on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Joel McHale (Community) - Joel guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly Wednesday-Friday, so check your listings.
- Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) - Mario is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) - Eric continues to make the rounds on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Danny Pudi (Community) - Danny appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Tune in to see Betty on a repeat of Anderson, so check for your local listings.
- Joel McHale (Hot in Cleveland) - Catch Joel on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Fred Willard (Back to You/Everybody Loves Raymond/D.C. Follies) - Fred appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. Watch him on Trust Us With Your Life on Tuesdays at 9pm on ABC.
- Roseanne Barr (Roseanne) - Roseanne is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Watch the legendary Ms. White on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations; Reruns of Happy Endings and Apartment 23 Scheduled on ABC
The 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Nominations were made earlier this morning. Here are the nominees for the main categories:
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Girls (HBO)
30 Rock (NBC)
Veep (HBO)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTOR
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Louis C.K., Louie (FX)
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Don Cheadle, House of Lies (Showtime)
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTRESS
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl (Fox)
Lena Dunham, Girls (HBO)
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly (CBS)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family (ABC)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family (ABC)
Ty Burrell, Modern Family (ABC)
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family (ABC)
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Max Greenfield, New Girl (Fox)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Julie Bowen, Modern Family (ABC)
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family (ABC)
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives (ABC)
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Mad Men (AMC)
Homeland (Showtime)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTOR
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime)
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey (PBS)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)
Damian Lewis, Homeland (Showtime)
OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTRESS
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife ( CBS)
Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey (PBS)
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men (AMC)
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law (NBC)
Claire Danes, Homeland (Showtime)
Glenn Close, Damages (Audience Network)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey (PBS)
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey (PBS)
Jared Harris, Mad Men (AMC)
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (HBO)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife (CBS)
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey (PBS)
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey (PBS)
Christine Hendricks, Mad Men (AMC)
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife (CBS)
View the full list of nominations. The 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards airs LIVE Sunday, September 23 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC.
In other news, ABC has scheduled reruns of Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 on its new night. The two edgy and hip comedies will be moving to Tuesdays at 9:00pm & 9:30pm this Fall, but to have fans get used to the move, ABC will be airing reruns in the hour starting Tuesday, August 14. The series currently airing in the hour, the eight episode summer improv comedy series Trust Us With Your Life, will have its finale on Aug. 7, as planned. Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 will follow reruns of family comedies The Middle and Last Man Standing at 8, which are filling in on the night starting this Tuesday, July 24. ABC has not announced its fall premiere dates yet, but if we were to guess, Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 would likely have their premieres on the second week of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 2, as ABC usually airs two-hours of Dancing with the Stars on its first Tuesday in the fall. Stay tuned!
Happy Endings will be entering its third season, while Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 is entering its second season. The latter produced 13 episodes in its first season, but only seven aired with the remaining six being tacked on to the second season order. Called "fresh," "charming" and "it's need-to-pause-the-DVR-because-I'm-laughing-so-hard funny" by the critics (see a hilarious clip below), Happy Endings stars Elisha Cuthbert as Alex, Zachary Knighton as Dave, Eliza Coupe as Jane, Adam Pally as Max, Damon Wayans, Jr. as Brad and Casey Wilson as Penny. Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 stars Krysten Ritter as Chloe, Dreama Walker as June, Liza Lapira as Robin, Michael Blaiklock as Eli, Eric André as Mark and James Van Der Beek as James Van Der Beek. See James Van Der Beek preparing for Dancing with the Stars below.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Hub Alters Sitcom Line-Up Next Few Weeks; GSN Acquires Minute to Win It and Premiering New Version of Pyramid
With ALF Week going on right now on The Hub, the network has altered its primetime line-up again for next week. Before we get into that, let's recap the ALF Week. ALF, the beloved, wise-cracking alien is hosting the network's primetime programming lineup for a week-long event (thru this Thursday), featuring his unique, brow-raising, sense of humor as he gives his take on favorite episodes of his own series and other classic shows on The Hub including Mork & Mindy, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and The Facts of Life (yes, Happy Days was scrapped this week for Sabrina). Viewers are learning what ALF has to say about life since his popular series was produced in the late 1980's while he was living with the Tanner clan.
Anyway, back to what will happen starting next week. We mentioned last week that Sabrina, the Teenage Witch would only be airing Sunday nights 3-4am after its July 26 marathon from 9am-2pm (all that will remain still, though). Well, The Hub has changed their primetime schedule again. For next week only, the week of July 23-26, primetime will look like this from 8-10pm: Lois & Clark (two-hour pilot) on Monday, Sabrina the Teenage Witch on Tuesday, The Facts of Life on Wednesday and ALF on Thursday. So Monday and Tuesday has been changed and will not feature the regular Mork & Mindy and Happy Days next week. No reason was given for this change. The following two weeks will feature animated series in primetime from 8-10pm, like Batman: The Animated Series. The Hub is clearly testing to see what works best in primetime for them. As of now, the sitcoms will return regularly in primetime the week of August 13. We just don't know what shows will air when. The good news is that the 10pm-12am block will remain every week with back-to-back The Wonder Years and an episode each of Laverne & Shirley and Batman. Also remaining on the schedule will be Lois & Clark on Sunday nights from 8pm-2am, followed by an episode each of Doogie Howser and Family Ties and a double shot of Sabrina. The only other show of note for us is back-to-back Batman on Friday and Saturday nights from 5-6am, following Honey I Shrunk the Kids: The Series at 4am.
Stay with us for further updates. Let's hope all the sitcoms they air will return regularly starting Aug. 13, but for now enjoy ALF Week this week and sitcoms in primetime next week.
In TV acquisition news, GSN announced it has acquired off-network rights to 68 one-hour episodes of the hit game show Minute to Win It from NBCUniversal Cable & New Media Distribution. Hosted by All-American chef and television personality Guy Fieri, the game features competitors participating in a series of simple, yet nerve-wracking, games that can lead to a $1 million prize. Minute to Win It will air in four-hour blocks on Tuesday nights from 7pm to 11pm (ET) on GSN beginning on Tuesday, July 24 at 7pm (ET). The series only aired from 2010-11 on NBC but had 69 episodes in just two seasons.
GSN has also announced the premiere date for its original series, The Pyramid, a contemporary take on one of television's most beloved game shows, hosted by television executive producer and Beauty and the Geek host Mike Richards. The Pyramid is a daily strip show airing Monday through Friday at 6pm ET, and will premiere on Monday, September 3 at 6pm ET. The Pyramid is back in an all-new, half-hour version of the fast-paced word guessing game. The celebrities, the Pyramid game board, the Winner's Circle: everything viewers know and love about the iconic format is returning in GSN's lively new version. The series, a winner of nine Daytime Emmy® Awards during its storied 40-year run, brings a contemporary sensibility, tone and style to a beloved franchise and will accompany the hit show, The Newlywed Game in GSN's "Iconic Game Reinvented" category.
The Pyramid joins the previously announced new shows on GSN this fall: The American Bible Challenge and Beat the Chefs, which are the first of GSN's "Shiny Floor Game" category - contemporary studio-based game shows that focus on themes prevalent in pop culture. The American Bible Challenge, an original one-hour game show hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, will premiere on Thursday, August 23 at 8pm ET/PT, while Beat the Chefs, an hour-long cooking competition show with host Matt Rogers, will also premiere on Thursday, August 23 at 9pm ET/PT.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
TV Land Moves Retired at 35 to Wednesdays; Remembering William Asher, Director of Classic TV Series Like I Love Lucy and Bewitched
TV Land premiered the second season of sophomore sitcom Retired at 35 three weeks ago (June 26), but on Tuesday nights instead of the normal Wednesday original night. As a result, the sitcom has not done well in the ratings for its first three episodes of the season. In its defense, the series has been airing on an island surrounded by repeats. It makes it look like a burn-off, as the series was also delayed a few times in premiering its second season. TV Land will give it a better chance starting this week. It will not air tonight (Tuesday at 10), but instead will move to Wednesdays following new episodes of The Soul Man and The Exes. Now because of that move, Retired at 35 is no longer in primetime, since it will be airing Wednesdays at 11pm.
The new season brought a new cast member as Marissa Jaret Winokur joined the show. In Retired at 35, after 37 years of marriage, Alan Robbins (George Segal) and his wife Elaine (Jessica Walter, Arrested Development) are expected to cruise into retirement and live out their days happily ever after. However, they get an unexpected surprise when their uptight and overworked son David (Johnathan McClain), sick of the NYC rat race, decides to move in with them in their active-adult community. David finds himself dealing with his overzealous parents as well as his sister Amy (Marissa Jaret Winokur), who, while successful in business, has made less than impressive choices in her love life. Among the guest stars this season include Robin Givens (Head of the Class), John Ross Bowie (The Big Bang Theory), Melissa Peterman (Baby Daddy) and Daneel Ackles.
After these three very low rated airings (all at a series low 0.1 adults 18-49 rating), perhaps a third season is not in the cards unless it does pretty well on Wednesdays at 11. That might be a tough task as The Soul Man and The Exes slipped in week two: The Soul Man from a 0.6 to a 0.3 adults 18-49 rating and The Exes from a 0.4 to a 0.2 adults 18-49 rating. However, there was a week off in between for the 4th of July, but TV Land should have premiered both sitcoms a week or two earlier when they had repeats on June 13 and June 20.
In related news, Nick at Nite has pulled the airings of All That and Kenan & Kel after only three weeks. They both started airing Mon-Thurs in the 8pm hour on June 25, but Nickelodeon has now replaced them with back-to-back episodes of the original series VICTORiOUS as of last night. There will be no other schedule changes on Nick at Nite, which means VICTORiOUS is being brought in to help out struggling Nick at Nite original drama Hollywood Heights, which has only mustered a 0.1 adults 18-49 rating in recent airings in its 9pm time period. The series was ordered for 80 episodes, and they are about only a little over 25% done with that.
We now have some sad news. Todd will report on the passing of TV director and producer William Asher.
Legendary director and producer William Asher, best known for his work on I Love Lucy and Bewitched, has died. Asher died July 16 at a board and care facility in Palm Desert, California, of complications from Alzheimer's disease. Mr. Asher was 90.
Asher's career in television began as a writer and director for a filmed anthology series called Invitation Playhouse. He later started working for CBS Studios. His first directed TV pilot became Our Miss Brooks, which starred Eve Arden and aired on CBS from 1952-1956. In 1952, he was asked by Desi Arnaz to direct a few episodes of the second season of I Love Lucy. Asher went on to direct over 100 episodes of the series, including the classic Job Switching episode where Lucy and Ethel work at a candy factory. In 1955, he was nominated for the DGA award for the Lucy's Mother-in-Law episode. His other early directing credits included Racquet Squad, Big Town, The Danny Thomas Show, General Electic Theater, The Colgate Comedy Hour, December Bride, Sally, The Thin Man, Fibber McGee and Molly, The Twilight Zone, and The Patty Duke Show, which he co-created with writer Sidney Sheldon.
His best known work was as a producer and director of Bewitched. Asher produced the 1964-1972 ABC sitcom, starring his then-wife, Elizabeth Montgomery. He directed over 130 episodes of the series. Asher received four Emmy nominations for his work on the show, winning once in 1966 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy. Some of his other sitcom directing credits included Gidget, The Paul Lynde Show, The New Temperatures Rising, Operation Petticoat, Tabitha, Alice, The Bad News Bears, Private Benjamin, and Harper Valley. He also directed a couple of TV reunion movies - I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later in 1985 and Return to Green Acres in 1990. His film credits as a director and writer included three popular beach-blanket movies starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello - Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, and Beach Blanket Bingo.
The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him on March 31 and April 26, 2000. His survivors include his wife, Meredith, daughters Liane Sears and Rebecca Asher, sons Brian, Bill Jr., Robert and John, four step-children, nine grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren. Asher was married to actress Elizabeth Montgomery from 1963-1973. They had three children. He was married to actress Joyce Bulifant from 1976-1993. Mr. Asher was a true pioneer in the industry. He's considered the man who invented the sitcom. He was one of the most proflific directors in the early days of television. We thank him for bringing us sitcom classics like I Love Lucy and Bewitched. He will be deeply missed.
Post your condolences on our Bewitched message board.
Monday, July 16, 2012
CBS Fall 2012 Premiere Dates, ABC Friday Premiere Rumblings; Reimagine That! Interviews Christine Lakin from Step by Step About Her New Web Series
No surprise, CBS will premiere virtually all of its new and returning series during the official premiere week (Sept. 24-30) for the 2012-13 season. For the 10th time in the past 11 seasons, Survivor will get an early start to the season. Survivor: Philippines will be the only series to open a week earlier with a special 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 8-9:30pm leading into the season finale of summer staple Big Brother from 9:30-11pm. Then during premiere week for its new series, the new comedy Partners premieres Monday, Sept. 24 at 8:30pm, followed by freshman dramas Vegas debuting Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 10pm, Elementary on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 10pm and Made In Jersey on Friday, Sept. 28 at 9pm.
View the entire CBS Fall 2012 premiere date list. With CBS' announcement, only ABC has not officially announced its fall premiere dates yet. Sources tell SitcomsOnline.com that we will probably have them this week and to expect the following for Friday nights: Shark Tank and What Would You Do? will have their season premieres on Friday, Sept. 14 from 8-10pm. Then six weeks later, sophomore sitcom Last Man Standing will then have its season premiere (likely two episodes) on Friday, Oct. 26 at 8 leading into the new time period debut for Shark Tank at 9pm, replacing What Would You Do, which would return later in the season. Then, following the night of the CMA Awards (Thursday, Nov. 1), new sitcom Malibu Country starring Reba McEntire will launch on Friday, Nov. 2 at 8:30pm. ABC is expected to launch its other new fall series during premiere week like new Wednesday comedy The Neighbors, new Thursday drama Last Resort and new Sunday drama 666 Park Avenue. However, due to the Presidential Debate on Wednesday, Oct. 3, ABC may opt to save the premiere of The Neighbors until Oct. 10 and double up on Modern Family on Sept. 26. It is highly expected that new 10pm drama Nashville will premiere on Wednesday, October 10. Stay tuned until all of this is official.
Moving on, today is the day of premiere of the new webseries Lovin' Lakin starring Christine Lakin (Step by Step), which we covered last week. Make sure you watch this hilarious new series on Hulu or YouTube! Christine gave us so much information last week when we talked to her, we want to share more from her today. Plus she also spoke to our good friend Chris Mann of Reimagine That! for the latest episode of his awesome podcast! So please find that below.
Christine told us that she filmed some of her episodes on the set of the big screen movie You Again (starring Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Odette Yustman, and many many more stars like herself): "We were actually filming You Again when I started to film this series, I wrote it right before You Again and we were filming in L.A. that summer and of course I took advantage of the opportunity working with so many great actors. And you know the Jamie Lee Curtis episode, unfortunately we can't air, I mean it's brilliant but unfortunately a little too "blue." Not for I think the world, but for I think for Jamie and the kinds of stuff she does these days, for some of her branding she had a little bit of a problem with it. She did say she would come back to do another episode, so I hope we get to do another season, cause she's just brilliantly funny and such a gifted comedic improviser, and a lot of people probably don't know that about her! So yeah, I sort of took advantage of having all of these great people around, and asked Kristin Chenoweth obviously, Jamie Lee, Kristen Bell, and you know Patrick Duffy had always said he would do an episode with me and again that was perfect timing, he was in L.A. doing a couple of days on You Again, so it worked out great. Staci Keanan came by that day, and then you know Seth MacFarlane, you know I pop in and out of the Family Guy offices, he was kind enough to come in on a Saturday to the (Oops Doughnuts) office when nobody else was there and do that for me. So I cannot express enough that making something like this is a labor of love. Everybody did it as a huge favor to me!"
Christine really appreciated everyone working on this show for her: "I would like to go on record thanking everybody who is a part of it. You know there were a bunch of kids in one of the episodes, where I teach an acting class, and they were all so funny and their parents just totally let me abuse them--in all the right ways--and make them do really silly really wrong things and they were such good sports about it. Everything from that to my friend Patrick Day at the Young Actors Space letting me use that space, to people coming in on Saturdays, to Oops Doughnuts letting me use their office, and everyone that came in and did a part on this show, I couldn't do it without that and I think that's a real part of what YouTube is and part of what the internet is and I think that is a really positive thing. So if people like this, that's great, if people don't like it, that's fine, too. But there are so many haters out there, who post really rude and mean comments on YouTube and I don't think it helps the film making community. And I don't think it helps creativity in general. Constructive criticism is great and I welcome that and I would be the first probably to give that kind of advice on something like Internet Icon (where Christine is a judge), but people work really hard, whether it is a two-minute YouTube video or whether it is a webseries. There's a lot of people around that, it doesn't happen because one person just turns on a camera all the time...there's a lot of people that work behind the scenes."
Please watch Lovin' Lakin today! In addition, our good friend Chris Mann (Come and Knock on Our Door, Retroality.TV) also spoke to Lakin herself! Read about it in his own words: Christie Lakin ... The Spoofed Adventures of New Christine ... In this exclusive Retroality.TV interview, Step by Step child star Christine Lakin tells all about her new satirical webseries, Lovin' Lakin -- premiering July 16 on Hulu and YouTube -- while opening up about her experiences as a '90s teen TV star-turned-versatile, multimedia-savvy performer. (Tweet her @yolakin, @lovinlakin, @worstaudition and @OopsDoughnuts, then like her on Facebook here, here, here and (phew!) here!)
"Lovin' Lakin," a ten-episode mockumentary, casts the 33-year-old star as an egocentric, obnoxious version of herself that clearly couldn't be more removed from the real, laid-back Lakin. The fictional Christine -- unlike her steadily employed originator -- is a onetime child star staging a comeback. Along the way, her former co-stars and famous friends (among them Patrick Duffy, Seth MacFarlane and Kristin Chenoweth) suffer fictional Christine's comic misadventures in relaunching her celebrity. (For more info, check out Christine's terrific new interview with Sitcoms Online news director Pavan Patel here.)
Lakin shares with Reimagine That! host Chris Mann her fond memories of playing Al Lambert, the tomboyish daughter of Duffy and Suzanne Somers in the Brady Bunch-esque Step, which ran from 1991 on 1997 as part of ABC's hugely successful TGIF sitcom lineup. (The series ran for one more season, through spring 1998, on CBS and has remained in syndication ever since.) Lakin is especially lovin' on the paternal Duffy, who she says has remained a cherished fixture in her life.
The go-getter actress explains how her new online series affords her a self-made opportunity to express herself creatively on-camera and behind-the-scenes. She also favorably compares her TV sitcom experiences to her background as a stage actress -- and muses about marrying both in her recent turn as Joanie Cunningham in Garry Marshall's Happy Days: The Musical. (Lakin, seen most recently on TV in Melissa and Joey, has also appeared in the Marshall-directed features Georgia Rule and Valentine's Day; her other feature credits include co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in 2010's You Again and starring opposite Paris Hilton in 2008's The Hottie and the Nottie. Up next: reimagining the role of Clarice this fall in the West Coast stage premiere of the darkly comic Silence! The Musical. [Oh, yeah, folks. We're talking "... of the Lambs!"])
Finally, the ever-spirited Lakin discusses why she chose online cheekiness to underscore her serious commitment to supporting gay marriage by participating in the Funny or Die video Child Celebrities Opposing Kirk Cameron.
Also ... on a somber note, Chris fondly looks back on the celebrities we've lost in 2012 and shares his thoughts on the 50-year friendship that Andy Griffith shared with his co-star Don Knotts.
And finally, Reimagine That! dream interpeter Yvonne Ryba offers an in-depth analysis of a client's dream involving pregnancy and creative rebirth.
Listen to episode 14 here. View our Christine Lakin Photo Gallery.
Also, if you missed episode 13, Reimagine That! had Johnathan McClain (Retired at 35) on to talk about his TV Land sitcom's sophomore season, his Funny or Die videos and finding his inner Leather. Plus, in part three of his three-part Retroality.TV exclusive, Farrah Fawcett's longtime secret lover, Greg Lott, on Farrah's struggles with Ryan O'Neal, and Redmond's drug abuse. So go and listen to episode 13 as well, if you missed this one!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Summer Week 7 Sitcom Ratings; New Sitcoms On Cable This Week
Summer has now started. We will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long! Here are our summer ratings:
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of July 2-8)
Summing it up. Repeats of The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men) or just plain old terrible (such as repeats of The Office, Parks & Recreation).
Feeling the repeat blues? Look for original sitcoms on cable this summer, with ABC Family's sophomore season of Melissa & Joey at 8pm all-new this Wednesday. What an underrated family comedy it is. New comedy Baby Daddy starring Chelsea Kane airs at 8:30pm with episode 4. TBS aired the Men at Work season finale last week on Thursday at 10pm, so Sullivan & Son launches with its series premiere this Thursday (July 19) at 10pm. It's Cheers meets Sanford & Son, if that makes sense. Also on Wednesdays is TV Land's Hot in Cleveland spin-off series The Soul Man starring Cedric the Entertainer at 10pm followed by new episodes of The Exes at 10:30pm. TV Land also airs season two of Retired at 35 on Tuesdays at 10pm. FX and Charlie Sheen come together in a new sitcom titled Anger Management airing Thursdays at 9:30pm. Even on digital TV, Bounce TV airs new comedy Family Time starring Omar Gooding Mondays at 9pm. All of these are multi-camera comedies, too! New sitcom airings is the perfect way to beat the summer blues!
Summer Week 7 (July 9-15) How the Sitcoms Did
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of July 2-8)
- The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - A repeat at 8pm did 2.95 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, which is down two tenths from previous week. A second episode followed at 8:30pm doing a similar 3.14 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30 just did 1.96 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, on par with previous week.
- Bob's Burgers (Fox) - preempted.
- Family Guy (Fox) 2 episodes - A repeat at 9 did 3.62 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, which is three tenths better than previous week. A second episode followed at 9:30pm doing 3.79 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating. The 18-49 rating is good for summer!
- American Dad! (Fox) - The normal 9:30 airing was preempted. A repeat earlier in the night at 7 did just 1.7 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, but on par week-to-week.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A repeat did 3.96 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, up two tenths from previous week. Up and down it goes every week.
- 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A repeat of this comedy did 4.47 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, also up two tenths from previous week.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A repeat did 5.11 million and only a 1.3 18-49 rating, up three tenths from previous week. Still not good for this show!
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - 4.73 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating for a repeat was back up four tenths from the previous week (and where it was two weeks prior).
Tuesday Sitcoms
- Last Man Standing (ABC) - preempted.
- New Girl (Fox) - Repeats return soon but on Thursdays.
- The Middle (ABC) - A repeat at 8 did 3.79 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, up five tenths from previous week when it aired on the 4th of July. Back to normal.
- Suburgatory (ABC) - A repeat at 8:30 posted 3.26 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, also up five tenths week-to-week.
- Up All Night (NBC) - A repeat did 2.66 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, only up a tenth from previous week when it aired on the 4th of July (proving the fireworks leading out was the reason it stayed around the same ratings).
- Modern Family (ABC) 2 airings - A repeat did 3.72 million and a 1.4 rating, up six tenths from previous week when it was the 4th of July (it also was up year-to-year). A second airing followed with a similar 3.82 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating.
- Happy Endings (ABC) - preempted.
Thursday Sitcoms
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 2 airings - A repeat at 8 did 7.99 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up a tenth from the previous week. A second repeat followed at 8:30 and did 9.03 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, up three tenths from previous week. All I can say is, wow. A 2.8 for the summer is huge and is #1 for the week, tying America's Got Talent.
- 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - preempted.
- The Office (NBC) - A repeat at 8 did 1.97 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, which is not good but on par with previous week.
- Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A repeat of this followed at 8:30pm and did only 1.58 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, also on par week-to-week. No rewatchability.
- Whitney (NBC) - A repeat at 8 did a prelim 2.66 million and a prelim 0.7 18-49 rating, up two tenths from previous week's prelim ratings.
- Community (NBC) - A repeat of this at 8:30pm did just a prelim 1.75 million and a prelim 0.5 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week's prelim ratings. Still low!
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) - preempted.
- How to Be a Gentleman (CBS) - preempted.
Summing it up. Repeats of The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men) or just plain old terrible (such as repeats of The Office, Parks & Recreation).
Feeling the repeat blues? Look for original sitcoms on cable this summer, with ABC Family's sophomore season of Melissa & Joey at 8pm all-new this Wednesday. What an underrated family comedy it is. New comedy Baby Daddy starring Chelsea Kane airs at 8:30pm with episode 4. TBS aired the Men at Work season finale last week on Thursday at 10pm, so Sullivan & Son launches with its series premiere this Thursday (July 19) at 10pm. It's Cheers meets Sanford & Son, if that makes sense. Also on Wednesdays is TV Land's Hot in Cleveland spin-off series The Soul Man starring Cedric the Entertainer at 10pm followed by new episodes of The Exes at 10:30pm. TV Land also airs season two of Retired at 35 on Tuesdays at 10pm. FX and Charlie Sheen come together in a new sitcom titled Anger Management airing Thursdays at 9:30pm. Even on digital TV, Bounce TV airs new comedy Family Time starring Omar Gooding Mondays at 9pm. All of these are multi-camera comedies, too! New sitcom airings is the perfect way to beat the summer blues!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Digital Digest: More Carsey-Werner Sitcoms from Mill Creek; Father Dowling Mysteries - The Second Season DVD Review; 87th Precinct - The Complete Series DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! We still have a little more than a month to go until the fall season starts for the broadcast networks, but we're here for more news about all things digital relating to your favorite TV series all summer long! This week, we have all of our regular features, including reviews of Father Dowling Mysteries - The Second Season and 87th Precinct - The Complete Series. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
This week, Universal announced a few more DVD releases, essentially finishing up their slate of releases of returning series on DVD from the 2011-2012 season. Announcements this week came for 30 Rock - Season Six and Whitney - Season One. Tentatively, 30 Rock is scheduled for September 11, and Whitney is scheduled for October 9.
Several October releases from Shout! appeared on amazon.com this week. First up, on October 9, is Webster - 20 Timeless Episodes, containing 20 fan favorite episodes of the '80s series starring Emmanuel Lewis. October 23 brings more of Mr. Roarke and Tattoo with Fantasy Island - The Complete Third Season. Finally, on October 30, Shout! brings fans of All in the Family the entire series with All in the Family - The Complete Series. The set will contain every episode of the series, but we don't know what (if any) special features it will include just yet.
Mill Creek is moving ahead with more releases from the Carsey-Werner library on September 4, but as usual, all of these are just re-releases of DVDs previously released by Anchor Bay and Fox. Roseanne continues with Roseanne - The Complete Fifth Season and Roseanne - The Complete Sixth Season, while That '70s Show continues with That '70s Show - The Complete Fifth Season and That '70s Show - The Complete Sixth Season. Fans of Grounded for Life won't get any new season releases on September 4, but instead will get much more with Grounded for Life - The Complete Series. There is no word on any new re-releases for 3rd Rock from the Sun yet, but we'll let you know if we do hear something.
Finally we mentioned in early June, the '70s detective drama Harry O would be coming soon from Warner Archive. Now, it is no longer just "coming soon," it is already released! This past Wednesday (all Tuesday releases from Warner Archive were pushed back a day this week), Harry O - The Complete First Season was made available to order from Warner Archive. We had hoped to have a review of this today, but we did not receive our copy in time... so look for our review of it next week in Digital Digest.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (July 17) doesn't have a whole lot in store, but it does bring two new sitcom releases to DVD from Shout! Factory, with Diff'rent Strokes - The Complete Third Season (DVD review) and Designing Women - The Final Season (DVD review).
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Father Dowling Mysteries - The Second Season (CBS DVD, $29.98)
by Todd
Crime doesn't have a prayer. No one has more faith than Father Frank Dowling (Tom Bosley) and Sister Stephanie "Steve" Oskowski (Tray Nelson) in Season 2 of Father Dowling Mysteries. Together, they guide a congregation in the ways of good, even as they track down Chicago's agents of evil. At home, trusty housekeeper Marie (Mary Wickes) keeps the good priest sane and fed, while still managing to get entangled in a little mystery herself. From an impostor priest to a spy couple to an evil twin, there's no case that can't be solved with a little help from above.
Father Dowling Mysteries moved to ABC for the second and third seasons. It aired on Thursdays at 8pm for the second season. The season premiere was broadcast on January 4, 1990. Here are the episodes included in this release.
Disc 1:
"The Visiting Priest Mystery" (1/04/90) (48:55) - Father Dowling and Sister Steve are suspicious of a visiting priest, who turns out to be a hit man out to kill an ex-mobster turned informant.
Notable Guest Star: Anthony LaPaglia
"The Exotic Dance Mystery" (1/11/90) (48:36) - To solve the murder of an exotic dancer, Father Dowling sends Steve undercover as a dealer in a backroom, high-stakes poker game.
Notable Guest Star: Xander Berkeley
"The Santcuary Mystery" (1/18/90) (48:30) - Sister Steve's troubled younger brother witnesses a murder. But when the killer turns out to be a police captain, little brother ends up being framed for the crime.
Notable Guest Star: Stephen Dorff
"The Stone Killer Mystery" (1/25/90) (48:26) - An ex-con who Father Dowling helped put away is out on parole and gunning for vengeance...hoping to give Frank a death sentence.
Notable Guest Stars: Yaphet Kotto, Paul Gleason
Disc 2:
"The Woman Scorned Mystery" (2/01/90) (48:20) - Scandal erupts when Father Dowling is mistaken for his evil twin brother, who is seducing and swindling young women. But when the scam takes a murderous turn, Frank must clear his name.
Notable Guest Star: Steven Culp
"The Ghost of a Chance Mystery" (2/08/90) (47:36) - When a young woman believes her house is haunted, Father Dowling and Steve spend the night in her home to get to the bottom of the supernatural happenings.
"The Blind Man's Bluff Mystery" (2/15/90) (46:20) - Sister Steve falls for the scam of a "blind man" who in reality is a con man out to blackmail a parishioner.
"The Falling Angel Mystery" (2/22/90) (47:50) - Frank receives a visit from an "angel," who warns him that one of his parishioners is in grave danger. Now, Father Dowling steps in to try and save a life.
Disc 3:
"The Perfect Couple Mystery" (3/08/90) (47:13) - When one of their parishioners suspects her husband of infidelity, Father Dowling and Sister Steve are embroiled in a case that escalates into a matter of national security.
Notable Guest Stars: Brenda Strong, Stacy Edwards
"The Confidence Mystery" (3/15/90) (47:22) - Father Prestwick is in charge of returning a valuable chalice to Romania, but a con artist is looking to steal the sacred item...unless Father Dowling and Sister Steve can thwart the con man's plan.
Notable Guest Stars: Ed Lauter, Stanley Kamel
"The Solid Gold Headache Mystery" (3/29/90) (47:50) - A wealthy parishioner names Sister Steve as the administrator of his $6 million trust. But the late man's grown and greedy children go to dangerous lengths to keep the money in the family.
Notable Guest Stars: Eric Christmas, Valerie Mahaffey
"The Legacy Mystery" (4/12/90) (47:52) - Someone has been stealing art objects that belong to the wealthy Cabot family estate. But Father Dowling suspects that the Cabots' sole surviving son may be to blame.
Notable Guest Star: Robin Thomas
"The Passionate Painter Mystery" (4/26/90) (47:39) - A troubled artist's alcohol addiction may jeopardize his promising future...but not as much as the threat from whoever is trying to kill him.
Notable Guest Star: Roscoe Lee Browne
All 13 episodes run between 46-48 minutes. There's a disclaimer on the back cover that reads: "Some episodes may be edited from their original network versions. Music has been changed for this home entertainment version." This is a standard disclaimer on most CBS DVD releases, so it doesn't necessarily mean any episodes are actually edited. I don't know how much music the show originally used, but hopefully any music substitutions are very minor. The set has a total running time of approximately 10 hours, 23 minutes.
The packaging for this 3-disc set is a clear plastic Viva case. On the cover, we have a photo of Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson, along with the show title and interior church background. A cast photo of James Stephens, Tracy Nelson, Tom Bosley and Mary Wickes is used on the back cover. There are four additional episode snapshots below it. A short synopsis, a listing of the special features and the DVD specs are provided. Tom Bosley is, once again, featured on the spine of the case. Inside, the episode titles, original airdates and short summaries are listed by disc. A tinted photo of the church interior is used as the background. The discs just have gray artwork, with the show logo and episode titles on them. Discs 1 and 2 contain 4 episodes. Disc 3 contains 5 episodes.
Moving on to the menus, they are simple and easy to navigate. Each main menu features a different photo: Tom osley on Disc 1, Tracy Nelson on Disc 2, and Tracy Nelson and Tom Bosley on Disc 3. A church altar and pews are in the background. The show logo is in a red bar at the top of the screen. Below that is a gold bar with the season and disc number. The episode titles are listed vertically in yellow text. When you select an episode, it takes you to another sub-menu where there is a different episode snapshot of Bosley and Nelson for each episode. The episode title is listed in a red banner at the top. There are options to play the episode or the episodic promo. There is no Play All option. The subtitles menu features a photo of the four main cast members. Chapters are placed at the appropriate places. When you first insert Disc 1, there is an option to play previews or go to the main menu. There are about 3 minutes worth of previews for Blue Bloods - The First Season, Hawaii Five-0 - The Final Season and Perry Mason - The 50th Anniversary Edition.
The video and audio quality seems slightly improved over the first season. I don't know how much remastering these episodes received, but they certainly could have used some more cleaning. These episodes were shot over 20 years ago, so they do show some age. They are presented in their original full frame ratio and in their original broadcast order. Father Dowling Mysteries was shot on film. There were many outdoor scenes and different locations used. After the first season was shot in Denver, CO, the show's production was moved to Los Angeles for the final two seasons. The first season episodes looked a bit dark and gritty, but the second season episodes appear brighter. Maybe it was the switch in shooting locations. There is some dirt, debris and other digital artifacts in the episodes, but I didn't see any major problems. The audio is a Dolby Digital English Stereo track. I didn't hear any problems with the audio. This show had a very nice melodic theme and score in the episodes. English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are available on all of the episodes.
Original episodic promos are included as a special feature. These are 35-40 second previews that tell you what's happening "next on Father Dowling". The video quality of these promos isn't as good as the episodes, but they are fun to see. They give you a good idea of what each episode is about. Every episode includes one this time. It would have been nice to have some other additional material like cast and crew interviews or audio commentaries.
Everyone's favorite mystery-solving priest is back on DVD. I wasn't sure how well the first season would sell, but it apparently did well enough for the second season to be released. It was only about a five month wait between seasons, which isn't too bad these days. Shows like Murder She, Wrote, Diagnosis: Murder and Matlock have many fans and are popular on DVD. Father Dowling Mysteries falls into the same genre. Everyone enjoys a good mystery.
Season two was notable for a couple of reasons. Production was moved from Denver to Los Angeles. They also switched networks from NBC to ABC. Some notable guest stars this season included Anthony LaPaglia, Xander Berkeley, Stephen Dorff, Yaphet Kotto, Paul Gleason, Steven Culp, Brenda Strong, Stacy Edwards, Ed Lauter, Stanley Kamel, Eric Christmas, Valerie Mahaffey, Robin Thomas and Roscoe Lee Browne. If the release pattern holds, we should see the third and final season sometime later this year or early next year. The third season had a full order of 22 episodes, so let's hope they release them all together in one release and don't split them into two volumes.
(4/5 stars)
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Father Dowling Mysteries on TV.comFather Dowling Mysteries moved to ABC for the second and third seasons. It aired on Thursdays at 8pm for the second season. The season premiere was broadcast on January 4, 1990. Here are the episodes included in this release.
Disc 1:
"The Visiting Priest Mystery" (1/04/90) (48:55) - Father Dowling and Sister Steve are suspicious of a visiting priest, who turns out to be a hit man out to kill an ex-mobster turned informant.
Notable Guest Star: Anthony LaPaglia
"The Exotic Dance Mystery" (1/11/90) (48:36) - To solve the murder of an exotic dancer, Father Dowling sends Steve undercover as a dealer in a backroom, high-stakes poker game.
Notable Guest Star: Xander Berkeley
"The Santcuary Mystery" (1/18/90) (48:30) - Sister Steve's troubled younger brother witnesses a murder. But when the killer turns out to be a police captain, little brother ends up being framed for the crime.
Notable Guest Star: Stephen Dorff
"The Stone Killer Mystery" (1/25/90) (48:26) - An ex-con who Father Dowling helped put away is out on parole and gunning for vengeance...hoping to give Frank a death sentence.
Notable Guest Stars: Yaphet Kotto, Paul Gleason
Disc 2:
"The Woman Scorned Mystery" (2/01/90) (48:20) - Scandal erupts when Father Dowling is mistaken for his evil twin brother, who is seducing and swindling young women. But when the scam takes a murderous turn, Frank must clear his name.
Notable Guest Star: Steven Culp
"The Ghost of a Chance Mystery" (2/08/90) (47:36) - When a young woman believes her house is haunted, Father Dowling and Steve spend the night in her home to get to the bottom of the supernatural happenings.
"The Blind Man's Bluff Mystery" (2/15/90) (46:20) - Sister Steve falls for the scam of a "blind man" who in reality is a con man out to blackmail a parishioner.
"The Falling Angel Mystery" (2/22/90) (47:50) - Frank receives a visit from an "angel," who warns him that one of his parishioners is in grave danger. Now, Father Dowling steps in to try and save a life.
Disc 3:
"The Perfect Couple Mystery" (3/08/90) (47:13) - When one of their parishioners suspects her husband of infidelity, Father Dowling and Sister Steve are embroiled in a case that escalates into a matter of national security.
Notable Guest Stars: Brenda Strong, Stacy Edwards
"The Confidence Mystery" (3/15/90) (47:22) - Father Prestwick is in charge of returning a valuable chalice to Romania, but a con artist is looking to steal the sacred item...unless Father Dowling and Sister Steve can thwart the con man's plan.
Notable Guest Stars: Ed Lauter, Stanley Kamel
"The Solid Gold Headache Mystery" (3/29/90) (47:50) - A wealthy parishioner names Sister Steve as the administrator of his $6 million trust. But the late man's grown and greedy children go to dangerous lengths to keep the money in the family.
Notable Guest Stars: Eric Christmas, Valerie Mahaffey
"The Legacy Mystery" (4/12/90) (47:52) - Someone has been stealing art objects that belong to the wealthy Cabot family estate. But Father Dowling suspects that the Cabots' sole surviving son may be to blame.
Notable Guest Star: Robin Thomas
"The Passionate Painter Mystery" (4/26/90) (47:39) - A troubled artist's alcohol addiction may jeopardize his promising future...but not as much as the threat from whoever is trying to kill him.
Notable Guest Star: Roscoe Lee Browne
All 13 episodes run between 46-48 minutes. There's a disclaimer on the back cover that reads: "Some episodes may be edited from their original network versions. Music has been changed for this home entertainment version." This is a standard disclaimer on most CBS DVD releases, so it doesn't necessarily mean any episodes are actually edited. I don't know how much music the show originally used, but hopefully any music substitutions are very minor. The set has a total running time of approximately 10 hours, 23 minutes.
The packaging for this 3-disc set is a clear plastic Viva case. On the cover, we have a photo of Tom Bosley and Tracy Nelson, along with the show title and interior church background. A cast photo of James Stephens, Tracy Nelson, Tom Bosley and Mary Wickes is used on the back cover. There are four additional episode snapshots below it. A short synopsis, a listing of the special features and the DVD specs are provided. Tom Bosley is, once again, featured on the spine of the case. Inside, the episode titles, original airdates and short summaries are listed by disc. A tinted photo of the church interior is used as the background. The discs just have gray artwork, with the show logo and episode titles on them. Discs 1 and 2 contain 4 episodes. Disc 3 contains 5 episodes.
Moving on to the menus, they are simple and easy to navigate. Each main menu features a different photo: Tom osley on Disc 1, Tracy Nelson on Disc 2, and Tracy Nelson and Tom Bosley on Disc 3. A church altar and pews are in the background. The show logo is in a red bar at the top of the screen. Below that is a gold bar with the season and disc number. The episode titles are listed vertically in yellow text. When you select an episode, it takes you to another sub-menu where there is a different episode snapshot of Bosley and Nelson for each episode. The episode title is listed in a red banner at the top. There are options to play the episode or the episodic promo. There is no Play All option. The subtitles menu features a photo of the four main cast members. Chapters are placed at the appropriate places. When you first insert Disc 1, there is an option to play previews or go to the main menu. There are about 3 minutes worth of previews for Blue Bloods - The First Season, Hawaii Five-0 - The Final Season and Perry Mason - The 50th Anniversary Edition.
The video and audio quality seems slightly improved over the first season. I don't know how much remastering these episodes received, but they certainly could have used some more cleaning. These episodes were shot over 20 years ago, so they do show some age. They are presented in their original full frame ratio and in their original broadcast order. Father Dowling Mysteries was shot on film. There were many outdoor scenes and different locations used. After the first season was shot in Denver, CO, the show's production was moved to Los Angeles for the final two seasons. The first season episodes looked a bit dark and gritty, but the second season episodes appear brighter. Maybe it was the switch in shooting locations. There is some dirt, debris and other digital artifacts in the episodes, but I didn't see any major problems. The audio is a Dolby Digital English Stereo track. I didn't hear any problems with the audio. This show had a very nice melodic theme and score in the episodes. English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are available on all of the episodes.
Original episodic promos are included as a special feature. These are 35-40 second previews that tell you what's happening "next on Father Dowling". The video quality of these promos isn't as good as the episodes, but they are fun to see. They give you a good idea of what each episode is about. Every episode includes one this time. It would have been nice to have some other additional material like cast and crew interviews or audio commentaries.
Everyone's favorite mystery-solving priest is back on DVD. I wasn't sure how well the first season would sell, but it apparently did well enough for the second season to be released. It was only about a five month wait between seasons, which isn't too bad these days. Shows like Murder She, Wrote, Diagnosis: Murder and Matlock have many fans and are popular on DVD. Father Dowling Mysteries falls into the same genre. Everyone enjoys a good mystery.
Season two was notable for a couple of reasons. Production was moved from Denver to Los Angeles. They also switched networks from NBC to ABC. Some notable guest stars this season included Anthony LaPaglia, Xander Berkeley, Stephen Dorff, Yaphet Kotto, Paul Gleason, Steven Culp, Brenda Strong, Stacy Edwards, Ed Lauter, Stanley Kamel, Eric Christmas, Valerie Mahaffey, Robin Thomas and Roscoe Lee Browne. If the release pattern holds, we should see the third and final season sometime later this year or early next year. The third season had a full order of 22 episodes, so let's hope they release them all together in one release and don't split them into two volumes.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Blog DVD Review: 87th Precinct - The Complete Series (TMG, $49.98)
by skees53
(4/5 stars)
In 1956, Ed McBain (born Salvatore Albert Lombino, and already having legally changed his name to Evan Hunter) began writing a series of crime novels which fans just couldn't put down. One of his most popular series of novels, though, came from his 87th Precinct series, which began with a book called Cop Hater. The book (and series) was inspired in part by a TV series which McBain had seen on television and admired starring Jack Webb: the original version of Dragnet. Little would he have expected, then, that just five years later in 1961, McBain's own work would be brought to life on the small screen on NBC with their TV series 87th Precinct, a series focusing on neighborhood crime in Manhattan.
The TV series featured a group of detectives and even their families, starring Robert Lansing as Steve Carella (not to be confused with Steve Carell, of course) and Gena Rowlands as Teddy, his wife. Ron Harper filled the role of the rookie detective Bert Kling, Gregory Walcott was the long-time veteran Gregory Walcott, and then there was the wryly philosophical character Meyer Meyer (that isn't a typo, it's a same first and last name), played by a man who was very much just at the beginning of what would be a much larger television career: the one and only Norman Fell. The TV series only lasted one year on NBC, mostly due to facing time slot competition from the second season of a more lighthearted sitcom about a police officer on CBS: The Andy Griffith Show.
The set begins with "The Floater," where Carella is on the hunt for a sadistic man (played by Robert Culp) preying on lonely women. In "Lady in Waiting," a woman decides to wait for her husband's release from prison by bringing a gun into the precinct and threatening to use it. The detectives follow up on an anonymous note about a death threat in "Lady Killer." A disgruntled ex-cop keeps committing the perfect robberies in "The Modus Man." In "Line of Duty," Kling is forced to shoot (and kill) a suspect, and can't help but to feel badly about it. A pregnant wife keeps a man from cooperating with the police in "Occupation, Citizen." Beverly Garland and Jack Albertson guest star in "Killer's Payoff," where a blackmailer is murdered. Meyer arrests an old friend for a robbery in "The Guilt," but things get worse for the man when he escapes police custody. In "The Empty Hours," a woman (Pat Crowley) decides to pretend to be a deceased friend for financial gain, unaware that the friend is wanted by a killer. A young man is suspected of murdering a coed in "My Friend, My Enemy."
Leonard Nimoy guest stars in "The Very Hard Sell," where a used car salesman is found dead, slumped over a steering wheel. In "'Til Death," an about-to-be-married couple is getting some anonymous threats. A crook (played by Robert Vaughn) sets off false alarms everywhere to commit a more serious crime, hopefully unnoticed, in "The Heckler." In "Run, Rabbit, Run," a condemned gangster has much more planned beyond his death. The detectives investigate death threats toward a boxer in "Main Event." In "Man in a Jam," a man arrested for murder has some creative ways of trying to get out of trouble. A hand found in a dumpster leads to a murder investigation in "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand." Dawn Wells guest stars in "Out of Order," where telephone booths (what are those, again?) are the target of explosions. In "The Pigeon," a man (played by Peter Falk) is a smalltime criminal but wants to pretend to be bigger... making him the perfect fall guy for some serious criminals. Frank Sutton also guest stars. A 10-year-old may be helpful in solving a murder in "A Bullet for Katie."
A kidnapping doesn't go as planned in "King's Ransom." Both John Astin and Nancy Reagan (in one of her very last appearances as "just another actress" in a TV series) guest star. Meyer needs some rest while feeling ill in "Feel of the Trigger," but he just can't stop working hard. The detectives have a lot of clues to go through in the murder of a beautiful woman in "Killer's Choice." In "Square Cop," one officer is about to retire and the other one is a rookie being trained by the veteran... and one of them is shot by the others son during a burglary. Carella needs extra cash and takes a job as a night security guard at a bank in "Step Forward." A baseball star risks everything by hiding his fugitive brother from the cops in "Idol in the Dust." Havilland's new friend wants to kill a South American dignitary in "Ramon." In "New Man in the Precinct," there is a new guy at the 87th, and isn't quite used to being at such a rough and tumble precinct. Another detective ends up at the precinct after being demoted in "The Last Stop," and he isn't quite well-received after he drives everybody crazy. The series ends with "Girl in the Case," where Havilland becomes attracted to a stenographer who is being threatened.
There is a bit of variance in the episode runtimes, but I believe that they are all unedited... though you'll notice that runtimes can be anywhere from just over 48 minutes up to nearly 51 minutes. Runtimes for each episode are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Floater" (48:25)
2. "Lady in Waiting" (49:02)
3. "Lady Killer" (48:59)
4. "The Modus Man" (49:25)
5. "Line of Duty" (49:27)
Disc 2:
6. "Occupation, Citizen" (49:28)
7. "Killer's Payoff" (49:00)
8. "The Guilt" (49:05)
9. "Empty Hours" (49:44)
10. "My Friend, My Enemy" (49:00)
Disc 3:
11. "The Very Hard Sell" (49:25)
12. "'Til Death" (49:13)
13. "The Heckler" (49:05)
14. "Run, Rabbit, Run" (50:41)
15. "Main Event" (49:19)
Disc 4:
16. "Man in a Jam" (49:33)
17. "Give the Boys a Hand" (49:09)
18. "Out of Order" (49:29)
19. "The Pigeon" (49:30)
20. "A Bullet for Katie" (49:41)
Disc 5:
21. "King's Ransom" (49:33)
22. "Feel of the Trigger" (49:36)
23. "Killer's Choice" (49:01)
24. "Square Cop" (49:14)
25. "Step Forward" (49:24)
Disc 6:
26. "Idol in the Dust" (49:50)
27. "Ramon" (49:40)
28. "New Man in the Precinct" (49:32)
29. "The Last Stop" (49:15)
30. "Girl in the Case" (48:26)
The set comes packaged in a six disc case that is twice as thick as a standard DVD case. The cover art has a color photo of the four male stars of the series with their guns drawn, and on the back, we get a brief description of the series, along with a few photos and a breakdown of episode titles by disc. Inside, you'll find the six discs containing the episodes, all of which have a different photo of one of the stars and the logo from the cover (which is not the logo used in the series, but that isn't a huge deal). Each disc contains five episodes. Oddly enough, you'll find inside the case a seventh "unadvertised" disc inside of a white paper envelope. This contains the unannounced special feature, which we'll discuss a bit later.
All in all, this isn't a perfect set, but considering the rarity of the series, it is surprising that we even got to see it on DVD at all. Really, the only issue is the video and audio quality, but I doubt that anybody could really restore that to "perfection" profitably. The series has been neglected over the past five decades (mostly by just sitting in the vaults), so honestly, I'm surprised it doesn't look worse. Personally, I think those issues are very easy to look past once you see what you have here: an entertaining drama about a police precinct from the early days of television. It is a lot like Dragnet (the original version, anyway, not necessarily the late '60s version), except of course the stories here are not based upon true stories, and are excellent works of fiction. The series really reminds me a lot of something like Perry Mason, only here, things are focused on the precinct angle of the action rather than the attorney in the court room. It is too bad that this series only made it through one season, as there are infinitely many ways to write stories for a series like this. But of course, the competition made it hard to go too far.
It is worth noting that there is a bit of irony in the novel series written by Ed McBain, which by the way were still written all the way up through his death in 2005. By his own admission, he received his inspiration from Dragnet. Over 20 years after the first 87th Precinct novel was published, elements of this novel series inspired another TV show on NBC... Hill Street Blues. And reportedly, this didn't exactly thrill McBain, as he felt that his ideas had been stolen (although he didn't make a big deal over it, because by his own acknowledgment, he, too, had used ideas of others). We probably don't have too many people reading this who actually remember this series from the original airing, but that isn't really a prerequisite to enjoying the stories. I think that fans of those novels are certain to love this series, and also fans of very early police dramas will be pleased.
The TV series featured a group of detectives and even their families, starring Robert Lansing as Steve Carella (not to be confused with Steve Carell, of course) and Gena Rowlands as Teddy, his wife. Ron Harper filled the role of the rookie detective Bert Kling, Gregory Walcott was the long-time veteran Gregory Walcott, and then there was the wryly philosophical character Meyer Meyer (that isn't a typo, it's a same first and last name), played by a man who was very much just at the beginning of what would be a much larger television career: the one and only Norman Fell. The TV series only lasted one year on NBC, mostly due to facing time slot competition from the second season of a more lighthearted sitcom about a police officer on CBS: The Andy Griffith Show.
The set begins with "The Floater," where Carella is on the hunt for a sadistic man (played by Robert Culp) preying on lonely women. In "Lady in Waiting," a woman decides to wait for her husband's release from prison by bringing a gun into the precinct and threatening to use it. The detectives follow up on an anonymous note about a death threat in "Lady Killer." A disgruntled ex-cop keeps committing the perfect robberies in "The Modus Man." In "Line of Duty," Kling is forced to shoot (and kill) a suspect, and can't help but to feel badly about it. A pregnant wife keeps a man from cooperating with the police in "Occupation, Citizen." Beverly Garland and Jack Albertson guest star in "Killer's Payoff," where a blackmailer is murdered. Meyer arrests an old friend for a robbery in "The Guilt," but things get worse for the man when he escapes police custody. In "The Empty Hours," a woman (Pat Crowley) decides to pretend to be a deceased friend for financial gain, unaware that the friend is wanted by a killer. A young man is suspected of murdering a coed in "My Friend, My Enemy."
Leonard Nimoy guest stars in "The Very Hard Sell," where a used car salesman is found dead, slumped over a steering wheel. In "'Til Death," an about-to-be-married couple is getting some anonymous threats. A crook (played by Robert Vaughn) sets off false alarms everywhere to commit a more serious crime, hopefully unnoticed, in "The Heckler." In "Run, Rabbit, Run," a condemned gangster has much more planned beyond his death. The detectives investigate death threats toward a boxer in "Main Event." In "Man in a Jam," a man arrested for murder has some creative ways of trying to get out of trouble. A hand found in a dumpster leads to a murder investigation in "Give the Boys a Great Big Hand." Dawn Wells guest stars in "Out of Order," where telephone booths (what are those, again?) are the target of explosions. In "The Pigeon," a man (played by Peter Falk) is a smalltime criminal but wants to pretend to be bigger... making him the perfect fall guy for some serious criminals. Frank Sutton also guest stars. A 10-year-old may be helpful in solving a murder in "A Bullet for Katie."
A kidnapping doesn't go as planned in "King's Ransom." Both John Astin and Nancy Reagan (in one of her very last appearances as "just another actress" in a TV series) guest star. Meyer needs some rest while feeling ill in "Feel of the Trigger," but he just can't stop working hard. The detectives have a lot of clues to go through in the murder of a beautiful woman in "Killer's Choice." In "Square Cop," one officer is about to retire and the other one is a rookie being trained by the veteran... and one of them is shot by the others son during a burglary. Carella needs extra cash and takes a job as a night security guard at a bank in "Step Forward." A baseball star risks everything by hiding his fugitive brother from the cops in "Idol in the Dust." Havilland's new friend wants to kill a South American dignitary in "Ramon." In "New Man in the Precinct," there is a new guy at the 87th, and isn't quite used to being at such a rough and tumble precinct. Another detective ends up at the precinct after being demoted in "The Last Stop," and he isn't quite well-received after he drives everybody crazy. The series ends with "Girl in the Case," where Havilland becomes attracted to a stenographer who is being threatened.
There is a bit of variance in the episode runtimes, but I believe that they are all unedited... though you'll notice that runtimes can be anywhere from just over 48 minutes up to nearly 51 minutes. Runtimes for each episode are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Floater" (48:25)
2. "Lady in Waiting" (49:02)
3. "Lady Killer" (48:59)
4. "The Modus Man" (49:25)
5. "Line of Duty" (49:27)
Disc 2:
6. "Occupation, Citizen" (49:28)
7. "Killer's Payoff" (49:00)
8. "The Guilt" (49:05)
9. "Empty Hours" (49:44)
10. "My Friend, My Enemy" (49:00)
Disc 3:
11. "The Very Hard Sell" (49:25)
12. "'Til Death" (49:13)
13. "The Heckler" (49:05)
14. "Run, Rabbit, Run" (50:41)
15. "Main Event" (49:19)
Disc 4:
16. "Man in a Jam" (49:33)
17. "Give the Boys a Hand" (49:09)
18. "Out of Order" (49:29)
19. "The Pigeon" (49:30)
20. "A Bullet for Katie" (49:41)
Disc 5:
21. "King's Ransom" (49:33)
22. "Feel of the Trigger" (49:36)
23. "Killer's Choice" (49:01)
24. "Square Cop" (49:14)
25. "Step Forward" (49:24)
Disc 6:
26. "Idol in the Dust" (49:50)
27. "Ramon" (49:40)
28. "New Man in the Precinct" (49:32)
29. "The Last Stop" (49:15)
30. "Girl in the Case" (48:26)
The set comes packaged in a six disc case that is twice as thick as a standard DVD case. The cover art has a color photo of the four male stars of the series with their guns drawn, and on the back, we get a brief description of the series, along with a few photos and a breakdown of episode titles by disc. Inside, you'll find the six discs containing the episodes, all of which have a different photo of one of the stars and the logo from the cover (which is not the logo used in the series, but that isn't a huge deal). Each disc contains five episodes. Oddly enough, you'll find inside the case a seventh "unadvertised" disc inside of a white paper envelope. This contains the unannounced special feature, which we'll discuss a bit later.
The menus on the set are very basic, but functional. The main menu shows a black and white photo of the cast (same one seen on the cover), and lists all of the episodes on the disc. The theme song plays in the background of the menus. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. Chapters are placed throughout each episode at all of the commercial break points.
This series has largely remained in obscurity since it originally aired 50 years ago. In fact, I'm not sure that it has ever aired anywhere. So it should be no surprise that the video and audio quality is far from perfect. Nothing is too sharp in any of the episodes, and there is grain, debris, and scratches all over the place. But there is also some variance between the episodes. I'm sure that Universal (the rights holder) for the series hasn't really bothered restoring this series at all, so everything was likely left up to TMG to clean them up. With that being said, though, the episodes do not look terrible. They don't look like low-budget public domain episodes (and they shouldn't since this prints are "direct from the Universal vault" as the packaging indicates). The audio is a little low and has some crackle in it, but it won't be enough to bother most people. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitled.
This series has largely remained in obscurity since it originally aired 50 years ago. In fact, I'm not sure that it has ever aired anywhere. So it should be no surprise that the video and audio quality is far from perfect. Nothing is too sharp in any of the episodes, and there is grain, debris, and scratches all over the place. But there is also some variance between the episodes. I'm sure that Universal (the rights holder) for the series hasn't really bothered restoring this series at all, so everything was likely left up to TMG to clean them up. With that being said, though, the episodes do not look terrible. They don't look like low-budget public domain episodes (and they shouldn't since this prints are "direct from the Universal vault" as the packaging indicates). The audio is a little low and has some crackle in it, but it won't be enough to bother most people. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitled.
This set wasn't advertised as having any special features, and nowhere on the packaging does it indicate that there are any... but much to my surprise, upon opening up the set, a bonus disc inside of a paper sleeve popped out! Considering that this wasn't announced or even advertised on the set, and only included inside of the white paper sleeve, I have a feeling that this may have been a last minute addition, but I'm sure those buying the set will appreciate it. The main feature here is an interview with Ron Harper (34:38), the actor who played Bert Kling on the series. It is a very nice in-depth interview where he talks a bit about his life in general, and also about his experiences on the series and working with the costars. "Ron Harper's 87th Precinct Scrapbook" (4:38), where Harper goes through a personal scrapbook which he created about the series. He shows some of the original articles about the series (including one from his hometown newspaper), photos of Nancy Reagan on the set, a crossword puzzle where his own name was a clue, and some photos of him with Marlo Thomas. These are really nice features to see, and it is clear that this was an important part in his life. I am very glad that TMG managed to include this.
All in all, this isn't a perfect set, but considering the rarity of the series, it is surprising that we even got to see it on DVD at all. Really, the only issue is the video and audio quality, but I doubt that anybody could really restore that to "perfection" profitably. The series has been neglected over the past five decades (mostly by just sitting in the vaults), so honestly, I'm surprised it doesn't look worse. Personally, I think those issues are very easy to look past once you see what you have here: an entertaining drama about a police precinct from the early days of television. It is a lot like Dragnet (the original version, anyway, not necessarily the late '60s version), except of course the stories here are not based upon true stories, and are excellent works of fiction. The series really reminds me a lot of something like Perry Mason, only here, things are focused on the precinct angle of the action rather than the attorney in the court room. It is too bad that this series only made it through one season, as there are infinitely many ways to write stories for a series like this. But of course, the competition made it hard to go too far.
It is worth noting that there is a bit of irony in the novel series written by Ed McBain, which by the way were still written all the way up through his death in 2005. By his own admission, he received his inspiration from Dragnet. Over 20 years after the first 87th Precinct novel was published, elements of this novel series inspired another TV show on NBC... Hill Street Blues. And reportedly, this didn't exactly thrill McBain, as he felt that his ideas had been stolen (although he didn't make a big deal over it, because by his own acknowledgment, he, too, had used ideas of others). We probably don't have too many people reading this who actually remember this series from the original airing, but that isn't really a prerequisite to enjoying the stories. I think that fans of those novels are certain to love this series, and also fans of very early police dramas will be pleased.
(4/5 stars)
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CLICK OF THE WEEK
Game Show Temple (www.thegameshowtemple.com) - We're continuing up our game show theme for Click of the Week this week with a much broader game show website dedicated to multiple game shows rather than just one. It isn't the sleekest website out there, but it is a very nice website with information for several game shows. First, they have the rule sheets for game shows going back to the '70s, including some game shows which many of us have long forgotten (such as the Peter Tomarken hosted Hit Man). In these rule sheets, you can go through the series and read how each game was played, along with screenshots from many of these series to demonstrate what is being discussed. The video database gives a ton of links to YouTube for an astonishing 76 different game shows. Theoretically, you could find all of these one-by-one on YouTube, but this site places it all in a nicely organized fashion. There are even interviews with game show contestants (you'll see that many of them work their way around the circuit), although you may not know who these people are unless you are a game show junkie. But still, it is interesting to read about game show experiences from the contestant's end. Mostly, what we have here is a fun website, dedicated primarily to game shows of the '70s and '80s (one of my favorite eras), and I think that game show fans will appreciate this, our Click of the Week.
That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, August 28
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 24)
Friday, August 28
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) - Watch Glen on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Donnell Rawlings (Twenties) - Donnell is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 11:35pm on CBS.
- LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta) - LaKeith appears on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Laura Dern (F Is for Family/Enlightened) - Drew chats with the legendary Laura Dern on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
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