My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)NOTE: I had originally written this review before I was aware that CBS/Paramount was altering their product through entire music score replacements and so on. As much as I love programs like "My Three Sons," I can't see the justification for such decisions as split-season releases or soundtrack altering. My five-star rating was originally for the show, not the product, and it can not be changed. That being said:
The color episodes of this show were good too, but the episodes we prefer to watch are the black & white episodes with Mike (Steve's oldest son) and Bub (the boys' grandfather - Steve's father-in-law). It was a very different show, with such plots as Steve's neighbor wanting to take a pleasant Sunday drive with his wife and daughter, but ending up hoodwinked into taking Steve's car and about a dozen others with them; or Bub losing Chip's frog that he was going to use for show and tell. There was an episode where Rob was reading detective novels and became convinced that someone was following him. Another episode had Mike taking an umbrella stand made from a hippopotamus foot to his fraternity house where they used it so as to make it appear as though a giant beast walked into a nearby lake and never came out. One episode took place on the morning that daylight saving time ended, and Bub turned the clocks ahead instead of back, forcing a tired crew to roll out 2 hours early. The whole episode was staged to the narration of a NASA public info film that Chip was watching on TV.
Some of what makes these episodes important is the way we see Chip and Ernie develop a close friendship prior to the 1965 adoption episode. These earlier episodes make that particular one more weighty and understandable. Thank goodness for Nick at Nite back in the late 80's, because I had never seen the black & whites in re-runs before they ran them, nor have I seen them run again. Makes me glad I recorded them! However, DVD season sets would be a very welcome addition to my collection.
UPDATE: JUNE 23, 2008. CBS/Paramount has confirmed a release date for this series. "My Three Sons" Season 1, Volume 1 will be released September 30, 2008.
Update: July 2, 2008: The rear cover art for this series mentions music changes. To what extent? Who knows. It is particularly sad to hear of this happening in this series as Frank DeVol's music was essential to the feel, thus the flow of these shows. One example that quickly comes to mind is an episode that I believe is called "The Horseless Saddle." There are two pieces of music used at crucial points throughout the episode, it's necessary that they be there. The saddle has it's own music, and the pony has it's own music, and I don't recall ever hearing these two pieces used again.
There's also an episode where Mike becomes very serious about a girl he's met in college. He tells Steve about her and arranges for her to come for dinner and meet the family. She immediately becomes infatuated with Steve (Talking about him when she's out with Mike, even comparing him with John Wayne while they're at the movies) and begins phoning him and creating situations that bring them together. Again, there is not only a particular piece of music used each time she gives Steve a "look," but the same sound effect is also used and they really work well together.
These shows without DeVol's music would be like a bun without a burger. Changing or deleting anything that's there would be a huge mistake!
UPDATE: OCTOBER 1, 2008. Still waiting for a legitimate release.


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