Showing posts with label tv comedies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv comedies. Show all posts

M*A*S*H - Season Seven (Collector's Edition) (1972) Review

M*A*S*H - Season Seven (Collector's Edition) (1972)
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There are many enjoyable episodes in this season. Though this season is the last for Radar, aside from his final episode in season 8, MASH went on. This show, for better or worse, survived on through the many changes in cast. Radar was no exception.
Commander Pierce - Much to his own dismay Hawkeye takes charge and finds that the grass isn't greener on the other side of command.
Peace on Us - Hawkeye goes to the peace talks when they change the rules on discharge for doctors. Margaret's marriage to Donald hits a real rough patch, prompting her to get a divorce.
Our Finest Hour - The second of the documentary style shows that are shown in black and white and color. This one looks more deeply at the characters and their feelings about the war, family, and being away from home.
The Billfold Syndrome - A talented medic forgets his own name and Sydney is called in. Charles stops talking to B.J and Hawkeye after being turned down for a prestigeous post back in Boston. This gets a minor war going on between the Swamprats.
Major Ego - Charles' ego gets much higher when he saves a patient, and Stars and Stripes sends a reporter.. He sees a chance to get home. Klinger shows some of his more extravagant flair when the reporter shows up to interview Charles.
Point Of View - This show is shown from the view of a patient, for the entire show. You see a distracted Potter, and an enraged Charles. This episode was very very well done.
An Eye For A Tooth - Hawkeye, B.J, and Margaret trade a series of practical jokes, with Charles helping both sides. This series of jokes include a lemon pie, a full sized dummy, and a special mail delivery. Father Mulcahy goes on a mission of mercy after being passed over again for premotion.
Dear Sis - Father Mulcahy writes his sister over a Christmas holiday and tells of how he feels lost in the middle of a war zone.
The Young And Restless - A young brilliant surgeon bruises a few egos upon his visit displaying new surgical techniques.
C*A*V*E - A serious barrage of fire at the camp sends them to a cave, much to the dismay of Hawkeye, who suffers from clausterphobia. He an Margaret head back to camp under heavy fire to save patient who needs emergency surgery.
Rally Round The Flagg, Boys - Colonel Flagg goes way over the top and thinks everyone is a commie symp. He is copiously aided by Charles. Hilarious ending. This is the last show in which we get treeted to Flagg's raving paranoia. He left the show with some real flair.
A Night at Rosies - Hawkeye escapes a long night of surgery, and a horrid breakfast at the mess tent by heading for a drink at Rosies. He gets beer and then pours it over cereal. Then B.J follows, then Radar, Charles, and many others. Klinger heads to a floating crap game. The crowd pulls an all night binge to escape the war. This gets into Potter's craw, but he relents when he realizes that it's just what they all really need. This is also where we meet Scully, who's AWOL. He later becomes a love interest of Margaret.
The Party - B.J works hard on getting the loved ones of the main cast members together for a huge party. This happens after Radar offers his mother's help, and Potter hands him his home address. Peggy, his wife, had recently ruined the stove while canning. Radar says that his mother puts something special in it to keep it from boiling over. Potter talks about how good a canner Mildred is. This happens in the middle of a bug out, and return to camp when the Chinese pull of a huge offensive. This also happens while B.J has a patient that may never walk again, or have no feeling.
I prefer M*A*S*H after season four. I wasn't as crazy about the first few years. I enjoy the later episodes, because they got away from the slapstick humor and touched upon many many issues from suicide, blindness, love, hate, envy, infiltration, peace talks and so so much more.

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As the seventh season opens, peace talks to end the war have been going on for over a year and Hawkeye has had enough. He jumps in a jeep and roars off to the talks, and although he makes it onto the speaker's floor, his rant does little to speed up the negotiations. His discontent isn't helped by the return of war correspondent Clete Roberts who has came back to the 4077 to tape another one of his television talks for the folks back home. Yet Hawkeye isn't the only one feeling the pressures of war. BJ nearly drives himself to exhaustion trying to help a poor Korean family, Father Mulcahy almost gets himself killed trying to get a promotion, Charles falls in love with a working girl at Rosie's Bar, and Margaret's divorce is finally made official. It's all part of life during wartime.

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The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official Third Season Review

The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official Third Season
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For years I have been making do with various collections of episodes, with only a poor instrumental theme bearing little resemblance to the original theme song. Now at last this wonderful show is being released in full season sets with the original opening and closing theme songs. Some reviewers have applauded the presence of the original sponsor messages on these discs. Personally, I don't like them, but the great thing is that you have the choice of playing the episodes with or without the advertising. Some of the difference may be that as Americans, the other reviewers remember the shows that way, with some nostalgia. For me, living in a country where cigarette advertising on television has never been legal, my fond memories are of the version without the ads.
This is a great set of my favourite season of a fantastic show, complete with all the original music , photo gallery and an excellent special feature, "The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies". Every episode is packed with laughs; the Hillbillies are still as funny and as wonderful as I remember them from my childhood.
Contents are:
Disc 1
Jed Becomes a Movie Mogul
Clampett City
Clampett City General Store
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
Dr. Jed Clampett
Back to Marineland
Jed, the Heartbreaker
Disc 2
Teenage Idol
The Widow Poke Arrives
The Ballet
The Boarder
The Boarder Stays
Start the New Year Right
Clampett General Hospital
Disc 3
The Movie Starlet
Elly in the Movies
Dash Riprock, You Cad
Clampett A-Go-Go
Granny's Romance
Jed's Temptation
Double-Nought Jethro
Disc 4
Clampett's Millions
Drysdale's Dog Days
Brewster's Honeymoon
Flatt, Clampett and Scruggs
Jed and the Countess
Big Daddy, Jed
Cool School is Out
Disc 5
The Big Bank Battle
The Clampetts vs. Automation
The Brewsters Return
Luke's Boy
Jed, the Bachelor
The Art Center
The Legend of the Beverly Hillbilles
Photo Gallery


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Studio: Paramount Home VideoRelease Date: 02/17/2009Run time: 868 minutesRating: Nr

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I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 3) (1951) Review

I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 3) (1951)
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I LOVE LUCY continues it's DVD debut with a third volume of episodes from the first season.
MEN ARE MESSY - Ricky and Lucy fight over the subject of neatness, culminating in Lucy sabotaging Ricky's photospread in "Look" magazine!
THE FUR COAT - Ricky brings home an expensive mink coat that he has hired as a prop in his new act, and Lucy thinks he has bought it for her!
LUCY IS JEALOUS OF GIRL SINGER - Lucy gatecrashes Ricky's new act when she suspects that he is dallying with the new lead dancer (Helen Silver).
DRAFTED - When Ricky receives an invitation to report to an army barracks to perform for the troops, Lucy thinks that he is being drafted!
Special features include: guest cast info, original Philip Morris opening, episodes of "My Favorite Husband" radio show and flubs.

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I LOVE LUCY:SEASON ONE VOL 3 - DVD Movie

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Benny Hill Complete and Unadulterated: The Naughty Early Years, Set One - 1969-1971 (1979) Review

Benny Hill Complete and Unadulterated: The Naughty Early Years, Set One - 1969-1971 (1979)
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The A&E Collection Of 'Benny Hill Complete And Unadulterated - The Naughty Early Years, Set One (1969 - 1971) is an absolute treasure to fans of this beloved, chubby, moon-faced comedian!
These are the very first episodes American TV audiences viewed of Benny Hill, when he was at the peak of his comic genius. Benny Hill is young, surprisingly slender in these shows and full of vitality, and energy missing from his twilight shows some twenty years later.
Here we can see the entire 'Benny Hill Show' special as it appeared on Thames Television in Great Britain, completely unedited. The shows boast first-rate musical numbers usually performed by Benny's in-house quartet of female singers, the Ladybirds, and Hill's brilliant comedy. American viewers will recognize some of the sketches, but be astonished as to how much material was edited out for American syndication, primarily for time considerations.
I always loved the delightful, and hilarious sketch, 'The European Song Of The Year Contest', which is in the very first special of the 11 included on this three-disc set. Here the sketch has several more contestants added, and a finale that was always deleted from the USA version. Even the order of the scenes in the sketches was juggled by the American editor! There are really only a few moments where a skit or gag was dropped because of raciness or poor taste.
There are also three black & white specials included on this set that were never broadcast in any form to American television, as USA audiences are generally loathe to watch anything not in color!
What is also remarkable about these broadcasts is that the beautiful women on the show clearly take a backseat to comedy and music! There are still no "Hill's Angels" as of yet, just lovely ladies appearing in the hilarious comedy skits.
This is the very best of Benny Hill, and the sharp clear copies of his shows, are truly 'old gold' to fans of the great comedian!



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Studio: A&e Home VideoRelease Date: 08/24/2004Run time: 550 minutesRating: Nr

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The Best of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Vol. 1 (1961) Review

The Best of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Vol. 1 (1961)
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Image Entertainment has produced five single-disc "Best Of" volumes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" for fans of this timeless 1960s situation comedy who might not want to dive head-first into the more costly full-season DVD boxed sets.
Each one of these five separately-available DVDs contains four Van Dyke Show episodes. Now we all know that these type of "Best Of" dealies are not going to please everybody. Each fan has his or her own "favorites" list. However, in the case of "The Dick Van Dyke Show", it'd be hard to get a "bad apple", in my opinion. Nearly *all* of the 158 episodes during the program's 5-year duration on the air are "favorites" as far as I'm concerned. Overall, I think fans of the show should be pleased with the episodes that Image has selected from the Van Dyke Show archives for these five "Best Of" DVD-Video discs.
This first volume has the following episodes ...........
1.) "The Sick Boy And The Sitter" (From Season 1 [Premiere Episode]; Air Date: 10/03/1961).
2.) "Big Max Calvada" (From Season 3; Air Date: 11/20/1963).
3.) "Coast-To-Coast Big Mouth" (From Season 5; Air Date: 09/15/1965).
4.) "Dear Sally Rogers" (From Season 5; Air Date: 02/23/1966).
---------------------------
Picture quality is virtually perfect for all the above episodes, thanks to the great-looking Film-to-DVD transfers used by Image and Paul Brownstein Productions.
There's even a batch of "Bonus" features on each of these "Best Of" volumes, making these value-priced discs even a better bargain! ..... Extra bonuses for Volume 1 include the complete "Pilot" episode for "The Dick Van Dyke Show", called "Head Of The Family" -- which stars Carl Reiner as Rob Petrie. There are also some interview clips with members of the cast and crew, plus a video clip (in color) from the 1966 Emmy Awards telecast.
Plus: There's a text "bio" feature ("Meet The Cast"), along with a trivia game ("The Ottoman Tripper"). In addition, this disc contains a "Play All" option, for continuous playing of all four episodes back-to-back.
More data about this DVD..............
DVD Region Code -- "Zero".
Subtitles -- None.
Aspect Ratio -- Full Frame (1.33:1).
Audio -- Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English only).
Insert? -- Yes.
Packaging -- Keep Case.
So, if you have a hankerin' to watch Rob & Laura and the rest of the gang from "The Dick Van Dyke Show", but don't want to invest in the full-season sets, then pick up one or two (or better yet, all five!) of these nicely-done discs featuring "The Best Of The Dick Van Dyke Show"!

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The Best of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Vol. 3 (1961) Review

The Best of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Vol. 3 (1961)
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My first crush on a television actress was on Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show," so of course the famous episode where she gets her toe caught in the faucet of a bathtub (while playing with the drip) is bound to be a favorite. Therefore, I announce with great joy that you will find that classic episode here on "The Best of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show,' Volume 3." The other three episodes include one more classic, one fun episode, and one that must suffer in comparison to another classic episode. Speaking of comparisons on the topic of Mary Tyler Moore in a bathtub, that reminds me of the great episode of her own show, "Mary's Insomnia," that shows us how funny it is to be on the same side of the bathroom door as her character when she is bathing (that episode, which dealt with Mary's dependence on sleeping pills, also had a strong dramatic side as well). Now, onto our four featured episodes:
Episode 124, "100 Terrible Hours" (Written by Bill Persky & Sam Denoff, First aired Mary 5, 1965) is another great flashback episode where Rob recalls the time he was on the air broadcasting his radio show for 100 hours straight. Then he goes straight into his first meeting with Alan Brady about becoming a writer for "The Alan Brady Show." There is fun to be had with Laura trying to keep Rob awake, but my favorite part is when Rob reaches an emotional breaking point over the fate of a poor little cat stuck in a tree.
Episode 129, "Uhny Uftz" (Written by Carl Kleinschmitt & Dale McRaven, First aired September 29, 1965) is the time when Rob said he say a flying saucer hovering outside the office window one night when he, Buddy and Sally are working late one night at the office. Okay, but this one makes you think of the classic "It May Look Like a Walnut," so it has to suffer in comparison.
Episode 121, "Never Bathe On Saturday" (Written by Carl Reiner, First aired March 31, 1965) proves once again how far you can take a simple idea and turn it into comedy gold as Rob tells the story of when the Petries went on their second honeymoon and Laura got her toe stuck in the water spout of a bathtub in a fancy hotel. The problem is that the bathroom door is locked from the inside. Then there is that mustache Rob has drawn on his upper lip and the suspicious hotel security guy. Reiner's script was nominated for an Emmy, as should any script that has you thinking Laura is nude ("see" also, "October Eve"). This episode features familiar faces Kathleeen Freeman as the maid, Bernard Fox as the detective, as Arthur Malet as the engineer.
Episode 40, "The Secret Life Of Buddy And Sally" (Written by Lee Erwin, First aired November 28, 1962), has Rob suspicious when Buddy and Sally start acting strangely. He becomes convinced they must be writing for another show because the obvious alternative is worse. But it turns out they are doing a comedy act (as Gilbert and Solomon). This episode reminds me of the "I Love Lucy" show when everybody would get into the act. Buddy tells jokes while "playing" the cello, Sally sings "Come Rain or Come Shine," and Rob and Laura join in as Lester and Esther Bushwhacker to do a song and dance number as well. As you would expect this is a fun episode.

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Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete First Season (1964) Review

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete First Season (1964)
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Although I was more of a fan of Seasons 2 and 3, I am so happy to see that Gomer Pyle USMC is FINALLY being released on DVD!! My VHS tapes are so worn from the constant playing! The first Season is not to be missed though. Gomer coming right out of Mayberry RFD/Andy Griffith and straight into the Marines to face the sweet tender hearted quiet Sgt. Carter (not!). On a side note, Frank Sutton was truly an incredible powerful actor, and his early death in 1971 from a heart attack was unfortunate. He was in many movies prior to Gomer...too many to mention. One of my all time favorite actors. I can't wait until this December!!! I will be rush ordering this one for sure!! Highly recommended!

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Gomer Pyle, a naive country boy, leaves his home in Mayberry, NC to join the U.S. Marine corps. His perpetual wide-eyed innocence frequently gets on the nerves of his tough, loudmouthed sergeant. A successful spin-off from THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW.

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I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 9) (1951) Review

I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 9) (1951)
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Depsite all the negative comments aimed at Paramount Home Video recently, I want to give them some credit. Yes, I also would have loved to have been able to get Lucy in complete season box sets (but not for anything over $50) yet I had resigned myself to pick them up in these four-episode-per-disc volumes - similar to how the original Star Trek series was released on dvd. (Star Trek got two shows per disc.)
To Paramount's credit, these Lucy dvd's have lots of extra goodies on them...and that is more than many other TV shows on dvd can say. (Most other TV shows on dvd are just the episodes, with NO extras of any kind.) I love that these Lucy dvd's include any of Lucy's old radio show, "My Favorite Husband" that correspond to or inspired the "I Love Lucy" episodes on the disc. How many of us have had the opportunity to hear these classic shows anywhere else? And it's really fun comparing them to their I Love Lucy counterparts.
Also, there are scenes and music cues which have been restored, most of which haven't been seen since the show's original broadcasts in the '50's - especially any footage referring to the show's then-sponsor, Phillip Morris. No, I don't like all the smoking references, but since this was how the show was oringally made, it's great to see all this footage restored for historical interest and accuracy.
Each dvd has included sections on "Flubs" which are very amusing. Some of them I've noticed over the years watching the show, and others I never would have noticed without these supplements pointing them out.
There are "Guest Cast" sections on each disc too. These are wonderful as they give us some little bit of background on the many regular and one-time-only guest cast members that have appeared on the show. Also, for people who made multiple appearances on the show, this section includes a list of all their I Love Lucy appearances. Very nice.
The inclusion of the original animated opening is also very welcome. Before these dvd's, many of us never had a chance to see this footage either. Some of the discs include interesting Production Notes, and Behind-The-Scenes footage or stills. Again, very welcome and interesting.
The most recent disc, Season One, Volume 9 includes a special End-of-Season tag which was only broadcast one time, when the last episode of season one ran back in 1952. While it's mostly a plug for the show's summer replacement that year, and for Phillip Morris, it's still extra footage of Lucy and Desi as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo that I for one had never seen or even heard of before this dvd. What Lucy fan doesn't want to see more of that kind of "lost" footage?
I hope that Paramount is not dissuaded from continuing on with the other seasons in the I Love Lucy show. As far as I'm concerned, Paramount has been doing a grand job with these Lucy discs. Please keep 'em coming!

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In VOLUME NINE of I LOVE LUCY: SEASON ONE, Lucy: manages to get herself and Ricky on the radio in "Lucy Gets Ricky On The Radio," teaches her time-conscious hubby a lesson in "Lucy's Schedule," comes up with an unorthodox treatment for baldness in "Ricky Thinks He's Getting Bald," and convinces Ricky to pressure his boss into giving him a raise in "Ricky Asks For A Raise."Now that all 9 volumes of Season One are available, there is also an I LOVE LUCY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON DVD set available.

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I Love Lucy: Season One Vol. 8 (1951) Review

I Love Lucy: Season One Vol. 8 (1951)
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Volume 8 of Season One of "I Love Lucy" on DVD includes what has been universally recognized as the funniest episode of the classical sitcom. Need a clue? How about one word: Vitameatavegamin (and it's tasty too!). Even without that biggie the other three episodes by writers Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll, Jr. are way above average as well:
Episode 28, "Cuban Pals" (April 21, 1952) finds Lucy insanely jealous about the gorgeous Latin dancer (Rita Convy) who was Ricky's dancing partner back in Cuba. Whatever will the redhead do about this floozy?
Episode 29, "The Freezer" (April 28, 1952) contains another classic "I Love Lucy" sight gag. Lucy and Ethel have a new walk-in freezer that is not as big as think. As a result, the girls have to go into the meat business. Meanwhile, there is that walk-in freezer with a lock on teh door and that can only mean one thing with Lucy around.
Episode 30, "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (May 5, 1952) is an absolute classic. Lucy has been trying to get into showbusiness and she may have finally found her opportunity as a TV pitchwoman for Vitametavegamin, a cure-all tonic (that is only 23 percent alcohol). What is interesting is that Lucy is pretty good when she starts practicing. But with each rehersal using the actual product she descends into a drunken stupor and ascends to the heights of hilarity. Note: Lucy appeared in the 1946 MGM movie "Ziegfeld Follies," in which Red Skelton did a burlesque routine in which he was peddling a product called Guzzler's Gin. Whether this was indeed the inspiration for this "I Love Lucy" episode or not, it indicates the Lucille Ball's gift was not in originality but in performance.
Episode 31, "The Publicity Agent" (May 12, 1952) has Lucy "helping" Ricky's career by posing as a Middle Eastern princess who is Ricky Ricardo's biggest fan. Of course, no publicity stunt by Lucy goes unpunished.
During the first season of "I Love Lucy" in 1951-52 the show had a Nielsen rating of 50.9, which means on Monday nights literatlly half the television sets in the United States were on and tuned to CBS at 9:00 p.m. (and the show only finished THIRD in the ratings). However, the next year the show would make it to the top spot in the Nielsens with a rating of 67.3 as Lucy, both the actress and the character, gave birth. Today you can take the ratings from the four main networks and probably throw the two minor ones into the mix and still not come close to that number during any hour of the week. This is why there is "I Love Lucy" and then the rest.

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The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official Second Season Review

The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official Second Season
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Having already owned these episodes as released by MPI from Paul Henning's personal 16mm prints, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Paramount's release.
I was thrilled to see that not only are the original sponsor openings and cast commercials included, but you have the option of watching with them INTEGRATED INTO THE SHOW via seamless branching! That's a feature even the "Ultimate Collection" couldn't boast... there, the sponsor clips were available only in a supplemental section.
The prints are much better here, too, with the exception of the opening and closing credits, which appear to be sourced from Henning's 16mm prints. Nonetheless, Parmount did a tremendous job on this release.
What a thrill to watch these episodes EXACTLY as originally broadcast. And what a trip, in our politically correct age, to see the Hillibillies actually smoking!
Thanks, Paramount, for not insulting our intellect by "deciding for us" what is or is not appropriate to watch.

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An instant hit, the rural comedy was the ultimate fish-out-of-water story. The Clampett family strikes it rich in oil and move from their mountain cabin in the Ozark Mountains to the upscale neighborhood of Beverly Hills. Each hilarious episode revolves around the culture clash between the "uncivilized" Clampetts and the "civilized" culture of their elitist neighbors.

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Beverly Hillbillies: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1 (1962) Review

Beverly Hillbillies: The Ultimate Collection,  Vol. 1 (1962)
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This restored set has some very nice extras and the restoration of the episodes will make you put those PD DVDs in the trash can.
The only complaint is, why only 26 episodes from the 36 episode first season. One of the missing episodes is show #13 "Home For Christmas", which MPI is putting on a "Christmas with The Beverly Hillbillies & Petticoat Junction" DVD. Unfortunately, it interrupts the flow of the continuing story line. In the pre-Christmas episode the Clampetts are in Beverly Hills. Then jump to the post-Christmas episode and the Clampetts are back home in the hills.
Otherwise we are getting the first 27 episodes, minus the Christmas show, of season 1.

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The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season One (5 Disc Box Set) (1961) Review

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season One (5 Disc Box Set) (1961)
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I just bought this set (along with Season 2) and can't say enough good things about it. First, when Image says the episodes are "restored" -- they mean it! Picture and sound quality are excellent. Next, these are the FULL-LENGTH episodes, completely unedited. The first episode I played had a scene in the middle of the show that I'd never seen before (not on TV Land, not on Nick at Nite, not in local syndication). Running time of each episode is at least 25 minutes & 30 seconds -- wow. Another episode I played even had the original network footage at the beginning, with Dick Van Dyke saying, "Welcome to our new time slot." Amazing. Then there are the bonus features -- audio commentaries (interesting ones!) and new interviews and original TV commercials and Emmy Awards footage and more. Finally, the packaging is very sleek and looks great. Do yourself a favor and buy this. Do ALL "Dick Van Dyke Show" fans a favor and buy it so that Image will release Seasons 3 through 5.

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Trip into the living room of comedy writer Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) along with his lovely wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), wisecracking coworkers and nutty neighbors.Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, this groundbreaking series is consistently ranked among the top TV comedies of all time and renowned for its topnotch cast and stellar writing.Now enjoy the first season's entire 30 episodes, each digitally remastered to its original full-length version.
30 episodes on 5 discs: The Sick Boy and the Sitter, The Meershatz Pipe, Jealousy, Sally and the Lab Technician, Washington vs. the Bunny, Oh How We Met the Night That We Danced, The Unwelcome Houseguest, Harrison B. Harding of Camp Crowder MO, My Blonde-Haired Brunette, Forty-Four Tickets, Tell or Not to Tell, Sally Is a Girl, Empress Carlotta's Necklace, Buddy Can You Spare a Job?, Who Owes Who What?, Sol and the Sponsor, The Curious Thing About Women, Punch Thy Neighbor, Where Did I Come From?, The Boarder Incident, A Word a Day, The Talented Neighborhood, Father of the Week, The Twizzle, One Angry Man, Where You Been Fassbinder?, The Bad Old Days, I Am My Brother's Keeper, The Sleeping Brother, The Return of Happy Spangler.

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The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Three (1961) Review

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Three (1961)
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The good folks at Image Entertainment have done it again! This third-season, multi-disc boxed set of CBS-TV's "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961-1966) replicates the outstanding quality and tender-loving-care of its two predecessors.
This Season 3 package consists of five digital discs, each receiving its own "ThinPak" case, with appropriate (and very nice-looking!) high-resolution artwork and accompanying episode information. The outer slipcase features the "old-time TV" look, complete with a "lenticular" (3-D style) image adorning the mock "TV screen". The snappy-looking 3-D image offers up a "motion" picture of Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) falling out of a jury box (from the episode "One Angry Man", which actually was not a Season 3 episode, but rather a program from the first season of the show).
By the way, it's also worth mentioning here that these season-three discs are all "Region Free" (or "Region Zero") encoded. This is a change from the two earlier boxed sets of this series, which were only encoded for "Region 1" playback.

This third-season set gives us 32 top-notch episodes with Rob and Laura Petrie and associated friends and neighbors (even though the packaging says only 31), including the hysterical "That's My Boy??", in which Rob is convinced he's brought the wrong baby home from the hospital. Also in Season 3: "October Eve", "Laura's Little Lie", "Big Max Calvada", and another of my all-time faves, "I'd Rather Be Bald Than Have No Head At All".
All of these episodes are uncut and unedited. The FULL shows, as filmed in 1963-1964, are presented here.
Picture quality is excellent throughout this set. These black-and-white shows have never looked so good! Good resolution, detail, and contrast. The original Mono sound is used, and it suffices just fine. The audio comes to us via robust Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono soundtracks.
A "Play All Episodes" option is also available (from the Main Menu). This feature makes it nice for those non-stop DVD-on-DVD marathons that every self-respecting fan of "Great TV" everywhere should subject themselves to at least once every few weeks! :)
BONUS FEATURES ....... Like the first two boxed seasons, this 3rd Dick Van Dyke Show set is jammed-packed with bonus material. Here's a rundown:
>> There are 2 audio commentary tracks, featuring Dick Van Dyke and show creator Carl Reiner (for "That's My Boy??" and "October Eve").
>> Two clips from the 1964 Emmy Awards (length = 2:30).
>> Assorted Cast & Crew Interviews.
>> Photo Galleries for many episodes.
>> A complete episode of "The Danny Thomas Show" (originally aired on October 21, 1963), in which Morey Amsterdam appears as his Dick Van Dyke Show character, Buddy Sorrell! This Danny Thomas program bears a strong resemblance, story-wise, to the 2nd-season Van Dyke Show episode, "Ray Murdock's X-Ray". Run time of this bonus program is 25:20, and the picture quality is quite good.
>> "Rehearsal Footage" (2:28) --- This extra contains a clip from an Arthur Godfrey-hosted TV documentary from May of 1966, "A Day In The Life Of Sheldon Leonard". We see some behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage for the season-five Van Dyke episode, "Talk To The Snail". Interesting stuff.
>> An excerpt (3:14) from Mr. Van Dyke's 1975 variety program, "Van Dyke & Company", in which Dick's former co-star, Mary Tyler Moore, makes an appearance. It's not a song-and-dance clip; it's a scripted comedy spot featuring Dick and Mary chatting.' Not exactly side-splittingly funny; but it's still fun to watch these two performers get together again, nine years after the Van Dyke Show ended.
>> Easter Eggs --- There are 5 hidden "Eggs" (one on each of the five discs). Each is a TV ad (circa 1990s) for "Nick At Nite", featuring "Chairman" Dick Van Dyke.' Be sure not to miss the one on Disc #5, in which Carl Reiner pops up (alongside Dick). That one is very funny!
These "Easter Eggs" can be accessed by pressing your remote's "Left Arrow" key while the "Opening Titles" chapter is highlighted. In two instances, however, you can get to the same hidden "Egg" by "left arrowing" from any of the other chapter choices as well. If an "Egg" is present, a "glow" will surround the cranium of Mr. Dick Van Dyke's artist rendering in the corner. Press "Enter" or "Play" now, and you'll see the "Nick @ Nite" promo spot.
>> Plus: There's also a four-page mini-booklet, featuring some third-season facts and trivia, plus an informative bio on Rose Marie.
NOTE: The packaging indicates that some "Original Commercials" are contained in this set. This is an error. There are none here.
Anyone that currently owns the other sets of The Dick Van Dyke Show from Image will, without question, want to snap up this third installment of this timeless TV classic. Image Entertainment, once again, proves that when it comes to providing consumers with superlative TV product on Digital Disc, they are a class act. With great video transfers, plentiful bonus features, complete uncut episodes, and smart-and-classy packaging -- this boxed set is another no-brainer for collectors.

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I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 5) (1951) Review

I Love Lucy - Season One (Vol. 5) (1951)
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'I Love Lucy' is one of my favorite shows and I want to someday collect every episode but, the way these episodes are being distributed is just terrible. There are so many other television shows being released as complete seasons. Why can't Lucy be that way too? I am dying to get Lucy on dvd but, I will not buy any episodes until they are released as complete seasons on as few dics as possible.

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Studio: Paramount Home VideoRelease Date: 06/10/2003Run time: 105 minutesRating: Nr

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The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Two (Five Disc Boxed Set) (1961) Review

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Two (Five Disc Boxed Set) (1961)
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These terrific DVDs are enhanced by vintage clips -- promos and commercials with the stars; a half-hour cast guest spot on "Stump the Stars"; Carl Reiner and company gleefully receiving some of their 15 Emmys. Hidden features show the cast selling cigarettes for Kent, a loyal sponsor.
Stars of the time such as Joey Bishop, Lucille Ball, Sebastian Cabot, Bob Crane and Jane Wyatt pop up, making the sets delightful time capsules.
Dick Van Dyke and Reiner do leisurely commentaries on a handful of key episodes, spending a lot of time on what happened to the cast and crew -- especially who is "still with us," and who is not. They swap a few great stories, and have vivid memories of making the episodes. "Stan Laurel should have sued me," Van Dyke says as he watches himself do a bit. "If only life could be so simple," Reiner sighs as one plot unfolds.
Co-star Rose Marie, ex-child actor Larry Mathews and "neighbor" Ann Morgan Guilbert chat over a few other shows. In one case, Rose Marie plows ahead with a hilarious story long after the episode has ended.
While the audio commentaries are new, other recollections come via footage from what must have been a terrific 1994 TV special about the show. Executive producer Sheldon Leonard and "human joke machine" Morey Amsterdam, both of whom have since passed away, have their say in these clips.
Images and sound are surprisingly good. The restored video has decent contrasts over a pleasing gray scale, with minor wear surfacing here and there. The look falls comfortably between flat and silvery. The 2.0 mono ably conveys dialog, canned laughter and Earle Hagan's bouncy theme music.
The first DVD set includes "Head of the Family," Reiner's flat, almost surreal 1960 pilot for the show, in which he played the lead against a different cast. No network was buying. "The reason Carl Reiner's show failed was Carl Reiner," hot-handed producer Leonard recalled in 1994.
The world-famous ottoman pratfall appears on season 1's cover, in one of those almost 3-D moving photos. Trivia comes in segments called "Ottoman Trippers."

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DICK VAN DYKE SHOW:SEASON 2 - DVD Movie

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Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Third Season (1965) Review

Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Third Season (1965)
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Season 3 of Hogan's Heroes has some of the top ranked episodes, including War Takes A Holiday when Hogan tricks Colonel Klink and Gestapo Major Hochstetter (Whooo eeez theese mahn?) that the war is over so prisoners can escape. In The Ultimate Weapon Colonel Hogan convinces Schultz he has ESP, with the predictable outcome of disaster for the Nazis. Colonel Crittendon shows up in The Crittendon Plan, which only endangers Hogan's smooth running operation. I've been a fan of Hogan's Heroes for 40 years, and can't wait to get each DVD set.
63: The Crittendon Plan 9/9/1967
64: Some of Their Planes Are Missing 9/16/1967
65: D-Day at Stalag 13 9/23/1967
66: Sergeant Schultz Meets Mata Hari 10/7/1967
67: Funny Thing Happened on the Way to London 10/7/1967
68: Casanova Klink 10/14/1967
69: How to Win Friends and Influence Nazis 10/21/1967
70: Nights in Shining Armor 10/28/1967
71: Hot Money 11/4/1967
72: One in Every Crowd 11/11/1967
73: Is General Hammerschlag Burning? 11/18/1967
74: A Russian is Coming 11/25/1967
75: An Evening of Generals (a.k.a. Evening of the Generals)12/2/1967
76: Everybody Loves a Snowman 12/9/1967
77: The Hostage 12/16/1967
78: Carter Turns Traitor 12/23/1967
79: Two Nazis for the Price of One 12/30/1967
80: Is There a Doctor in the House? 1/6/1968
81: Hogan, Go Home 1/13/1968
82: Sticky Wicket Newkirk 1/20/1968
83: War Takes a Holiday 1/27/1968
84: Duel of Honor 2/3/1968
85: Axis Annie 2/10/1968
86: What Time Does the Balloon Go Up? 2/17/1968
87: LeBeau and the Little Old Lady 2/24/1968
88: How to Escape From Prison Camp Without Really Trying 3/2/1968
89: The Collector General 3/9/1968
90: The Ultimate Weapon 3/16/1968
91: Monkey Business 3/23/1968
92: Drums Along the Dusseldorf 3/30/1968
It'd be great to read some reviews posted by cast members.

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The inmates of a German World War II Prisoners of War camp conduct espionage and sabotage campaign right under the noses of their warders. While the enemy is often gullible, easily fooled or downright incompetent – the real strength of Hogan's men are the elaborate ruses and sometimes dangerous lengths they will go to complete their mission.

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The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series (1961) Review

The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series (1961)
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If you're looking for a super-sensational, tantalizingly-terrific, and spectacularly-massive DVD set containing some of the greatest comedy moments in TV history, then look no further than this colossal 25-Disc DVD set containing every last episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show", the multiple Emmy Award-winning CBS-TV comedy series which ran from 1961 to 1966.
This Complete-Series mega DVD collection houses all five seasons of the very funny and perpetually-entertaining Van Dyke Show, encompassing 158 total episodes, all restored and remastered by Image Entertainment and Paul Brownstein Productions, with each episode exhibiting darn-near perfect video and audio quality. And every single episode is complete and unedited. Not a single second of any show has been cut out. Average running time per episode is a shade more than 25 minutes.
All 158 shows have been bundled together here to form one gigantic and money-saving 'Complete-Series' collection. Each of the twenty-five discs gets its own individual "ThinPak" (slimline) plastic case. Each case has unique and nicely-designed cover art (featuring a different publicity still photograph on every one of the 25 cases). Additional photos grace the back cover of each case, as well as more Van Dyke Show pictures (and a complete "Scene Selections" list for each of that platter's 6 or 7 episodes) on the inside of every case. (These plastic cases are the "clear" type, so you can read the "Scene" listing on the inside front covers right through the plastic.)
The back of each of these slim cases provides quick at-your-fingertips info about each show on that disc -- such as: Full episode titles; Film dates; Original CBS-TV air dates; Brief episode descriptions; Plus some crew credits ("Written by" and "Directed by" notations). The 158 episodes are arranged here by "Production" (or "Film Date") order, instead of an "Air Date" chronology.*
* = With one (very wise) exception being Episodes 157 and 158. "The Gunslinger" was actually the last (158th) Van Dyke episode to be filmed; with "The Last Chapter" being the final episode that was aired, in June 1966. So, for proper continuity sake, Image Entertainment has flipped the order of these two episodes on the last disc of Season #5 -- with "The Last Chapter" being presented as the final show of the series.
More Packaging Notes -- The 25 individually-cased discs in this Mega-Set are placed side-by-side inside a large outer "slipcase" box.
Image Entertainment distributed five separate season-by-season "Dick Van Dyke Show" DVD boxed sets in 2003 and 2004, with each of those five sets featuring a 5-Disc slipcase box. However, those individual seasonal slipcases from each of the previously-released Van Dyke seasons are NOT included in this Mega-Set.
Many, many supplemental bonus features are also included on these twenty-five Digital Discs, including: Audio Commentary tracks for many episodes, along with cast interviews, original TV commercials, Emmy Award snippets, documentaries, featurettes, photo galleries, behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage, Easter Eggs, trivia games, CBS-TV promos, and gobs of other little interesting extra tidbits besides! A 12-page booklet, packed with interesting info about the series, is also a part of this Dick Van Dyke Show bonanza too.
There are even full-length TV-show bonuses included on selected discs, including a complete episode of "The Danny Thomas Show" (which has Van Dyke Show character "Buddy Sorrell" popping up).
Other complete TV-show extras include the original "Pilot" episode for "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (called "Head Of The Family"); plus a full-length 46-minute CBS-TV documentary made in the mid-1990s ("The Dick Van Dyke Show Remembered"); and an absolutely-outstanding and ultra-fun-to-watch TV game show entitled "Stump The Stars" (aka: "Mike Stokey's Pantomime Quiz"), which has several Van Dyke Show cast members playing a lively charades game. Great, great fun!
If you want to know the full details regarding each and every little bonus extra you can expect to find on these 25 discs, you can seek out my extensive reviews for each of the separate Van Dyke Show boxed sets here at Amazon.com. If you type in "VAN DYKE SHOW SEASON" while searching under "DVDs" here at Amazon, you'll get a convenient and handy search result that places links to all five of the Van Dyke seasonal sets on just one webpage for easy reference.
Pull out any one of these 25 discs and you'll have some great shows, including all of Rob Petrie's inimitable physical comedy bits -- not to mention Dick Van Dyke's unsurpassed ability to act out a "one-way telephone conversation" (which always amazes me when I see him do this -- and there are many such "telephone" moments during the series). Then, too, via this amazing boxed set, you'll also get every one of Laura Petrie's (Mary Tyler Moore) "crying jags", plus all the standout "Rob & Laura dancing and singing" scenes. And don't forget about all those "Buddy insults Mel" gags (which must number in the hundreds over the course of the series).
Just suffice it to say that I love this television program. .... Its humor is timeless. The characters seem "real" and "non-phony". And the writing is remarkable. And you'll be able to see why when you pop in any of these wonderfully-restored Digital Versatile Discs.
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW: THE COMPLETE SERIES" DVD collection is, without fear of argument, a "complete treasure".

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Trip into the living room of comedy writer Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) along with his lovely wife, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), wisecracking co-workers and nutty neighbors. Consistently ranked among the top TV comedies of all time and renowned for its top-notch cast and stellar writing, this groundbreaking series is now available in one special collectible box set, presented fully restored and uncut!All Episodes Digitally Remastered for Unsurpassed Video and Audio Quality!

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