Reviews (1)

Very emotional Bonanza.
But fun. It's about a boy who's struggling to get over his father's death when Ben killed him in self defense. It's fun, emotiomal, dramatic, and many more adjectives I can't think of right now. ... Read more

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"The Enterprise Incident"
An overwrought, highly-stressed Captain Kirk blunders into Romulan space and finds the Enterprise surrounded by enemy vessels, all equipped with strategically valuable cloaking technology. Along with Spock, Kirk is invited to meet with the Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) to discuss the situation, leading to a crisis when the captain suffers a breakdown following Spock's apparent betrayal. Written by story editor Dorothy Fontana (who was unhappy with the final results) and directed by John Meredyth Lucas (who briefly took the producing reins from Gene L. Coon during season two), the episode has a colorful espionage angle, but depends heavily on an improbable romance between Spock and Linville's character. Still, there are things to savor here, especially Kirk's one-and-only appearance with Vulcan/Romulan pointed ears. --Tom Keogh

"And the Children Shall Lead"
The Enterprise arrives at a distant research outpost to find all the adults dead and their children eerily cheerful. No sooner are they aboard the ship than the children begin taking over, using strange powers bestowed on them by a malevolent "friendly angel." The kids make for an engagingly creepy episode as they alter the crew's perceptions to play on their worst fears, all with angelic smiles on their faces. Kirk's stiff-necked nature is well played against the manic playfulness of the kids, and legendary attorney Melvin Belli (who enjoyed a moderately busy acting career in the late '60s) does an interesting turn as the smooth-talking angel. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Without Followers, Evil Cannot Prevail
Volume 30 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Trek contains two contrasting episodes from Season Three.

The Enterprise Incident is a successful and riveting story, even though its plot--full of Nixonian plotting and plausible deniability--runs counter to Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek philosophy. What makes this episode work is the taut writing, tight editing, powerful scoring, and excellent performances from all involved. The scenes between Leonard Nimoy and guest star Joanne Linville--as the Romulan Commander smolder with erotic tension. The visuals are also superior to most of the series. However, some of the Romulan makeup looks rushed, with some clumsy ear appliances.

Despite an interesting concept, And The Children Shall Lead is not a success. The episode, essentially an allegory about religious cults, is undone by tortured dialogue, weak plotting, and the most egregious incident of "stunt" casting in Trek history: Lawyer Melvin Belli portrays the evil Gorgon. Dressed in a silver gown with a floral patterned collar, Belli looks like a second-rate televangelist in drag. Most of this episode is so laughably ridiculous that it's best ignored or viewed as a party gag. What a wasted opportunity.

No complaints about the picture and sound restoration. However, Al Francis' lighting and camerawork lacks the beauty and subtlety of Jerry Finnerman's, who resigned after the second season.

ONE OF THE BEST AND THE WORST STAR TREK EPISODE EVER!!!
Volume 30 of the Star Trek DVD series will draw the buyer because of the classic ENTERPRISE INCIDENT episode. However it will also repel many because the episode has had the ill luck of being coupled with the worst episode that came out of the original series; AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD.

Those who say the entire third season of Star Trek is bad obviously didn't see THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT. The episode finds the Enterprise crew venturing into Romulan territory under a secret mission. The episode is well written and well acted. Joan Linville makes a fine appearance as the Romulan Commander. Her scenes with Spock are very memorable. A great action packed story with some great moments make THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT a classic definetly worth seeing. Especially when Kirk is disguised as a Romulan.

There is no doubt in my mind that AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD is the worst Star Trek episode of the entire series. The plot tries to take a sort of 'Children Of The Damned' status but comes out as a joke. The casting is terrible as several bad child actors were hired as well as lawyer Melvin Belli (of The Rolling Stone's Gimme Shelter fame) who was cast as the evil spirit whom controls the children. The entire episode is totally unconvincing but particularily because Belli looks more like a Christmas tree than a threatening entity. This is best viewed as a joke but watch it at your own risk.

Overall the DVD is worth getting for the classic ENTERPRISE INCIDENT and perhaps if you are bored you should watch AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD but it is the worst episode of the bunch. Recommended but don't get mad at me if your disappointed I warned you about AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD : )

One action episode, one creepily surreal show
The Enterprise Incident-This Romulan intrigue story is one of the 3rd season's most solid offerings. It offers a tight and dramatic plot, with plenty of twists and surprises. The teaser is particularly well-executed, and may be second only to Mirror, Mirror's opening in dramatic effect. I also enjoy the moral ambiguity of this episode. By that I mean not only that we are left to ponder whether the ends justify the means, but also that WE are left to ponder that question, rather than being beaten over the head with it and having it answered for us. Would a 1st season episode have been comfortable with this ambiguity, let alone keeping it implicit? No normative judgments implied, but Star Trek had in some sense grown up by the Fall of 1968, for better or worse. (4 stars)
Tidbits: Spock was able to stay fairly true to himself in this romance; others weren't so lucky in their 3rd season romances, which generally yanked crewmembers far out of character. As a result, here the sacrifice Spock makes is a real one, in which he compromises himself. The production team did a nice job of giving the Romulan ship interior a different feel.

And the Children Shall Lead-Incredibly, the second of the 'children' episodes is even darker than the first (Miri). This atmospheric episode is shrouded in a sense of mystery and dread. I would go so far as to call the episode courageous in it's depiction of evil and willingness to give the children complicity in the adults' deaths. Each individual's insecurities and fears are exploited by the Gorgon, and at the height of the episode Kirk has lost control both of his ship and his entire sense of reality.
While some of the effects are quite gimmicky (the knives), others are effective in their simplicity (such as the summoning of the Gorgon). Overall I found this to be an effective, eerie and surreal episode, although some may dislike the fact that there is no simple moral. The cold finality of much of the death (such as being beamed into deep space) may also upset some. The conclusions/ means of dealing with the Gorgon were also admittedly weak.
Tidbits: It would be interesting to know how attourney Melvin
Belli ended up in this role. (4 stars)

I'm gonna lead myself away from this unfortunate incident...
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 30: The Enterprise Incident © / And the Children Shall Lead ©

THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The balance of power; military one-upmanship

Historic Milestone: the introduction of the fictional "Vulcan death grip"

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

Jimmers' libido takes a rest in this outing as Spock takes on the task of romancing the babe-of-the-week. And what a job he does: he melts the heart-- whilst earning the trust-- of a Romulan ship commander with his little routine of logic and lack of emotion following the capture of the Enterprise after encroaching into the Neutral Zone. Adding to his credibility with the Romulan commander is his application of the aforementioned 'Vulcan death grip' on the good captain when it appears he may've gone a bit loopy. Um, the captain that is. Meanwhile, Jimmers' 'corpse' is returned to the Enterprise, where he's revived, disguises himself as a Romulan officer, and sets out to steal the enemy's cloaking device. Scotty's expression of joyful surprise as he sees the good captain in Romulan togs is absolutely priceless! Eventually, the Enterprise makes off with their prize, and with a touch of Scotty's miracle-working, uses it to escape detection. In the end, Spock has the temerity to try and salvage his 'relationship' with the captured Romulan officer after using her like a wad of tissues! And apparently she falls for it to a degree, the silly fool. Oh Spock, you smooth character you!

AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The folly of giving Melvin Belli a part on a TV show-- or an acting part of ANY kind!

Notable Gaffe/Special Defect: The entire freakin' episode!

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: 2 killed

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

I was pretty freaked out by the teaser to this particular eppie, featuring a buncha kids playin' and carrying on whilst their parents lie dead all around 'em! Was Stephen King a contributor to the script, or what? Unfortunately, things break down after the teaser, and never improve one iota. Melvin Belli's ultra-stiff performance as the evil Gorgan proved to me that, as an actor, he makes a pretty good lawyer. Actually, his character is very lawyer-like: he produces and feeds off of the anxiety & paranoia of others! Okay, so I made a cheap shot with that last crack. What'cha gonna do about it-- sue me? No wait, I was only kidding... honest! Please put that summons down...

Anyhoo, after pickin' up the adolescent survivors, the Enterprise encounters all sort'sa troubles... like the kids using mind-control to systematically take over the Enterprise, and making Sulu hallucinate huge knives out in space. Fortunately, the Gorgan's power over his prepubescent charges is broken when Jimmers shows 'em a few home movies with their late 'rents. This causes the young'uns to bawl somethin'awful, and frees them from their captor. I can't really blame 'em for their reaction; if I were forced to watch old home movies, I'd be cryin' too...

'Late

The Classic "Enterprise Incident" and the Worst ST episode
Volume 30 of the Star Trek DVD series certainly offers the most uneven pair of episodes in the entire collection. First up is the classic episode, "The Enterprise Incident," in which Kirk apparently goes off the deep end, ordering the Enterprise into Romulan space. Surrounded by Romulan ships, Kirk and Spock meet with the Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) in which the First Officer declares Kirk acted alone, without authority, in a blatant attempt to grab some glory. An enraged Kirk attacks Spock who then uses the "Vulcan death grip" to kill the captain. Of course, that was the last episode of the show and nothing was heard from Star Trek ever again. Actually, it is all a complicated plot for Starfleet to get their hands on the Romulan's cloaking device. But while Kirk goes undercover as a Romulan, it is up to Spock to keep the Romulan commander distracted. Leonard Nimoy and Joanne Linville deserve a lot of praise for this episode, because their scenes are arguably the most erotic in the entire series. Take that William Shatner! "The Enterprise Incident" is on my Top 10 list of Star Trek episodes and I know I am not alone in that regard.

On the other hand I think I actually sat through "And the Children Shall lead" them ONCE in all the years I have been watching Star Trek. The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a scientific expedition on Triacus where they are shocked to find not only that all the adults have killed themselves but that their children do not seem to care. It turns out the children are enthralled to Gorgon, a sort of demon entity that lives on the planet. Lawyer Melvin Belli portrays the evil Gorgon is one of those horrendous casting decisions that get made from time to time. Anyhow, now Grogon wants to find a planet with millions of people he can make suffer and to distract the Enterprise crew he has them each imagine their worst fears coming true. If I bothered to put one together, this episode would be in my Bottom 10 episodes of Star Trek. Actually, I think it is the worst of the bunch, mainly because Belli makes the most unthreatening evil etity you have ever seen while the children do not even come close to "Children of the Damned" status. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Brilliance and fun
Lost love, new enemies, hidden and resurfaced emotions become the underlying theme for these two episdoes, The Man Trap and The Naked Time.

Bringing hidden issues to the surface - confronting what we wish to forget, Star Trek goes boldly where no one has gone before with this innovative series.

In "The Man Trap", lost love of Dr. McCoy's Nancy Carter is isolated on Planet M113. There, during an away mission, crew members mysteriously are killed by being desalinated. Confrontation of emotion vs. fact - this episode yields a heart wrenching and character defining moment for our dear Dr. McCoy.

In "The Naked Time", the crew becomes exposed to a virus which allows them to act emotionally without thought. The virus is passed on through bodily fluids (in this scenario, perspiration) The forefront of sexually transmitted infections is hidden but very much so an issue in this episode.

Overall, two wonderful episodes backed by high quality of sound and picture. This DVD is a must have for the TOS collection.

Two early Star Trek episodes that were really too early
The one thing that the two episodes on Volume 3 of the Star Trek DVD series have in common is that they both should have come much later in the show's run. In "The Man Trap," we find out that once upon a time Leonard McCoy was romantically involved with Nancy Crater, who is working with her husband Robert on the distant planet M-113. When the Enterprise arrives to give the researchers their yearly physicals, crewmen start dying from complete salt deprivation. It turns out that Nancy has been dead for a year, and her place has been taken by a salt vampire. But this is "Episode 6," a point where we are still finding out about McCoy and his relationship to Kirk and Spock; i.e., too soon to really care about his past. Besides, Star Trek never really did all that well with traditional monsters. "The Man Trap" is a slightly below average Star Trek episode.

Then, in "The Naked Time" an away team finds six scientists dead on planet Psi 2000. When one of the crew takes the glove of his isolation suit off, a small drop of red liquid moves onto his hand. When they return to the Enterprise the crewmembers start acting strangely; Sulu runs around with a fencer's foil, Riley takes over engineering and keeps singing "I'll Take You Home Kathleen," and even Spock becomes an emotional wreck. The strange liquid from the planet affects everyone like alcohol and bares their souls. This is absolutely a great idea, but for "Episode 7"? This is just way too early for Spock to have his meltdown. Ironically, STNG made the same mistake with "The Naked Now" being Episode THREE for crying out loud. Of course, in syndication these concerns are less important because we the second/third/nth time you want a Star Trek episode you can put it in the context of the entire series. Still, way back when, they were really getting a bit ahead of the game with this pair of episodes, although "The Naked Time" is an above average episode.

Bare empty DVD....
I'm starting to find these DVDs of the original Star Trek television series to be very poor. Made when DVD production was just getting started in 1999, the last few years have seen whole TV shows released as four disk DVD sets labled with the complete episodes of each season. I am suprised and disapointed that Paramount has not extended this to the original Star Trek episodes either. Or a show to be as loved and admired as it has been, it deserves to be re-released as a four disk set with each season's episodes complete with commentery and behind the scenes featureets on how the show was made. But Paramount has given no indication that it plans to do so. The current management has not been that great in delivering high quality DVDs on Star Trek, and this inconstistency can be seen with the release of the Star Trek movies as Special Edition two disk DVD sets. Paramount seems to be on the decline in recent years. They have not had a big office movie in some time. They have done more with releasing their TV shows as full season disk sets, but why not TOS. There is a large fan base that would like it. Who knows? All I know is that with the recent failure of Star Trek; Nemesis at the movies, and with ENTERPRISE barely making the cut on TV, it seems that for the near future, the space dock is closed.

A hideous salt-sucker and a drunken party.
Star Trek: The Original Series Volume 3 presents two episodes originally aired in 1966:

"The Man Trap:" A shape-shifting creature that drains its victims of their natural salt content terrorizes the Enterprise crew. Even though this segment was the sixth Trek episode produced (if you count the first pilot, "The Cage") it was the public's first taste of Star Trek, debuting September 8, 1966. The creators obviously chose "The Man Trap" to lead off the series because it best exemplified Star Trek's "strange new worlds" concept. This is an excellent horror/mystery story, both haunting and tragic (inexplicably criticized by William Shatner in his book 'Star Trek Memories' as "a dreadful show, one of our worst ever" -- Huh? Did we see the same show?). A great first exposure for the masses, which nicely establishes the tone of the series; but it strangely got mediocre reviews -- the fools! GRADE: A

"The Naked Time:" This is one of my personal faves. The Enterprise crew gets infected by a space virus that causes them to lose all inhibitions resulting in ship-wide pandemonium. This episode answers one of the most burning questions of the series: Why does Kirk go after EVERY female he meets in the galaxy -- including aliens and androids? Because he's not allowed to fraternize with any of the women on his ship! (If this is true then what was he doing with Helen Noel at the ship's Christmas party as revealed in "Dagger of the Mind" [episode #11]? Ms. Noel is so incredibly gorgeous that Kirk can be forgiven this one transgression). Bottom Line: A fan favorite because it's got everything a viewer might be in the mood for -- mystery, drama, comedy, romance, action and suspense. It also happens to be a great episode in which to get to know the characters, seeing as how they all get to 'let loose.' WATCH OUT for the powerful scene in which Chapel admits her love to the emotionally distant Spock. GRADE: A+

Star Trek gaining momentum
The Man Trap-This episode, in which we meet a salt-craving creature with shape-changing abilities, was the first Trek episode to air. While decent enough, it certainly is not an exceptional episode. While it is conceivable that this was the only episode completed in time, more likely it was selected because it was not what NBC had called 'too cerebral'. Other factors that NBC might have liked include the fact that it was largely planet-based and had an alien that 'looked like an alien.' While this episode does touch on loneliness, the subjectivity of beauty, and all creatures' right to survival, it does no more than touch on these themes. As an action episode, it's no more than passable, and again everything from the delivery of the lines to the music is slow, slow, slow (compared to even one year later). The episode is, quite honestly, most memorable for 1) the well-designed vampire, and 2) the shock-value of humans being preyed upon. (2.5 stars)

The Naked Time-This episode, in which a virus causes the crew to lose their inhibitions, was the best offering yet from the new show. The episode commences with an effective teaser, and the story unfolds at a good pace once aboard the Enterprise. The basic premise is a good one, since it enables the cast to both playfully embellish their roles and have some serious ruminations. The episode certainly has its share of action, and is one of the more creative 'Enterprise in danger' shows. We are also introduced to adult themes such as tradeoffs between duty and responsibility on the one hand and joyous, unconstrained intoxication on the other. Some of the soul-searching monologues are a bit much though for characters who weren't exactly our friends yet (this was the 3rd show to air), and as others have noted Nimoy-who seems to really need to believe in the material-was not terribly effective here. The same can (as usual) be said of Takei, and the inclusion of a 'drunken Irishman' character was also somewhat unfortunate. The boomerang premise is also kind of silly, but what the heck, enough hating; this is Star Trek, and it's a good episode. (4 stars) ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Worth getting just for the Arena episode
Star Trek - The Original Series Vol. 10 isn't the best volume of the original series made for DVD yet, but it's not bad either. It has the classic episode, "Arena", where Captain Kirk goes up against a powerful lizard-like creature called a Gorn who wants to kill Captain Kirk. Kirk must find a way to defeat the Gorn in order to get his ship back and in order to stay alive. On the other hand, a lot of people probably won't be too crazy about "The Alternative Factor" because it can be hard to understand. Captain Kirk and the crew deal with a strange man named Lazarus who says he is being terrorized by an evil spirit, or man. Lazarus needs some crystals in order to get his flying-saucer looking ship back into space and off of this evil spirit's planet. And the only place that Lazarus knows of that has the crystals he needs is the Enterprise.

If you're a fan of the original series, I recommend getting Vol. 10 of the original series. It contains one of the best episodes of Star Trek with "Arena" and a mysterious, but likable episode with "The Alternative Factor."

KIRK BATTLES THE GORN IN ARENA!!!
Volume 10 of the Star Trek DVD series contains two episodes that may or may not be considered classics depending on your point of view but none the less both ARENA and THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR are quite memorable.

ARENA is easily considered a classic. In the classic tale Kirk and the crew are in an intergalactic battle with a enemy Gorn ship. The Gorn ship attacks the Enterprise after it invaded their territory. Soon however a "superior" peaceful race captures the two ships and takes Kirk and The Gorn Cpt. to a nearby habitable planet to do beattle. The winner can continue on his mission the loser will be destroyed along with his ship in the interests of peace. The episode sontains two hilarious moments the Gorn (who looks really fake) and the ridiculous superior being whom appears in the end. He asks "Does My Appearance Shock You Captain?" Well it sure shocked me. Later on he says there is hope for the human race and that they can be like the superior race. I don't know but if thats the superior race then I would prefer to stay the way we are! Anyways the episode is a classic. Easily one of the best Trek episodes of the first season.

The second episode here is THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR where Kirk meets a crazed mad man named Lazerus who is bent on destroying his double in a parallel universe. I have always found this episode a headache to watch (similar to the Dagger In The Mind episode). Sure the episode has a deep complex interesting plot but it was not translated well into an episode as it would have belong better in a book. That is why THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR is reviewed so negatively. The episode is quite trippy and complex but I understood it although many viewers don't.

Overall Volume 10 is worth a look particularily for the classic ARENA but you may like THE ALTERNATIVE FACTOR depending on your taste. It wasn't my favourite but the plot was quite good. This collection is definetly worth it though.
Highly recommended.

An Alternative Opinion
Being an ORIGINAL trekkie (I care not for johnnie-come-lately Trekkors who have no clue what this series meant in '66), I have strong memories of watching Kirk and Spock every week. When the reruns began to be aired locally (some years after the rest of the country, apparently), I got to see stuff I did not remember. The Alternative Factor became my personal favorite because of the struggles: 1. Kirk and Spock not understanding the nature of the situation 2. Lazarus dealing with his opposite self's actions after they swap universes 3. Stopping anihilation successfully.
The state of budgets and special effects somewhat hurt the visual storytelling, but the rest of the show I find heroic in a very classical sense. I was always blown away by the magnitude of the sacrifice of the rational Lasarus, and Kirk's words at the end chill me even today. Maybe having a friend who looked like, and whose intellect was on the order of Spock's, gives me a different perspective toward this tale. I always felt like Kirk to his Spock, but without a ship to command (Boy, did we need one). Hey, If networks today would pay attention to what Gene and the guys were up to, we'd have shows like...like...like...Enterprise today. Hey, we do! Trek Lives! Long Live Treckkiedom!
This is story telling at it's peak, galactic in scope, human at it's heart, and gut wrenching in it's conclusion. They don't come better than this, even with bigger budgets. This is the stuff that inspires kids to be great achievers, and grown-ups to think about why we do what we do. Great stuff, if you pay attention.

One strong episode, and one very weak one
Arena-This strong episode sees Kirk locked in a life and death struggle with the lizard-like Gorn. The episode commences with the kind of in-the-trenches warfare rarely seen on TV. The brutality of the killing brings out bloodlust in Kirk, who seems ready to exact revenge until control is taken out of his hands. A rather innovative take is then applied to the battle, one which forces Kirk to rely on his wits and keep a level head. It is one of the trademarks of Trek that Kirk eventually shows mercy. Here that mercy is rewarded; if only it were so simple in the real world. (4 stars)

The Alternative Factor-This episode, in which a loner travels between universes in a small ship, just never comes together. Despite the fact that nothing short of the universe is at stake, the episode feels trivial. While Robert Brown certainly has a tough assignment here as the two Laseruses (Laserii?), he seems torn between trying to make each of them 'real' while still being sufficiently different that the viewer will not become confused. Unfortunately he does not succeed in either regard, and the seemingly haphazard storyline doesn't assist the viewer any either. The team also seems to struggle to fill up the episode's allotted hour, but the main problem is the story is presented in a way that doesn't make sense; everything feels arbitrary and desultory. The self-flagellation between universes, while memorable, is not particularly effective either. About the best thing about this episode is the end-the disturbing idea of someone spending eternity battling a madman. (2 stars)

Two Classic Episodes for a Classic Series
"Arena" - Episode 19 - This episode features a duel between our Capt. Kirk and the Gorn. An interesting plot, surreal music, location and the Gorn character give this episode a wonderful campy feeling. Great episode to watch at pitch black night!!

"Alternative Factor" - Episode 20 - An excellent episode that deals with the orignal crew being thrown into unfamilar territory. A man named Lazarus is thrown into an odd state of flux where him and his counterpart switch between a positive and negative universe. An insane Lazarus on one of the sides is bent on destroying both universes. They both eventually meet to fight in the gap between universes eternally. Great epsiode that explores a more complex concept of the universe than the crew usually deals with!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I'm very dissapointed with this pack
I though I have made a good election but this 2 dvd pack has two lenght episodes but the sound is quite bad is very hard to hear some sentences and the most important the famous theme has been changed by a ridiculous country theme.

Gladdly I didn't pick the 5 dvd pack made by the same studio.

Don't buy this please,try something else.

Could have been much better
Good story and good acting, but audio is quite poor. The familiar theme music is missing entirely and the dialogue is spotty at best. Several sentences were hard to hear, and then the background music would blast you out of your chair. Glad I didn't buy the 5-pack. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good eps, so-so quality
These are classic "Bonanza" episodes. I would prefer that the videos include the original theme music, but I understand that copyright issues prevent that. The technical quality of the video is not the best, but the DVD is quite watchable. I'm happy to see "Bonanza" being released in DVD format, and look forward to more eps on DVD!

Struggles for justice amidst violence and lawlessness
Bonanza is the famous television western series, set in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada, during the years of the Civil War, soon after the discovery of the fabulous Comstock Silver Lode. Bonanza is the saga of the Cartwrights, a prosperous family of ranchers. The stories relate their struggles for justice amidst violence and lawlessness as they attempt to maintain and operate their timberland ranch, known as the Ponderosa Ranch. Many of these classics were produced in the early years of filmmaking. This means that primitive audio recording technique will be more noticeable in the DVD format, so will glitches in picture. These movies ("Desert Justice" & "Badge Without Honor" have been rescued from the film vaults in most cases and have not been restored. "Desert Justice" is the story of Dave Walker, one of Ben's ranch hands. Dave is accused of murdering the wife of Marshall Dowd. After the Cartwrights discover that Dave was beaten while in jail, they decide to accompany him to Los Angeles where his trial is to be held. "Badge Without Honor" is about a man named Gerald Eskith who comes to town claiming to be a Deputy Marshall. He wants to take the Cartwrights friend Jason Blaime to San Francisco to testify against the Murdock Gang. Adam, however, has his suspicions and decides to go along with them..... On the DVD (one episode on each side) you'll also find Interactive Menus, Interactive Film Trivia about Bonanza and information about the actors. A pity is the missing well-known "Bonanza"-tune. Now all the episodes start with a nasty kind of music. See Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, a three time widower; Pernell Roberts as his eldest son Adam; big Dan Blocker as son Hoss; Michael Landon as the youngest son, Little Joe. It's nice to see all the famous characters back on the screen. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very different type of Bonanza.
They don't mean ape literally. They mean a man who has lived like an ape all his life and is now scaring everyone in Virginia City. Nobody likes him when they meet him, except Hoss. The ape loves a girl, who he thinks loves him back, but is really laughing behind his back. After the law goes after the ape, it's up to Hoss to lead him the right way. I'm pretty sure you will find this weird Bonanza entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

2 Great Bonanzas!
The Blodd Line is an emotional Bonanza about a boy who must get over his father's death. But Death at Dawn is really fun. The murderer, Farmer Perkins, laughs throughout the show. I know it's supposed to be a mean laugh, but it's hilarious. This guy killed a store cashier in cold blood and only the cashier's wife was an eyewitness to the murder. They sentence Perkins to hang, but his friend has held Ben to hostage to free Perkins. It's up to the three boys to save their pa and still hang Perkins. This is probably the best Bonanza dvd that you'll find. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Terrible Hossless...
No Hoss. Poor fellow died prior to this episode, so we don't get to see the big guy. But that's not what makes this episode terrible. If you want to see what really killed off this series, watch Landon (Little Joe) overacting in this reinterpretation of "The Miracle Worker". Painful! Poor Altman and Landon were just doing their jobs. The blame goes to the scriptwriter and producer of this wasted effort. IMPORTANT NOTE: The DVD does NOT use the original "Bonanza" title theme, which was probably too expensive for them to procure, but substitutes a nice little alternative country-music ditty. Should be banned from all reissue. Not worth watching, even for Altman fans, which begs the question ... why is it that [junk] like this is available, but Robert Altman's wonderful films "Three Women" and "Images" remain unattainable?

I don't know about the quality, but I know about the episode
Little Joe is in one of his best episodes in this one. He tries to teach a deaf girl to talk with her hands and needs the help of the girl's daughter. But there's another man who don't care about her talking; he just wants to kiss her and all. Anyway, so Little Joe gets a book to help teach her and she soon catches on. Until she says she's in love with Joe. The Joe gets mad, but apologizes. They go back to normal later and then it has a surprising ending. A great early Bonanza to own. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Can't wait for this to hit dvd
CHips was one of the coolest shows on tv from the 70's = it featured, the in vogue chemistry of the time, two good-looking guys=one blond, one brunette, (for reference-look to dukes of hazzard & starskey & hutch)who worked together as cops on motorcycles catching the bad guys and featured another kool thing in 70's tv shows= awesome car chases!! the stories were good and was fun too watch (can't say that about the tv that's on today=where we are saturated with no-shame "reality" tv with no story or originality to back it up to be considered a quality visual artform). With having charlies angels, dukes, wonder woman, the hulk and Starskey & Hutch on dvd==Chips is the final great 70's tv show to make it to DVD!!!

HURRY UP !
I USED TO WATCH & LOVE THIS SERIES AS A KID; I'LL PROBABLY FIND IT DORKY TODAY, BUT WILL GET EVERY EPISODE NOTWITHSTANDING, IF ONLY FOR THE MEMORY OF IT, AND TO LET MY KIDS VIEW IT. RELEASE THE COLLECTION, QUICK!!!

Can't wait to dip this into the DVD player!
I was always a big fan (& still is) of the car chases & such when watching this show as a kid. I hope this will be released very soon on DVD! :-D ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Bonanza At its Best
bitter water has some serious and funny moments clay feet hoss is all torn up over a little boy shows a big man can have feelings too. ... Read more