Reviews (1)

Outstanding fun and suspense.
This is a definite dvd to add to your Bonanza collection. It's about a cold blooded murder by a murderer who denies killing a storeowner. Her wife testifies in court of the cold blooded murder and it makes the murderer to be sentenced at dawn to be hanged by the neck until death. But the murderer'd friend takes Ben into hostage into a stable so that if they hang him, Ben gets hung. It's up to Joe, Hoss, and Adam to go on with the hanging and save their father. Such a suspicious and entertaining Bonanza; so fans, don't pass this by. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Your mission: get the studio to release this great series!
The original Mission Impossible is the most innovative, intelligent T.V. series ever produced. It is the only one of the 60s t.v./movie spy series that is not spoofish. It is about an incredibly cool and professional Intelligence team deployed to perform missions that are -- well, impossible. The amazing gadgetry is employed so imaginatively that it seemed plausible, notwithstanding that much of the stuff is still, forty years later, technologically unattainable. James Bond and MacGyver are amateurs compared to the I.M.F. team. Even more fascinating than the gadgets themselves is the way the team operatives interacted like parts in a well-synchronized machine. The cast was wonderful, but no single individual was the star and no one character dominated. All the roles were straight and serious and the characters performed their job each week with dispassionate, clinical efficiency. This all lent such a degree of verisimilitude that actual C.I.A. and F.B.I. agents reportedly watched the show and took notes.

The plots are so intricate that you must pay attention. If you zone out even for a moment, you'll be confused and hopelessly lost. This show is not amenable to the casual watcher or one who suffers from a short attention span.

This is the one t.v. series that MUST be released on DVD. If you have never seen it (forget the Tom Cruise movie) you owe it to yourself to experience it. Therefore, your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to convince the studio to produce this DVD. If they don't think that there is enough interest, they won't make it. So please give Amazon your e-mail address to notify you when the DVD will be out. They will inform the studio how many people have inquired about it.

Excellent series, much better than the later movie copies
This series was innovative and excellent during the earlier years.After Martin Landau and Barbara Bain left the series, the female substitutes were not as good as Bain and although Leonard Nimoy was good, he was not as good as Landau (who has since won one Academy Award and been nominated a few other times).Steven Hill (recently of Law & Order) played the leader Mr. Briggs the first season; Peter Graves (brother to James Arness) played Mr. Phelps beginning in season two.
As an aside, Peter Breck was one of Barbara Stanwyck's sons in the Big Valley, and was not a regular on Mission Impossible.
For anyone interested in accurate details of TV shows, a good reference is "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 - Present."
I consider this TV series so good that it is one of the few series that I want in DVD format (VHS tapes just don't last).The review is based on the complete set of IM tapes that have Bain and Landau on them.

Mission Impossible
I'm 58 years old.This is the only place I could find
to submit a review.

The original TV series of the 1960's is not to be
confused with anything that came after.

Starring Peter Breck (bother of James Arness of
Gunsmoke), Barbara Baines, Martin Landau (husband
of Barbara Baines), and Greg Morris, each week's
episode started out with Breck being contacted by some
unknown department of the Executive Branch concerning
a problem no one else could solve.

The recording always started out with the famous line,
"Good Morning, Mr. Phelps,"and from there presented
the problem (a great help for the viewing audience).
It invariable wound up, "...and as usual, if you or any
of your IMF are caught, the Secretary will disavow any
knowlege of your actions This recording will self-destruct
within ? seconds".And it always did, except that the
setting and the recording machine was always different
each week.

So, the IMF was off to the races, and with that they overcame
the most unimaginable situations using the ultimate high
technology, much of which doesn't even exist today.And
while the plots were usually quite intricate, the sceenplay
writers made them easy to follow.

I'm eagerly awaiting a complete DVD set for this series.
It will certainly take me back to my college years.

To sum it all up, the series was absolutely intriguing,
not to mention highly imaginative.Rather than just
a sci-fi series, the interaction between the players was
very real, as well as quite gripping.


Michel Martin
michel_91941@yahoo.com
... Read more

Reviews (2)

bonanza video dvds or vhs series
i just want the viewers to know that Bonanza is nothing like the lone ranger series. Bonanza is in a class by itself. Bonanza ran for 14yrs in a row. you can't say that about anyother western of that time span. Bonanza has great stories with some shoot outs but not too much violence. Bonanza had excellent actors and writers and producers. If your're not sure of what western series to purchase, you can rest asure that anything that deals with Bonanza is a plus for your collection. trust someone who knows that show well, i promise you won't be sorry. after all we have enough violence in the real world!

Probably a 2 & 1/2 star
First of all DVD quality...It sounded in between I think the only place I noticed it was the theme sounded a little off.; but the picture did look good to me.

Now the other stuff. This has two movies: The Stranger and The Avenger. For those who haven't watched Bonanza on TV (like myself) These are not the mean killing machine type of Westerns that fill the market, but Westerns with very minimal violence. They remind me a lot of the Lone Ranger in almost every aspect. What more can I say? You decide. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

U .N.C.L.E Deserves to be on DVD
Make no mistake about it - The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was one of the best - if not the best - TV series in the 1960's. And don't forget the TV reunion movies,(was there just 1, or 2?)one of which had George Lazenby spoofing his James Bond portrayal. Isn't it time the powers that be give all the U.N.C.L.E. fans what we want - a DVD release of this superbly written and acted series? Look at some of the stuff that's out now such as The Man Show and series which barely lasted one season and you have to believe the people in charge of issuing series are issuing what they want and not what the viewers want. C'mon folks, give us Napolean Solo (only Sean Connery is a better actor than Robert Vaughn) and let's not forget sidekick Ilya Kuryakin (Navy NCIS's David McCallum) and Alexander Waverly (Leo G. Carroll) who was just as good as James Bond's "M." U.N.C.L.E. fans are legion and don't deserve to be ignored any longer.

Tell me you are kidding, no "Man From U.N.C.L.E." in DVD???
Man, of all the t.v. series in DVD format, to do a search for: "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," to find nothing, not even a single episode or movie, is a huge shock and disappointment, to say the least. The person in charge of deciding which shows to put on DVD really blew it as in "No DUH." Most people who grew up in the 60's, grew up watching and loving the show. That would be the so-called baby boomers who make up a sizeable portion of today's purchasing population, your's included. So, what are you waiting for? What is the hold-up? This series is much better than "I SPY," "The Avengers" or even "The Saint" (even if they, too, are good ones) and you have them on DVD already. I still have to pinch myself, I gotta be dreaming, no Illya Kuryakin or Napoleon Solo? No Mr. Waverly or United Network Command for Law and Enforement, battling Thrush on our behalf??? Woe is me. I'm searching again because I gotta be dreaming this.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
OMG, WHERE is the DVD issuance of this GREAT Spy series from 1964-68? Come on, guys, this addictive program was the most popular TV series THROUGHOUT THE WORLD in the mid-60's, and even today has a huge cult following, loyal fan club base, and show memorabilia collector interest.
This is not just a nostalgic series for the 'baby boomers.' It is timeless for adults and kids alike. MFU sports thrilling around-the-world spy plots, tongue-in-cheek humor and an almost unlimited list of famous guest stars. As must also be noted, its second (and subsequent) seasons, filmed on the now defunct but expensive and gorgeous Kodachrome film, make this series an absolute delight for the eye. Color tints and saturations you do not see on programs filmed later into the 70's!
The writers, producers and directors of the series were certainly some of the most talented and innovative of the period. The show has amazingly well written plots (especially the B&W first season) and in fact even spawned many 'new' photography techniques in its time. These are noted as creative applications utilizing the then-new shoulder-hefted 'portable' film cameras. This program was one of the first such uses of these cameras.
Starring Robert Vaughn as secret agent Napoleon Solo, David McCallum as partner Illya Kuryakin, and Leo G. Carroll as U.N.C.L.E. Director Alexander Waverly, this series brought together three very talented actors to create a well-blended mix of character personalities. Week after week they would save the world, usually from the sinister menace of the evil arch enemy organization THRUSH.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is grand action adventure.
Granted, the series did begin to falter (just a bit) in its final 1967-68 season, but it was still fun to watch and certainly remained at the top of the 'quality' shows of the period.
A 1966-67 cross over spin off, the often times ridiculous Girl From U.N.C.L.E., was also quite popular. The GFU starred Stefanie Powers as agent April Dancer and Noel Harrison as agent Mark Slate. Again, Leo G. Carroll starred as the head of the U.N.C.L.E.
Work on these two series' was quite an accomplishment for the renowned Mr. Carroll, considering that he was not in the best of health at this time in his life. Shows were occasionally and graciously shot around his particular needs, but the producers weren't bothered; they were well aware of their good fortune to have such a respected actor.
In light of many 'garbage' shows being presently marketed on DVD, it is necessary to state that the fantastic Man From U.N.C.L.E. series needs to be given its long overdue consideration for DVD release.
And make certain to keep intact the closing credits, sporting the famous "We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this program would not be possible."
Great stuff . . . right to the end!

Dated, But Still My Favorite Show
UNCLE is still my favorite show, even if it is dated (and even though I can now see how they re-used that red brick mansion over and over in many episodes). Recently, Film Score Monthly magazine has released two double-CD sets of original UNCLE music, and I've been reimagining the shows in my head as I listen to great, catchy music. I've waited since 1965 for real, original UNCLE music, as heard on the show. Yippee!

Why this show is not on DVD perplexes me. When it was released on tape, they didn't pick the best episodes, but the ones with the biggest guest stars. Bad move, but better than nothing.

For a 1960s show that's not in reruns, it still isn't forgotten. I recently heard Elvis Costello on a talk show describing a recording studio that was unexpectedly located in an old building. He said, "It was like 'The Man From UNCLE'". I could hardly believe my ears! See, people still talk about it. Please release it while we're still around to buy it.

Make My Days ... and Nights
As a long-time fan, I already own the tape set, but would still buy the DVDs in a heartbeat. Man from U.N.C.L.E. fans are still around -- in numbers that would surprise you. And we're not all over 40. My kids love the show, too. It's timeless -- funny, intelligent and features some wonderful co-stars.

I look forward to owning this set. ... Read more