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James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in a not-so-nice mood

Facing an indeterminate sentence of weeks/months/years until new episodes, fans of The Sopranos are advised to take the fifth; season, that is. At this point, superlatives don't do The Sopranos justice, but justice was at last served to this benchmark series. For the first time, The Sopranos rubbed out The West Wing to take home its first Emmy® for Outstanding Dramatic Series. Michael Imperioli and Drea de Matteo also earned Best Supporting Actor and Actress honors for some of their finest hours as Christopher and Adriana. From the moment a wayward bear lumbers into the Sopranos' yard in the season opener, it is clear that The Sopranos is in anything but a "stagmire." The series benefits from an infusion of new blood, the so-called "Class of 2004," imprisoned "family" members freshly released from jail. Most notable among these is Tony's cousin, Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi, who directed the pivotal season three episode "Pine Barrens"), who initially wants to go straight, but proves himself to be something of a "free agent," setting up a climactic stand-off between Tony and New York boss Johnny Sack.

Carmela and Tony

These 13 mostly riveting episodes unfold with a page-turning intensity with many rich subplots. Estranged couple Tony and Carmela (the incomparable James Gandolfini and Edie Falco) work toward a reconciliation (greased by Tony's purchase of a $600,000 piece of property for Carmela to develop). The Feds lean harder on an increasingly stressed-out and distraught Adriana to "snitch" with inevitable results. This season's hot-button episode is "The Test Dream," in which Tony is visited by some of the series' dear, and not-so-dearly, departed in a harrowing nightmare. With this set, fans can enjoy marathon viewings of an especially satisfying season, but considering the long wait ahead for season six, best to take Tony's advice to his son, who, at one point, gulps down a champagne toast. "Slow down," Tony says. "You're supposed to savor it." --Donald Liebenson

Explore More
For an even deeper immersion into the world of crime (movies, that is) see our guides to crime classics and our who's who compendium of famous mob bosses.

Bada Bing! More of The Sopranos at Amazon.com

The Complete First Season	The Complete Second Season	The Complete Third Season
The Complete Fourth Season	Seasons 1-5	The Sopranos Family Cookbook

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Reviews (26)

The Goombas Are Back In Town:WARNING - SPOILERS
Time to stuff your face with pasta and wave your hands around when you talk, dropping an F-Bomb every other word - the long anticipated season 5 of the Sopranos is finally available on DVD to satisfy America's love affair with the mafia and pretending to be Italian.

Now here comes the shocker: you may have already heard this, but Season 5 reveals to us that Tony Soprano is Darth Vader's father.Also, the five families get together and put a hit on Meadow - putting US all out of our misery.Thank GOD.Junior gets a prescription for Viagra - and the best of all:Janice dies from choking, due to stuffing her face with a 96 ounce steak.Nobody has the physical strength to remove her fat @ss, so she's buried right there in Artie's restaurant.

The cover of this set - inspired by scenes from Dante's Inferno - was a horrible choice.It really bugs me.I hope season 5 is good.Haven't seen it yet, so don't spoil it for me.

The Best Aphrodesiac on Television
Maybe we have been too influenced by the Tarantino ultra- violent popular culture zietgiest machine, but my baby and me watch this show and afterwards we get it ON!

The sex, the violence, the food! These good-fellas and their exploits are da bomb!

A perfect warmup for animal passion with methods we learned on the dvd NEW SEX NOW...

Sometimes I fantasize about Tony and his hooker on the boat.

Oh my!

WHAT A SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what an amazing season. from the bear to tonys standoff with johnny sac over his cousin. pretty close to the best season if not the best season so far!

The Sopranos - The Complete Fifth Season
This Is a great Season and a great show but all the actors heads and wallets are starting to baloon way too big(James Gandolfini) Come on, they are acting like babys that are spoiled by their mother!! It really ruins the show when I think back to James Gandolfini holding out on the contract(like he ever had a better role in his life) HBO made him and he should be very thankful to them, as for me I wont buy this dvd but instead I ask all of you to buy HBO's Deadwood!!! better storys and a truling addicting show. HBO, Fire James and put the saved money into New Pilots and greatness will rise from the Soprano ashes, You have done it many times now and will again. Thats all I have to say about that. John Reynolds, Santa Barbara, Cal

Back in Business
After the 4th Season's emphasis on the Soprano domestic front, the 5th Season returns to the "family business" with a vengeance.

But, with all the backroom maneuvering, parking lot beatings, and streetside shootings, the most powerful moment came with the ultimate fate of Adrianna: after all the episodes and seasons that entertained and endeared us to this family, THE SOPRANOS reminds us of who these people really are.
It almost felt like the viewer got whacked at the end of the 5th Season.Pretty wild.

As usual, I can't wait for the next (and supposedly final) season. ... Read more

Amazon.com

No other show captures the ebb and flow of day-to-day human relationships like Six Feet Under, which chronicles the dysfunctional lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles. Though the overt theme of the series is mortality--every episode opens with the death of someone whose body will end up on the Fishers' slab--but the third season, even moreso than the first two, explores the intertwining struggles for connection and for personal freedom. The season starts slowly but compellingly, laying out the changes in the Fishers' lives. Nate (Peter Krause, We Don't Live Here Anymore) has married and has a baby. David (Michael C. Hall) is settling into tense domesticity with his angry boyfriend. Claire (Lauren Ambrose) has launched into art school. Ruth (Frances Conroy), their mother, is reaching out for companionship from an emotionally stilted young intern, and Brenda (Rachel Griffiths, Hilary and Jackie), Nate's ex-fiancee, has apparently vanished from their lives.

But as storylines unfold across the 13 episodes, the emotional heft of the season comes from the expanded roles of the family's intimates. Federico (Freddy Rodriguez), who has leveraged his way into a partnership with the Fisher brothers, finds himself fighting to be treated as an equal at work and struggling with his wife's depression at home. Trying to sort out their relationship, David and Keith (Mathew St. Patrick) negotiate everything from therapy to threesomes. Meanwhile Lisa (Lili Taylor, I Shot Andy Warhol), Nate's unhappy wife, increasingly becomes the center of the season as her jealousy and need become unbearable. Though big events happen, the most jolting drama on Six Feet Under comes from small conflicts--miscommunications, crossed desires, habits that don't mesh. The cast, writers, and directors can, with breathtaking skill and subtlety, spin a brief conversation into a microcosm of the character's lives. By this third season, the show has taken on the richness and complexity of a great novel; it's an impressive and deeply enjoyable achievement.--Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (39)

I want more!
I only watch the show for two reasons: David and Keith. I like everybody else, but seeing them together makes me happy. I hope they can put their heads together and get help. I want them to salvage whatever it is to save the best "gay" relationship on TV today. The show is ground-breaking, and having interesting and thought-provoking characters like David and Keith make me tune in every week to see what happens. I love the show! Keep up the great work! Matthew.

Not Bad
I have been following SFU as it has been released on DVD. I have to say that I am not a fan of Season 3. It has become a bit soap-opera-ish. Season 1 and 2 made you think and relfect on each episode, and the person who died in it, and what you could learn from their death. This one seems to have forgotten that; with the characters being two dimensional.I hope it picks up in Season 4.

Saying that, I still think this is an awesome series.

Very good, but not as good as seasons 1 and 2
Six Feet Under is one of my favorite shows - I love the writing; the realistic, flawed, and very likeable characters; the storylines; and the great acting. Watching 6FU on DVD is really the way to go - you watch on YOUR schedule - no more waiting a week for new episodes.

If you haven't seen Season 3 yet, I won't ruin the surprises that are in store for you, I will just try to set up what happens.

The first episode resolves the cliff-hanger from Season 2 regarding Nate's brain surgery.The episode also fast-forwards a few months, and we see the Fisher family having gone through some changes.Nate's situation is very different now - Brenda is out of the picture, and Nate's daughter Maya is a bigger part of his life.In Season 2, Lisa moved to LA to have Nate's baby, and in Season 3 she is a regular character on the show.She and Nate go through some interesting stuff, and later in Season 3, Brenda shows up and complicates things.

At the end of Season 2, David and Keith were together again, but having rough spots; now they are going to couples counseling to work on their issues.Ruth is now newly single, having left Nikolai the florist, and there's ample room in her life for a new friendship with an eccentric character played by Kathy "I'm your number one fan!" Bates.Ruth's love life also gets some attention in Season 3.At the end of Season 2, Claire was just about to start art school; in season 3, her storylines revolve around art school, another student, and a teacher there.By the end of Season 3, just about everyone is at a crossroads.

Like Seasons 1 and 2, Season 3 has plenty of very dramatic, emotional scenes that are so well-written and so well-acted, they really make you FEEL what these characters are feeling.For us viewers, the experience of seeing them suffer is visceral.

But unlike Seasons 1 and 2, season 3 doesn't have as much dark, quirky humor (like in Season 1 when Ruth accidentally took the ecstasy that David hid in the aspirin bottle).I missed this.

The first half of Season 3 is a bit uneven - some episodes and storylines are great, others feel like filler to keep things moving along.The second half is really great, compelling, like a great page-turner that you don't want to end.Be warned: the last 4 episodes, while riveting and incredibly well-acted, contain some pretty depressing stuff.Also be warned that the last episode's very last scene, while excellent, will leave you wanting more.

One thing I loved about Seasons 1 and 2 was the epiphanies or transformative growth that one of the main characters would sometimes experience as a result of their interactions with the families of the people that die at the beginning of each episode.This happens much less in Season 3, unfortunately.However, toward the end of the season, Nate starts seeing connections between his own situation and that of the families of the deceased.And in the last episode, there's an extended scene involving Claire, her deceased father, and other characters in Heaven (don't worry - Claire's not dead) that brings a sense of resolution to a number of storylines that had been kind of left open, and is really quite beautiful.

All things considered, I definitely recommend Season 3, but the first half of the season is not quite up to the standard of excellence set by Seasons 1 and 2.

the last of the best
I have long believed that SFU was the best written/acted show on television (excuse me-it's not television it's HBO).In the opinion of a rabid fan season three was the last really primo season for this masterpiece program.Season four was so forced it was just lost in space.It wandered aimlessly until Lisa's body was found (ding dong the bitch is dead!) and Nate got himself beaten senseless to demonstrate his guilt.Back to season three.I believe it was the best of SFU and I will ad it to my collection of seasons one and two when released in May.I have no plans to watch season five when it begins in June.Season four destroyed my interest in this superb series and I am truly saddened. This is one program which should have ended after season three. It's sad when producers drag a story line out beyond it's logical and qualitative end point for the sake of money. I have canceled HBO because I can't bear to watch season five drag it down further and SFU was the only reason I subscribed to HBO in the first place. At least I'll soon have the last of the best three seasons to enjoy as reminders of one of the top five shows of all time.

Season Three
Season three starts out with a bang. The first episode shows a completely different life for the protagonist Nate. For the rest of the Fisher family everything is different too. To start off Rico has become a partner and Claire has started art-school. Ruth is getting fed up with Nikolai. The season's main brilliance comes in its incredibe developement of all the characters. Although it's sad to see Claire out of highschool, without her shrink, without ParkerMcKennough, she goes through a major transition through her interactions with Russel and other art school friends. Ruth becomes close with Bettina (played by Kathy Bates) who is looking after her sister while she gets rid of a Vocodin addiction. Brenda is seeking help for her sexual addiction.

The brilliance of the show is only furthered for the characters as this season appears to be a season of transition in their lives.

The cast continues to rock out in this season and Alan Ball and Laurence Andries continue to kick ass with their intense cinematography and beautifully crafted Los Angeles landscapes. Unlike many shows that depict California as a land of promise Six Feet Under portrays it in it's independant apathetic reality. The show also shows how the landscape as affected it's characters, mainly Brenda and Claire. ... Read more

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Unlike the good doctors of the 4077 (otherwise known as "this hellhole" and "sewer"), M*A*S*H shows little signs of fatigue in its eighth season. Familiar characters reveal new sides of themselves and the series itself performs some radical surgery on sitcom convention. The most pivotal personnel change is the departure of Gary Burghoff, the only ensemble member to have appeared in the original film, as Radar. His splendid two-part send-off sets the stage for one of the season's best episodes, the Emmy-nominated "Period of Adjustment," in which Klinger (Jamie Farr) must begin to make the role of company clerk his own, and family man B.J. Honeycutt (Mike Farrell) is devastated when a letter from home relates how his baby daughter called a visiting Radar "Daddy." Pompous Charles Emerson Winchester III (David Ogden Stiers) gets his "Of course I care" episode when he tends to a classical pianist who has lost the use of his hands in "Morale Victory." Harry Morgan, as Colonel Henry Potter, was honored with an Emmy, most likely for the emotional episode "Old Soldiers," in which he receives word that the last of his World War I band of brothers has passed on. Loretta Switt was also saluted by the Academy for her work this season. Among her best episodes is "Are You Now, Margaret?" in which she is accused of being a communist sympathizer.

Two episodes truly distinguish themselves: "Life Time," which unfolds in real time as the doctors race against the clock to perform an emergency procedure that requires a graft from a dying soldier; and "Dreams," writer-director Alan Alda's Emmy-nominated, love-it-or-hate it episode that visits the nightmares of the sleep-deprived doctors. M*A*S*H continues to walk the scalpel's edge between hilarious comedy ("Too Many Cooks," "April Fools") and powerful drama ("Heal Thyself, in which a visiting doctor suddenly suffers a break down, and "Guerilla My Dreams," which climaxes with a tense standoff between the doctors, who have saved the life of a wounded female Korean guerilla, and the North Korean officer hellbent on executing her. As with past M*A*S*H sets, viewers have the preferred option of viewing the episodes without the intrusive laugh track. But we're putting whoever's in command on report for yet again not managing to stitch together any kind of cast commentary, interviews, or archival goodies. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A great series, but SO SLOW in getting it all out--WOW!
There is little to add to any previous praises for this set, but that never stopped me before. MASH is without a doubt my favorite TV series ever. I put it above "The Andy Griffith Show" and "All in the Family" (other personal favorites), as one the finest sitcoms ever put on TV, and there are many fine ones.

The movie was a tremendous picture, IMHO, and the TV series was even better. Why? Many reasons including cast, writing, chance to expand on the characters more each week, and overall just plain great TV. I won't list all the characters and bore you with stuff you probably know better than I, but it suffices to say, the series was put together with complimenting, professional personalities. I have seen every episode, in reruns--several times over, even before this series of DVDs began to come out. Each time I watch one, I almost feel as if I am back in very familiar surroundings with close friends. Weird?? I suppose, but each time I watch any episode, even though I have seen it several times before, I enjoy it more.

My only complaint is, and many others have said the same thing, it is taking a very long time to get the series out--almost six months or more between each of the seasons.Take a hint from the "Combat" TV series sets--AND GET THE REST OF THIS OUT! I am an old man and would like to get them all before I am gone. Please! I hope they don't stop this series before completion, as sometimes happens.

If you like "MASH", the TV series, as I do, this is a must.

If the shark *really* has to jump...
...it'd probably be in season 8. Yes, every season since the departure of Henry and Trapper has been cited as a shark-jumping season, but for me if a shark jump has to happen, it'd be now. I still love MASH till the end, but this season is where the little changes along the way finally become pretty major changes.

And I'm not talking about Radar's departure either, which is definitely the main reason to own this set. After Wayne Rogers and Larry Linville practically vanished, it was nice for a cast member to get a proper send-off, and Radar's absence is felt within the season's storylines and the series. Incidentally, the notes in the insert booklet mention the network initially shot down the "goodbye episode" idea that Gary Burghoff wanted. Better this than the nasty internet rumour that Gary was coerced back by the network so the two-parter could air for the ratings sweeps.

There are more standouts this season: an episode with a real-time clock where the doctors rush to save a solider from paralysis, a hilarious episode where Hawkeye and BJ boost camp morale before everyone decides to "kill the cook," and a personal favourite of mine where a new surgeon covering for Potter and Winchester cracks under the stress. There's also the infamous "Dreams" episode, which is either a very introspective drama or pretentious melodrama depending on your tastes.

But like I mentioned before, season 8 has signs that MASH will never be the same. BJ's pink shirt and suspenders begin making more appearances, and coupled with the mustache he starts looking a geriatric old man in pink long johns. Margaret's hairstyle also changes for the worse, not to mention her complexion is altered by what looks like cosmetic surgery. More episodes are filmed indoors, as use of the ranch was becoming limited by this season. An appearance by Robert Alda as Dr. Borelli (whom I loved in season 3) has him more as Alan Alda's dad than the actual character. And Mike Ferrell writes and directs a pointless love letter to his character, where BJ falls for another woman (again) and resists her. At least there was drama in the previous version, where BJ actually slept with the woman.

In all, I do recommend this season, but there are definitely changes here that could be labeled "shark jumping." If you buy this set and can accept the differences, you'll be ready for the last three years of MASH(season 9 in dec??? geez....)

Quit after Four or Five Years, I DON'T Think So!
To paraphrase, 'no show should run over four to five years.'That is insane.M*A*S*H was an excellent show that kept fans watching for 11 years, and not just out of loyalty.The creators, actors, directors, and writers of M*A*S*H realized that a good show should have a mixture of comedy and drama.The variety of humorous and dramatic, heartwrenching episodes that season eight offers is just an example of why this show has captivated generation after generation of audiences over the thirty plus years since its debut.I'm only 19, and I have seen every single episode of M*A*S*H at least three or four times, if not more.I own every season thus far released. And season eight will hit my DVD player this afternoon.M*A*S*H didn't rehash scenario after scenario; it presented the evolution of the characters over time, as the horrors and obscenities of war aged and wisened them over a few short years.Buy season eight.Buy 1-7.And Buy seasons nine-11, yet to come.They are well worth the money.Quit after four or five years, I don't think so.

Great Shows should always go on this long!!
Contrary to William Smith's review, this set is well worth it. 25 episodes? The great thing is that all of the episodes have been retored to their original running length. The earlier seasons were 3-4minutes longer (Per episode) than what you'll see in re-runs. In a 24 episode season, that's about an hour and a half. Sure, you don't get Surround Sound, etc, but the shows were never broadcast in Surround. If you want to see these shows like you would have if you were sitting in front of the TV in the late 70's, then pick this up!

Also, there is a separate version of the MASH series available at certain retailers. Each disc of the season is available for separate purchase. Those versions should not be confused with these, the COLLECTOR'S EDITIONS.

This show was always good!!!
For all you so called MASH fans that thought the show started slipping around this time, obviously you didn't get the show.The show was always character driven thus it became more of a drama.If the show continued to be slapstick like in the first two seasons it would have become a cliche.So the characters became more real ; they even made Winchester more likeable.The creators of this show only quit after they couldn't find anything fresh unlike most other shows that rehashed their plots. So for this and all past and future MASH dvd releases, they all get five stars. ... Read more

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While more cautious fans may want to pick and choose among the previously released individual volumes of Monty Python for their collection, true Pythonites will want to own this definitive, 14-volume DVD-only boxed set that contains all 45 episodes (in chronological order) of Monty Python's Flying Circus. This "persistently silly" collection encompasses three-and-a-half seasons of dead parrots, cross-dressing lumberjacks, loonies, upper class twits, and spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, and spam. Click past the occasional clunker and go directly to such signature sketches as the Ministry of Silly Walks, the Spanish Inquisition, the Fish-Slapping Dance, the Dead Parrot Sketch, the Lumberjack Song, the Cheese Shop, the Argument Clinic, and Nudge, Nudge. Taken as a whole, one marvels at how Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam thoroughly subverted television convention with "something completely different," like sketches with no punch lines ("Your average TV viewer isn't going to understand this").

A warning to the uninitiated: there is much "material that some may find offensive, but which is really smashing." Violations of something called the "Strange Sketch Act" are the least of the troupe's offenses, as witness the Oscar Wilde Sketch, the Dirty Vicar Sketch, and the Most Awful Family in Britain Sketch, all of which achieve "the really gross awfulness" all Python fans are looking for. Say no more. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (87)

CHEAP COLLECTION OF FLYING CIRCUS AT COSTCO
I would definitely recommend this to true Pythonites, but I found the set for a whole lot cheaper at Costco. Only 89.99. It's the cheapest I've seen it anywhere. With 14 DVDs, that's about 6.50 per DVD. And there's no shipping or handling costs.

The Best Possible Thing in This Price Range!
Don't Be Scared off by the price. If you decided to look into this item you've probably seen the Holy Grail and either Meaning of life or Life of Brian (or both). If not, go do that. Holy grail is the best thing for the un-initiated. The features are awesome. I love the Useless Tidbits and clips of the Live at the Hollywood Bowl Show (available on Monty Python Live!). Do yourself a favor and buy it. As a follow-up get And Now For Something completely different. Watch each episode from start to finish in order!

It's Only Money!!!
I contemplated buying this set due to the hefty price. But hey, how much is it worth to you to relive all those hilarious memories over & over again! I just watched the parrot sketch with my 11 year old daughter (I'm now pushin' Rolling Stone age) and we had a great laugh together. Plus, if you first saw these shows in your early teens, like I did, you'll pick up on a lot more of the subtle & adult humor presented here; humor you may have missed the first time around. So......you can't take it with you so you might as well spend it wisely. Buy this set and I guarantee you will not regret your decision. Add to cart and don't look back!

Vicious fun with nothing spared with MP humor
This box set of DVD's culled from all the MP shows is literally a treasure. I have so many favorite episodes that it would cheapen it to say one DVD is better than the other (although the episode 21 from second season containing the sketch 'Archeology today' is simply brilliant)... the genius that was/is MP is the acute grasp of what they were trying to portray in intellegent manners in the silliest way possible. You know these folks were very smart, yet they acted so immature and goofy... and linked it all together.

I still find every episode funny, and I never seem to find any of the material boring or overdone.. I can literally watch this set anytime anywhere for any reason at all. Simply a treasure that should not be missed, either new to MP or an old fan like myself.

If you don't want to buy the whole set, you can get them in two packs... but really folks, that is a waste of money since you will most likley get them all. This is worth every penny and then some.

Everyone says it, but it is really true here, this deserves a couple of more stars at least!!!

Have fun.

Who screwed it up, Gilliam?
Naturally this is a must-have. Possibly THE greatest film humor work of the 20th century. I mean it; don't let this go out of production without buying it. One BIG GRIPE, though: I don't know whether it was Gilliam who did the programming or what, but number one, every blinking time you want to watch a particular sketch you have to suffer through a very long, pointless intro of Gilliam's animation (which I'm so sick of at this point I could puke), with the Skip function disabled, and number two, the programming apparently hides some stuff so you only see it if you get to it the right way. That's not humor at all; it's just antisocial. I watch mine far less than I would because of the intro problem, and I'm ripped about it because I love the sketches so. ... Read more

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The winning streak for this veritable show continues through its fourth year. As with many long-running series, The West Wing faces the inevitable--a cast member chooses to leave. But this show handles Rob Lowe's exit with such well-executed grace, a could-be-harmful experience (or at least sudden) is turned into an asset. The season begins with three staff members marooned in the heartland (played mostly for laughs) and ends with a dramatic cliffhanger even more powerful than the initial season's shooting. In between are 20 excellent episodes packed with the series' trademark wit and pace, and an uncannily ability to create excellent moments for the entire cast. The election nears and West Wingers brace for the final onslaught including a make-or-break debate. There's a horrible genocide in Africa changing the course of the Bartlett administration and a covert assassination with effects lingering throughout the season. There's also the now-annual flashback episode, this time to the first days at the White House (with another comforting appearance by Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. Landingham). The series also has its first episode set mostly outside the West Wing when C.J. (Alison Janney) goes back to Ohio for a high school reunion and visits her father (Donald Moffat) who is starting to feel the effects of Alzheimer's.

Lowe's Sam Seaborn picks a new fate at the spur of the moment and is eventually replaced by the very person whose verve he was swept up by--a harried, vastly intelligent campaign manager, Will Bailey (Josh Malina, best known for his work in creator Aaron Sorkin's previous show, Sports Night). He's an excellent fit for the West Wing, both fictionally and for the series. Part of the show's success belongs to the continuity, helped immensely by high-caliber guest stars continuing long runs on the show, including Mary-Louise Parker, John Amos, Marlee Matlin, Tim Matheson, Timothy Busfield, Lily Tomlin, Anna Deavere Smith, and Ron Silver (hey, that's a pretty good cast for their own show). One-time guest stars are also used to the fullest. Notice how a single-episoe appearance by Christian Slater (as a naval attaché who strikes Donna's fancy) turns into a three-episode arc. Matthew Perry delivers an Emmy-nominated performance in a key role in the season's final arc. This fourth season was capped by the departure of creator-writer Sorkin and producer-director Thomas Schlamme, plus another Emmy win for Best Drama, its fourth straight. Many were surprised or even angered that the series kept up the winning streak. Perhaps the series was not as relevant to the times as four years earlier, but the proof is in the pudding--the series was still in rarefied air by the end of this season.

Luckily, Sorkin and Schlamme were invited to air the commentaries for the DVDs, here on three episodes. It allows them to talk about their departure, a subject barely mentioned in the two making-of featurettes. One deals with speechwriters and other with Stockard Channing's role on the show. Note: the documentaries and deleted scenes are hard to find. Look for the pointer (>) at the bottom right of the special features menu of the sixth disc. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (31)

West Wing - Thanks
I just wanted to write and thank the reviewer (Chris - Hamburg, NY) who informed me how to get the extras on the 6th disk.

The > was too near the Main Menu to seem to be a separate icon. To Brother Ziegler of the recent request - check out April 8th 2005 for the correct method.

As regards the series, Aaron Sorkin or no, it is still the best thing on television.Intelligent, witty, well acted and well written; it will be watched for many years to come.

I do agree that the constant introduction of guest characters, can be a little tedious at time - but at least it hasn't sunk to the level of 'Will and Grace' - also a very well written series, but for different reasons. There, an episode seems not to go by without some celebrity popping up.An ensemble cast of the calibre of the West Wing (or indeed 'Will & Grace') doesn't need it so much.

The 4th Season box set is well worth the purchase price.Enjoy it for what it is - good television, and many thanks again to Chris from Hamburg NY for unlocking the key to the extras problem.

Not up to the first three seasons
Not only has it become even more TOO LIBERAL AND PREACHY, to agree with a previous reviewer, it's become just plain boring!This season is much more soap opera and less a plausible look at real issues than the earlier excellent seasons.Whereas I used to easily watch a whole disk (3-4 episodes at once) in one sitting, it now takes five sittings to get through a single episode.I don't plan to buy any more season sets.

the good and the bad...
First the good:great program, and Season Four continues the good acting from this cast, as well as Aaron Sorkin's superb writing, mixing informative dialogue with amusing banter, that keeps one caring about this ensemble, and makes this whole series one to return to again and again.

The bad:the boxed set was sent without the booklet listing the episode titles and descriptions, so it is hard to find the episodes ones wants to watch. Returning for exhange didn't help, as ALL the stock in a major outlet was also missing the booklet, so I tried to track down the booklet separately, from the online seller, as well as from Warner Home Video directly - still waiting, after 2 months.I'd advise potential buyers to wait until this is sorted out, and ask specifically if the booklet is included, before purchasing.

Consistency.
"The West Wing" is easily the most reliable series I have ever purchased.The level of quality filmmaking that this show achieves is remarkable.From the professional direction, to the great ensemble chemistry, to the often incredible writing, there really is no reason to hesitate gathering all the episodes currently available and showcasing these DVD collections prominently and proudly.Having praised "The West Wing" with all due accolades, Season 4 is actually the least effective of the first four seasons.The acting is good, as per usual, as are the direction and cinematography and writing; but it was a rare moment when I got that buzz that made the second half of Season 1 and all of Season 2 so phenomenal.Season 3 was an effective continuation, but during Season 4 I frequently felt the throughline story was sent to the back of the bus to be tabled for a later date, or ignored altogether, so a new character 'name' actor could be introduced in the hopes of injecting some charisma.Of those I remember, there was Christian Slater, Matthew Modine, John Goodman...To be completely honest, these actor-infusions were more distracting than helpful.The cast is already one of the best ever assembled in the history of dramatic television.Then there is the one episode where C.J. goes to her hometown reunion and has to deal with her Father's descending mental capacity.I thought I had put in the wrong DVD.This is supposed to be "The West Wing," not some Sunday afternoon melodrama.Regardless, Season 4 does have plenty of stellar moments.There are no standout episodes, in particular, such as episode 17 from Season 3 entitled "The U.S. Poet Laureate," which is absolutely all-around brilliant, but there is enough excellence strewn throughout Season 4 to recommend it highly."The West Wing" is, without a doubt, the most consistent dramatic program I have ever had the pleasure and privilege of watching.Thank you.

Sorkin's "Swan Song"
Great season - "Game On" and the espisode about Toby's father are some of my favorites.
QUESTION:Can anyone tell me HOW you access the special featurettes?Not the commentaries...but the "Behind Every Good Man..." and Unaired Scenes.I can't play these items!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It feels both inaccurate and inadequate to describe The Office as a comedy. On a superficial level, it disdains all the conventions of television sitcoms: there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks, and no cute happy endings. More profoundly, it's not what we're used to thinking of as funny. Most of the fervently devoted fan base watched with a discomfortingly thrilling combination of identification and mortification. The paradox is that its best moments are almost physically unwatchable. Set in the offices of a fictional British paper merchant, The Office is filmed in the style of a reality television show. The writing is subtle and deft, the acting wonderful, and the characters beautifully drawn: the cadaverous team leader Gareth (Mackenzie Crook); the monstrous sales rep, Chris Finch (Ralph Ineson); and the decent but long-suffering everyman Tim (Martin Freeman), whose ambition and imagination have been crushed out of him by the banality of ! the life he dreams uselessly of escaping. The show is stolen, as it was intended to be, by insufferable office manager David Brent, played by codirector-cowriter Ricky Gervais. Brent will become a name as emblematic for a particular kind of British grotesque as Basil Fawlty, but he is a deeper character. Fawlty is an exaggeration of reality, and therefore a safely comic figure. Brent is as appalling as only reality can be. --Andrew Mueller

The second series exceeded even the sky-high standards of the first. Indeed, it ventured beyond caricature and satire, touching on the very edge of darkness.Ricky Gervais is once again excruciatingly superb as David Brent, but in this series, Brent's to-the-camera assertions concerning his management qualities and executive capabilities are seriously challenged when the Slough and Swindon branches are merged and his former Swindon equivalent Neil (Patrick Baladi) takes over as area manager. To compensate, Brent cultivates his pathologically mistaken image of himself as an entertainer-motivator-comedian whose stage happens to be the workplace. Meanwhile, Tim, who can only maintain his sanity by teasing the priggish Gareth, continues to wrestle with his yearning for receptionist Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis), a sympathetic character persisting in a relationship with a man about whom she still maintains unspoken reservations. As ever, it's the awkward, reality TV-style pauses and silences, the furtive, meaningful and unmet glances across the emotional gulf of the open-plan office, that say it all here. As for Brent, his own breakdown is prefaced by a moment of hideous hilarity--an impromptu office dance, a mixture of "Flashdance and MC Hammer" as Brent describes it, but in reality bad beyond description. Then, when his fate is sealed, he at last reveals himself in a memorable finale to perhaps the greatest British sitcom, besides Fawlty Towers, ever made.--David Stubbs

The brilliant and devastating comedy of The Office is brought to a satisfying conclusion in The Office Special, originally a two-part Christmas special on the BBC, set three years after the end of the faux-documentary's second season. The former office manager David (Ricky Gervais) now ekes out a desperate existence as an oblivious quasi-celebrity, making awkward, humiliating visits back to the office staff he still believes loves him. Gawky Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) has risen to manager and become a petty tyrant, while the sweet but snide Tim (Martin Freeman) continues to pine for former receptionist Dawn (Lucy Davis), who fled to Florida with her fiance. When the documentary crew pays for Dawn to return for the holiday party, an unpredictable reunion looms ahead. The Office fuses scathing humor and genuine empathy, turning excruciating social discomfort into inspired satire. Fans will find this special rewarding in all respects. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Is it in french too ?
Hi,
i'm wandering what are the languages of these DVD's ?
English of course, but is there a French version too ?

Thanks for your help

One of the best seasons for any show!
I usually don't comment 5/5 on anything, but this season is amazing.

Season 5 includes: Introduction of Towelie (must i say anymore?)
Yes? OK, this is also the year Cartman redirects his hate for Hippies and Kenny towards Kyle.

And this leads us to Kenny dying and butters' very own episode, which will lead us to season 6 with Butters' and the gang.

Overall, the writing focused more on the boys and less on the school and other characters.That is what is should be> ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I say thee, YEA!
I just wanted to add my two cents to the review written by Mr. Marold of Bethlehem, PA.I agree with nearly everything Mr. M had in his review, with the exception of his comment about the episode where Bartlett stepped aside while his daughter was being held captive.I believe that was an entirely plausible situation and it was presented in an accurate manner.

Be that as it may, I have a different reason for enjoying "The West Wing".I too came to the show late in it's run and somewhat reluctantly.I thought, given the cast, that they would be laying on the liberalism with a heavy hand.Being an independent and a moderate, I have some liberal tendancies, but I do think of myself as a conservative and the thought of Martin Sheen and company preaching at me for an hour was too much with which to cope.However, once I saw the reruns on Bravo and some of the new episodes, I began to warm up to the show.I found that 95% of the time, the liberal cant is handed out in managable portions.The other 5%?Well, I can live with that because I found another overwhelming reason for loving this show.They...make...me...LAUGH OUT LOUD!The banter back and forth amongst the staffers gets to be hilarious and the President will joke with anybody from his aide, Charlie, to Adm. Fitzwallace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.I cannot think of an episode that I watched where there wasn't something that made me burst out with laughter.Maybe the "Zoe kidnapping" episodes.

Watch "West Wing" for the political machinations and the insight into our political and constitutional systems.But also for the humor and wit.You will be well rewarded on all fronts.

Major Entertainment and Civics Class, all in one!
This DVD set includes all available `The West Wing' seasons in a single package and it represents the least expensive way of acquiring all four seasons, if you do not already own one or more seasons on DVD.

I am late in coming to appreciate this show, as my attention over the last four years has primarily been on retiring, learning to cook, and religiously following the careers of my various Food Network heroes. I have just recently started watching this show when the Bravo network started running `The West Wing' marathons and showing episodes on most weeknights.

The very first criterion I have for buying a DVD might be called `rewatchability'. There are certain movies and certain shows that are so rich that you are still detecting nuances after the fourth or fifth viewing. Compared to a show like the CSI incarnations, `The West Wing' easily retains its power on a third or fourth or fifth viewing. `CSI', except for those with a big element of office politics in the plot, loose their punch after you remember who the perp is as soon as you know what episode it is you are watching. Once the rush from listening to the great `The Who' intro passes, so does the thrill.

`The West Wing' has gotten lots of praise and awards for the quality of its writing and acting, but I am almost willing to believe it has gotten less than it deserves. I have never been moved so much by a scripted television show since some of the very best `All in the Family' episodes. Amid the flood of reality shows, I am even tempted to say that between `The West Wing', `CSI', `Law and Order' and all of the various spin-offs of these shows constitutes a golden age of scripted television drama, especially in this twilight of the great comedies of the past decade.

The quality of `The West Wing' for me lies primarily in the accuracy with which it portrays the realities of American politics and, beyond that, the realities of politics in general. In doing so, I believe the show can help to explain to most Americans why political `horse trading' is essential to the way our policy making works, why raw power is not always effective on the international stage, regardless of how seductive the use of that raw power may be. It also highlights that most important political virtue, loyalty. I have not read James Carvell's book on this subject, but I suspect that he would say that without party loyalty, government would simply be impossible, or at least much more difficult than it is now. As so many stories show so well, political loyalty works two ways. An elected official must be loyal to his constituents or the representative will not get reelected. An elected official must also be loyal to his party, or he will get no political largess bestowed on the people in his constituency. I can thing of no more dramatic example of this than in the change in benefits coming Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley after the election of Ed Rendell to be Pennsylvania governor, replacing Tom Ridge. Ridge and most other governors in my lifetime came from outside the Philadelphia sphere of influence, into which the Lehigh Valley falls. Thus, it almost seems as if Harrisburg suddenly discovered that the Lehigh Valley was now a part of Pennsylvania when Rendell was elected.

The third energy, after politics and international crises which drives the plots of `The West Wing' are the particular strengths and weaknesses of the principle characters, starting with President Bartlett and his remitting MS weighed against his great intellectual ability and accomplishments. For other major characters, it is part of the great genius of this show that while they are riddled with human frailties, they are sustained and succeed in high government positions due to their loyalty to both Bartlett and basic American and Democratic ideals. The chief of staff is a brilliant politician with alcoholism, the head of White House communications is a sour puss who is rarely wrong on principles, the assistant chief of staff is a little boy in a grown up body who has a great imagination for political tactics, the White House press spokesman has a father with Alzheimer's and a passion for women's issues which she sometimes needs to control if it conflicts with White House policy. The assistant head of communications is a brilliant writer with a weakness for inappropriate liaisons. The first lady is an important, talented medical doctor who compromises medical ethics to care for her husband and his political vulnerabilities.

One of my greatest pleasures is the fact that while I share the political priorities of the Democratic Bartlett administration, the Republicans, who are written to control both houses of the Congress, are not represented as straw men with positions which it is easy to dismiss. The tactics of the Bartlett team would not be nearly as believable if the House and Senate Republicans were cardboard caricatures. It almost seems like the writers intentionally make House and Senate Democrats and members of the cabinet as ornery and as difficult to work with as the Republicans.

If I have any difficulties with the plots of these stories at all, it is with the suspicion that a real modern president would not get involved in a lot of small details such as in the episode when two American girls were arrested in central Africa for prostylicizing for a Christian church. In real live, it seems this would reach no higher than an assistant Secretary of State. Another implausibility is when Bartlett stepped down from the presidency temporarily, handing it over to the Republican speaker of the house, while Bartlett's daughter was kidnapped by Arab terrorists. But then, we would not have had the pleasure of watching John Goodman play president for three episodes!

This show is great and parts should be required watching in high school civics classes.
... Read more

Amazon.com

It's goodbye to Capeside, hello to Boston in Dawson's Creek's fifth season (a.k.a.: Dawson's Creek: The College Years).While the end of the fourth season sent the five friends their separate ways--Dawson (James Van Der Beek) to USC Film School, Joey (Katie Holmes) to Wilmington College, Jen (Michelle Williams) and Jack (Kerr Smith) to Boston Bay College; and Pacey (Joshua Jackson) to the high seas--it doesn't take them long to find themselves together again.That's a good thing, especially when tragedy strikes a family member and threatens to tear the survivors apart.

More than anything, the fifth season seems to be about falling into bad relationships.Jen dates a cute but sleazy musician (Chad Michael Murray), Pacey gets a job in a restaurant where he pursues a woman (Lourdes Benedicto) already having an affair with a married man, then fends off a vampish new boss (Sherilyn Fenn, Twin Peaks).Joey is drawn to her handsome English professor (Ken Marino).And Jack joins a frat, becomes a jerk, and starts a devoted relationship with his beer bottle.Dawson meets an eccentric young filmmaker (Jordan Bridges) which in turn leads to a meeting with his favorite Boston film critic (Meredith Salenger).And Joey's new roommate, the annoyance-with-a-heart-of-gold Audrey (Busy Phillipps), becomes the newest major addition to the cast. The irritation factor is high this season, a couple of "Joey is threatened" interludes don't have the punch that they could have, and in the season finale, the inevitable resolution of the show's central relationship doesn't really resolve anything at all.But viewers who have followed the Capeside crew for four seasons will still want to see what happens in the fifth.

The fifth season is the first to have no DVD extras at all, and it continues the music-replacement strategy (which, since the second season has replaced much of the music, and since the third season has replaced Paula Cole's theme song, all due to licensing expenses).In addition to the usual background-music switches, some scenes have been edited (for example, the episode "Highway to Hell" has cut two of the performances on-stage at the Drunk & Dead).Also, the opening credits of "The Long Goodbye" and "Downtown Crossing" had originally used instrumental versions of "I Don't Want to Wait," which had underscored the emotion of those episodes. In the DVD set, those have been replaced by the standard version and an instrumental version, respectively, of "Run Like Mad." --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (26)

happy but not satisfied
I loved season 5 all the way back to season one but I have to say the cuts and change of songs are pretty disapointing I to delt with the changed theme song all though i hate it. anyways I don't have any thing to bad to say but i do feel like i got ripped off I was looking forward to extras and bonuses. i red in some one review that we would pay top dallor if thats what it takes and i second that if you need to bump up the price then please do so .

Paul Stupin, you're killing me!
I've heard it all before.It costs a lot of money to get credits for songs.But when I think I'm buying Season 5 of "Dawson's Creek" and what I really get is some whacked-out EDITED version of the show, I'm gonna be unhappy!This is the situation.I dealt with the theme song change.I dealt with some horrendous replacement songs.But I shouldn't have to deal with the decision to edit out some scenes for licensing issues.I hope I speak for many when I say that I am willing to pay top dollar for the unedited, as they aired versions of each and every episode of "Dawson's Creek".The DVDs as they are do not do the show justice.Only Season 1 is in its original state.It's the only set I suggest buying.

Pretty Good Season. Not As Bad As Everyone is Saying.
The fifth season saw alot of change for Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Jen, and Jack, but it also brought a more "adult" and loose feeling to the cast that, otherwise, wasn't there in seasons 1-4. Having said that, I feel that this season isn't as strong as other seasons, but it still worth the watch. I definitely think if you skip this season, then you will not get the season six. The reason I said that is because I quit watching Dawson's Creek around the middle of this season. I quit watching not because I thought it wasn't any good at the time, but rather that I was really busy with work and school.

Anyway, this season as I said, brings forth change, but one thing remains is the Joey-Dawson-Pacey love triangle and the Jen and Jack friendship. College really messes these characters up. They find themselves in a new environment with new characters like Audrey (Joey's college roommate), whom I think isn't that great of a character, but does add a nice break from the five.

People can say what they want to about this season. I like it. I know it's not as good as the other seasons, but it does have an interesting feel that the other seasons didn't. Things change and so do people. This is most comfortable I've seen these characters since their early beginnings in Capeside. It's definitely a different season, but I think it's a very welcoming change that has some interesting plots and twists.

its missing alot
I can understand the idea of not including certain songs because of the cost, but at the same time there are soemthings you just shouldn't change and should be forced to pay the money for. For example joey only sings one song when she performing with charlie at the dive bar.They totally edited that out, also when jenn dedicates a song to dawsons, how do u not get the rights for REM's Nightswimming.That song was chosen in the Tv series especially for that scene, i just dont get it.Also coem on Paul how about a little commentary, you definityl shoudl have had some words to say about a few episodes, such as the episode where Joey gets mugged and the episode with Mitch's funeral.Oh well at leats we have the episode on dvd

Dissappointing!
Okay, I am a hardcore Dawson's Creek fan...and yes I have bought this set of DVDs...but for a producer who was very passionate about this series, he didn't really put much into it. Some of the episodes look very grainy and the 100th episode, in the first flashback between Joey and Dawson, they forgot to mix in Dawson's dialogue so you only hear Joey talking, and Dawson's mouth moving, but no sound...all I have to say to Paul Stupin is..wtf? If he cared enough he might have taken the time to do some commentary, perhaps even get the rights to some of the better songs that they played during this season. For instance, the song in "Downtown Crossing"...the one Joeys dad used to sing to her, they cut out Joey humming the song and they replaced it with some other song. Mary Beth Meziarz is an awesome pianist and singer and they should have tried to keep her in the soundtracks. All we have here is the 23 episodes of the 5th season with music changes. Paul Stupin, I beg of you, please do something with Season 6...make buying these DVDs worth while! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It wasn't until the beginning of Stargate SG-1's fourth season that fans knew to take the Replicator threat seriously. The spidery nasties had only seemed like one of many new enemies introduced in previous years. But when the one seemingly omnipotent backbone of the galaxy was asking Earth for help, clearly we were in real trouble! In fact, the team's list of enemies expanded and got far more complicated this year. Proving without a shadow of a doubt that this is science fiction, the Russians reveal they have their own Stargate program and ask the Americans for help. This twist allows for exploration of all the political machinations occurring behind the scenes of the SG-C, all of which appear to stem from the embittered Senator Kinsey (Ronny Cox).

There were quite a few Earth-based stories in the year, but not all the new enemies were originally local. Willie Garson comically guest-starred as Martin, a geekily suspicious guy with too much knowledge of the Stargate. More sinister was an old flame of Daniel's turning into something far more painful than an old wound (thanks to an ancient Egyptian curse). Thankfully, the writers hadn't forgotten the importance of one-off storylines too. In "Upgrades" the team learns a lesson in abuse of power. In "The Other Side" (featuring DS9's Rene Auberjonois) they learn about blind trust. In "Scorched Earth" a dangerous claim for a planet's ownership means they learn to value Daniel's contribution to the group dynamic. If only this last lesson were learned better, season 5 might not have ended up as muddled as it did. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (25)

SG-1 Season Four -- A Clear Triumph
I must say that Stargate SG-1 Season Four is, by far, my favorite season of them all. The year opens with a terrific conclusion to the climactic cliffhanger. "Small Victories" shows us just what a mess the Replicator bugs can be for Earth. "Window of Opportunity" is a delightful tale of time-travel with a unique twist where Jack and Teal'c can't get out of the same ten-hour cycle! "Tangent" shows us just what we get if we "slap a USAF sticker on the side of a death glider" and call it ours. Great acting by Richard Dean Anderson and Christopher Judge, though they are sitting down most of the time. Other top episodes from this season include "The Curse," "The Serpent's Venom," "Chain Reaction," "The First Ones," "2010," "Absolute Power," and the ultimate blowout for Apophis in "Exodus," which sends our heroes hurtling into their next adventure for a new year! Season Four is a definite triumph for the Stargate legacy, where stories are followed up and new ones are born. At this point the show had totally come into its own, and it is shown in the development of the characters, the top-notched scripts, stomach aches of laughs, and a plethora of absorbing and entertaining plot threads that will have viewers drooling for the next season. Plus, this is the first boxed set with commentaries! Hours of entertainment right there! Plus the usual special features. So fork over that tad bit of cash and plug in for Season four. Get ready for Sci-fi at its finest hour!

...

just that much better than the first three
So many good and entertaining things about the entire Stargate series make it my favorite television show I have ever seen. This season continues and expands on all these things through some truly amazing, humorous, in some cases powerfully emotional episodes, while at the same time adding something new to the mix: the annual super-whimsical episode. Season 4's is Window Of Opportunity.

While the episode's overall plot is serious, and stellar even by Stargate standards, the episode goes beyond even the great humor of O'Neill's constant wisecracks when it explores the possibilities of what crazy things a person could do if they knew they could do anything they wanted for a day and soon afterwards everyone around them would not remember what they had done. Dang that General Hammond for yelling during O'Neill's backswing! (while driving a golf ball through the Stargate without permission...)

War and Politics in Outer Space
The Replicators. The Russians. The Aschen. These are only a few of the new enemies presented this year, in Stargate: SG-1 (okay, so technically, the Replicators were introduced last year). These new baddies made a lot of trouble this year for the SGC in what is definitely the best season yet. We learn more about the Replicators this year when Sam (Amanda Tapping) is brought to an Asgard-controlled planet to help defend the O'Neill, the Asgard's newest and most advanced ship ever. Also, the Russians retrieve the Giza gate from the bottom of the ocean from when Thor's ship, the Beliskner, crashed, while the SGC is now using the Antarctica gate. And, 10 years in the future, an advanced race, known as the Aschen, are quietly wiping out the human race by making humans infertile.
These are just a handful of the amazing new stories that occurred this year. It seems that Col. O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), Maj. Carter, Dr. Jackson (Michael Shanks), and Teal'c (Christopher Judge) can never catch a break. This year, not only have their alien enemies become more powerful than ever, especially Apophis (Peter Williams), their enemies on Earth have truly become a threat. Senator Kinsey (Ronny Cox), the man who tried to shut down the SGC in Season 1, has been linked to the rogue sector of the NID, the civillian organization responsible for the theft of numerous alien technologies over the last few years.
The stories this year are better than ever, especially with an increasing number of arcs occurring. Episodes like "Crossroads" and "The Serpent's Venom" were expertly executed, and had immense emotional effects on our heroes. However, I have to praise the stand-alones this year, especially "Window of Opportunity" and "The Other Side", which have never been better.
I guess the only thing that I didn't like about this season is that the Asgard were only in one episode, and the Tollan and the Nox were nowhere to be found. Oh well.
If you have seen the previous three seasons and are still skeptical about this show, I urge you to watch Season 4; I guarantee your interest in this show will quickly increase.
Some other great episodes are:
"Small Victories", "Upgrades", "Watergate", "Point of No Return", "Tangent", "The Curse", "Chain Reaction", "2010", "Absolute Power", "Double Jeopardy", and "Exodus".

Purchase a set today!
While perhaps not as strong as season three, season four promises to entertain. I felt that there were very few episodes in this season that could be considered "okay" - most of them were either excellent or pathetic. Nothing in between. Fortunately for the viewers, most of the episodes were excellent.

New to the sets are director commentaries for each episode! While the extras on these boxed sets continue to disappoint, there is at least a little more to be found.

Definitely a must buy for both fans and newcomers to the show.

Good television 4 years running
I've always liked Stargate, 4th season is no exception although I did think it might be just a lilttle darker in tone at times. The writers/ producers continue to come up with a wide variety of plots, writing, great sets and some interesting characters.
The most unusual set was in the season opener "Small Victories" in which O'Neill and Teal'c do battle with the Replicators on board a Russian submarine, it really is a Russian submarine.
I thought one of the most unusual characters was that of the Goa'uld Osiris, portrayed by Anna-Louise Plowman (the best role I've seen her in). In this one a former colleague of Daniel Jackson's, Sarah Gardner, is finally revealed to have been posessed by the Osiris symbiote after examining some Egyptian artifacts at their University. Plowman does that role so well, its a shame we don't see her more often. You always have Richard Dean Anderson doing his oddball bit, the best guest oddball was Willie Garson in "Point of no Return", playing the part of a delusional little guy who thinks he's an alien, turns out he is. That story was fun but definitely not one of the more serious episodes of the season. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1965, Star Trek set out to boldly go where no series had gone before, beginning a three-year mission that led to a franchise that would last decades.Here at last is the first season of the original series all in one box, 29 episodes in their original broadcast order.That means starting with "The Man Trap," and soon followed by "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the second pilot filmed and the first one starring William Shatner as Captain Kirk.The many highlight episodes include "Balance of Terror" and "Errand of Mercy" (introducing, respectively, the Romulans and the Klingons), the two-part "The Menagerie" (which recycled footage from the original pilot, "The Cage," which featured Christopher Pike as the captain of the Enterprise and is not included in this set), "Space Seed" (introducing Ricardo Montalban's Khan character), and "The City of the Edge of Forever" (written by sci-fi giant Harlan Ellison and considered by many the best-ever episode of the series).

The first-season DVD set is supplemented by 80 minutes of featurettes incorporating 2003-04 interviews with Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, other cast members, and producers, and some 1988 footage of Gene Roddenberry.The longest (24 minutes) featurette, "The Birth of a Timeless Legacy," examines the two pilot episodes and the development of the crew.Slightly shorter are "To Boldly Go... Season One," which highlights key episodes, and "Sci-Fi Visionaries," which discusses the series' great science fiction writers (most famously in "The City of the Edge of Forever").Shatner shows off his love of horses in "Life Beyond Trek," and, more interestingly, Nimoy debunks various rumors in "Reflections of Spock."As they've done for many of the feature-film special editions, Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda provide a pop-up text commentary on four of the episodes filled with history, trivia, and dry wit.It's the first commentary of any kind for a Star Trek TV show, but an audio commentary is still overdue.The technical specs are mostly the same as other Trek TV series--Dolby 5.1, English subtitles--but with the welcome addition of the episode trailers.The plastic case is an attempt to replicate some of the fun packaging of the series' European DVD releases, but it's a bit clunky, and the paper sleeve around the disc case seems awkward and crude.Still, the set is a vast improvement both in terms of shelf space and bonus features compared to the old two-episode discs, which were released before full-season boxed sets became the model for television DVDs. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (21)

TIME TRAVEL NOT REQUIRED TO SEE THIS COMING
I must say, that time travel was not required for me to anticipate this release of the original STAR TREK on DVD boxed set format... In the past I collected all 79 episodes individually on VHS format and enjoyed them all.. I love the show, its movies and "THE NEXT GENERATION" . I knew however that someday the ORIGINAL show would come to DVD as a boxed set.

MY PATIENCE HAS PAID OFF... I did not make the mistake of buying the 2per episode disks for several reasons.. 1. I knew that thsi show would join the others as season sets. 2. The packaging of the 2per disks was, to say the least HORRID.. 3.Cost economy... yes, I am not a cheap skate but i prefer more for less.. and last.. 4. SPACE- the limited frontier.. on my shelves for many disks when my TNG collections only takes up about 12" or so..

WELL, as for the show itself.. the FIRST and SECOND seasons are very well written storys, bad effects aside.. THE THIRD season was not quite up to snuff, but i still LOVE MY TREK...

GO OUT AND BUY BUY BUY... This set will sure to please..
AND NOT TO FORGET THE BEST PART---Special Features...
I fully enjoy learning all about movies, and TV shows i grew up to love..

THX FOR READING

The true final frontier
Even with five spinoffs,ten movies and nearly 38 years of history,The original Star Trek is the one that started it all and continue to inspire millions of fans.
The plot was simple, in the future a starship goes out on a five year mission to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and civilizations.Led by the heroic Captain James T. Kirk (willian Shatner) along with his Vulcan first officer Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy).The other crew members include Dr.Leonard McCoy (the late DeForest Kelley),Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott(James Doohan), Helmsman Hikaru Sulu (George Takai),Communications officer Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), and Yoaman Janice Rand (Grace Lee whitney who would only last half the first season).
Despite the cheap looking special effects and set pieces,ST was a mixture of action,humor,drama and morality tales.A far cry from other science fiction shows airing at the time such as Lost In Space.Classic first season episodes includes The Naked Time,The Enemy Within, The Menagerie ,The Conscience of the King, Balance of Terror(the Romulan's debut), Space Seed(KHAN!!!), Arena,This Side of Paradise,The Devil in the Dark, and the greatest Trek episode of all time, The City on the Edge of Forever.
The new season DVD set includes extras not included in the first wave sets which consisted of two episodes on forty discs.

Finally!
I've been waiting for this for MANY years! I know fans who bought the earlier DVD's (2 episodes on one DVD) are upset but in fairness those came out before this whole trend of 'Series Box Sets' started. And yes I'm sure that there will be future compilations (Special Ultra Limited Edition, etc) but I've always just wanted one thing: to have the entire series at my disposal to pop in a favorite episode whenever I wanted and HERE IT IS. I'm so psyched!

I love this series!
Star Trek is my favorite T.V. series of all time. I'm so glad that they're finally releasing it in box sets. I avoided buying the previous releases because at $20 for each 2 episode disc, I would have felt more guilt than joy everytime I bought one. I feel bad for the people that purchased those. That was really a greedy money grubbing move that Paramount made. SOB's, It always really pissed me off. This box set is also too expensive, but they know we'll buy them. It's like health care. You have to have it, so they take advantage of you and charge as much as they possibly can, making sure that they can make themselves richer and richer at the expense of us, the common man.

Yeah yeah, I "know" I should have waited...
but knowing Paramount, they could of sat on the release the boxed sets for who knows how long. It could have been atleast until 2006 (40th Anniversary) until they decided to release them as boxed sets since they could have easily continued to gouge buyers into buying the 2 episode per disc set -- why shouldn't they? they control the market?...and they probably will still do it. After everyone has bought the boxed sets they will release them all again remastered in High Definition. Maybe, with the infamous blooper reel as a bonus (unless they oh, so generously decide to release it in the upcoming season 2 and 3 boxed sets -- but I doubt it. Frankly, life's too short and I didn't want to wait for the boxed sets. I've enjoyed them since their release 5 years ago.

In any case, I won't be re-buying the new sets. The "bonuses" seem a little thin and desparate....probably will be some interviews of some of the supporting staff that were loosely involved (many of the important guys have passed on any way)in the original series making some minor comment on obscure incidents playing on the nostalgiac thirst of the hard-core fan.

In fact I can see Paramount re-re-releasing the series again (the 40th anniversary set?) with FULL LENGTH commentaries for every episode (e.g. Sally Kellerman, Willim Koenig, Dianne Muldar, William Ware Theiss etc.) by some of the actors actors and guests stars -- ONLY after everyone has bought the boxed sets.

However had Paramount been more fair about how they released the DVD's,and the way they treat loyal fans, I probably would have, for the sake of "completeness" continued to support their products (TNG, DS9, Voyager, and likely Enterprise etc.) but I'm not -- mainly because they don't deserve my business and they won't. In fact I generally BOYCOTT Paramount DVDs.

As Scotty once said: "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame me"...and I'm not about to be fooled again.

See you later paramount suckers! ... Read more

Description

I LOVE LUCY: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON continues to follow the wild and wacky comical adventures of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo and their infamous neighbors Fred and Ethel as they embark on even more madness in season four.Episodes include such classics as: "Ricky's Movie Offer," "Mr. & Mrs. TV Show" and "Lucy Gets in Pictures." ... Read more

Reviews (17)

I FOUND NO FLAWS IN MY SET!
My set of DVDs are perfectly restored and intact.Perhaps the reviewers got a bad set of DVDs."The Fashion Show" plays perfect for me and as for the rest of the episodes, they are pure gold enhanced by the high quality of the DVD set!This is comedy at its best and I found no flaws on my DVD set.I give this 5 stars and more!!

Uncut? Restored? Hmmmm...not quite.
Adding to what the previous reviewer said about picture quality, I too just watched "The Fashion Show" episode, and there is indeed a jerkiness to the picture quality in this episode. I thought I was seeing things at first, but I am glad it was not just my imagination. I don't think it necessary to put this season of 30 episodes on 6 discs, when the previous two seasons (containing more episodes) fit on 5 discs with excellent quality.

My BIG gripe with this set, though, is that at least four of the episodes were not restored to their original uncut length. Both "Tennessee Bound" and "L.A. at Last" had some dialogue in them, which remain missing in this set, even though the original middle break, and end logos of those episodes have been restored. Additionally, "Lucy Gets in Pictures" is missing a shot of Lucy and Ricky driving the Pontiac through the gates of M.G. M., while "First Stop" is missing a good minute of footage (an extra scene in the car, and a scene when they arrive at the motel, before they actually enter). These pieces of footage remain unrestored and missing on this set, when it would appear that original prints were available to be used. What remains here, on this set, are the same 'uncut' syndication prints that have been around for decades.

I realize that many fans have probably never even seen this missing footage, since it's not been shown since the '50s (and so, may not miss it), but having seen the wonderful degree of care that was put into the previous three season sets, I find it inexcusable that th