Amazon.com

A ratings hit for eight seasons on CBS, the action-mystery series Magnum, P.I. makes its DVD boxed set debut in an impressive five-disc package that offers not only the entire first season, but some rarely seen episodes. Positioned in the old Hawaii Five-O time slot (Thursdays at 9) in December of 1980, Magnum quickly became a hit, thanks to the combination of smart and witty scripting, gorgeous locations, and the considerable charm of lead Tom Selleck as former Naval Intelligence officer Thomas Magnum, who gives up his position to become a private investigator on Oahu with the help of fellow Vietnam vets T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) and Rick (Larry Manetti). Magnum also provided security for the lavish estate of wealthy (and never-seen) mystery writer Robin Masters, which gave him access to the author's expensive vehicles (including a prized Ferrari), much to the disapproval of Masters's manservant Higgins (Jonathan Hillerman).

A rare series that skillfully blended action, humor, drama, and suspense, Magnum, P.I.'s first season gets the boxed set treatment its fans have been hoping for, with all 18 first-season episodes (including the two-part pilot, "Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii") included on four discs. The fifth disc contains four rarely shown bonus episodes, including season 3's "Ki'ls Don't Lie," which featured a crossover plot with Simon and Simon, as well as its conclusion ("Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend"), which kicked off S&S's second season; the latter episode has never been aired as part of Magnum's syndicated package, which is another reason for fans to pick up and enjoy this long-awaited set. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (37)

The coolest Hawaiin PI
This is far one of the all time favorite PI series. I have never heard a negative comment about this series. The fact that the supporting cast was great and the locations in beautiful Hawaii made it outstanding. I'm sure that if it was still on most would agree it would rival CSI and some of the current shows even today. The stories were exceptional and the guest stars were like reading Whose Who. I buy any detective series that is worth having like "Sherlock Holmes" (Jeremy Brett), "Cadfael", "Campion", "Woolster and Jeeves", "Shield", "Homicide", etc. and I can't wait till I can buy the Magnum P.I. series on DVD.

~From the Journal of Thomas Magnum~
When I FINALLY get around to writing my book: "How to be a Private Investigator", I'm going to write a chapter on how sometimes the great masterpieces get overlooked. Take the show Magnum p.i., for example. Here we have the first show to feature a tarnished hero in a good light, he is a Vit Nam War vet who when he came home, became a private detective who works out of the guest house of a well-known writer named Robin Masters (Orson Wells), but we don't see much of him, instead we see J.Q Higgins (John Hillerman) who sort of runs the estate in Robin's absence.

Thomas Magnum (Tom Sellick) surrounds himself with two old war buddies, an ace chopper pilot named T.C. (Roger E. Mosely) and an ace con man turned bartender (Larry Manetti). Now all of these guys help Thomas out with some major arm-twisting and bribing, but they usually come through. (Oh yeah, did I mention that they had some of the best shots of Hawaii for a television series to date?)

But unfortunately, we probably won't be seeing any of that on out DVD machines in the near future, because the guys who are responsible for putting these episodes on disk are more interested in putting the newer series' on DVD really, really fast. Shows like "Threat Matrix" and such. I mean come on, they should at least let the season finish airing! They should concentrate on some of the hit shows of yesteryear, these perfect niches in television history like "Magnum p.i." and the cousin series "Simon & Simon".

Great Hawaii Memories
I have been living on Oahu all my life, and as a kid I used to hang out on set while they filmed Magnum PI. This show brings back great memories.. I am happy it came out on DVD. Its one of the few shows that took place in Hawaii that shows an accurate image of what the people are really like here.. and also accurate on the physical geographic locations they used. Great plots.. Cant wait till it comes out!!

I am so glad Magnum will be on DVD!
This was my favorite show on TV back in the early 1990's when it ran on the USA network right after Major Dad (I missed it's first run on TV in the 1980's). What made Magnum such a great show is the depth of the characters. We really get to know these people. Every episode adds to the character in some way. And there are enough reoccuring characters in the series that we feel continuity. For example, Magnum strikes up a friendship with leutenant Mac, who gives Magnum information from time to time. And while Mac is reluctant to let Magnum get information from the Navy computers, the tug of war in their relationship is played out just like it should. And when Mac gets in trouble, Magnum is there for him. The personal relationship is real on the screen, the actors are that good. I can't expalin it any better than to say they feel like real people, guys I would want to hang out with and drink a beer with. I can easily say this is the best PI series ever on TV, and is better than anything on TV today.

And add me to the list of people who wants to see a reunion movie while they are all still alive. I can't imagine Higgings is getting any younger.

Can't wait!
Can't wait to get your Magnum DVD set? Neither can I! But, if you're lucky enough to get the Hallmark channel (I get it on DirecTV - not sure what other cable/satellite networks its available on) you can watch re-runs every weeknight at 10pm and 11pm (PST). That's a double-dose of Magnum every night!! I TiVo every episode, but I'll still be buyng the DVDs. Nerd alert: I like Magnum so much I even set up the theme song as a ringtone on my cell phone (I converted it from a midi file I found on the Internet). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Two years after 1963's The Great Escape thrilled movie audiences with a tale of Allied soldiers working cooperatively to flee a World War II-era prisoner-of-war camp, CBS found a hit situation comedy in the loosely similar Hogan's Heroes. Initially dismissed by critics as being in poor taste, the half-hour show starred Bob Crane (previously known for a supporting role on The Donna Reed Show) as Colonel Robert Hogan, leader of a resourceful band of French, British and American guests of the German Luftwaffe. Rather than sit out the war with his fellow captives, Hogan essentially used the POW camp, Stalag 13, as a base for sabotaging Nazi operations whenever possible, helping important prisoners escape, supporting the Resistance, gathering intelligence for the Allies, and generally screwing up enemy battlefield plans. The work was always dangerous, but Hogan's crew had a number of advantages: a network of underground tunnels beneath the camp (some leading to a nearby town), a flair for disguises, the complementary talents of Hogan's key staff, and the reliable idiocy of camp Commandant Klink (Werner Klemperer) and willful ignorance of lead officer Sergeant Schultz (John Banner).

Season one of Hogan's Heroes found all of these elements securely in place and the series balancing farce with suspense. Typical storylines include "Hold the Tiger," in which the boys smuggle a new German Tiger Tank into the camp, disassemble it to construct a blueprint, and then reassemble it under Klink's nose. "The Prisoner's Prisoner" finds Hogan kidnapping a Nazi general, sneaking him into Stalag 13, and tricking him—a la Mission: Impossible--to reveal troop plans. In "The Prince from the Phone Company," one of Hogan's most-trusted confederates, radio operator Kinchloe (Ivan Dixon), disguises himself as an African prince trying to secure money from the Third Reich. Half the fun of these shows is watching Hogan thinking quickly on his feet whenever things start to go wrong, or when one of Klink's more intelligent superiors becomes suspicious that not everything at Stalag 13 is as under control as it seems. Besides Dixon, the other players making up Hogan's elite squad include Richard Dawson as the slightly disreputable Newkirk (with a talent for thievery), Larry Hovis as chemistry whiz Carter, and Robert Clary as the charming LeBeau. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Great series ... DVD quality is poor
Hogan's Heroes is one of those series which you just can't stop watching.There is always a great laugh.

Unfortunately the DVD quality leaves a lot to be desired.DISCs 1 and 2 are mis-labeled.DISC 2 suffers from technical problems in the remastering.One of the worst tracks on DISC 2 was Happiness is a Warm Sergeant.The episode tended to jump back in a loop during certain parts, the sound would go in and out, and some other annoying glitchs.

It is a shame that the quality control for this release is so poor.

Wonderful for all ages
Hogan's Heros (along with Green Acres) was my favorite show when I was a kid, and now I watch this DVD set with my own children. I have three boys, 11, 8, and 7, and they love it.A Nazi prison camp may seem like a "mature" theme for small children, but they love Schultz, the friendly guard dogs, the tunnels, and all of the craziness of Stalag 13 (tanks getting stolen, planes taking off, etc).
A great series for bringing families together.

Good Set - One Error RE: Disc Labels
The set was as advertised except that disc one and disc two had their on-cd labels swapped i.e. disc one was actually disc two and vice versa.

Excellent old show that brings back fun memories for me :)

Return to childhood..
The Hogan's Heroes DVD collection has been a wonderful bit of entertainment and nostalgia for me.I find that I can repeatedly play these old classic episodes and still be fascinated and laugh out loud at the plots and stories.

There are other reviews that go into far more detail than I care to as far as individual episode titles and various trivia.

I will simply say that this DVD set will provide hours of entertainment for anyone who grew up watching these old shows in syndication.

I gave the set 4 of 5 stars for one and only one reason.Though the set clains to be "full length season one episodes" the reality is that there are missing scenes.Most are minute and do not affect the flow of the shows but to someone who as a kid watched them over and over in repeats, they are noticable..

HOWEVER this will not keep me from adding the second season to my collection the moment it comes out...

Short and simple review
I don't want to go on with this review, so I will capsulize my comments with one word:"Excellent" ... Read more

Amazon.com

Now firmly established as the top-rated television drama, by its third year CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a show positively glowing with confidence. Even when individual cases seem either too contrived or too easily resolved, the indefatigable night shift at the Las Vegas PD crime lab always look the part, solving conundrums and discovering microscopic damning evidence while, apparently, never shedding their own loose hair or skin cells all over the supposedly quarantined crime scenes. In reality, Catherine Willows's flowing blonde locks would contaminate any evidence she collected, but in the world of CSI only the bad guys leave body parts behind--the CSIs themselves are so good they're positively pristine.

The 23 episodes of season 3 on this five-disc set present more deliciously bizarre situations for the problem-solving sleuths: cannibalism, snuff movies, dwarfs, death while drag racing, bodies falling from the sky, and various dismemberments all tax the team's acumen. These are all double or multiple-case episodes, though in a characteristic trick of the writing sometimes apparently unrelated murders turn out to be connected (or vice versa, as in "Blood Lust," in which a road-accident victim is not what he seems, and the death of the driver at the hands of an angry mob is made all the more tragic). The mix of genuine forensic science with the glossiest Jerry Bruckheimer production values, plus the virtues of a good ensemble cast headed by William Peterson's modern-day Sherlock Holmes, remains as compelling as ever. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (20)

CSI's Still On Top!
Being an extreme CSI fan, I couldn't pass up the chance to buy season 3 to add to my growing collection. I saw probably a little more than half the season and it was just as good as the other two seasons and I wanted to see all that I missed. The plot with Grissom's hearing problem kept you watching to see how he handled it and what would happen. Once again, there's 23 episodes on 6 disks. The episodes are as follows: (Episodes appear in the order of original airdate)

DISK 1:
*Episode 302: "Revenge is Best Served Cold"
**Episode 301: "The Accused is Entitled"
Episode 303: "Let the Seller Beware"
Episode 304: "A Little Murder"

DISK 2:
Episode 306: "Abra Cadaver"
Episode 305: "The Execution of Catherine Willows"
***Episode 307: "Fright Night" (Emmy Award Winning Episode)
^Episode 308: "Snuff"

DISK 3:
Episode 309: "Blood Lust"
Episode 310: "High and Low"
Episode 311: "Recipe For Murder"
Episode 312: "Got Murder?"

DISK 4:
+Episode 313: "Random Acts of Violence"
Episode 314: "One Hit Wonder"
~Episode 315: "Lady Heather's Box"
Episode 316: "Lucky Strike"

DISK 5:
Episode 317: "Crash and Burn"
Episode 318: "Precious Metal"
Episode 319: "A Night At The Movies"
Episode 320: "Last Laugh"

DISK 6:
Episode 321: "Forever"
Episode 322: "Play With Fire"
Episode 323: "Inside The Box"

*- Featuring audio commentary by Danny Cannon and Anthony E. Zuiker

**- Featuring audio commentary by Ann Donahue, Elizabeth Devine, and Ken Fink
***- Featuring audio commentary by Richard Lewis and naren Shankar
^- Featuring audio commentary by Ann Donahue and Ken Fink
+- Featuring audio commentary by Danny Cannon and Karen Shankar
~- Featuring audio commentary by Richard Lewis, Anthony E. Zuiker, Naren Shankar and Josh Berman

Along with 23 episodes, the DVD features the following bonus materials:

The CSI Tour: Police Station
The CSI Shot: Making It Real
The Writers' Room
CSI Moves Into Season 3
Crime Scene Field Kit

(All bonus materials combine into a total of approx. 5 hours)

You get so much for the price! Some DVD sets can break 100 but this is much less. With 5 hours of Bonus Material and the 23 episodes, you can't possibly complain! I recommend any CSI lover out there to buy this DVD set. If you are a true fan of CSI, you won't be disappointed!

CSI gets better every year
Having watched this series from the pilot episode, I've not missed one episode. I have them all on videotape, and now that they've been released on DVD, all the better! I have all 3 seasons, and can't wait until season 4 is released. This is a fantastic show with realistic crime scene depictions, often taken off the front pages of today's newspapers. The twists and turns make it fun to try to solve the crime before it shows you at the end, and some cases I find truly baffling! The tools are real, and I've gotten to the point I have a deep interest in forensic science. I've even thought of going back to school for it because of this TV SHOW! I think this is my favorite show EVER..even above ER, Third Watch, and Crossing Jordan! If you haven't seen it yet, you're missing something truly unique! Furthermore, I like the original CSI in the Las Vegas setting, and don't much care for the spinoff of CSI: Miami. CSI: New York is beginning in the fall, and I'll give that a couple episodes before I decide. I'm a CSI fanatic, I can't help it!

Best of the Lot
The title tells all I think this was the best series so far.
really enjoyed the 90min special 'lady heathers box'

Can't wait for season 4

bring it on

Great show (and cute George Eads)
Even if you don't like this programme (how could you not???), it's worth buying simply to watch George Eads the whole way through. He's so hot. The combination of a good looking cast and interesting (if not often creepy) storylines, keeps me watching this show each and every week and I could watch all of these episodes over and over. Go out and buy this now.

completely entertaining
With stand alone stories, you could walk right into season three no problem. So much better than Alias or anything else in it's class. My only beef is that occasionally I can see the "dead" bodies breathing and in one case twitching. It's happened 5 or 6 times and is the only flaw. I like to pretend that I'm watching Will Grahem (aka Gill Grisom) as Manhunter 20+ years later still catching bad guys. Worth every penny, all three seasons were watched in a month. AWESOME and RARE TV. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Color or B&W
When the series started the majority of the television owner had B&W TV Sets.My family didn't get a color TV until 1966.In the fall of 1966 is when almost everything on the NBC, CBS and ABC Television Networks were shown in Color.So, these previous episodes were done in B&W because it was cheaper and the majority of the public still own B&W TV's.

Now, when it comes to "The Dick Van Dyke Show" the producers and the actor had pointed out that they want the show to remain in B&W.I don't know about the original "Twilight Zone" Series but maybe it and the original "Outer Limits" should remain in B&W.These stories and how they were photograph were meant to be in B&W.

Yet, "Gilligan's Island", "Bewitched" and several other TV series were only film in B&W because of the mass media.If they have found a way to colorize these programs then go for it.Keep the original B&W episodes for those who want it for good old memory but do not deny the rest of us the color.Besides, why are you all making a fuse out of this when the studio is offering the series in both versions?

The Bonus Features
The bonus features for this boxset, as well as the colourised boxset include:

Featurette: Magic Unveiled
Bloopers: Magic and Mishaps
Full length Bewitched Theatrical Trailer

A More Colorful Samantha
To see the first 2 years of Bewitched in color is like a dream come true.You'd have to be a complete phoney-baloney to not want to admit to wanting to see the whole series in color.Now thanks to the marvelous new colorizing technology your dreams of seeing the beautiful Sam twitch her schnoz in beautiful color are finally a reality.I've seen the colorized Bewitched DVDs and they are a real work of beauty.All individual colors assigned to different picture elements in the frame, the complete picture and all details in it are accurately colorized.This isn't the old days of colorizing from the late '80's when everything was shades of brown and blue, now colorizing technology has improved vastly so you can't tell a color picture from a colorized picture.In fact the colorized Bewitched looks better than the color episodes of Bewitched.Only your politically correct snob friends will be admitting to preferring the drab lifeless dated looking b/w pictures over the wonderful colorful present day looking beautiful color picture you can get with these great looking colorized DVDs.Let your snob friends who pretend to prefer b/w over color buy the dull b/w versions, you stand tall and proud as you buy the excellent color version.I proudly proclaim, I LOVE COLORIZED MOVIES AND TV SHOWS over the dull lifeless b/w image.I only wish ALL b/w programs were in beautiful colorized versions.Imagine the wonderful world it would be to see I Love Lucy, Superman, & The Honeymooners all in living color!!!Let's hope the powers that be will make these dreams come true too.

The Black and White Episodes are My Favorite!
The first season of Bewitched premeired on TV about a year before I was born but as child in the 70's I grew up watching the reruns of the color episodes and when I finally saw the first season in black and white I loved it and as much as I liked the seasons where Bewitched was filmed in color I actually prefered the black and white seasons that I watched on Nick at Nite and TV Land and I think Elizabeth Montomery and Dick York were great as a witch named Samantha and her mortal husband Darrin. I see that they are offering the first season in two different sets, one in it's original black and white and the other where the episodes have been colorised and I for one will only buy the black and white set! Like some other reviewers I also prefer Dick York as the original Darrin to his replacement Dick Sargent. Dick Sargent was okay as Darrin but I think Dick York was better and had more chemistry with Elizabeth Montomery. I also preferred Alice Pearce as the original Gladys Kravitz and Irene Vernon as the original Louise Tate. BTW: I have to agree with the reviewers who said that if they wanted to add a color option to the first season DVD set that perhaps they should have put them on the flip side of the discs instead of offering two different sets. Like for example, the black and white episodes on the A side of the discs and the colorised episodes on the B side.

the first season was shot in black and white
I have not seen the DVD and this is not a review of the DVD set of a show I love and will definitely buy. However, I wanted to clarify something that seems to be confusing people about the first season.

The first season of the series, like so many of the series of that era, was filmed in black and white -- on black and white film stock. IT WAS NOT FILMED IN COLOR. It does not exist in color. Period.

What the studio has done here is "colorized" the black and white film to appear to be color. Not the same thing. And you will notice the difference.

We've all seen those old Ted Turner colorizations and they are horrible. What his company did to the first season of "Gilligan's Island" (bad colorization) brought an outcry from series purists.

I am willing to believe that advancements in technology over the years might have improved what was almost unwatchable 10 or 15 years ago.

But be aware, it's not like the producers of this set unearthed some rare never before seen footage of the shows in color. They have manipulated the original black and white film to look color.

Knowing that means I'll be buying the black and white version offered for sale.

Hope this helps. ... Read more

Amazon.com

While the first season of The X-Files introduced us to Scully and Mulder, the second season finds the show confidently hitting its stride. Building on its earlier success, the show evolves, and in these 25 episodes, a glimpse is shown of a longer-running story line (which will continue through subsequent seasons) that is woven into the usual stand-alone episodes of the paranormal. These so-called mythology episodes hint at a global conspiracy involving sinister government agents, UFOs, alien abductions, genetic engineering, the ever-lurking Cigarette Smoking Man, and Fox Mulder's father. Season 2 fleshes out Mulder's family history, including the childhood abduction of his sister Samantha, an event that would shape him for life. Actress Gillian Anderson (Scully) became unexpectedly pregnant during season 2, but series creator Chris Carter managed to dance nimbly around her absence and even integrate it into the show. As in season 1, Mulder and Scully are surrounded by a strong supporting cast, which adds a suspicious new agent named Alex Krycek, an informant named X, and a seemingly indestructible alien bounty hunter.

The seven-disc boxed set includes some interesting background material, but again, the heart of the set is the episodes themselves. Among them are standouts such as "The Host," "Duane Barry/Ascension," "Humbug," "Dod Kalm," "Colony/End Game," and "Anasazi." These episodes are a powerful reminder that The X-Files, like no other show on television, can span horror, suspense, mystery, romance, drama, and comedy, sometimes all in the same episode, and always with the production values of a major feature film. --Eugene Wei ... Read more

Reviews (84)

Great episodes - disappointing extra features
Unfortunately, Fox hasnt understood it yet that DVDs are here to offer some real extra features. What we do get on this otherwise fantastisc DVD collection is a mere disappointment:

1) Fox TV episode trailers: they are so short it takes you more time to click through the menue to get to the trailer than to watch it. Whats good about that? Why would i care to watch the trailer anyway, if I have the whole episode on DVD?

2) Deleted Scenes: There arent many of them and they are terribly short. Some are simply pointless and thats exactly the reason why there were deleted. Only interesting were to discover that X was in the first reason a woman and an additional funny scene from "Humbug".

3) Special effects: Ouch! 3 of them and one shorter than the next. If I remember well, Carter has exactly the time for one sentence until the the special effects clip is over. A disappointment. X-Files would have so much to offeron that ground.

4) Behind the Scenes elements: Yeah, well, the one with Gillian Anderson chewing an insect was funny, the rest useless.

5) 15-minutes documentary: quite ok, but nothing really new.

6) Behind the Truth elements: well, copied from the TV, not really spectacular

7) Comments by Chris Carter: they were already on the Video collections by Fox available in Europe.

I give it a four star because after all, the main elements are the episodes themselves which of course are great and worth the price! There is absolutely nothing to complain about those.

Maybe in the 3rd season collection we will finally find some really decent special features!

Can't wait for season 3
Fox is doing an excellent job bringing us the X-Files on DVD. I like having a complete season in one box and not to buy every other episode separately (which is the case with Star Trek...).

Anyway, in the 2nd season, the X-Files really got going with the big arc story of the big conspiracy hiding the truth about aliens (which is also used in order to handle Gillian Andersons pregnancy at the start of the season, she gets abducted... nevertheless Gillian looks quite different before and after giving birth). This makes for the really good two-parters of the season "Duane Barry/ Ascension", "Colony / End Game" and the cliff-hangar "Anasazi" (can't wait for Season 3!).

The extras on disc 7 are nice in itself, especially the commentaries by Chris Carter. Would have been nice if these were a little bit longer.

A must buy for every fan of the X-Files, go and buy it!

Holy Crap
Did the X files ever get a budget boost in this season. The show looks great all of a sudden. this series really starts to lay the ground work for later seasons, more so than the first. They develope the characters and story arcs much fuller in this series. Great series, but still better seasons to come. Buy this.

The season that really started it...
As great as season one was and as much as I love it, season 2 is the one that really jump starts this show. Season 2 is where an actuall mythology really gets developed and used throughout the entire season that helps link episodes together and get an ultimate story underway. This season also starts the use of comedy in the series (ex. 'Humbug') and contains, my favorite episode of the x-files 'Duane Berry'.
The DVD set packs quite a few extras and is better quality then youll get on TNT or SCI-FI, and you can watch all your episodes in order. If you were only going to buy one season of the x-files I'd recommend season 3, but if you were going to buy two seasons, I'd recommend seasons 2 and 3.

The first of a string of exceptional seasons
With the second season "The X-Files" raised the bar and managed to maintain a series of excellent seasons through the sixth. After that, the distraction from the production of the movie and Carter's other lesser series ("Millenium" which borrowed the look and texture of "Seven")began to take its toll. Nevertheless, even season seven was far above average.

The story arc involving the alien conspiracy kicks into high gear and all the major players are in place by the time of the second season. Season two starts off with "The X-Files" closed down. Mulder and Scully have been reassigned nevertheless, "X" is Mulder's friend inside the FBI. Eventually, the X-Files are reopened and Mulder & Scully discover far deeper mysteries than they ever imagined during season one. The highlight of season two, for me, is "Duane Barry" and "Ascension". Production values are up as well during this season which means that the effects and sets improved. It's clear that Fox released they had a hit on their hands.

We get all the original broadcast episodes with the addition of Chris Carter's commentary on nearly half of the season. There's also international clips (which are always good for a chuckle)and also a number of great extras. What matters is whether or not the set is worth it based on A) The quality of the episodes and B) The quality of the transfers.

A) The writing establihed a benchmark that all other series (from "CSI" to "Buffy")benefited from. While Carter may have been inspired by "The Night Stalker" television series, he way beyond that series with drama that could hold its own with the best of mainstream television.
B)The transfer by Universal Studios is quite good. The compression technlogy used to create the DVDs does suffer a bit from all the dark sequences. The picture isn't always as clear as it could be but, again, we've got nearly 4 hours of complex images on one dual layer disc.

The set comes with a twelve page booklet that details every episode and gives the general production info. It also includes a picture from these which, if you're like me, helps because I can never remember the title of many of my favorite episodes.
While I didn't like the accordian style presentation of the DVDs at first, they're pretty well put together and, when compared to those for other sets, are well designed with a great deal of care put into the art direction. Overall, it's a classy package and the price has never been better. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Baa! Baa! Baa! MORE! MORE! MORE!
One of the proudest claims I can make about my life is being a former Marine, like Maj. Gregory "Gramps" Boyington; albiet an unknown to one of the most famous. ("The Duke" John Wayne wanted to be a Marine & didn't make it!) The only thing that gives me more pride is knowing these heroes respected guys like my sainted Dad, who flew gas & trash over "the Hump" in C-47's (the gray cargo plane in the series) from India into China over the Himalayas in support of their combat against the Japs.
I was at NAS Lakehurst in 1978 when this great show aired on commercial T.V. and, even though most of us knew the show was highly Hollywoodized, we would still take over the barracks rec room everytime it aired, and would yell & cheer like Limey football fans thru every combat scene in each episode.
With all the second rate crapola flooding the market these days, it's GREAT to see DVD's of a show worth the expense hit the shelves, and I really hope the entire series will be issuedsooner or later (PREFERREDLY SOONER!!!!!!)

Next?
AWESOME, I GOT IT, I LIKED IT, NOW WHEN IS THE NEXT "VOLUME" COMING OUT.LET'S STOP BEING SECRETIVE AMAZON

Volume One, Not Season One
When I opened the shipping box, I was surprised to see that I was only getting half of Season One.I need to train myself to make sure that the Title reads "Season One" instead of "Volume One."After the initial shock, I started to enjoy the episodes I remember when the show was called "Baa Baa Black Sheep."I like how they kept the scenes of what was to come before the opening...a 70's TV drama thing.

Disappointment for such a great series
I eagerly awaited for this series to come out on DVD and now that I have it I was disappointed in the way they produced it. FIrst I don't care for the two sided discs but the main disappointment was the fact that they didn't include all of Season one's shows, just 10 shows plus the pilot. Since this show only ran two years and considering how much they charged (which is reasonable for a Season One if it is complete!!!) It seems to me that they should have included the complete season One. I sure hope they put out the rest of Season One and for Season Two put all of the showes out at once!! This is a great show, Robert Conrad is so sexy in that tight flight suit, sort of distracts me from theFU-4s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only Half of the First Season
I was disappointed on opening the box to find only 12 of the 24 first season episodes.Not a great deal but still worth getting. ... Read more

Description

He is the ultimate high-seas hero: a man of unshakeable courage, unwavering principles and extraordinary skill. Joining the Royal Navy at the outset of the bloody Napoleonic Wars, Horatio Hornblower rises quickly from raw recruit to seasoned sailor, and his exploits become the stuff of legend.

A&E's lavish adaptations of C.S. Forester's classic novels charmed millions of viewers with their swashbuckling action, broadside battles and below-decks intrigue. This expansive set brings together the complete, Emmy-winning Hornblower saga for the fist time. Ioan Gruffudd (Black Hawk Down, Titanic) gives a star-making performance as the dashing hero, and the stellar supporting cast includes Robert Lindsay (Me & My Girl) Jamie Bamber (Band of Brothers) and Paul Copley (Queer as Folk).

All six feature-length Hornblower films: The Duel, The Fire Ships, The Duchess and the Devil, The Wrong War, The Mutiny, Retribution. Extensive DVD bonus features include The Making of Horatio Hornblower featurette and two full-length programs: England's Royal Warships and Sail 2000: Aboard the Eagle. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Outstanding films of adventure!
Nothing like great naval adventures at sea featuring the English Navy of old! The Horatio Hornblower series are so well filmed! The acting is great, the stories are excellent and the photography is always perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed these movies featuring mutiny, battles, facinating characters and the rough life of being at sea for the English Navy. The series follows Ioan Gruffudd on his naval military career as Horatio Hornblower and each movie is an adventure all by itself! This set completes the series and is put together very well. I can't wait for more movies to come out!

Just fabulous!
Although the Horatio Hornblower DVDs derive from an A&E "made for television" miniseries, all of the episodes are of movie quality. The acting is just great, the stories are wonderful, and each one stands very well on its own, although the episodes are best if watched sequentially. The sets and effects are very well done.
For those who don't know, the Horatio Hornblower series of books was written by British author C.S. Forrester, and deals with the career of a fictional British naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. The series is somewhat faithful to the books, but significantly departs from the books in a number of places. But this is all to the good--purists (such as myself) will not be offended by this.
This is a "must have" for anyone who likes war movies. Each episode contains a solid storyline and chronicles Hornblower's growing leadership abilities. These are tails of adventure, leadership, hardship, and war. Very little gratuitous violence--young children and adults alike will enjoy this series.

Hornblower is number one!
I first saw these movies from the library and loved them so much I had to beg my parents to get them for me (no easy task). I have all eight movies and I watch them at least three times a week. I am a HUGE fan of anything relating to the 17th century british navy, and enjoy watching Hornblower rise from a nervous midshipman to a high ranking officer. You don't need to see them in order, though it would help if you are watching them for the first time. A thousand times better than masters and commanders. Lots of action! Good humor. An absolute must see! You'll love them as much as I do!

Fantastic...!
This is a great production... It's a gift to society. Great story and loveable characters, and great acting...! The music score is lovely... (keep forgetting the composers name) but it's lovely! Must say that next to "Band of Brothers" this is the best TV show ever made...!

Beat to Quarters!
Before Patrick O'Brian (who is justly due all accolades) there was the Hornblower series by C.S. Forrester, which has screamed for big screen treatment for decades. Before A&E tackeled the series, the best we have had is the old B&W Gregory Peck version caled "Captain Horatio Hornblower" which merges several of the middle books (the oldest ones) together. It was a good movie, but standard Hollywood stuff.

The A&E series starts with Book 1 "Midshipman Hornblower" and works up from there. The charcterizations are good and the screenplays, while taking inevitable liberties, are more or less faithful, especially in the characters of Hornblower and Bush. (My favorite was "Lieutenant Hornblower", Forrester's most complex novel in which Hornblower is caught up in a mutiny against a paranoid captain, and then has to extemporize an assault on a Spanish fort. The A&E series is at its best in this story, and keeps us guessing, as does the book, whether the ambitious Hornblower pitched his captain down the larbord stairs to save his neck and that of his fellow officers.)

Ioan Gruffudd (not a household name, although he had a small part in Titanic) is a supurb young Hornblower. There is strong support by the Kennedy and Bush characters, as well as Captain Pellew.

There will be inevitable comparisons with "Master and Commander," which I deem unfair. By the time "Master" begins, Cameron Crowe's Jack Aubrey is already a seasoned captain. In "Hornblower", we see Gruffudd's Hornblower evolve into his rank, making mistakes and learning. The Aubrey-Maturin novels are more complex, but Hornblower is one of the finest characters ever developed in the genre, and the success of the A&E series is how this is captured.

The A&E series was not a theatrical release and is not nearly as big on scale or special effects. None of ships actually used in the Hornblower series are particularly large, and do not match their historical counterparts.

Recommendations: I loved both the Foerrester and O'Brian series, and re-red them from time to time. They are like Port and Madiera, each have their use. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Saved from the brink of cancellation by its loyal fanbase, Star Trek's third and final season rewarded them with a number of memorable episodes.Tight budgets and slipping creative control, however, made it the series' most uneven season, though it did have some of the coolest episode titles ("For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky," "Is There in Truth No Beauty," "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield").Some of the best moments involved a gunfight at the OK Corral ("Spectre of the Gun"), a knock-down drag-out sword battle with the Klingons aboard the Enterprise ("Day of the Dove"), the ship getting caught in an ever-tightening spacial net ("The Tholian Web"), TV's first interracial kiss ("Plato's Stepchildren," and it should be easy to guess who participated), Sulu taking command ("The Savage Curtain"), and Kirk's switching bodies with an ex-love interest ("Turnabout Intruder").

Also appearing in the set as a coda are two versions of the series pilot, "The Cage," a restored color version and the original, never-aired version that alternates between color and black and white.Starring Jeffery Hunter as Captain Pike, Leonard Nimoy as a relatively emotional Spock, and Majel Barrett (the future Nurse Chapel and Mrs. Gene Roddenberry) as a frosty Number One, this pilot was rejected, but a second was commissioned, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," now considered the "official" beginning of the series.But "The Cage" is very recognizably Star Trek with its far-out concepts (telepathic aliens collecting species samples), sexy humanoid women, character development, and of course cheesy costumes and special effects.Footage was later reused in the season 1 two-parter, "The Menagerie."

The best of the 63 minutes of bonus material focuses on three of the actors: Walter Koenig, George Takei, and James Doohan.Koenig discusses how he was cast and shows off his various collections, one consisting of Chekov figurines.Takei speaks movingly about the Japanese American internment and, in what is probably his last Star Trek appearance, Doohan, slowed by Alzheimer's but still with a twinkle in his eye, recalls his voiceover roles and his favorite episodes.The Easter eggs are amusingly called "Red Shirt Files" in tribute to those poor saps who everyone knew were only in the landing party so they could die.--David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Third Complete Season in an 8-DVD Set! Fantastic!
When Paramount Home Video first started to release the original series of "Star Trek" in 1999, I was aghast at the fact that only one DVD with two episodes per DVD were being released one DVD at a time at a very high cost. The cost to own all 40 volumes (DVD's) was staggering. Of course, this doesn't even address the amount of shelf space required for all 40 DVD's.

Now, with this repackaged version, all 24 episodes of the third season are being released together on 8 disks. It will probably also include both versions (color and black-and-white) of the unaired original pilot "The Cage". This is the packaged version of the original "Star Trek" that I fully intend to purchase because even at full list price, the cost of owning the third complete season is less than half the cost of owning its earlier cousins on an equivalent 13 DVD's. Also, the packaging itself has been designed similarly to the packaging used for other "Star Trek" series released in complete seasons, meaning that it will only require a small amount of shelf space. It is also possible that extra documentary and commentary material not released originally will be included in this complete third season box set.

The original series of "Star Trek", that ran for three complete seasons between 1966 and 1969, started a franchise that has included six television series and ten big screen motion pictures. The main original characters of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Lt. Commander/Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard H. 'Bones' McCoy (DeForest Kelley, 1920-1999), Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott (James Doohan), Lt. Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Keonig from 1967-1969), Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney from 1966-1967) and Nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) have become an inseparable part of Americana. Though series creator Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991) was not able to keep the original series alive for five seasons as originally envisioned (it was cancelled after its third season), he, along with the countless series fans, was able to resurrect it in the form of six motion pictures beginning in 1979 and the first series spin-off, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1987, which ran for seven years and had spin-offs of its own. There was also a 22-episode animated version based upon the original series that ran from 1972 to 1974.

In spite of receiving five Emmy nominations during its life and several previously successful efforts (including letter-writing campaigns) that had saved the show from cancellation on more than one occasion, the combination of poor Nielsen ratings, a shrinking budget and too-often weak episode writing made the third season of "Star Trek" its last. The most memorable episodes of the third season include "Spock's Brain", "The Enterprise Incident" (using Klingon ships for Romulans), "The Paradise Syndrome", "Is There No Truth in Beauty" (with guest character Dr. Ann Mulhall as played by Diana Muldaur, who had previously guest acted in the second-season episode "Return to Tomorrow" and also played the unpopular character Dr. Katherine Pulaski in the second season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"), "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky", "The Tholian Web", "Plato's Stepchildren" (which had the first inter-racial kiss on televsion), "Wink of an Eye", "The Empath", "Elaan of Troyius", "Whom Gods Destroy", "The Mark of Gideon", "The Lights of Zetar", "Requiem for Methuselah", "The Cloud Minders", "The Savage Curtain" and "All Our Yesterdays". Arguably, the worst episode during the third season was "The Way to Eden", about a group of hippies searching for Eden (the probable inspiration for the worst-ever "Star Trek" film, "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" in 1989). Other particularly weak third-season episodes include "And the Children Shall Lead", "Spectre of the Gun" featuring a re-enactment of the old-West shoot-out at the O.K. Corral, "Day of the Dove", "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" about racism, "That Which Survives" and the final episode "Turnabout Intruder" that showcased some of Shatner's worst acting abilities.

Ironically, six weeks after "Turnabout Intruder" aired on 6/3/1969, Neil Armstrong and 'Buzz' Aldrin became the first human beings to land and walk upon an extraterrestrial body, Earth's moon, on 7/20/1969. Shortly thereafter, interest in "Star Trek" grew considerably. Paramount Pictures nearly resurrected the television show in 1977 (called "Star Trek: Phase II") after all but Leonard Nimoy had signed on, but the project was abandoned shortly after George Lucas' 1977 film "Star Wars" blew audiences away. Fans had to wait another two years when the disappointing film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was released. It is interesting to note that two of people (Jo and John Trimble) who started one of the successful letter-writing campaigns that had once saved "Star Trek" from cancellation in 1968, were the same people that started a letter-writing campaign to convince NASA to name the first space shuttle "Enterprise" in honor of "Star Trek".

Overall, I rate the 8-DVD set of "Star Trek: Original Series Season 3" with an anticipatory 4 out of 5 stars. Clearly, this is how Paramount should have released the original series to begin with. Though the third season suffered from more poor episodes than the previous two, I continue to thank Gene Roddenberry for taking all of us "where no man has gone before".

Only a small handful of good shows.
Thrid Season of Star Trek was it's last and it was marked by both a feud between Gene Roddenbery and a new producer over the show's budget. Somewhat more cheaper production values, decreaaed visual effects work, and poore writing. The few Exceptions were "The Enterprise Incident, The Tholian Web, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, That Which Survies, The Lights of Zetar, and the Savage Curtain

ST's final frontier
Barely getting renewed for a third season,Star Trek had two disadvantages when it returned.First was executive producer Gene Coon's departure from the series, as well Gene Roddenberry's decreased involvement.The other was a new timeslot on Friday at 10:00 PM, a slot known to bury flagging shows by the networks.
Over the years, many blamed the new producer Fred Frieberg for the lacking quality of the show. Freiberg's only sin was coming aboard a sinking ship which was suffering budget cuts as well as weak stories and it's creator's lack of interest due to the networks total disregard of the show.
Even with the few brilliant episodes (Empath, Paradise Syndrome,Enterprise Incident, Tholian Web, Requium Of Methuselah,All Our Yesterdays), season three is notorious with two of the worst ever in the history of Trek (The Way To Eden, and Spock's Brain).
By the end of season three,ST was finally cancelled after 78 aired episodes in 1969.Even fans couldn't save it, as NBC buried the show.But thanks to syndication, ST became even more popular than when it originally aired and build upon a growing franchise (Conventions, Saturday Morning cartoons,toys, etc,).The ten years after the end of the series,Star Trek The Motion Picture premired.And that was just the beginning. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first season of Profiler gives fans and newcomers a fresh opportunity to view this popular TV series at its best. Premiering on September 21, 1996, the series lasted four seasons as part of NBC's Saturday-night "Thrillogy" lineup, attracting a predominantly female audience drawn to its lead character, FBI profiler and single mother Samantha "Sam" Waters, played by Ally Walker. As the pilot begins, Sam's living with her daughter (Caitlin Wachs) and roommate (a thankless role for Erica Gimpel), still traumatized by her encounter with Jack (a.k.a. "Jack of all Trades"), a psychotic genius who killed Sam's husband three years earlier. Sam's mentor and leader of the Atlanta-based Violent Crime Task Force, Bailey Malone (Robert Davi), convinces Sam to rejoin the Bureau, where her VCTF colleagues include former cop John (Julian McMahon), computer ace George (Peter Frechette), and forensics expert Grace (Roma Maffia). Taking a cue from The X-Files' "mythology," Profiler tracked Jack's killing spree for two seasons, challenging Sam in an extended subplot as the VCTF pursued weekly cases of murder and mystery, aided by Sam's uncanny ability to "profile" unidentified killers.

Profiler borrowed heavily from The Silence of the Lambs and The X-Files while cribbing its title sequence from Seven, but the series established its own dark identity through slick production values and gruesomely plausible plots. The miscasting of Walker reportedly troubled NBC executives despite her growing fan base, but Profiler earned respectable ratings, building its popularity on a compelling escalation of tension and terror. Walker's DVD commentary on the pilot episode repeats the official reason for her departure after two seasons (she'd grown weary of the show's humorless tone), while Davi's is refreshingly frank, citing on-set squabbles and network mismanagement as reasons for first-season hardship. Still, he's quite correct in stating that later, more successful shows (C.S.I., Without a Trace, and others) would not have existed without Profiler's stylishly trendsetting example. (Note: episode #4, "I'll Be Watching You," was omitted from this set due to prohibitively expensive music rights for the Police hit "Every Breath You Take," which featured prominently in that episode's plot.) --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fantastic crime series with a fantastic cast.
Profiler is truly a magnificent series. Starring Ally Walker as Samantha Waters, a brilliant forensic psychologist with a unique gift for understanding the criminal mind, the show focuses on the Violent Crimes Task Force, an elite unit of the FBI that investigates the most violent of crimes, including those perpetrated by the infamous serial killer, Jack of All Trades.

The storylines in this show constantly surprise and delight and the on-going cat and mouse game between Sam and Jack is handled with great aplomb. The first season finale, 'Venom', is perhaps one of the show's best episodes, with an intriguing storyline and a shocking cliffhanger.

The cast always turns in stellar performances. Ally is superb and flawless in her portrayal of the tormented but strong Sam. Julian McMahon and Robert Davi are equally good, but mention must be made of the fantastic Peter Frechette and Roma Maffia, who may not be featured as much in the spotlight, but turn in some wonderful performances each week, anyway.

I'm really looking forward to picking up this set, as I've only ever seen "Into the Abyss" and "Venom", the last few episodes of season one. I also really look forward to season two.

The cover art for this set is gorgeous, and keeps very much in with the dark nature of the show.

Highly recommended. You won't be disappointed.

Sam Waters, trend setter/buttkicker
I'm so glad to find out this gem of a show is out on DVD (and season 2 is coming soon). When this show premiered, I was only 13, but loved it...I really loved the way a woman was portrayed as not just a damsel in distress. The 90s brought about great female characters like Dana Scully, Buffy, Xena, and Sam Waters...which were great role models for me as a pre teen. Before shows like theirs, men ruled everything, and women were relegated to partners being raped or shot or mamed (like on Hunter), but these women started a new trend, that shows like Alias and Dark Angel took a page from. Kudos for recognizing true genius in ground breaking shows like Profiler.

Review & Clearing-up Errors in Amazon's Staff Review
I have to take issue with Amazon's Editorial reviewer Jeff Shannon, and his review of Profiler Season I.

Mr. Shannon attempts to review not the DVD itself, but what he *thinks* are the behind-the-scenes truths of the Profiler production. One, he refers to the DVD commentary of Ally Walker - suggesting that she is in fact giving the reason why she left after only "two" seasons. (Psssst, Jeff... it was after THREE seasons - not to mention she headlines the opener of the fourth season).

Then he gives more of his "insight" when he suggests that NBC was troubled by the "miscasting" of Ally Walker. Well, not that I believe Mr. Shannon has any reliable inside information, but what does that have to do with reviewing this DVD? I tend to think that Shannon was insinuating his own feelings about Walker, and trying to use the NBC network - based on rumor - as a way to reinforce them. A more candid review would have read, "I wasn't terribly impressed with Walker, and felt she was miscast in the role."

But that probably wouldn't have held-up against the enormous fan-following of Walker on this show (or as Shannon understated in his review, "growing popularity"), nor would it have stood up well against the fact that after Walker left and was replaced by Jamie Luner, the ratings pretty much tanked.

Make no mistake about it: this is a GREAT show. You will esecially enjoy this Season I DVD. The isolated, episodic stories are each fantastic in their own right, and the Jack thread is very addictive. Ally Walker's performance is compelling, and she leads a solid cast - notably Robert Davi, Peter Frechette, Julian McMahon, and Roma Maffia. You'll watch Season I, and you will RUN to grab Season II.

Some Good Some Bad
I was not a viewer when Profiler was first run on network television but now I've seen the first season and I can see both strengths and weaknesses.

Things I liked:

1. Samantha's character and her relationship with her friend Angel in the first couple of episodes. Ally Walker did a great job with this character.

2. Some of the cinematography-- the way the pilot was shot was very good.

3. The way Samantha's flashes of insight where dealt with in the story.

4. The sexual zing between Samantha and Coop, especially when they first met on the series.

Things I found distracting or unfortunate:

1. A lot of scenes are played out in the dark but with glints of light off eyeballs and teeth. The watcher may not know what else is going on but is never in doubt as to where the eyeballs and teeth are in these scenes.

2. Angel was shoved from an artist who created metal sculpture with a blow torch to a baby sitter-- ok, she was teaching art to inner city kids or something, but she was seen most of th time watching Samantha's kid. Really a waste of a good character.

3. Icky saliva sounds that went with all of the love scenes.

Just as a side note the commentaries from Ally Walker and Robert Davi on the pilot are unintentionally hilarious. Unlike a lot of these tracks, these were recorded separately so there is no intereaction between the commentors. Ally tells us things like Robert Davi's infatuation with hair spray and a stetson hat. Robert Davi seems really upset that the series didn't last longer or at least that they didn't do a made for TV movie spin off because NBC owned the whole package.

My final impression was that this was a good idea, that it had some good characters involved but all of the really good ideas were used early or muted down for one reason or another.

Absolutely a must have
Very good if you liked the series, and a must have for anyone who wishes the series still played. I Can't wait for the rest of the seasons to complete my collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Television, nay America, needs more men like Hank Hill, a stalwart, decent "fella" who, he proudly proclaims in the episode, "Movin' On Up," "keeps his yard free of debris and pays his bills on time." But a world that just ain't right keeps testing his moral fiber. In the two-parter "Hanky Panky"/"High Anxiety," Hank finds himself embroiled in a scandalous case of sex, drugs, and murder. In "Little Horrors of Shop," Hank is outraged to learn that his son Bobby's school has turned shop class into a study hall ("All parents care about these days is zero tolerance, drug policies, and literacy," the dejected principal tells him). In "Transnational Amusements Presents: Peggy's Magic Sex Feet," his unwitting wife Peggy's 16 ½-inch feet become the featured attraction on an Internet fetish sight. Biology, too, continues to vex the buttoned-up Hank, as witness one of the season's best episodes, "Aisle 8-A," in which Connie, the daughter of Hank's contemptuous Laotian neighbor, Kahn, is left in the Hills' care, and Hank must deal solo with her first period. Hank has somewhat come to terms with his misfit, but well-adjusted son's desire to be a comedian. He can get behind Bobby's comedy troupe, "The Propaniacs," but he is mortified when he learns that Bobby is secretly performing as a rodeo clown in "Rodeo Days." Hank does, however, breathe a sigh of relief that Bobby likes girls after Bobby and Connie are caught in a compromising situation by Connie's strict and over-protective parents in "Naked Ambition."

In its fourth season, King of the Hill is really cooking with propane, I'll tell you what, as Peggy rebounds from her skydiving accident to win her third Substitute Teacher of the Year Award, pathetic Bill Dautereive reclaims his high school football record, and clueless Dale's wife Nancy ends her decades-long affair with John Redcorn.The guest voices this season are particularly impressive: Meryl Streep , Reese Witherspoon, Drew Carey, Don Meredith, Kathleen Turner, Heather Locklear, and, in "Peggy's Fan Fair," a stellar roster of country artists, including Vince Gil, Clint Black, Randy Travis, and, um, Tony Danza. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A kids eye view
I really liked the episodes, however, they need to include special features.I'd like any season of King of the Hill, butthe fourth season along with the third season might be King of the Hill's best. The episodes were outstanding. I love Mike Judge,I love Beavis and Butthead,I loved Office Space even though the language was pretty foul and I really don't care for the rap soundtrack. King of the Hill is just another notch on Mike Judge's list of successes.

Another great season, but no special features!
I received King of the Hill The Complete Fourth Season a few days early.This is one of those "what you see is what you get box sets" in that there are 24 KOTH episodes and nothing more.The series has gotten better with each new season, so this is another must have for your TV on DVD collection.

Disc One (Cover = Dale riding his lawn mower):

Side 1
1.Peggy Hill: Decline and Fall
2.Cotton's Plot
3.Bills Are Made To Be Broken
4.Little Horrors of Shop

Side 2
5.Aisle 8A
6.A Beer Can Named Desire
7.The Hank's Giving Episode
8.Not In My Back-Hoe
-----------------------

Disc Two (Cover = Bill riding his lawn mower):

Side 1
9. To Kill a Ladybird
10.Hillennium
11.Old Glory
12.Rodeo Days

Side 2
13.Hanky Panky (Part 1)
14.High Anxiety (Part 2)
15.Naked Ambition
16.Movin' On Up
-----------------------

Disc Three (Boomhauer riding his lawn mower)

Side 1
17.Bill Of Sales
18.Won't You Pimai Neighbor?
19.Hank's Bad Hair Day
20.Meet The Propainiacs

Side 2
21.Nancy Boys
22.Flush With Power
23.Transnational Amusements Presents:Peggy's Magic Sex Feet
24.Peggy's Fan Fair

The best season
Peggy falls out of a plane, debbie is shot and killed by a shotgun, cotton picks a burial plot, toilets don't flush right and on and on and on. This is by far the strongest season that king of the hill has had thus far. I am very much looking foward to this season coming out next week, if you are at all a fan of King of the hill, definately pick up this season.

Animated blue collar TV...
Initially aired following the 1997 Super Bowl, King of the Hill discovered an instant audience niche that has the followed the show loyally ever since. The brainchild of Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge (also known for the hit movie Office Space), King of the Hill is a unique animated series in that it doesn't rely on "cartoon" suspension of reality or outlandish antics. In fact, the show would arguably be just as successful if it were not animated at all. Nevertheless, it's Mike Judge (voice of Hank Hill) and his unique brand of humor that make King of the Hill a must-see TV series...

Set in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, King of the Hill follows the life and exploits of Hank Hill and his traditional nuclear family. Hank is a red-state propane salesman who loves beer and apple pie, but he's constantly inundated with modern liberalism and grapples with the demands of political correctness. Hank is joined by his wife Peggy (a substitute teacher), his son Bobby (an awkward pre-pubescent youth), and a trailer park-like live-in niece named Luanne... Providing added comic relief to the series are Hank's off-the-wall friends Bill, Boomhauer (who is inaudible), and Dale (who believes everything is a government conspiracy)... Hank's Laotian neighbor Kahn (whose daughter Bobby is quite fond of) and his family live next door, providing Hank with a continuing dose of culture shock...

The King of the Hill (Season 4) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere "Peggy Hill: The Decline and Fall" in which Peggy survives falling out of an airplane, but is nevertheless left in a full body cast. Meanwhile, Cotton and Didi have a baby, but rather than care for the child themselves, they push the task onto Bobby... Other notable episodes from Season 4 include "Bills are Made to be Broken" in which Hank convinces the local high school football coach to let Bill play one more game so that he can get back his old school record for touchdowns, and "Naked Ambition" in which Bobby accidentally sees Luanne naked, causing Joseph to eagerly seek his own peek...

Below is a list of episodes included on the King of the Hill (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 61 (Peggy Hill: The Decline and Fall)
Episode 62 (Cotton's Plan)
Episode 63 (Bills are Made to be Broken)
Episode 64 (Little Horrors of Shop)
Episode 65 (Aisle 8A)
Episode 66 (A Beer Can Named Desire)
Episode 67 (The Hank's Giving Episode)
Episode 68 (Not in My Back Hoe)
Episode 69 (To Kill a Ladybird)
Episode 70 (Hillennium)
Episode 71 (Old Glory)
Episode 72 (Rodeo Days)
Episode 73 (Hanky Panky)
Episode 74 (High Anxiety)
Episode 75 (Naked Ambition)
Episode 76 (Movin' On Up)
Episode 77 (Bill of Sales)
Episode 78 (Won't You Pimai Neighbor?)
Episode 79 (Hank's Bad Hair Day)
Episode 80 (Meet the Propaniacs)
Episode 81 (Nancy Boys)
Episode 82 (Flush with Power)
Episode 83 (Transnational Amusements Present: Peggy's Magic Sex Feet)
Episode 84 (Peggy's Fan Fair)

The DVD Report

"I have never poured out beer, even to put out a grass fire"
Whew!From some rumors I heard, I was afraid season four of King of the Hill would not be released on DVD.What a relief to see it on my Amazon home page with its cool cover (a great improvement from previous covers; especially season three-who wants to see Hank, Bill, Boomhauer, and Dale's bulging bellies?).It looks like the powers-that-be for KOTH are also making up for lost time by releasing season four much more quickly than prior seasons.Of course, season 3 was released way behind schedule (I think about 6 months later than advertised!) so KOTH fans are due!The main reason I am looking forward to this release so much is for my second favorite KOTH episode of all-time right behind (so to speak) Hank's Unmentionable Problem from season one; a.k.a. the constipation episode.It is Flushed With Power.In this show, the residents of Arlen are frustrated by the restricted water usage caused by a draught.New low flow toilets are supposed to be the answer, but Hank discovers they actually use more water because they require more flushes to "thoroughly dispose of solid waste" (in Peggy's case, six flushes).What follows is so much like the absurd reality of life it is brilliant.I sell paint in California for a living and it is a similar situation.We know a product is better but we cannot sell it due to govt. regulations.When Hank goes to the home improvement store and asks the clerk if they "have any of the good toilets?" and the older and wiser clerk replies, "Nope, we don't offer the good toilets, only the low flows, and even if I had a good toilet, it is illegal to sell it in this county," it hits hilariously close to home.

Season four also moves KOTH into some serious territory. In the two-parter Hanky Panky/High Anxiety, Hank's boss Buck Strickland finds himself in some heavy trouble when he is kicked out of the house by his wife who is finally fed up with his cheating and then his mistress is found dead.Hank is dragged into Buck's sordid life style.For an animated comedy series, these episodes are pretty heavy.The first two-parter Peggy Hill The Decline and Fall/Cotton's Plot that continues the cliff hanger from season three where Peggy's parachute fails while sky diving is also pretty intense.The always over-confident Peggy thinks her rehab after spending time in a body cast will be a snap, but then she finds she is too weak to accomplish the easiest of tasks.She needs motivation and requests the services of her father-in-law: the misogynist, drill sergeant Cotton.Seeing her suffer as Cotton ridicules her is alittle difficult to watch (even though I am not fond of the conceited Peggy).Her respect for Cotton is challenged when she discovers he has been lying about his war record.Hank then explains why he still respects his father even though he is a cruel son-of-a-gun.It is an interesting episode.

Other episodes include the following:
Bills are Made to be Broken: Bill doesn't have much, but he does hold the Arlen High football record for TDs in a season which is close to being broken.
Little Horrors of Shop: Hank is laid off and becomes a substitute shop teacher at Bobby's school.Will his popularity challenge Peggy's streak of Substitute of the Year trophies?
Aisle 8A: Connie stays at the Hills while her parents are away and males Hank confront some, well, feminine issues.
A Beer Can Named Desire:Hank can win a million dollars if can throw a football through a hole in a giant novelty beer can.He is torn between making the throw himself or choosing former NFL quarterback Don Meredith to do it for him.Meanwhile, The Hills and Bill stop at the Dauterive manor in New Orleans where Bill has a chance to get lucky with his, um, cousins and Bobby chooses [again] the wrong role model in the eyes of Hank.Great line: "I need a window seat because this flower is wilting."
The Hank's Giving Episode: The Hills and their neighbors become stranded at the airport.Highlight: Hank's prized turkey is taken for a bomb by airport security.
Not in My Back Hoe: Hank makes friends with a guy who shares a lot of his interests, habits, and moods [Drew Carey]much to the chagrin of Bill and Dale.
To Kill a Ladybird: Bobby finds a new friend in a raccoon he names "Bandit."
Hillennium: Great episode!Hank is as paranoid about Y2K as Dale.Unwilling to move into the New Millennium (well, actually 2001 marked the new millennium), Hank freaks out buying toilet paper and a grandfather clock to avoid the technological holocaust to come.His dream of being a mole in a mole-whacker where he gets advice from Tom Landry is brilliant..
Old Glory: Peggy and Bobby find themselves in a heap of trouble at school involving plagiarism and the destruction of Bill's prized American flag.Shows what a little display of patriotism can do.
Rodeo Days:Hank always wanted Bobby to be in the rodeo...but not as a clown!
Naked Ambition:Bobby accidentally sees Luanne naked and hormonal-charged Joseph wants a similar experience.While trying to help Joseph get a peak, Connie accuses Bobby of being a pervert.
Movin' On Up: Luanne moves in with some rowdy college students.
Bill of Sales:Peggy gets involved in a pyramid scheme and discovers Bill's knack as a salesman and, as one would expect, abuses Bill's skills to heighten her already-inflated self esteem.
Won't You Pimai Neighbor?: Buddhists come to Arlen searching for a Lama and Bobby passes the test.I love the ending to this one.
Hank's Bad Hair Day:Hank's long-time barber has gone completely senile and, reluctantly, Hank allows friend and Army barber Bill to cut his hair.All's well until he receives the govt-issued bill.
Meet the Propaniacs:Bobby encourages Strickland Propane to start a propane-related comedy act to promote its business.
Nancy Boys:Continuing the storyline Peggy's Headache from season three, Nancy starts to confront her affair with John Redcorn.
Transnational Amusements Presents: Peggy's Magic Sex Feet:Well, Peggy's big feet must be good for something!
Peggy's Fan Fair:Peggy insists Randy Travis stole her song "That's the Way God Made Me" and the story that went with it.Hank is skeptical of his egomaniacal wife who insists on calling her dish "spa-peggy and meat balls." ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Dieting, Lucy's Play, the Lease, Gossip & Vitametavegamin!
Over 50 years ago during the early years of broadcast television, the very inspired talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her then husband Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) were showcased on their hilarious television show "I Love Lucy". TV execs had initially rejected the plausibility of the show because of Desi and because they intended to tape the shows. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lucille Ball and Desi's obvious talents, the show first aired in 1951 and quickly became one of the most successful TV shows during all six of its regular seasons. As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by William Frawley (1877-1966) and Viviane Vance (1909-1979) as their best-friends/apartment landlords of Fred and Ethel Mertz.

The first season of "I Love Lucy" that aired between 1951 and 1952 has 35 memorable episodes:

1. "The Girls Want To Go To the Nightclub": For the Mertzes' anniversary, Ethel & Lucy want to go a nightclub, but Fred & Ricky want to see the fights.

2. "Be A Pal": Thinking their marriage is going cold, Lucy joins Ricky for a poker game, then turns their apartment into a Cuban getaway.

3. "The Diet": To be in one of Ricky's shows, Lucy must lose 22 pounds. No steak for Lucy.

4. "Lucy Thinks Ricky is Trying to Murder Her": Lucy's mystery-book reading makes her suspicious of Ricky.

5. "The Quiz Show": Lucy goes on a game show to win money after Ricky cuts her allowance.

6. "The Audition": Lucy sneaks into Ricky's latest show as Buffo the Clown.

7. "The Séance": Reading horoscopes & numerology, Lucy gives Ricky bad advice; but tries to fix it with a hilarious séance.

8. "Men are Messy": Lucy divides their apartment in half when she tires of Ricky being messy, but goes whole-hog to impress a magazine photographer.

9. "Drafted": Lucy & Ethel think that Ricky & Fred have been drafted, but the men think the girls are pregnant.

10. "The Fur Coat": Lucy thinks that a mink coat that Ricky brought home is hers, but he only rented it for a show.

11. "Lucy Is Jealous of Girl Singer": Lucy sneaks into Ricky's show to spy on him and chorus girl Rosemary (Helen Silver).

12. "The Adagio": Lucy wants to learn the Apache dance from a Frenchman (Shepard Menken) and makes Ricky jealous.

13. "The Benefit": Lucy gets Ricky to perform for Ethel's womens club, but only if she can perform too.

14. "The Amatuer Hour": Lucy baby-sits two terrorizing boys to make money to pay for an expensive dress.

15. "Lucy Plays Cupid": Lucy tries to get to elderly singles together, but they get the wrong ideas.

16. "Lucy Fakes Illness": Lucy pretends to go nuts in order for Ricky to let her perform, but he gets even with her.

17. "Lucy Writes a Play": Lucy writes a play for her woman's club, but when Ricky won't do it, she changes it from Cuban to English. Ricky later changes his mind, but gets the wrong script.

18. "Breaking the Lease": After a fight, Lucy & Ricky want to move, but Ethel & Fred won't end their lease; so Lucy & Ricky have a little party.

19. "The Ballet":Lucy gets ballet lessons from Madame Lamond (Mary Wickes) thinking that Ricky will let her perform at the club.Ballet & burlesque don't mix.

20. "The Young Fans": Ricky & Lucy each have teenagers (Janet Waldo & Richard Crenna respectively) with crushes on them.

21. "New Neighbors": Against Ricky's orders, Lucy tries to met their new neighbors who she comes to think are enemy agents.

22. "Fred and Ethel Fight": Lucy & Ricky help Ethel & Fred end a days-old fight, but end up in a big fight themselves.

23. "The Moustache": Lucy dons a fake beard & mustache to get Ricky to shave, but she used the wrong glue.

24. "The Gossip": When boys bet the girls that they can't stop gossipping, Ricky cheats, but Lucy gets back.

25. "Pioneer Women": On a bet, everyone tries to live in accordance with late nineteenth-century technology with hilarious results. Look out for that bread!

26. "The Marriage License": Lucy thinks her marriage liscence with Ricky is invalid due to a misspelling.

27. "The Kleptomaniac": While collecting items for a women's club bazaar, Ricky thinks Lucy is a kleptomaniac.

28. "Cuban Pals":Lucy gets jealous over a girl (now woman) who had performed with him in Cuba.

29. "The Freezer": The Ricardos & Mertzes purchase a used commercial freezer to save money, but Lucy gets locked in while trying to hide the beef.

30. "Lucy Does a TV Commercial":One of the best episodes of all time with Lucy drinking too much Vitametavegamin for a TV commercial that Ricky begrudginly allows her to do.

31. "The Publicity Agent": Lucy pretends to be the "Maharincess of Franistan" to boost Ricky's sagging popularity.

32. "Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio":Lucy & Ricky go on a radio quiz show.

33. "Lucy's Schedule": Unhappy with Lucy's disorderliness, Ricky puts her on a tight schedule; but the wife (Edith Meiser) of his new boss (Gale Gordon) starts a woman's revolution. Look out for low-flying dinner rolls!

34. "Ricky Thinks He is Going Bald": When Ricky thinks he's going bald, Lucy resorts to tortuous hair-growing methods.

35. "Ricky Asks For a Raise": When Ricky's boss (Gale Gordon) won't give him a raise, Lucy, Ethel & Fred make bogus club reservations as multiple people and promptly leave when Ricky's not performing.

Paramount Home Video has no doubt done a superb job of repackaging the first season on 7 DVD's. Overall, I rate the "I Love Lucy: The Complete First Season" DVD box set with 5 out of 5 stars!

I love i love i love "i love LUCY"
First sorry for my bad english... even with my bad english i can understand everything about "i love lucy". so great show. It make me remember when i was watching this on TV in french language... but what's a happyness to see this show again and now it belong to me. Really great product... don't miss it if you like the greatest show of american TV.

Great Season!!
This season of "I Love Lucy" is great. I'm glad Paramount is re-releasing this season so it would take up less shelf space and less money. 7 discs is a lot, but there will be only 4 slim cases. Three of the cases will hold two discs, while the fourth case will hold one disc. So, even though there are more discs than Seasons 2-4, it will be thinner because there are only four slim cases compared to the usual five.

Here is what you'll get in this magnificent set:

DISC 1
The Lost Pilot
The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub
Be a Pal
The Diet
Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her
The Quiz Show


DISC 2
The Audition
The Seance
Men Are Messy
The Fur Coat
Lucy Is Jealous of Girl Singer
Drafted

DISC 3
The Adagio
The Benefit
The Amatuer Hour
Lucy Plays Cupid

DISC 4
Lucy Fakes Illness
Lucy Writes a Play
Breaking the Lease
The Ballet
The Young Fans
New Neighbors

DISC 5
Fred and Ethel Fight
The Moustache
The Gossip
Pioneer Women
The Marriage License
The Kleptomaniac

DISC 6
Cuban Pals
The Freezer
Lucy Does a TV Commercial
The Publicity Agent

DISC 7
Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio
Lucy's Schedule
Ricky Thinks He Is Going Bald
Ricky Asks For a Raise

I Love Lucy
I locve this show, and was bitterly disappointed that it was priced so rediculously.Since the first season was so outrageously priced, i didn't even consider buying subsequent releases.I am glad to hear that the owners of this show listened to customer complaints. Reasonably priced DVD pack sell better, and faster.

Finally...
When the first season of I LOVE LUCY was released in seperate volumes, I was more than a little upset. It seems that if a company wanted to save materials(and price value for its audience)then they would compile them all into one little box set. So, when season two was released in the better version and so on with three(soon to be coming four), I thought that it would look really peculiar if you set these four seasons up against each other. Subsequentley, Paramount is re-releasing the first season in a small box! This set was supposed to be released the same as Season Four but at the last minute they moved the date back. Why? Because they are making the box even SMALLER! Instead of having the original seven, seperate slimline cases, they are putting two in each slimline(it does fit well),making it contain only 4 slimlines(or the size of only two regular amaray DVD cases!). Can't wait for this one and I am more than happy that I didn't buy the original version; I knew that something better just had to be coming along and, well, here it is! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The fifth season of Joss Whedon's hit series started out in excellent form as slayer extraordinaire Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) did battle with the most famous of vampires (that Dracula guy) and then went on to spar with another nemesis, little sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg). Wait--Buffy has a teenage sister? Where has she been the past four years? And why is everyone acting like she's always been around? Turns out that young Dawn is actually "The Key," a form of pure energy that, true to its name, helps open the gates between different dimensions. To protect said key from falling into the wrong hands, a group of monks gave it human form and sent it to the fiercely protective Buffy for safekeeping, creating new memories of Dawn for everyone as if she'd existed... well, always. Why all the super secrecy? There's this very, very, very bad girl named Glory (Clare Kramer) who wants the key very badly, and will do anything to get it. Oh, and by the way, Glory isn't just a run-of-the-mill demon... she's way worse.

Some fans will tell you that Buffy "jumped the shark" with the introduction of Dawn, when in actuality this season was the pinnacle of the show's achievement, as there was superb comedy to be had ("Buffy Vs. Dracula," the double-Xander episode "The Replacement," the introduction of the "Buffybot" in "Intervention") as well as some of television's best drama. The Whedon-scripted and -directed "The Body" remains one of Buffy's best episodes, when the young woman who faces down supernatural death on a daily basis finds herself powerless in the wake of her mother's sudden passing. The first third or so of the season was a bit choppy, but once the evil Glory came into her own, Buffy was a television force to be reckoned with. Kramer was the show's best villain (after the evil Angel, natch), and the supporting cast was never better. But as always, it was the superb Gellar who was the powerful center of the show, sparking opposite lovelorn vampire Spike (James Marsters) and wrestling with moral dilemmas rarely seen on television. With this season, Buffy Summers became, like Tony Soprano, one of television's true greats. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (281)

A New Direction for Sunnydale
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" enters its Fifth Season with lots of surprises for the Scooby Gang and their Slayer. This special year was a gigantic season of wonderful stories-with the introduction of Dawn Summers,(a mystical key/Buffy's sister), Ben, and their big baddie,(and first female villain), Glory, (a Hell god)!

What can I say about Season 5, that most don't already know about already? Nothing! So let me express this review, in my view, how I felt about this famous year!

Many fans,(old or new), have different opinions about their favorite season, but my favorite will always be Season 5! Why is that? You may ask, and I'll tell you that this year was great because we finally saw Buffy grow into a young adult, actually, we saw the rest of the Scoobies grow deeper into their character too, which is so much, that they seem as if they were really real best friends of mine growing up. There's an excellent season premier with Dracula visiting the Slayer, and the episode, "Blood Ties", that really shows the meaning of sisterhood and family,through Dawn finding out who she really is, and there's many more that I can't name in just one review....Well, I could, but it would be a really long review,lol!

This year, Buffy faced her first female villain, Glory, who was stronger than Buffy would ever be. Dawn Summers, Buffy's sister,(played by Michelle Tractenberg-"Harriet the Spy"), has a brillaint storyline in the season which really shows the meaning of true love and family. Riley breaks down, loses faith in Buffy, cheats on her with a vampire, and leaves Sunnydale to join the Initiative in South America in a dramatic episode leaving Buffy broken hearted. Xander confesses his love for Anya and in the finale, proposes for her hand in marriage, while Willow and Tara prove their love is stronger than anything around, as Giles buys the Magic Box to occupy his time as unemployed Watcher, as Spike comes to terms with his feelings for Buffy, that grows into something special throughout, and near the end of Season 7.
In this season, we see signs of Joyce's fate as she slowly dies of a brain tumor in a emotional episode for the Scoobies that has no background scores or wacky tunes in the background, only real life. "The Body" also shows the brilliance of Sarah Michelle Geller as an actress as she copes with finding her mother, Joyce, dead on their couch, and the brilliance of Emma Caulfield, (Anya), with her speech about "what is death?".
Don't worry, this season has ALOT of action in it, but the drama in this season is just so overwhelming that I keep those momments of Season 5 to heart more than the action sequences!
As I said, there is alot of action, and it centers mostly around the Key storyline, with Buffy keeping the truth from Glory, for Glory wants to use it to go home, not caring that it'll end the world if she does. We have the Ben storyline, that is finally connected to Glory near the end of the season, and we have Buffy's. In the season finale, "The Gift", Glory finally gets Dawn, and uses her to open all the dimensions of the world which leads to a battle of bloodshed, heartache, and suprising twists of Giles true nature. In the last moments of the finale, Buffy dies to save all of humanity, but most of all, for her sister. You see, the episode title is called "The Gift", and the gift was life for Dawn, because it was either Dawn, or Buffy, that could stop the world from ending, and Buffy steps up and sacrifices herself for her sister, because of love. The season started great, and ended in a mind numbing, heart pounding, crying your eyes out great that will always be remembered as a brilliant episode in my, and every fans book!

Now, I have my title, "A New Direction for Sunnydale", because thats what it was. Seasons 1-4, they seem so different than Season 5, and the final two, and thats because the Scoobies grew up so fast, and they began to mature into wonderful young adults. My last statements is that, I love the last years more than the first few years, I love the way they ended the series! I loved Season 6,(it was so much mature, and they went throught what many real people will in life), and I especially love Season 7, (Because its connected to Season 5 on so many levels, and has a brilliant storyline so wonderful for the Slayer, that many so-called fans hate, and love).

I'm so glad Season 5 comes out on DVD, and encourage fans, and fans who are starting to witness to greatness of this series, I encourage all to buy this season, you won't be let down! And I also want to thank Joss Whedon too, for not stoping the series in the 5th Season, because he, and they gave us two more wonderful, (but misunderstood by many), seasons for all to charish forever! Enjoy! You won't regret it!

BtVS turned 5 and with it became spectacular!
I would say, in my opinion, this season ranks up there with seasons 2 and 3. The Arrival of Dawn, The Magic Box, The Death of Joyce, The Breakup of Riley and Buffy, and Tara's Family mark some of the key moments that made this season momentous on all levels. NOT to mention the "key" most important and heartbreaking moment in all Buffy history. Her death. From the "Previously on Buffy..." to "She saved the world alot," "The Gift" was a spectacular episode.
On the DVD, which I would say was pretty good, The Gift was not shown in it's full entirety. I wonder. WHERE WAS THE DAMN AWESOME PREVIOUSLY ON BUFFY!?!?!?!
I don't know why but they decided to leave that out cause that was an awesome way to begin what many of us thought was the final ep.
Anyway, I give this DVD ****. Not 5 because of that key not putting in the Previously on Buffy. Watch everything on this DVD including Commentaries, featurettes, outtakes(which are actually on there! :> ), and my fave ep, The Replacement with Nicholas Brendan's twin!!! Other awesome eps: The Body ( I cried), I Was Made For You (With slimey Warren), and Buffy vs. Dracula ( hilarious!!!!)

deceptions
The fifth season of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER feels casual, exuding, particularly in its first few episodes, an almost thrown-together quality. Coming off of season four, which contains some of the show's best episodes but probably has its weakest "arc" up to that point, Season Five seems to be following a similar line. It is funny, well-staged, and full of fascinating new characters and developments, but it is difficult, at first, to get a bead on where the season is going.

A friend of mine says most dramatic shows have five or six good years in them, before decline sets in or they are cancelled, and I think she's right. NYPD BLUE worked for six years before it collapsed under the weight of too many teen-idol replacements for Smits and Caruso; THE WEST WING's fifth season was a travesty without Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme around to guide things; and even a sitcom like FRIENDS, whose character arcs resemble those of dramatic programs, had a hard time keeping things interesting after year five. There's no set formula, of course, but it's fair to say that a program's cast and crew might get a little bored after awhile, might have trouble finding new shadings for their characters or new spins on their environments, and might begin to take it easy and coast. Seen in this light, the initial slacker quality of BUFFY year five becomes both more comprehensible and also a little ominous-- when a program's first episode is given the distinctly Marvel Comics-esque title "Buffy v. Dracula," its not hard to imagine the blood in the water and the sharks circling.

Such fears were, for many fans, confirmed by the appearance of Dawn, Buffy's heretofore unseen, uncommented-upon little sister. Some fans and critics immediately dubbed her "Oliver," a reference to the mysterious "cousin" that appeared in later seasons of THE BRADY BUNCH, and whose name has become shorthand for a show's desperate attempts to add characters and keep things alive near the end. Who was this strange, annoying little girl? Why had we never seen her? And why was every character on the show already acting as if we had?

As if the "new relative" gambit wasn't enough, BUFFY' s writers also tossed in the Mysterious Illness ploy for Buffy's mom, and the Hot New Relationship plot for Buffy and Spike, in what initially seems like a wan attempt to recreate the old magic of Buffy and Angel. By the time, in episode six, Tara's family arrives to inform the Scooby Gang (and viewers) that this quiet girl has a Dark Secret, fans can be forgiven for thinking that the WB had secretly switched our usual BUFFY blend with episodes of GUIDING LIGHT.

Silly us-- with ep seven, "Fool For Love," everything clicks into place, plot points are clarified, and suddenly it all begins to make sense, and to take on a tremendous emotional power. The remaining fifteen episodes are some of the show's best, and looking at the season as a whole four years after its initial airing, it's remarkable how cohesive it really is. One of the major themes of the year is deception, and by offering their audience a seemingly loose and occasionally incomprehensible start to the year, creator/auteur Joss Whedon and his staff were able to place viewers in roughly the same emotional position as their characters.

By the time Season Five rolled around, Mutant Enemy knew it had a hit on its hands, and an intensely loyal fan base. They could now take their show (and its viewers) to different places, and really get under the skins of their characters. They had been doing this all along, of course, but Seasons Five and Six of BUFFY are full of a desire and yearning that is dark, fascinating, and sometimes unsettling. Far from coasting to syndication, the show would take more chances than ever.

It's notable that both Seasons Two and Five come, on DVD, in red/reddish boxes-- a color of passion, heartache, blood, and love. Season Five finds the show's characters undergoing a level of trauma not seen since the second half of Season Two, and the final resolution of that trauma is, like the end of season two, both gut-wrenching and utterly logical. I won't give more detail than that, except to note, again, how well-paced this year is, interspersing more dramatic eps with funny ones, allowing moments for the whole ensemble to shine, and keeping the flow so loose and unpredictable that, when twists and suprises come, they really are twists and surprises.

This was also a year of behind-the-scenes goodbyes: it was the last season shot by Buffy's great secret weapon, cinematographer Michael Gershman, whose beautiful balance of dark and light (in all senses) had held the show together since its first episode; it was the last year to prominently feature the lush scores of composer Christophe Beck, whose strings had always sonically captured the beautiful adolescent passions of the characters; it was the last full season for Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), whose character would continue to appear, but only in recurring "guest star" status; and it was the last year the show would appear on the WB, since contract negotiatons and public spatting led to the show's vamoosing to the UPN network the following year (this also meant it was the last time-- for awhile-- that there would be character crossovers between BUFFY and ANGEL, since the latter continued to air on the WB, which imposed a "ban" on such occurences after BUFFY left home).

In so many ways, then, Season Five marks a turning point for BUFFY, a year in which, even for a show which had always taken chances, questions of change and growth seemed central, both within the narrative and on a stylistic level. I wouldn't start watching BUFFY with Season Five, but it's a crucial year for a crucial show, and well worth one's time.

The Best Season of Buffy EVER
Having seen every season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in its entirety, I can say without a doubt Season Five is my absolute favorite. It doesn't have the series' best episode (Season Six's "Once More, With Feeling") or the show's best villain (the unholy Angelis/Spike/Drusilla alliance in Season Two), but as a whole nothing can top the plot and pathos of Season Five.

This is the season that introduced us to Buffy's younger sister Dawn, and while in later seasons she had a tendancy to come off as whiny, here she provides the basis for one of the most beautiful relationships ever portrayed on the show. The dynamic between Buffy and Dawn runs the gamut from loathing to love and everything in between, but above all it is about the utter love and devotion these sisters have for one another. In one of the special features, Joss Whedon is quoted as saying "Buffy's love interest for Season Five is her sister," and this couldn't be more true. Their sisterly bond is deeply touching and totally convincing.

But the Buffy-Dawn relationship is only the tip of the emotional iceberg in a tightly plotted season that also sees the death of a major figure in Buffy's life. "The Body" is one of the series' strongest episodes, and its frank look at the consequences of a person's death will surely strike a chord with viewers. Grounding this episode (and indeed, the entire series) is Sarah Michelle Gellar's consistantly strong performance as Buffy Summers. She is at once empowered, humorous, charming, and yet still a vulnerable girl struggling with the relaties of life.

And of course, there's the season finale, the heart-breaking "The Gift." One of the most emotionally powerful episodes of the series, it brings all the narrative threads of the season together in a way words can't begin to describe. I won't spoil the ending, but anyone who saw the episode when it aired can tell you it's some powerful stuff. If your prone to crying during movies, you better have a box of Kleenex handy.

Season Five of "Buffy" works so well as a whole it's hard to believe the writers hadn't carefully plotted every little twist before penning the first script. The tight narrative consistantly builds on itself in ways that surprise and yet make perfect sense. The emotional core of the show, always its strongest suit, is as powerful as ever, and nearly every major relationship on the show is taken to new levels during the course of the season. So what are you waiting for?!? Go out and buy this set now!

Words cannot come to say..
Words cannot come to say how truly remarkable joss Whedon has come to invent the fifth season of Buffy. The Dawn breakthrough, the god Glorificus, and most of all the stunning growth of Willow and Tara as witches. I have to say that this is my most favorite Buffy yet. Can't wait to watch season 6!! ... Read more

Description

*7 volume disc set, includes all 39 UNCUT episodes of the "SuperS" TV series! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

SuperS Box Set Review
 The SuperS series is the fourth of the five Sailor Moon series. It mainly focuses on Chibi-Usa, or Sailor ChibiMoon, and a winged horse, known as Pegasus. It's basically the story of a group of enemies known as the 'Dead Moon' trying to find Pegasus, who is hiding in somebodies 'beautiful dream'.

The series is very repetitive, where in nearly every episode, the Dead Moon will choose a person who they believe is hiding Pegasus, attack them, and look into their dream. Conveniently, the Sailor Soldiers have recently become friends with whoever is targeted by the Dead Moon, and they show up to save the day.

The series does have some good points. All six of the soldiers featured in the series gain new 'super' forms, with brand new costumes, attacks, and powers. The animation, character design, and music has also improved. However, there are many problems. There are no appearnces by the Outer Senshi, who are by far regarded as some of the best characters in Sailor Moon. Also, the series is very light-hearted compared to it's predecessor, Sailor Moon S.

Overall, Sailor Moon SuperS is still part of one of the greatest Anime's of all time, and is not to be missed.

Sailor Moon SuperS -Season 4-
This is not the best series, but if you're a Sailor Moon fan, you MUST have it. It's focused on Chibimoon and Pegasus (Chibiusa is a very terrible character). Besides, it's very slow, and the Amazon Trio part isn't interesting. But, you'll see a new transformation for all the sailor senshi, better animation and character designs. The better series are (in order of favourite): S, Sailor Stars, R, Sailor Moon (first) and SuperS. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Divorce number 2 is immediately on the cards as the fifth season opens with "The One After Ross Says Rachel." As of this point, Ross's character undergoes some extreme personality changes (which apparently lost David Schwimmer many female fans). His incessant whining drives all the Friends to distraction, especially in "The One Where Ross Moves In" with Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc). Later things get uncomfortable both at work and at home when he goes through a period of rage ("The One with Ross's Sandwich"). While all this downplays his failed relationship with Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), the real idea is to allow focus on the secret pairing of Chandler and Monica (Courteney Cox) after a night of passion in London. This made for a return to the show's appealingly silly atmosphere as poor Joey is caught in the middle of everyone's secrets. Building to "The One Where Everybody Finds Out," the silliness pauses for some genuinely touching interplay between Perry and Cox. The previous year's semi-serious thread about Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) birth gets forgotten fast: to distract the viewer she's introduced to Gary (Michael Rapaport) in "The One with the Cop." This leads to some hilarious parodying with Phoebe interrogated about apartment hunting, and the guys excited and then scared in "The One with the Ride-Along." She's more than over him by the time of the two-part finale, "The One in Vegas," though, especially since she missed out on London. Just in case fans thought Chandler and Monica had permanently stolen the spotlight, a cliffhanger shocks expectation again with Ross and Rachel bursting out of a chapel.... --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (64)

One of the Best Seasons!
The Fifth Season is where the show really starts getting good. Many people have complained about Monica's change in character, but I really like it! I know that Ross gets whiny, but who actually liked Ross to begin with? The other characters are great as always! This season has some of the funniest episodes, like "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" and "The One With All the Resolutions" This season is just classic right up to the season finale cliffhanger, which makes you wish January 27 would come sooner.

Some have complained that the outtakes episode wasn't included with this season. It won't be on Season 6, either. It aired during Season 7 and I'm pretty sure that it will be included with that season. But season 5 is enough to hold you until January and then when season 7 comes out. This season rocks!

My BEST Friends
I am a HUGE die-hard Friends fan (Read: really, I like it waaay too much). The fifth season is incredible - from the very first line where Ross says Rachel's name at the altar, to the very end, where a drunk Ross and Rachel stumble out of a Las Vegas wedding chapel. And although that might sound to you like a two-person cast (Ross, Rachel) don't get me wrong: Monica and Chandler offer probably the greatest running gags all season as they struggle, and eventually fail, to keep their relationship a secret. Phoebe has triplets, and in one of the most touching moments ever on television, gives them up to her brother and his wife. Joey - well, he's just Joey. From discovering his identical hand twin, to (almost) getting his big break, to carrying around a purse, to getting hit by a girl, Joey has his work cut out for him this season. Overall, this is one of FRIEND's greatest seasons - there's even an episode where Monica, Ross and Joey try to see how long they can throw a ball without stopping. I say: Only on Friends. Now, especially, as Friends is (sob) wrapping up their final season (oh no, i'm starting to cry), if you aren't up to date on Ross and Rachel's love rollercoaster, Monica and Chandler's quest for a baby, and Phoebe and Joey... well, just being themselves... buy the DVDs and get yourself caught up. Don't worry, you'll thank me later.

Chandler: Pheebs? Flying a jet? Better make it a spaceship so that you can get back to your home planet! And Ross, phone call for you today, Tom Jones, he wants his pants back! And Hornswoggle? What are you dating a character from Fraggile Rock?!

F R I E N D S: The Complete Fifth Season (1998-1999)
It looks to me that Ross will be going through his second divorce. Poor guy. But still, all in all, I still have not yet stopped laughing. Here are your favorite characters, as well as mine, back again for a fifth round of non-stop comedy. If you buy this DVD, you will be nothing less than impressed.

Below are every episode of the fifth season.

FRIENDS: 1998-1999

THE ONE AFTER ROSS SAYS RACHEL
THE ONE WITH ALL THE KISSING
THE ONE-HUNDREDTH
THE ONE WHERE PHOEBE HATES PBS
THE WITH ALL THE KIPS
THE ONE WITH THE YETI
THE ONE WHERE ROSS MOVES IN
THE ONE WITH ALL THE THANKSGIVINGS
THE ONE WITH ROSS' SANDWICH
THE ONE WITH THE INAPPROPRIATE SISTER
THE ONE WITH ALL THE RESOLUTIONS
THE ONE WITH CHANDLER'S WORK LAUGH
THE ONE WITH JOEY'S WORK BAG
THE ONE WHERE EVERYBODY FINDS OUT
THE ONE WITH THE GIRL WHO HITS JOEY
THE ONE WITH THE COP
THE ONE WITH RACHEL'S INADVERTENT KISS
THE ONE WHERE RACHEL SMOKES
THE ONE WITH THE RIDE-ALONG
THE ONE WITH THE BALL
THE ONE WITH JOEY'S BIG BREAK
THE ONE IN VEGAS (both parts)

Season five
I think this is the best season. So much went on... Joey finding out about Chandler and Monica because of the hotel in Atlantic City calling Joey about the eyelash curler left in the hotel room and then Monica asks Rachel for one.

One of the funniest moments was:
'Atleast I got to see Donald Trump waiting by an elevator'
'Oh yeah at the Taj Mehal he has his own private elevator, a glass elevator, made by Otis Elevators, and they usually don't do glass'
'What kinds of things do you KNOW?'

anyway, its great to pull out on a rainy weekend

The BEST season, hands down!!
Ok, all the seasons are pretty good, with a lot of hit and miss shows...but this season was the best ever. Every show is hilarious. This is the best way to spend a rainy weekend. ... Read more

Description

Dirt-poor and alone, the Ingalls family moves to Minnesota and fights to build their new home - Mr. Edwards is reunited with the Ingalls when Charles convinces him to settle in Walnut Grove - Caroline gives birth to a baby boy who dies soon afterwards - The town is put under quarantine due to a serious illness - The entire family nearly perishes in a blizzard but is saved thanks to the kindness of an Indian friend - These and many other exciting adventures are featured in this Collector's Edition!

Special Features:
*Interactive Full Motion Menu
*Character profiles
*The Ingalls Photo Album
*The "Little House" Episode Quiz (Season 1) ... Read more

Reviews (65)

I grew up with the Ingalls.
First, like many here, this is one of my top favorite shows. I feel like I've grown up with the Ingalls family and really care about them as characters in these stories. Many of these episodes give me a special feeling that can often bring tears to my eyes (Just hearing the music can do that). You'll have to buy the pilot episode separately but it's worth the money. The first 2 episodes (Harvest of Friends and Country Girls) are a magnificent start! The Ingalls settle in and we get to meet some of the most enduring characters to ever appear on TV. I was about to list my other favorites of the first season but the list is too long. :) Highlights are The Racoon, a 2-parter called The Lord Is My Shepard, Christmas At Plum Creek, Plague, Child In Pain, Money Crop, Survival and Founder's Day. I'm glad to have these in DVD form so that they will last forever.

Now with that out of the way, I cannot in good conscience give this set a *****/***** like I'd like to. At first glance all looks great with this set...beautiful packaging (I wish they had included a set of cards with the pictures on the packaging). But after watching each episode I've discovered the problems mentioned from other buyers. The image and sound quality varies from episode to episode. Even ones with a sharp picture can have problems with jagged edges. Every time the outside of the schoolhouse/church is shown I cringe a little bit. It looks like it needs its horizonal hold adjusted. But this isn't fatal. Many look fine reguardless. And most others are acceptable while a few just look bad at first...but close up shots of the characters are always sharp. Many have what looks like a sheet of grain across them (I saw a similar effect in some of my Monty Python episodes so I figure its just the age of the program). I would've paid more money for a proper cleanup job on some of these episodes and anamorphic transfers for all. Little House is one of the best offerings in American television, ever. It deserves the best it can be. I think many problems are probably less noticable on a regular TV (I use a 19" monitor so problems show very well).

One big grevance is the fact that the packaging says these are uncut. This is not true. Uncut means that we get each episode with the teaser at the beginning, the original opening credits, the episode and then previews for the next, then closing credits for that episode. Again, this program deserves to be presented in it's original complete form (which is what we all thought we were buying). The opening credits do not play at the beginning of each episode (at least on every player I've tried). By "uncut" I guess they mean that none of the program has been edited out to make room for commercials...so for that this company has done what they advertised. I did notice some odd time-compression signs. Not as bad as trying to watch The Waltons on TVLand. I wonder if it's just an error they made when processing these digitally. Anyway, it didn't distract from my enjoyment.

I had no difficulty with the quiz. I tried it twice and it worked perfectly. Well designed questions.

The cast bios were very incomplete. What's there isn't bad.

If these are ever re-released in a better form I will ebay these and buy the newer versions. I'm crossing my fingers. But, still, kudos to this company for putting this series on DVD. Not bad, just should be better. I have seasons 2 & 3 to watch next and I can't wait! I gave this set ***/***** instead of **/***** because the price is right!

Episode Names
I really love watching the show on TV and I am so happy that they have them on DVD! Just for the people who wanted to know the names of the first episodes here they are (I'm just a little fanatic!)

1. Harvest of Friends
2. Country Girls
3. The 100 mile walk
4. Mr. Edwards Homecomming
5. The love of Johnny Johnson
6. If i should wake before i die
7. Town Party - Country Party
8. The Lord is my Shepard (2 part episode)
9. Ma's Holiday
10. School Mom
11. The voice of Tinker Jones
12. The Raccoon
13. The Award
14. Christmas at Plum Creek
15. Doctors Lady
16. Family Quarrel
17. Circus Man
18. Plague
19. Child of Pai
20. Money Crop
21. Survival
22. To see the world
23. Founders Day

I can't wait for the next DVD's (3-9)

Ain't nothing wrong with the sound on these discs.
I just love to watch these over and over, The colors are so pretty. We never had no color tv when I was a youngin. I guess our tv was as bad as the person who thinks these folks sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks. It's just great seein these stories years later and de-cipherin all the secret meaning hidden in the program. That Nellie Olsen sure is the devil. I can't wait to see the new series with Paris Hilton in the role. I am a little fraid how they gonna update the show but it's so mindless already. I better pray in church for it real good.

happy to have family entertainment
Love it, and am happy to pass on these wonderful shows to my kids. Ahh the joys of not having cable TV...you get to choose what your children see! And LHOTP is happy for all!

little house a childhood favorite
i was a young girl when little house on the prarie came on t.v. i grew up about the same age as melissa gilbert. it came on every monday night. my family time memory was my mother buying a bag a dorito patato chips and a bottle of pepsi and she would split the chips and the single bottle of pop with each of us three girls. we sat on the floor and never missed an episode. as i grew up, i started taping them on vhs so i could watch them whenever i wanted for the fear that someday they would take it off the air. now i am very pleased with the fact that i can buy the series on dvd. i have all 4 so far that are out and will continue buying them all. i really hope to see the seasons continue. my favorite episodes are the ones when dean butler joins the show. thanks for great memories little house on the prarie. ... Read more

Description

During the past century, thousands of people have gone missing.When 4400 of them return all at once unharmed and looking the same as when they disappeared, the government investigates, unsure of how this can be possible.What the government does not know is that the presence of these 4400 will change the human race in many unexpected ways. ... Read more

Amazon.com

They're here, they're queer, and they make Sex and the City look like a demure tea party. Showtime's quintessentially American Queer As Folk--based on the British miniseries--pours on copious amounts of hot and steamy sex. This slick (and slickly entertaining) series shares the same basic concept as its British counterpart--centering on a group of gay friends living in a primarily industrial city--but after that, all bets are off. Whereas the British version focused on the gritty, realistic drama of its characters, the American QAF is a glossy, fun soap opera that occasionally tackles big issues but never lets you forget that life at times can be a party, and you shouldn't be one of those poor suckers starving to death. A good part of the show's charm lies in its cast--boy-next-door Michael (Hal Sparks), ruthlessly seductive rake Brian (Gale Harold), out-and-proud Emmett (Peter Paige), wallflower Ted (Scott Lowell), and nubile teen Justin (Randy Harrison)--who grew from standard gay prototypes to intriguing characters by the first season's end. And while some subplots didn't work (such as Emmett's farfetched foray into gay-conversion therapy), others were quietly affecting, including Brian's coping with his father's death. Some may object to the show's relentless fixation on sex (and gay men--there are just two lesbian characters), but this is a series that in its own polished way is both engrossingly fun and truly groundbreaking. It's liberating to watch an American TV series in which the straight world is only peripheral. Let's hear it for the boys! --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (211)

QAF Complete First Season Is Finally Here! The Wait Is Over
This is actually the best series ever put on the air. Showtime is trully live up to their title and now the most anticipated DVD release ever is finally here. Before the Second Season start the first season will be release to DVD and Video. This is the best collections of one of the great shows on cable TV. Buy QAF on DVD and start your collections and collect all Seasons of QAF on DVD. It's increadible!!!!10 stars!!

QUEER AS FOLK is one of the most amazing TV shows!
Queer As Folk is one of the most amazing TV Shows ever and is a landmark as the show for the new millennium. The Queer As Folk DVD Box Set has all 22 episodes of the first season of the most controversial and bravest series in the history of television. The total running time of all 6 DVD's is approx: 1,205 minutes which includes Bonus features such as: behind the scenes outtakes, deleted scenes, special edition episodes, a Photo Gallery, DVD rom extras, A 6 minute Season 2 Sneek Peek, and much more. Queer As Folk shows the life of a group of gay guys and a lesbian couple living in Pittsburgh. Now I had been hearing so much about this amazing Showtime series for sometime, yet I had never seen a single episode as I did not have Showtime, but then in July of 2001 I heard this show was coming to DVD in its entire first season and I knew I was in for a real treat. I waited up until the very day of Queer As Folks release date on January 8, 2002 and I purchased this DVD collection not knowing what to expect. I knew it was a gamble to buy an expensive DVD collection of something I had never seen before, but I went with my heart and I bought it. I can honestly say this was truly one of the BEST DVD investments I have ever made. When I got home I knew it was gonna be a while before i watched all 22 episodes and as i got through the first 2 pilot episodes I was hooked and so excited to see the next episode, just as I am when I watch The Young And The Restless. It took me 3 days to watch all of the episodes and I am amazed at how honest this show is on dealing with gay life. Queer As Folk makes no apologies and thats what is so great about this series. From the graphic fornification scenes to the drama of dealing with the prejudice that still haunts America, this show is so brave and I give Showtime a big thumbs up for having the gaul to take on such a big risk as Queer As Folk. This show is as close as it gets to real life. This is not a show just for gay people, but for ALL people. It deals with human emotion and thats something we can all relate to whether we be straight, gay, bisexual, black, white, brown or in between. I have since signed up for Showtime just for this show. I encourage anyone who has a open mind and a open heart to BUY this amazing DVD collection as it will inspire you and if nothing else open your mind to a lifestyle not as uncommon as you may think. Watch more than one episode before you judge this amazing series.

Queer As Folk- What's the Big Deal?
That's exactly the point of this groundbreaking achievement in television- to convey the idea that being queer is no big deal! It makes homosexual sex part of mainstream viewing and serves to break down barriers that face homosexuals in society. As the series opens, the sex is 'in your face,' but viewers are quick to realize that sex is secondary here; it is merely an aspect of the lives of these characters, which are extremely well-written, developed, and acted. Sexy Gale Harold plays Brian Kinney, the object of everyone's affection and desire. Harold's talent and sex appeal have solidified the show's success. Hal Sparks plays Michael, the cute, "boy next door" type who has an overly-supportive mother. The role of Justin, the 17 year old man in a boy's body, is played by Randy Harris. Scott Lowell (Ted) and the beautiful Peter Paige, who plays Emmett, the "Queen" of the group, rounds out the cast of friends. Thea Gill and Michelle Clunie also join the cast as a lesbian couple finding their way through commitment and parenthood. The relationships created in this series are a welcomed dose of reality and emotion. Audiences of all types can find themselves enjoying the drama and comedy that combine as a perfect recipe for brilliant television. My only hope is that the success of this series pushes writers, directors, and actors to demand more of this type of material to work with. And homophobes BEWARE! Gale Harold can put even the straightest men in touch with their gay side.

Thanks Showtime, Very Helpful
Ok, Apart from being a fantastic programme. Well Written, Cast and hosting many great story lines. The show helped me as a gay guy. When i was younger QAF was released on tv in the uk. And at that time i was going through many difficulties with regards to my sexuallity. And the show helped me allot. It has loads of info that is very helpful to someone such as myself. So many things including sex, dating, hiv/aids and so much more.

The American version is allot hotter than the uk version, but in terms of scripts its a million times better. I have seasons 1 & 2 and have just ordered 3. And when 4 is released that will be ordered too.

This is more than just a series, its there for more than entertainment, it serves as a guide book for gay men and gals whether young or old.

Bravo the creators, your work is masterful!

There can be only one
OK, with 209 reviews as of today's date, I'll be brief. The show is excellent but no season will ever come close to the intensity, heat and uniqueness of season 1. IF YOU ARE GOING TO *OWN* ANY OF THE SEASONS, THIS IS THE ONE TO OWN. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I Wrote My FirstReview On Amazon.com Exactly Two Years Ago
When "Queer As Folk" debuted in The UK in 1999, it immediately spawned critical acclaim.This gave many members of the GLBT community and their allies something to relate.It has made history by being one of the first GLBT-based sitcoms with a graphic theme to grow this successfully.This influenced producers from The US to begin their own version of this groundbreaking show.This version debuted in 2000 on Showtime.It followed with similar response as in The UK.Before its US debuted, only two other television sitcoms expressed GLBT-based issues as their main theme: "Ellen" and "Will And Grace".Such brave work earns the cast and crew tremendous respect for doing what few other writers and producers have feared most.It has since won and been nominated for several honorable awards, including four consecutive GLAAD (Gay, Lesbians, and Allies Against Defamanation) Awards for Outstanding Television Drama.

Such issues expressed include hate crimes, HIV/ AIDS, same-sex marriage, same-sex parenting, teen living, self-esteem, drug abuse, and more.Since its debut, the storylines have always remained top of the line.Through its hardcore dramatic scenes to its steamy sex scenes, it never fails to attract audiences' interest.The fearless imagery separates "Queer As Folk" from all other shows.They tell their stories much closer to realism than most other shows have.Everything is as honest to actual GLBT living as it should be.Its powerful impact will never be forgotten.The research read previous to writing proves revalent in every episode.

Besides the harsh realites expressed shows many spectaculars.The sexual innuendo remains erotic, keeping audiences' wide open in amazement.This is the first sitcom that has featured graphic sex and maintain a successful run.The unforgettable Babylon remains an exciting fantasy.This shows what many GLBT people have dreamed for a gay club/ bar.Many of their grand and high-tech episodes successfully express their theme, making this sitcom not entirely depressing.Its signature street remains enlightening, heightening the exciting fantasy theme.Best, the variety of character personalities fit wonderfully to make this show much more enjoyable: Brian's tell-it-like-it-is moto, Michael's hint of child-like humor, Emmitt's flamboyance, Ted's wallflower persona, Debbie's eccentricness, and others.

Every season has its own reasons for its excitement and its hardhitting themes.All have their own adorations that set them apart from the other seasons.Every season shows great evolution compared to its debut.Through the occassional changes made within the storyline and the characters, the quality never fades.Yet, some characteristics never change, which is good.

Season one introduces audiences to the lives of Brian, Michael, Emmitt, Ted, Justin, Lindsay, Mel, and Debbie.They are a group of friends that love each other unconditionally.New viewers will witness how Brian and Justin met, the birth of Lindsay and Mel's son Gus (Brian and Lindsay are the biological parents), Justin still in high school and beginning to come out, Ted still labeled a loser, and of course Brian being Brian.Though the acting has a few occassional weak scenes, their unique personas make up for it beautifully.This season starts the sitcom with a bang.These episodes alone make television history to air many firsts.Once audiences begin watching this season, they will be addicted for life!

Season two begins by answering questions asked in season one's cliffhanger.This gives full throttle to this season's powerful edge.One of them originates from the season one's finale, one of the most emotional episodes in the entire series.Afterward, new audiences will witness a revolution in the comic book store that pertains to Michael, the introduction of Ben, a shocking weakness as an ally in Debbie, Lindsay and Mel marrying, and of course Brian still being Brian.Many characteristics have improved this season compared to previous, namely a better development in the characters and the performances from certain actors.

Season three begins by shaping revolutions in certain characters and storylines.This readies audiences for other changes awaiting throughout.Despite, the sitcom remains exciting.New viewers will witness Ted beginning his crystal meth abuse, Mel beginning her pregnancy with Michael's baby, the introduction of teen prostitute Hunter, the town in threat of a homophobic police officer running for mayor, and a heroistic act from the least expected.Some of the most surprising events that occur through the season make the episodes more exciting and powerful.When audiences think that this would cause the graphic details to fade, another surprise awaits.

Season four shows more of a dramatic feel rather than a graphic hardhitting theme.This shows great improvement in the writing and the editing.The scenes are much less repetative, allowing more new ideas.However, powerful edge never fades.New viewers will witness Ted's recovery stage, Justin briefly joining The Pink Posse (a violent group that watches the streets for homophobic acts), Brian surprisingly maturing due to a life-altering discovery, and a revolution in Mel and Lindsay's relationship.Though less major storylines linger this season, the season remains interesting.

Such overall show quality makes "Queer As Folk - Seasons 1-4 Pack" an essential for fans and those looking for material to relate.This is sure to please many audiences gay or straight.Fans should watch for season five to be released next spring.

Cast: Gale Howard (Brian), Hal Sparks (Michael), Randy Harrison (Justin), Peter Paige (Emmitt), Scott Lowell (Ted), Robert Gant (Ben), Thea Gill (Lindsay), Michelle Clunie (Mel), and Sharon Gless (Debbie) ... Read more