Michael Mann's Crime Story TV Series--Any Plans For DVD Release? (1 Viewer)

[Brian Bunn]

Crime Story aired back in 1986-88, with Dennis Farina as the lead character. IMO it was one of the best TV series of the 80's. Of course, I like pretty much anything Michael Mann does. The series was cancelled before it could wrap things up. That has always nagged at me. The '88 season (series) ending episode left the viewer with a cliffhanger that was never resolved. But such is TV.

Anyone know of any plans of bringing this TV series to DVD?

 

[MikeAW]

They have the pilot, a film length "compilation" from the show on DVD out.
Here's the link...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...764093-7815853

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

I remember Anchor Bay saying that they would release more episodes of Crime Story after the pilot DVD release. But as of now, who knows....

 

[Michael_Dal]

Crime Story was such a good show, better than Miami Vice IMO. The 50s theme was so cool , with the pimped out hairdoos and finned cars and the Vegas strip. The show had a lot of style.

The problem with only releasing the pilot for a show like Crime Story is that the pilot is not that interesting by itself, more of an introduction than anything else. The show really became much more engaging as the season progressed and the plot and characters developed.

The other TV show from the 80s that I am dying to see on DvD is the first season of Wise Guy with Kevin Spacey, that show rocked..Kevin was clearly a master of his craft even then. For those who haven't seen the show, Spacey plays a psychotic drug lord who lusts after his sister.

 

[Bill Balcziak]

Crime Story was a good show. It could have been great, but the episodes were incredibly uneven. Some were superb, the majority were pedestrian.

Still, every time I hear Del Shannon's "Runaway", I have fond memories of this show.

 

[Mario Bartel]

That would be cool.

The first two seasons were some of the best episodic television I've ever seen (who can forget Vhing Rames' electric performance as a man pushed over the edge by his racist slumlord in Abrahams For the Defense, or Gary Sinise being held captive by Ray Luca in an abandoned factory. lit by a single shaft of light from a hole in the ceiling) but the show slipped considerably in the third season after the network tried to sex it up to attract female viewers; you knew the end was near when gruff, cigar-chomping Walter Clemons got a girlfriend! I seem to recall by then, Michael Mann had started distancing himself from the show, dismayed by what the network hacks were doing to his "vision."

You guys are aware Mann is dipping his toe into network television again this Fall, on CBS:

 

[Mario Bartel]

Sweet! Thanks for the update Keith I!

 

[Charlie Essmeier]

About ten years ago, they released a couple of episodes on laserdisc, but they released the entire series on VHS. That was a mixed bag; the tapes were recorded at EP. On the other hand, you got 4-6 episodes per tape, and each tape was modestly priced at about $10. They were certainly watchable.

The opportunity to upgrade will be a welcome one.

Charlie