TV Shows in MGM's 2nd wave of MOD (1 Viewer)

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Gallagher

Agreed - anything running two hours or less should look fine on a single-layer DVD-R. I'm about to pull the trigger but I'm going to wait for your verdict.

 

Richard, I'll give my review as quick as I can. Unfortunately, I just checked my Amazon shipping and now it says my set won't arrive until Monday. Sorry about that. But when it does come in on Monday I'll get a quick review up if no one else has one here before that.

 

 

Originally Posted by DeWilson

Even at 25-26 minutes each they could go 5 per disc and still look not be a quality problem - we're only talking 5 extra minutes at VBR wouldn't make a difference.

Yep. It really wouldn't hurt a standard, single-layer DVD-R to have 5 episodes of that length on them.

 

Gary "can't wait to get this one" O.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Originally Posted by Gary OS

Quote:

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Richard, I'll give my review as quick as I can. Unfortunately, I just checked my Amazon shipping and now it says my set won't arrive until Monday. Sorry about that. But when it does come in on Monday I'll get a quick review up if no one else has one here before that.

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Yep. It really wouldn't hurt a standard, single-layer DVD-R to have 5 episodes of that length on them.

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Gary "can't wait to get this one" O.

Gary.

 

Thanks for the upcoming info on this one. I'm considering this set but need more info on it before buying.

 

[westumulka]

Originally Posted by silverking

Wavecrest - 'Highway Patrol' was always a half hour slot, as I think were all ZIV series.

 

Thesr has been a slight reduction down to $53.99 already.

Currently at $44.99!

 

[ChrisALM]

I am looking at getting this set, too. I am concerned about A/V quality with MOD. I also wonder if they are using good DVD-r's or cheap ones. I would prefer a standard release, but I realize at some point I'm going to have to accept this type of product if I ever want to get certain shows. Gary, I will be interested in your comments about the Highway Patrol set.

 

[Gary OS]

It's a killer because tracking shows that my set showed up here in town at 9:00 AM and is sitting in the Fed Ex warehouse until Monday when it will be delivered to my house. Bummer. I thought Fed Ex delivered on Saturdays and I honestly thought that when I first ordered this it would show up today. Not a killer, but it's tough having to wait another two days. I am getting the current price of $44.99 though. I called up Amazon and worked that out. So there was some good news to the delay.

 

Gary "I'll defintely post a quick review on Monday evening" O.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Originally Posted by Gary OS

It's a killer because tracking shows that my set showed up here in town at 9:00 AM and is sitting in the Fed Ex warehouse until Monday when it will be delivered to my house. Bummer. I thought Fed Ex delivered on Saturdays and I honestly thought that when I first ordered this it would show up today. Not a killer, but it's tough having to wait another two days. I am getting the current price of $44.99 though. I called up Amazon and worked that out. So there was some good news to the delay.

 

Gary "I'll defintely post a quick review on Monday evening" O.

When I saw the price drop I went ahead and ordered it. An iconic fifties TV series, to be sure.

 

I'm still looking forward to your review, though!
 

 

[Gary OS]

OK, my set arrived about an hour ago via Fed Ex (nice of them to deliver on my day off) and I've had a chance to take a quick look at the set. The dvd cases are the same as the Flipper ones. There are 10, not 11, discs. Four episodes per disc, so no problem with cramming too much onto these DVD-Rs. The episode titles are only found on the bottom of the back of each dvd case, in somewhat small lettering. There are no episode titles on the individual discs (again, like the Flipper set).

 

The video and audio quality is solid. It's not on the level of something like The Fugitive, Perry Mason, or Rawhide. But it's a very solid, clean presentation on both the video and audio level as far as I'm concerned. There are no extras or vintage commercials, however the episodes are uncut (at least the ones I glanced all ran over 25 minutes each), and I noted that when the show would come back from a commercial break you got the "Highway Patrol" logo flashed back on the screen similar to how QM productions worked their "Acts" or "Epilogues" in different shows. BTW, that's the way the show originally aired. It's not something MGM threw up on the screen as some bizarre add on. I don't want anyone misunderstanding that point.

 

Overall I'm extremely pleased with my set. This show has a Dragnet feel to it in some ways, especially in that you have a voice-over from time to time setting up the scene/crime/situation for you, but the real beauty of it is all the outdoor location shots. This show has a real Americana feel to it in the sense that they'd film at actual locations instead of everything being studio bound. That really adds life to it, IMHO. And if you like your cop shows where the officers are tough and no nonsense (as opposed to so much of the PC stuff on today) then I highly recommend this set.

 

Gary "if I find any anamolies as I move forward with this set I'll report back" O.

 

[Paul Penna]

Originally Posted by Gary OS

Overall I'm extremely pleased with my set. This show has a Dragnet feel to it in some ways, especially in that you have a voice-over from time to time setting up the scene/crime/situation for you, but the real beauty of it is all the outdoor location shots. This show has a real Americana feel to it in the sense that they'd film at actual locations instead of everything being studio bound. That really adds life to it, IMHO. And if you like your cop shows where the officers are tough and no nonsense (as opposed to so much of the PC stuff on today) then I highly recommend this set.

Thanks for that report! Now I'm really anxious for my set to arrive. That location photography is something I've been looking forward to, along with Broderick Crawford barking "10-4," not to mention feeling like I was 9 years old lying on the floor staring up at the screen of our 21-inch Motorola.

 

[nostalgic TV guy]

Yes, thank you for the report! I've just ordered my set from Amazon this morning (the 25% off list price sale making the set $44.99 pushed me over the line). This is like a blind buy for me since I have never seen the show, although I do very much like Dragnet (the 50's black and white version more than the later 60's version). I was born in '57 so I missed the original run of HP and I don't ever remember it among the weekday afternoon reruns I used to watch after school. I do remember for a brief period Sea Hunt being shown in those afternoon reruns, but I don't remember much of it. Thiis was in the late 60's so I was only about 11 years old. My father must have watched HP in its original run as I remember him mentioning Broderick Crawford in the series. I'm also hoping my purchase will encourage MGM to release other ZIV titles (I'm really hoping for "I Led 3 Lives" someday but I realize it's a longshot).

 

[borisfw]

I 'm happy to hear your report on the set Gary . I used to watch this on a uhf channel back in the late 60s early 70s when i was a kid . So i think i might give this set a try .

 

[WaveCrest]

Gary, your review has made my decision for me. When I bought the Man with a Camera boxset, whilst the picture quality wasn't the greatest I didn't mind that at all.

 

I watched the end credits from an episode of Highway Patrol on YouTube some months ago. Before the end credits began there was an onscreen message from Broderick Crawford or someone else (about road safety?). Were there any messages at the end of some or all of the episodes you've watched?

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WaveCrest

Gary, your review has made my decision for me. When I bought the Man with a Camera boxset, whilst the picture quality wasn't the greatest I didn't mind that at all.

 

I watched the end credits from an episode of Highway Patrol on YouTube some months ago. Before the end credits began there was an onscreen message from Broderick Crawford or someone else (about road safety?). Were there any messages at the end of some or all of the episodes you've watched?

 

I'm always leary of giving my personal opinion on A/V quality because I know to a degree that's always in the eye of the beholder. But I honestly do believe the A/V on these discs is very good. So take that for what it's worth. Hopefully a few others can start chiming in with their thoughts on that aspect of this set.

 

In answer to your question, yes. Mr. Crawford always ended the show making a comment about what had just been seen and/or what was coming up next week. And those endings were on every episode I've previewed thus far. Frankly, I can't think of any reason they wouldn't be included. They are the final touch on each "Highway Patrol" story and I would think they should appear every time.

 

Gary "kudos to MGM for this set and Flipper" O.

 

[ChrisALM]

Thanks, Gary. I am glad to hear the positive comments about the Highway Patrol set. I haven't seen this since the 1960's and only vaguely remember it, but I always associated Broderick Crawford with the show.

 

I'll have to pick this up at some point.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

 

Originally Posted by Gary OS

Quote:


In answer to your question, yes. Mr. Crawford always ended the show making a comment about what had just been seen and/or what was coming up next week. And those endings were on every episode I've previewed thus far. Frankly, I can't think of any reason they wouldn't be included. They are the final touch on each "Highway Patrol" story and I would think they should appear every time.

 

 

 

"Leave your blood at the Red Cross, not on the highway."

 

There is a great website for Highway Patrol fans:

 

http://www.highwaypatroltv.com/

 

[RBailey]

Another great ZIV series for location work is BOSTON BLACKIE with Kent Taylor.

 

I have around 40 episodes from the old Nostalgia Channel and various sources and there are some wonderful shots of the LA area in the early '50s. In the episode titled "Trailer Park Shootout", the RKO water tower can be seen in the background. Also, chase scenes around the Hollywood sign, various factories, Angel's Flight...plus that weird car that BB tooled around LA in.

 

[Charles H]

"Motorcycle A" on disc 7 of HIGHWAY PATROL contains Clint Eastwood's first television appearance.

 

[WaveCrest]

 

Originally Posted by RBailey

 

This sounds like a good show. Who owns the rights to it?

 

[Regulus]

Originally Posted by WaveCrest
 

 

[WaveCrest]

 

Originally Posted by Regulus

 

Thanks for answering my question. *thumbs up*

 

[Neil Brock]

 

Originally Posted by Regulus
 

 

UA took the name of MGM when Turner bought the real MGM. MGM still owns the series and MGM is currently being distributed by FOX.