What Is Your BEST & WORST Blind Buy TV On DVD? (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Willis]

Matthew, those are good guidelines for blind-buys that you are using for your buys. Me, I'm probably somewhat over-cautious when it comes to blind-buying, but I've also had good results overall. Matlock's probably going to be my next b/b soon. Also, I hit paydirt with that MacGUYVER series so far (S1 viewing).

 

[Professor_Echo]

Well, Gary, I think my expectations for it were whetted perhaps a bit too much by the glowing review. Don't misunderstand, I think the series itself is excellent and said so in my post, but the quality just wasn't what I hoped and thought it was going to be. At least on my 62 inch screen it did not look very good for the most part, but it's also possible that I am too fussy at times or at least relatively so. As I posted I have had no trouble watching the vintage kinescopes of SUSPENSE, but I was prepared for that quality going in.

I also enjoy that particular reviewer for the most part and he has ALWAYS been very responsive to my E mails except for this one time. I do think he dropped the ball regarding the quality of that set, but such are the risks of any blind buy.

I have not gotten the ROUTE 66 set based on all the negative press about it, but it does indeed sound like the first season of DANIEL BOONE looks like a Criterion DVD by comparison.

You say that the show DANIEL BOONE doesn't hold up as well in the succeeding seasons?

 

[Gary OS]

It's just that the series moves to a more "family friendly" approach as it progresses along. The first season was a bit more serious and gritty than the later seasons. That's the main difference.

And I agree with everything else you wrote. I wasn't happy with the quality of that 1st Season set, it's just that it wasn't poor enough to make me unhappy either.

Gary "and the reviewer is definitely one of my favorites because he does such a good job with vintage dvd releases" O.

 

[Professor_Echo]

You're not kidding about it being serious and gritty. The episode where Jemimah the daughter is kidnapped by the Indians there is a clear indication that she is about to be gang raped by them or at least threatened with same. A very slow dissolve from the situation only increased the assumption and added to the considerable tension therein. It was as much as they could get away with in those days and it packed quite a punch. I was very surprised at its frankness and impressed with its realism for the period and the inherent peril at hand.

But I digress.... Back to the topic!

 

[John Pannozzi]

Best blind buy? Well, I'd only seen one episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (it was from the Sci-Fi era, which had yet to have any its episodes released on DVD at the time) and the MST3K movie when I first the MST3K DVD of Eeegah. And technically I had seen only a handful of Futurama episodes (which I had loved) before I started buying the DVDs, and Futurama is one of my all-time favorite shows, so I guess it qualifies as a very good blind buy. I had never seen a single episode of the original George of the Jungle TV series (only the live-action movie) before I got the DVD, and that turned out good (how could you go wrong with a show by Jay Ward and Bill Scott?)

Also, most of the Japanese TV animated series I own on DVD, I had not seen on TV beforehand.

And I had seen only a few episodes of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and even fewer of Aqua Teen Hunger Force before buying the DVDs.

In the middle would be Captain N: The Game Master. I had only seen a few episodes online. I thought the show was okay. I'd also stick He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (the 1980s version by Filmation) in the middle. I'd never seen a single episode, and had heard some rather mixed opinions on the show, so the Best 10 episodes collection was a great way to get of (the most well-received episodes of) the show without having to pay a good amount of money. Also, I had seen very few Harvey Birdman epsiodes before I bought the DVD, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about the show, sometimes it's funny, other times it's just crude and awkward.

Worst blind buy would probably be the 1960s King Kong cartoon series by Rankin-Bass and Toei Animation. It was so bad, the live-action movie based on it (King Kong Escapes, from Toho Studios, the makers of the Godzilla series) was much better the cartoon (ironic, isn't it?)

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Well, I surely have no wish to disagree with Gary OS, whose taste in vintage TV is excellent, but I for one have not found the ROUTE 66, VOL. 1 set to be all that bad in A/V quality (I'm certainly in the minority in this opinion, admittedly).

I had pre-ordered the set before all the dissing about its quality started, and it ended up sitting on my shelf unwatched for months. But I've recently got around to watching the first 3 discs and was surprised at all the complaints. Do the shows look great? No. As I mentioned earlier, we're not talking THE FUGITIVE caliber here. But most of the shows look fine enough (with a couple of exceptions, notably "The Berylium Eater") and several look very good indeed, such as "Man on a Monkey Board" and "The Strengthening Angels." I'd certainly put most of the eps on a par or higher than many in the HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL sets in terms of A/V quality.

Just MHO, of course, and I may be more forgiving of the show never having seen the apparently sparkling prints on offer on past cable TV showings and also just plain digging the content so much. Probably most were dismayed that the show's unique abundance of exterior filming -- much of it in striking locales -- was not done the service it deserved.

And I second (third?) the kudos for Paul Mavis of DVD Talk. He's a great reviewer, esp. when it comes to vintage TV show history and content.

 

[Montytc]

Best: The West Wing- Never watched it while it was on, but so far I have worked my way through the first three seasons and enjoyed them very much.

Gilmore Girls- My sister kept telling me it was the greatest show ever but I just never checked it out. I came across the 1st season very cheap in a second hand store and decided to give it a try. I ended up blasting throught the first four seasons in record time and became a regular viewer for the rest of its run.

Worst: Smallville- not terrible but I did not make it through the first season set. For some reason I just did not get into it.

 

[Southpaw]

By far my best blind buy TV purchase was Friday Night Lights.
After not watching season 1 on TV but reading accolade after accolade from critics and viewers, I purchased the dvd set the day it came out. Went through the season in about 3 days. LOVED IT.
Now I'm a devout watcher and I am so excited DirecTV will be airing season 3 starting in October.
BTW, season 2 should be on my front porch by this afternoon.

 

[Douglas-M]

I've been really fortunate with blind buys (I'm also surprised that I made this many - I would have guessed 2 or 3!).

Best:
Battlestar Galactica (new version; finally trying it after all the reviews)
Fugitive (thanks to this forum)
The Avengers (Emma Peel era box)
Undeclared (based on love of Freaks and Geeks)
Firefly (due to intense fan support)
Sports Night (thanks to Amazon recommendation; thinkers' sitcom)
All Creatures Great and Small (loved the books, outstanding adaptation)
Wonderfalls (another Amazon rec; fast and quirky)

I've enjoyed season one of Alias (borrowed) and if not for the dismal problems with the complete series box, it would be a semi-blind buy. Likewise, if not for the issues with Route 66, the discussion here has me interested enough to blind buy.

More than half of my TV buys have been blind (unexpected!). No "worst" so far!

 

[RichieMagoo]

Wors: The Outer Limits(the original series). What a piece of crap that show was! I was expecting it to be like the Twilight Zone. Boy...was I off by a mile on that one!

Best: Well...uh..I don't usually buy blind. Although i did buy season 1 of Baretta(Robert Blake cop show)- it wasn't really a blind buy- as I watched and loved the show as a kid....but not having seen it since i was a kid was almost like buying blind- I hated it as an adult!

 

[cart99]

Best - Coupling Season 1, The Tudors Season 1 and The Shield Season 1

Worst - The BBC version of the Office Season 1. Just wasn't my thing.

 

[Radioman970]

I'll take that one off your hands.... eerrrrrr, if you don't want it anymore. say yes please say yes please say yes

 

[docdoowop]

Best: "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Private Eye". The 1997 series with Stacy Keach, Tango Entertainment.

Most disappointing: "Good Morning World", the 1967 "comedy" with Joby Baker, Ronnie Schell and Goldie Hawn. Despite its sterling credentials (exec-produced by Carl Reiner & Sheldon Leonard) this is distinctly UN-funny. From S'More Entertainment.

 

[Ockeghem]

If you end up wanting to get rid of this series, PM me. I'll gladly take it off your hands. (Or, as I read Radioman's post above in response to your post -- I may have to split the series with him--LOL.)

 

[Brian GT]

I don't have any true blind buys. I have to have some passing familiarity with the show to shell out the bucks.

My best buy would be all the Hawaii Five-0 sets. They look absolutely stunning on my 52" HDTV. Crisp and clear. Beautiful.
The other would be the first season of Mission: Impossible. I had only ever seen one or two episodes with Steven Hill in them. That's the closest to a blind buy I have ever made.

The worst? Don't really have one. Slightly disappointing I guess would be the Space:1999 set. The video transfers are pretty nice, but the audio is very tinny and hasn't been re-mastered at all. I knew that going in, but it was still a bit of a downer that the quality wasn't as good as it could have been.

 

[Gary Seven]

The only blind buys for TV shows I have done were Sopranos and Weeds. I don't get the premium channels. Both were very good... though Sopranos was the best of the two.

 

[Helena]

Best blind buys:

Joan of Arcadia S1&2
Dick Van Dyke Show (Complete Series)
Waterfalls
Firefly
Magnificent Seven

Worst blind buys:

Here Come the Brides
The Omega Factor

 

[KurtEP]

Best: The Prisoner

Worst: Probably The Saint, although it wasn't really that bad, just not my thing.

 

[Thaellar]

Best: Hawaii Five-0

It's even better than I remember.

Worst: Battlestar Galactica (new one)

I don't see what the hubbub is about. Seemed rather slow and dull. Of course my friends react strongly to my suggestion that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes.

p.s.: I can't stand this decade's TV cliche of muted colors and talking in monotone semi-whispers. Another one like that is Law and Order. I got annoyed at the courtroom scenes. Its so dimly lit. People in the courtroom would be thinking "WTF...why doesn't someone turn on the lights in here?."

 

[Radioman970]

I'll take the right half of each DVD.

*gets out machete*