HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

At one point I would have deemed it impossible for a 12 season show. Now I'm none too sure after what happened to "Gunsmoke".

Some great input here on the evolution of "Hawaii Five-0" over the years. I confess that I'm quite the neophyte where the series is concerned but with Bob Hug's solid recommendation I took the plunge and am really warming up to it. Not sure when I'll stop but it looks as though I'll be collecting through S4 at least.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

As a true fan of this show, I will buy the entire series....even the disasterous 12th season with its uncharacteristically poor writing.

If CBS / Paramount can get this far into an hour-long series without splitting the seasons, I believe they will go the whole route the same way. Even The Wild Wild West with its 4 seasons were complete season sets.
Hawaii Five-O sales are better than ever. There is hope for this studio!

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

I would love to see CBS DVD do for Five-0 what they are doing for Perry Mason, and release an anniversary DVD set with tons of extras and a selection of the series' best episodes from across the 12 seasons (all in addition to the ongoing season releases). Granted, there would probably be some double-dipping on a few episodes, but I wouldn't mind.

2008 is the 40th anniversary of the series, so the timing would be perfect. Since the shows sells well (season 3 ranked around #40 on Amazon on Tuesday, and #1 for TV-DVD shows for several days), this seems like a no-brainer.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Consider the songs that were yanked off the Happy Days season sets. These weren't obscure tunes. They're big hits that pull in a nice chunk of change off Madison avenue action. You want Blueberry Hill in your movie? Expect to pay top dollar. Rock Around the Clock is the same way. I had a pal who wanted to get rights to use an Elvis song in a student film. He wanted a license good for film festivals. He was quoted $10,000 for publishing. That was the end of that idea. Imagine how much these people want for to use their songs on a DVD being put out by a major company.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Jeff,

I agree with you that they spent money on licensing these songs for the DVD sets.

And yet, can you or other forum members address a recurring problem with these Hawaii Five-O collections. The credits for the 3rd season again are actually 1st season credits edited in! if you'll notice it still as James MacArthur "as Danny." This ocurred for the Second Season DVD set.

And is the opening theme song being used actually from the third season? On The Hawaii Five-O home page, some noticed that for the second season DVD set, one of the episodes had the opening theme song from the first season.

I know they tweaked it from season to season when it was aired.

Why is this going on?

Thank you,

Brian

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

I think I have a few answers for you, as I have been following this show in syndication for the last 20 years.

In 1997, when the Family Channel helped subsidize the cost with Paramount to digitally remaster and clean up the episodes, they re-used the first season credits for seasons 2, 3, and 4 (most likely to save money rather than having to re-master another set of opening credits). Those same masters, in uncut form, are the transfers being used for DVD, so this is one cost that CBS DVD is NOT incurring for these releases, as they were already paid for 10 years ago. Thus, the DVD opening credits are the same as those syndicated transfers, they didn't re-do them but just ported them over to DVD.

As for the season 3 opening theme, it was always the same as the season 2 version. Season 6 uses the same version as season 5. Otherwise, they did change every season. (BTW, the season 2 and 3 version is my favorite). You are correct in noting that CBS DVD did screw up for some reason and put the season 1 version on the last episode of season 2. To my knowledge, this also happened with the re-mastered syndicated airing.

On a side note, season 1 episodes are available for free viewing via streaming video online at the site below. While they are no substitute for the DVD's, it's nice to have a place to see them for free online.

Check Out these Full Length Video Picks at Fancast.com | Interviews, TV Show Episodes, Spoilers, Trailers and More!

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Jeff,

Thank you for answering that and glad to be here! Knew I came to the right place!

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Thank you, Jeff.

I have been a fan of this show since it first aired. Great to have them on DVD. BTW, glad to be here and I came to the right place for my answers!

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

The best versions of the Hawaii Five-O theme are from
Seasons 4, 8, 10, and 11 (but not quite in that order).

The decent theme from the 5th / 6th seasons is the most standard, yet a refined version.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

I've watched some episodes from S3 this weekend and have thoroughly enjoyed them. This show has held up very well for me.

I'm in it for the entire run. In my view, Jack Lord/McGarrett is the star not Zulu/Kono so no need for me to stop just because a supporting actor left. When DENNIS lost Joe Kearns, MY THREE SONS lost Bill Frawley, or PERRY MASON lost Ray Collins the shows continued and still managed to crank out enjoyable episodes. In my opinion, the fact that Five-0 continued for 8 Kono-less seasons is testament to the ability of the remaining actors to producing quality and entertaining shows.

Steve

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

You're welcome, Brian. Always a pleasure to help out a fellow Five-0 fan! And welcome to the HTF, it's a great resource for TV on DVD fans.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Its not because Kono is gone. Its that the show changed, something happened. Maybe its Leonard Freeman's death...i dunno. But it just so happens he (Kono) was gone at the same time i lost interest. I might rent season 5, and onward. Its not like Mission: Impossible. In that thread i had talked about how much i hated Paris on the 4th season. And me a Trek fan! Nimoy couldnt pull off the part. I like Al Harrington on season 5 of 5-0, its just the show felt different to me.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

There's just one problem with your analysis....Zulu (who played Kono) was fired after the end of
the 4th season. Leonard Freeman died a few months into production of the 6th season.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Hey Steve0 after kono left the shows style and feel of the changed from the sixty's cool to the fat ugly disco 70's . Script quality went down (S5 and S6 are still good, but after that it was very iffy) maybe ricker's right (LOL) with Leonard Freeman's passing there was a noticable slip in the quality of the stories and the series suffered. I remember, I'm old enough to have watch Hawaii Five-0 first run and around s7 it seemed the actors were waltzing thur the episodes to collect there checks and not much else, it got rather booring and stale and I was amazed it went twelve season. I do not hate Five-0 after season four (when kono left) for me its alot like MI after season three, whether I like it or not depends on the story, and in my mind and alot of other Hawaii Fivo-O fans the stories got considerable weaker for some it starts with s 4 , for me its around s 6 or s7.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

I thought Freeman died in the middle of the 5th season? I knew Zulu was fired. I heard Jack Lord and Zulu didnt get along, but i am sure their is more to it than that.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

I've enjoyed reading all these posts...I take nothing away from those who are going to bail after 4 or 5 as it is a personal preference. It may be a moot point anyway if sales drop dramatically after this next set and CBS quits releasing the series. It's been a very long time since I've seen Five 0 with any regualarity and my memory could very well be remembering things via rose colored glasses. I agree that the death of a show's creator has the potential to be damaging to a series.

It would be nice to see this go the distance though, just to prove it can be done with a long running series that is more than a quarter century old. CBS probably killed Gunsmoke's chances by pricing S2 Vol 1 at the same level as the full S1, but from what I hear sales of Perry Mason have been quite good so we have a fighting chance to get all 9 seasons of that eventually.

Steve

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Yep...Hawaii Five-O started in 1968, and Freeman died after heart surgery in January 1974, which was halfway into the 6th season. The last time I remember seeing his Executive Producer credit was early into that year. I'm pretty sure it was either "Hookman" (the season premiere) and / or the next episode "Draw Me a Killer", but it's been a lot of years since I abandoned my VHS collection so I can't check that. Both of those were great episodes, by the way.

That's all I know about the Zulu firing too (from the late 1990s documentary that James MacArthur hosted).

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

I agree that after season 6, the quality started to slip. There were still many great episodes in seasons 7 and 8 (one of my favorites being "We Hang Our Own" with Leslie Nielsen) but they were in smaller supply, with a greater number of mediocre episodes, and a few downright awful ones.

However, I always felt Season 9 was a nice rebound for the show, with a large number of outstanding episodes ("Nine Dragons", "Man in a Steel Frame", "Dealer's Choice-Blackmail", "Tour de Force-Killer Onboard", "Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider", "Elegy in a Rain Forest", "Blood Money is Hard to Wash") and a few clunkers in the mix.

Then, by season 10, the downward spiral really accelerated in earnest, with only a couple of really good episodes among a bunch of weak retreads of earlier, better episodes. Season 11 became worse, with 1 or 2 decent shows, and then season 12 came along like a giant turd, with the new cast and horrible writing that put the stake thru the show's heart, and the show was flushed away into syndication.

While it's unlikely all 12 seasons will get released, it appears from sales figures and the support the studio is giving it that it is doing well, and I wouldn't be surprised if they make it through 6 seasons on DVD (hopefully with a 40th Anniversary set thrown in too). And if CBS DVD gets on board with HP's plans for "DVD on Demand", then we may have an opportunity to get all 12 seasons after all. I'll be there with credit card in hand, ready to buy 'em all, even the lousy ones.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

I guess i will put this in spoilers. In case someone has not seen all of these episodes in the last 40 years. God knows id hate to ruin it for someone.
Warning Spoiler! Click to show

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

You didn't have to make that a spoiler, Rick!

In the classic CBS tradition of Chester (played by Dennis Weaver) in GUNSMOKE in late 1963, no explanation was ever given on the show why Danno left Five-O in 1979.

And he was with the series for 11 of its 12 seasons. Actor James MacArthur said that he quit because he was tired of doing the show.

If you wanted to make a major spoiler about a cast member leaving this show,
do it for Kam Fong instead.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

uh if I remember right 11th season, he never was formally written out of the show, james macauthur refuse to show at the begining of the filming of the 11th season. And thats that

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Not quite, Bob. MacArthur was there for the entire 11th season. He was smart to leave the show, because after that the writing went down the tubes (new writers killed it) and CBS was foolish to bring it back (with a mostly new Five-O team) for 19 more episodes in the 12th season. At least Jack Lord and Herman Wedemeyer (Duke Lukela) stayed to the end.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

James MacArthur ceased having a contract with CBS around season 8 or so, and simply worked out an agreement with the network to work show-to-show, for whatever reason. After 11 seasons, he decided he had enough and simply chose not to return to work for the 12th season, giving CBS enough lead time to choose the replacements.

While they didn't directly address it on the show, there was one 12th season episode that briefly alluded to it by inference. A character in the 12th season show "Good Help is Hard to Find" berates Five-0 publicly in a newscast, calling Steve McGarrett "a joke ... a man of such personal vanity that good men have been resigning in disgust and have been replaced by incompetent sycophants."

Life imitates art!

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Thanks for the info , I knew based on a interview James gave a few years back he quit on the 11th or 12th season, I wasnt sure which.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

MacArthur didn't miss any 11th season episodes as I recall. That he didn't have a contract after the 8th year is news to me.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Always interesting info to be had in this thread. Did you like my spoiler Jeff. I get a laugh when i talk about old movies or TV shows and people say, damn i didnt know, now you ruined it! I think earlier in this tread someone said Chin Ho had been killed off, but that he had reappeared in the unaired pilot for a new series. Funny.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

I didn't say that, Rick, although I think you just gave that spoiler away. All I said was that Kam Fong, who played Chin Ho left the show. Maybe we better not tell those who are new to this show anything else!

I wasn't aware that Fong did a pilot for another series though.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

CBS commissioned a pilot from producer Stephen J. Cannell in 1997 for a "Hawaii Five-0" revival featuring Gary Busey (yes, THAT Gary Busey). Cannell included Kam Fong and Zulu as their respective characters, along with James MacArthur as Governor Danny Williams. Cannell was apparently unaware that Chin Ho died in season 10, and Kam Fong wanted a paycheck. Someone at the CBS brass realized this and for various reasons, the pilot was rejected and didn't make the fall schedule. To my knowledge, the pilot has never been made available in any form or media, and for good reason: it makes the season 12 shows look like Emmy winners from what I've heard.

Also, regarding my earlier post about James MacArthur working without a contract from seasons 8-11, I wasn't aware of this either, but it was recently confirmed by him in an interview with the person who runs his website and posted in the yahoo groups email forum for the show. That type of working arrangement for a major star of a TV show is virtually unheard of these days.

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

Now, wouldn't that be a great extra for one of the season sets!

Re: HTF DVD REVIEW: Hawaii Five-O: The Third Season

It was something written in another 5-0 thread. I thought it was this one. But unlike the M:I thread, this one gets a new one for each season. My bad.