Ian K McLachlan

Could The Defenders Be Released on DVD?

With the success of the Perry Mason DVDs does anyone think that this early 60s series - that I have good memories of - could be released on DVD? I believe that not that long ago they did some telemovies of it with EG Marshall in them. Weren't they rather contraversial though....?

Bob Hug

Re: Could The Defenders Be Released on DVD?

I do think that there is some possibility that "The Defenders" could make it to DVD simply because it was a co-production of CBS Television (along with Plautus Productions). Programs owned by CBS Television (including Perry Mason) have been released on DVD by CBS/Paramount which, among the major studios, has the best track record for releasing black & white shows. If it were any of the other major studios, I'd say forget it. I still think that it's a long shot, but there's always the chance.

Incidentally, the two-part live "Studio One" teleplay titled "The Defender," upon which "The Defenders" was based is available from the Canadian company VSC; Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Studio-One-Def...6124290&sr=1-1

Jeff#

Re: Could The Defenders Be Released on DVD?

The Defenders isn't too controversial, and those stories that went that route (abortion, euthanasia, race relations, etc) are among the more interesting I would think. One wonders why the Emmy-winning series was kept out of syndication for so many years. I could never find The Defenders on TV anywhere.

I can't stand Perry Mason because I don't like Raymond Burr, but E.G. Marshall was a terrific actor. For 8 years in the 1970s and early 80s he was the original host of The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, and he only acted in the show twice (playing Scrooge in their version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol in one of them).

A couple of months ago I found some complete episodes on a website chock full of rare TV shows. They're 16 mm film prints and the only three of The Defenders I could find, but they're watchable....or at least they were. GUBA.com removed them due to copyright violation.

michael_ks

Re: Could The Defenders Be Released on DVD?

I've had this show on my want list for some time. Reginald Rose of "Twelve Angry Men" fame wrote the Studio One episode "The Defender" and 4 years later in 1961 he adapted the original teleplay into a series concept. Writer of 13 episodes, Rose was largely responsible for the two Emmys the show won for outstanding achievement in writing in the 1961 and 1962 seasons. Rose was to "The Defenders" as Serling was to "Twilight Zone", an exceptionally talented writer who wrote probing and incisive social commentary into their scripts.

Many talented directors worked on "The Defenders" including Leonard Horn, Franklin Schaffner, John Brahm and Buzz Kulik. John Newland of "One Step Beyond" even directed one. Some of my favorite actors make multiple appearances in the series, including J.D. Cannon as a DA, Frank Overton (of "Twelve O' Clock High" and 'Elias Sandoval' in ST's "This Side of Paradise"), and William Shatner as an assistant DA. Shatner was a very capable actor in his more humble days and I always enjoyed his performances in the sci-fi series OL and TZ. Other actors who made several guest appearances include Martin Sheen, Arthur Hill, Gene Hackman, Martin Balsam and Robert Duvall.

I don't know why "The Defenders" has remained hidden so long when "Perry Mason" was so omnipresent in syndication. This series really has not received enough credit for being the groundbreaking series it was. Had Rose's friend Serling not been so heavily involved with TZ at the time, he almost certainly would have written for this series--the themes presented were right up his alley.

Mary_P

Re: Could The Defenders Be Released on DVD?

Oh, cool. They used clips from this on last week's "Boston Legal."

Bert Greene

Re: Could The Defenders Be Released on DVD?

I think I recall reading something to the effect that high residual payments for guest-stars rendered syndication fees for "The Defenders" (and perhaps "The Nurses" as well) too high, so they never circulated much in reruns. Don't know how true that is, or not. Anyway, I've never actually seen a "Defenders" episode, but I'd be quite interested in a dvd-set. I've always had some mild qualms that the series might have veered into preachy territory (which I loathe) with some of the controversial subject matter, but having never sampled the shows, I really don't know... just something I sensed from old articles. Whatever the case, I'm sure the top-notch guest-stars alone would make it very much worth seeing.