Hi Mark,
The Dick Van Dyke sets are nothing short of amazing. The packaging alone is almost worth the price of the set (especially at $20. each, a considerable discount from the $80. price tag that these season sets carried for quite a while); each season set's front cover features a holographic image composed of two frames from one of that season's episodes superimposed on an oval television screen (in fact, the outer box is fashioned in the style of an early sixties TV set). These are five one-sided disc sets with an individual plastic case for each disc containing series stills on the outer covers and episode lists (in original broadcast order) air-dates and a brief plot outline for each episode on the inner covers. There are never more than 6 episodes per disc so compression issues are not a factor. The transfers are pristine and the audio is surprisingly strong. Keep in mind the fact that thiese sets were released by Image Entertainment (the same company that produced the Twilight Zone Definitive Edition/Collection sets) so I wouldn't be at all surprised if these prints were transferred from the original 35mm camera negatives (the run-times and video quality would certainly suggest this).
Additionally, each disc contains a rather unique episode menu featuring a traditional channel dial that rotates a full cycle during which the original, primarily instrumental theme music (remember the first much jazzier opening with the congas?) plays in the background. Most episodes in the main menu contain a link to a sub-menu of special features such as cast interviews, audio commentaries by Carl Reiner & Dick Van Dyke, production stills and rare clips from Emmy awards shows from the period (as well as cast appearances on variety and game shows). The season one set (1961-62) also includes the original pilot episode of 'Head of the Family' starring Carl Reiner as Rob Petrie.
Finally, each set comes with a small booklet insert containing some fairly candid behind the scenes info as well as cast biographies)
I have all five season sets and I can say without reservation that this is one of the absolute best classic television releases I have ever encountered (exceeded in my esteem by only the Rod Serling Twilight Zone Definitive Collection). In fact, it was these releases that were responsible for my now completely out of control TV on DVD hobby (obsession is probably a better word for this madness!) The only problem that I have with these Dick Van Dyke Show releases is that they were produced back in 2003 when studios were still releasing primarily high quality box-sets, still under the misconception that consumers would accept nothing less. My expectations were initially over-elevated during this all to brief golden era and I've therefore been sadly disappointed ever since. It seems like every time I turn around the studios are drawing a new line in the corporate sand in cynical anticipation of consumer indifference to their ever-decreasing standards. I'm at once sickened and infuriated by each new by-product of their shameless greed and utter lack of integrity. What was once a market saturated with amazing TV on DVD releases that commonly featured beautiful artwork on high gloss finishes (and on the actual discs) has regressed in a disquietingly short period of time to a multitude of sub-standard, cost-efficient, cheap plastic fold-out releases with generic grey disc labels indistinguishable from one release to the next. And as if this weren't bad enough, now the accepted practice is to alter the content of the episodes by cutting popular songs or in the case of My Three Sons and The Fugitive, excising entire musical scores for the sake of saving a few dollars in overhead.
In my humble opinion, these shows are public trusts and should therefore be released in their original, unaltered form, just as these Dick Van Dyke Show sets were a few short years ago.
At $20. each, they're a steal!
Hope this helps!
Don
