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

[WaveCrest]

 

Originally Posted by Neil Brock


 

 

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.

 

Who owns the rights to Highway Patrol?

 

[Neil Brock]

Originally Posted by WaveCrest


 


Who owns the rights to Highway Patrol?

MGM

 

[Richard Gallagher]

 

Originally Posted by Gary OS

Quote:


 

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.

 

I've watched three episodes so far, and I agree with your assessment. I've seen a lot of newer shows on DVD which don't look as good as this set.

 

[Professor Echo]

 

Originally Posted by Gary OS
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.
 

This was actually a trademark of many ZIV shows, along with the weekly epilogue of the star breaking the fourth wall and talking to the camera about the subject of the series or that particular episode.
 

A few years back I got into one of my OCD rattled completest modes and tried to watch at least one episode of as many ZIV shows as I could get my hands on. There were more than a few that remained elusive, but of the ones I did watch, I was always entertained and found them to be well produced on every level. I wouldn't rank any of them among the greatest shows of all time, but the quality was always excellent.
 

About ten years ago a veteran character actor, Jeff Morris, struck up a conversation with me at the local laundromat I patronized in Los Angeles and he told me stories about starting his career working in ZIV produced shows at the studios which were located right behind the laundromat. He said it was a great company to work for and I think that shows in the consistency of production values and familial feel in the style of the overall output. Such attributes, even within straight genre shows, contrasts with the bland, cheesy and cookie cutter product of the WB shows during the same era, most of which were annoyingly indistinguishable from each other.

 

[Jeff Willis]

^^

 

Walker, thanks for the insight here. Interesting info!

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Point-Blank

About ten years ago a veteran character actor, Jeff Morris, struck up a conversation with me at the local laundromat I patronized in Los Angeles and he told me stories about starting his career working in ZIV produced shows at the studios which were located right behind the laundromat. He said it was a great company to work for and I think that shows in the consistency of production values and familial feel in the style of the overall output. Such attributes, even within straight genre shows, contrasts with the bland, cheesy and cookie cutter product of the WB shows during the same era, most of which were annoyingly indistinguishable from each other.

 

Very interesting, Walker! Even though I don't have nearly as much viewing experience with ZIV as you obviously do, I completely agree with your conclusions about the quality of their products. What I have seen from a few series, and what others have told me, puts me in the same camp with you. And the same goes for the comparison you make between the lesser known ZIV shows vs. many of the famous WB shows. We see it exactly the same way.

 

Gary "as always, you bring great comments to the table - thanks for sharing" O.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

As for Warner Bros. shows being "cookie cutter": I've even read that they'd use the same scripts for the different series, just changing the characters' names.

 

I also want to point out that I don't think "ZIV" is technically correct, as if Z.I.V. stood for something. It should be "Ziv," as in "Ziv Television," because Ziv was the producer's name: Frederick Ziv, regarded as the founder of syndicated television. He passed away in 2001, at the age of 96.

 

My fondest Ziv memories are of "Science Fiction Theater," and I hope they get around to that one fast. One of the two seasons was in color, too, which was rare for the 1950s.

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Lugoff

I also want to point out that I don't think "ZIV" is technically correct, as if Z.I.V. stood for something. It should be "Ziv," as in "Ziv Television," because Ziv was the producer's name: Frederick Ziv, regarded as the founder of syndicated television. He passed away in 2001, at the age of 96.

 

This is correct, Joe. I just always capitalize it because that's how I've always seen it done. But yeah, it's not because the three letters stand for something. It's because of Frederic W. Ziv.

 

Gary "good point to bring up though, because I'm sure many didn't know that" O.

 

[Charles H]

Originally Posted by 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.

Quinn Martin is listed as "Audio Supervisor" on many of the HIGHWAY PATROL episodes.

 

[smithb]

So has anyone compared the quality of the MOD release for Highway Patrol to what is playing on the THIS network right now? The one's playing on THIS appear uncut (running around 26 minutes per episode) and are average quality (not bad for TV captures). One would hope the MOD release would be much better (the potential is there), but it would be nice to know if anyone has made the comparison.

 

[WaveCrest]

Still waiting for my copy of Highway Patrol: Season 1 to be shipped.

 

[Bob Gu]

I did watch some Highway Patrol MOD/DVD-R episodes side by side with the same episodes I recorded from THIS-TV,( where we are in Season 3 now).
 

Since I am taping the THIS broadcasts, the MOD release is a big upgrade for me. The MOD picture is sharper, (can see actual blades of grass vs smears), close-ups look very nice. Recording from over the air, I run into bad reception/transmission, sometimes, which throws the sound track out of sync, causes digital break-up and a blocky picture.

 

It is difficult to judge the the picture quality on these different releases. I thought the THIS broadcasts looked fine and the MOD DVD-Rs look better.

 

I started watching THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO series this week. Cristo, like Season 1 Highway Patrol, is a 1955 show and looks really sharp and well lit and I think the actual films of the episodes look in better shape physically than Highway Patrol. But Highway Patrol has that realistic "you are there style", that looks rougher than Cristo's sort of movie studio style. Both look good to me.

 

Highway Patrol is a well written show. Broaderick Crawford is really terrific spitting out his lines. The cowboy actors playing the patrolmen are good. I like the way they have recurring characters playing the patrolmen rotating through the episodes. Makes the Patrol seem like a big organization.
 

 

 

 

[Paul Penna]

Originally Posted by Bob Gu

Highway Patrol is a well written show. Broaderick Crawford is really terrific spitting out his lines. The cowboy actors playing the patrolmen are good. I like the way they have recurring characters playing the patrolmen rotating through the episodes. Makes the Patrol seem like a big organization.

And the cars. The episode I watched today was like an ad for 1955 Buicks. In addition to several patrol cars, both black-and-white and unmarked, we had a coupe and a 4-door hardtop. Scanning a later episode, I see it features a first generation Corvette rather prominently.

 

[nostalgic TV guy]

I received my copy of HP one week after ordering (ordered from Amazon on the 16th, they shipped on the 18th and I received it on the 23rd-using the free shipping option). Although I've only watched about 4-5 episodes so far, I am very pleased with the quality of the episodes I've viewed.

 

Since everyone's viewing "hardware" is so different I won't try to make comparisons but will just say that the video and audio quality are better than what I was expecting. I definitely will be purchasing later seasons when they are released.

 

There is no outer "slipcase" or other packaging keeping the entire season together. The three individual DVD cases are wrapped in the typical cellophane like material but nothing keeping the three cases physically together in a group. When all 4 seasons are released (be optimistic!) it's going to be a mess keeping all the discs together and organized.

 

BTW, the discs will not play in my computer's CD-RW drive (the computer can't even see the discs) but will play in another computer that has only a DVD-ROM drive.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

I think they warn you that these MOD disks may not play in DVDR drives, but will play in dvdrom drives and players okay

 

[smithb]

Originally Posted by nostalgic TV guy

BTW, the discs will not play in my computer's CD-RW drive (the computer can't even see the discs) but will play in another computer that has only a DVD-ROM drive.

While it is true that some DVD-R's may not be readable in all computers. A DVD is not readable from a CD-RW drive at anytime, they are completely different disk types. A DVD-ROM drive will read CD's though.
 

 

[nostalgic TV guy]

Oops , it is a DVD-RW drive! My apologies for the confusion.

 

[ToddR2]

I received my season set yesterday (8/24). The A/V quality is quite good. If you're a fan on the fence, or considering a blind purchase- please buy with confidence, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Bob Gu]

 

Originally Posted by Paul Penna




And the cars. The episode I watched today was like an ad for 1955 Buicks. In addition to several patrol cars, both black-and-white and unmarked, we had a coupe and a 4-door hardtop. Scanning a later episode, I see it features a first generation Corvette rather prominently.

An ironic sad story connected to the Highway Patrol episode "Taxi", which featured the Corvette: The actor who played the driver of the Corvette, Tom Pittman, was killed when he and his own Porsche sports car crashed through a guard rail in the Hollywood Hills, in 1958.  

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Art Gilmore, the narrator of HIGHWAY PATROL, has passed away at the age of 98.


http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-adv-art-gilmore-20101002,0,6239749.story