Blind Buys: Best and Worst (1 Viewer)

I was wondering what experiences other people on this board have had. I don't make "blind buys" to often, but I have had good luck so far, and I don't think I have made any bad blind purchases so far.

My two best have been Miami Vice Season 1 and Charlie's Angels Season 1. I purchased Miami Vice on its release date back in February. I was only 4 when the series started so I didn't watch it on its original run, but I was intrigued by what I read, and when it was announced that no music had been replaced it seemed like a no-brainer. I have to say that Miami Vice even exceeded my expectations. It would have been a crime for any music to have been replaced.

I purchased "Harsh Realm" recently as a "blind buy." Well, sort of . . . though I hadn't seen the original series when it was broadcast on Fox, it was from Chris Carter and I liked both the X-Files and Millennium. So I was somewhat pre-disposed to liking the series based on Carter's involvement. For a series that was quickly cancelled, Fox has put together a pretty good package and yes . . . Fox should have given the series more of a chance than it did.

I also like television from the 1950s and have made several good "blind buys" from Alpha Video, things like "Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans," "Secret File, USA," and "Northwest Passage," among others.

My best (easily) was Farscape. I started off kinda regretting it during season one, but by the time I was done with season 4, I had this one in my top 5 favorite shows of all time.

Very close to Farscape were The Shield and Nip/Tuck, both of which I couldn't stop watching once I started and burned through both series' faster than usual. The funny thing about The Shield was it sat on my shelf unopened for about 5 months as I contemplated returning it the whole time and exchanging it for something else. One day, I broke down, opened it, and a few days later I had watched every episode.

My worst... I couldn't get into Sledge Hammer!. I might've seen a couple of episodes of The A-Team when I was a kid and thought I'd go back in time on DVD. I guess the lack of nostalgia (beyond the theme song) caused this one not to kick in for me, either.

Andromeda - Season 2 for $15 was hard to pass up; So far it's pretty good--no Star Trek--but enjoyable none the less--plus anamorphic widescreen will be nice once my HDTV comes in next Thursday!

Wonder Woman - As a big fan of comic books and superhero cartoons, I had to get this one. Even my DAD said it was better than he remembered. New to me, I was impressed by the storylines, acting, and the pro-democracy vibe. Once I pick up Season 3 tommorow (or sometime this week), I'll own all 3 seasons.

Freaks and Geeks was my best blind buy. I don't have a worst, yet. I blind bought Roswell season 1 for $15 but haven't gotten around to watching yet.

I must admit none of mine count as "buys" since I get screeners, but the best would be Freaks and Geeks. Didn't expect much, watched it as a favor, loved it.

Worst? Hmm... not sure, since I don't do many TV series blind. Family Guy perplexes me the most, as I don't understand its popularity. It wasn't truly blind, but I'd seen too little of it before the DVDs arrived for me to have a fully informed opinion. When I watched more, I didn't like what I saw! :frowning:

My best blind buy has to be Arrested Development, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer coming in second. I just can't believe I went an entire season without knowing the hilarity of the Bluth family. I've done pretty good on blind buys.
It wasn't really a blind buy, but I bought eerie indiana, a show I loved when I was 7, and it hasn't stood the test of time.

I guess the best would be Stargate. I saw the pilot when it first aired and didn't care for it, but I enjoyed it and ended up loving the show completely. Next would be DS9.

Worst would probably be Andromeda. I don't hate it, but it isn't my favorite. I felt ambivalent throughout the first season, but had to get season 2 based on a strong cliffhanger. I liked season two even less, but it ended with a nice cliffhanger as well. Still, I think I will pass on further seasons.

Sports Night would be my best blind buy. I'd never seen an episode before, but saw the 6 disc set for less than $40 canadian (way before the big tv on dvd boom) and thought that it looked interesting, and would take up a lot of viewing time.

I was wrong on the viewing time. I bombed through the entire set with astounding speed.

It is interesting you mention Sports Night. When I first got interested in TV on DVD, I almost purchased it on a blind buy, because my parents always talked about how good the show was. I never did get the show because I found some other shows I really love already out there like The Simpsons and Three's Company. Now that I have hit a lull and was going to get Sports Night, I have been leary because the Alterations List on TV Shows on DVD site mentions that the syndicated prints MIGHT have been used on the DVD, and that would be unacceptable to me, eventhough I wouldn't know what was cut out, so I am waiting for confirmation either way.

best: Have Gun-Will Travel. in over 30 yrs i have never seen this show syndicated once. bought it based on great WOM and it was true- exceptional show. very much looking forward to the rest of the seasons

Freaks & Geeks was another blind buy i greatly enjoyed and was very satisfied with as a purchase.


worst: Alias- S3.
loved the first two seasons, am hating the third.

upcoming blind buys-
Firefly, Joan Of Arcadia

Best: Six Feet Under. I can't believe I passed on this show when it first came on HBO.

Worst: Carnivale. I'm not all that surprised HBO canceled it. It's not a bad show but it can be very slow in parts and sort of confusing.

So what do you all do when you end up not really liking something?

Best Blind Buys~

Felicity~ Only had seen a couple episodes on WE.Blindly bought seasons 1 and 2. Loved them. By the time Season 3 hit stores i had already seen the whole series. I now own and love all 4 seasons.

Alias ~ Only saw 1 or 2 episodes when Season 2 was airing and when I heard season 1 was coming. I blindly bought it and fell in love. I blindly bought season 2 and loved that too. Season 3 i saw on tv and still bought.

Worst~ I don't hate any of my dvds.

But Dawson's Creek was a blind buy. Season 1 and 2 are good. Season 3 + kinda sucks. Especially b/c of the no bonus feature, replaced music, cut out scene, replaced with a crappy theme song thing.

I will still buy the last season and be down with my DC set.

Best- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Will & Grace

Worst- Survivor ( not a bad show, but not worth getting the DVD's)

I have to say my memory of Late Line was fonder than reality. i liked the show when it was on, but i was bored with the DVDs.

Best Blind: Family Guy.


Worst Blind. The Osbournes Season 1.

Best: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Wonderfalls

I have a pretty good blind buy Spidey Sense, so I'm not disappointed in any of my TV blind buys.

Best:

Smallville - I had seen one episode during the second season about nine months before I purchased the first three seasons together.

24 - Same as above, except no viewing at all before buying three seasons.

No worst selections.

Almost all of my TV on DVD sets are blind buys to an extent. Before I got Tivo a year ago I watched very few series since I found it to hard to keep up with normal broadcasts. Instead I'm generally content to wait for word of mouth about great shows to buy on DVD which have resulted in these to name a few:

Babylon 5
24
Buffy
Angel
Alias
Farscape
Firefly

So far I've yet to be disappointed. Generally if it gets a postive audience reaction and the subject matter interestes me then I'm sure to enjoy it.

Best
-Twin Peaks - i love david lynch so i figured i'd love that show
-felicity
-american dreams
-firefly
-Once and Again
-Farscape
-Boomtown

worst
-well I was kind of disappointed with the cheesiness of Sweet Valley High
-MTVs Spiderman
-Kingpin