Burke's Law/Honey West (1 Viewer)

[Tim Tucker]

VCI told me that "The packaging will house the 4 DVD set in a new case that is the same size as a single DVD case." So, yes.

I received my shipment from VCI yesterday. Both Burke's Law volumes and Honey West came in the type of case David described above. They look quite nice together. Glad I waited and didn't get the big packaging for S1V1.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

any news about season 2 of Burke's Law yet?

 

[Jack P]

I think the chances still look good since VCI's site lists "Burke's Law" as their best selling title.

I hope no one else ran into bad discs on "Honey West" like I did twice with Disc 2, with terrible freeze-up in "The Grey Lady" episode #13 (caused by either scratches or residue on the disc).

 

[cajunhillbilly]

I think the chances still look good since VCI's site lists "Burke's Law" as their best selling title.
I hope no one else ran into bad discs on "Honey West" like I did twice with Disc 2, with terrible freeze-up in "The Grey Lady" episode #13 (caused by either scratches or residue on the disc).

I haven't gotten to disk 2 yet. I'll let you know if I have any issues.

 

[John DeAngelis]

any news about season 2 of Burke's Law yet?

Good question! I'm ready for it!

 

[FanCollector]

I e-mailed VCI last month and was told they are working on it, and to keep checking back. No time frame was given, but they seemed to be on the case.

 

[brian_hassel]

Anyone waiting to pick up season one because of the size of the 1st half (4 dvd cases in a slip case) or the fact that it's a split season. Well, some good news from their support:
My Email:
I wanted to follow-up to this email from last year. I had inquired about the reduction of the package size of Burke's Law Season One Volume One. From your recent sale email I received it looks like the package has been reduced to 1 keep case, is this true? Or does this still come packaged as 4 keep cases in a slipcase? Also, do you have any plans to sell Burke's Law as a complete season one set anytime in the near future?
Reply from VCI:
"Yes, we have reduced the package to a single, 4 DVD keep case. This is how it was done when we introduced volume 2. We do still have inventory of the 4 keep case set, but will be converting it to the single. We will be offering a complete season 1 in an 8 DVD single case later this year."
So very good news for those, like me, that have run out of shelf-space and refused to pick up the first release hoping that this would happen.

 

[Jack P]

A couple months back I discovered to my disgust that I had a defective set of "Honey West" and that twice when I tried to get new copies (having made my initial purchase months earlier) the same defect came up in the same spot on the same disc. It took three chances to finally get it right, and now today the same thing has happened again with "Burke's Law" S1 V2 where months after the purchase from Amazon, a defect comes up with momentary freezing happening at the end of Episode #22 or the opening minutes of Episode #23 (the freeze spot is never the same point but when I back up or fast forward through the spots, a freeze comes up at some point in the general radius). I go to a local Borders to get a new set and the *same* defect happens in the same spot at the beginning of episode #23, which now necessitates a new Amazon purchase since that was their only copy in stock at Borders.
I have to admit, I am now developing a very cynical view of VCI if they're going to develop this track record of unreliable pressings on single sided discs. And it frankly irritates me that when I buy a TV on DVD set that I can't have the peace of mind to expect that I'll be getting a quality pressing (I don't care if the glitch is for half a second, if it's there the set is ruined from my standpoint since why should I settle for third-rate quality from a professional set when I wouldn't accept that from a DVD-R I get in a trade with someone???) that is free from these kinds of glitches (especially if it isn't a double-sided disc).

 

[smithb]

A couple months back I discovered to my disgust that I had a defective set of "Honey West" and that twice when I tried to get new copies (having made my initial purchase months earlier) the same defect came up in the same spot on the same disc. It took three chances to finally get it right, and now today the same thing has happened again with "Burke's Law" S1 V2 where months after the purchase from Amazon, a defect comes up with momentary freezing happening at the end of Episode #22 or the opening minutes of Episode #23 (the freeze spot is never the same point but when I back up or fast forward through the spots, a freeze comes up at some point in the general radius). I go to a local Borders to get a new set and the *same* defect happens in the same spot at the beginning of episode #23, which now necessitates a new Amazon purchase since that was their only copy in stock at Borders.
I have to admit, I am now developing a very cynical view of VCI if they're going to develop this track record of unreliable pressings on single sided discs. And it frankly irritates me that when I buy a TV on DVD set that I can't have the peace of mind to expect that I'll be getting a quality pressing (I don't care if the glitch is for half a second, if it's there the set is ruined from my standpoint since why should I settle for third-rate quality from a professional set when I wouldn't accept that from a DVD-R I get in a trade with someone???) that is free from these kinds of glitches (especially if it isn't a double-sided disc).

While the disks may not be double sided, I'll bet they are at least dual layer. I wonder if it is possibly due to a badly placed layer change. That might explain why it is a slight pause and happens in about the same spot. I think I read somewhere that they try to cleanly break episodes across layers but sometimes an episode is actually split across the layers.
What DVD player do you own? Have you ever experienced a layer change pause when watching long movies on this DVD player?
I have Honey West coming next week. At what part in what episode did you experience this? Maybe there is away to anlyze where the layer changes are to determine if it is related.

 

[Jack P]

If it's due to the layer change part of that disc (the bad Honey West disc was also at the same spot at the beginning of an episode mid-way; I forget the episode number but it's the one where Nancy Kovack and Kevin McCarthy guest which just happens to be the best episode of the whole series IMO) then there's clearly something done improperly because on every player I put the disc in, Sony and Panasonic I got a freeze and the first time in the last fifteen seconds of the episode it was really *major* just like the kind of freeze-up you'd see on a bad double-sided disc, and then after reloading it was okay there, but then once again I got the bad pause for a second or two in the opening minutes at various points of the next episode #23. So yes, this is the mid-way point of the disc and I see the argument on how its related to the layer change but I have never had any problems with the layer change before on any disc on this player and this had all the makings and looks of a defective disc for that spot. And it's totally unacceptable when I see something like that because if the episode doesn't play perfect and clean the whole way then the whole set becomes worthless IMO.

 

[smithb]

If it was a layer change you would only get it once a disk so it does sound like something else if it is occurring on multiple episodes of the same disk. I should get my set in a few days. I was going to put it aside for a bit but I think I'll go ahead and watch it now while I'll still have time to return it if I run across similar issues.

Do you typically have issues with dual sided and dual layer disks (DVD-18s)? Some players do and some don't. If you do then it may be related some how.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

So how come Barbara Eden can expose her belly button (and more) in a very familiar Asian style harem outfit in an episode of Burke's Law from 1964 (Second Season: "Who Killed the Paper Tiger?"), but she couldn't do so in her own show on NBC running from around that same time until several years later? Inquiring minds (who still ocassionaly dream of Jeannie), want to know.

And where's the Second Season, Volume TWO of Burke's Law? This show is the opposite of any criminal investigation show built on realism, taught scripts, suspenseful plots and natural acting. But it sure is fun.

 

[MartinP.]

I didn't know the Second Season Vol. 1 was out!

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

I didn't know the Second Season Vol. 1 was out!

I'm surprised it took so long on this forum for someone to correct me. I guess the dead baby talk scared everyone off. It was actually Season 1, Volume 2. The fact that the first volume had 4 DVD cases, and the second volume had only 1 threw me off. Watch Season two come out as FOUR even thinner cases, but in ONE box. You gotta love consistency.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Season One is mostly a lark, with an enjoyable parade of former Hollywood luminaries as suspects and some cheese-lite stories ... but then episode 28 ("Who Killed Annie Foran?") pops up at the end of disc four and hits outstanding on all cylinders: A tight, nuanced script by Tony Barrett; and some FANTASTIC acting by Don Ameche, John Cassavettes, Gena Rowlands (his wife), and especially Wendell Corey (his last look is priceless).

It was terrific to see this deliberately half-serious show reach for something higher. And the 'real' villain of the episode completely GETS AWAY (except for a few insults from Amos Burke); just as he would in the real world in the same situation.

If you've ever seen the classic film The Bad and the Beautiful, this is the television equivalent; with Don Ameche playing the all-powerful Walter Winchell-like columnist part, who can create or destroy celebrity careers. Watch Don Ameche chew this part up with brilliant, understated relish. Perhaps it was the addition of some very serious and highly-trained New York method actors like John Cassavettes and Gena Rowlands, that made all the West Coasters lift their game.

Whereas most episodes kind of lull me into a comfortable semi-snooze, this one totally got my attention. Check it out if you have the discs.

 

[Ron Lee Green]

I just caught an episode of Burke's Law on Me-TV, and the show looks like it has been remastered. The picture was very clean and sharp, and the black levels looked good.
Did VCI use 16mm prints for their Burke's Law season one set? I used to have it, but I sold it so I can't compare but I don't remember it looking as good as I saw it on TV the other night.

 

[John DeAngelis]

I just caught an episode of Burke's Law on Me-TV, and the show looks like it has been remastered. The picture was very clean and sharp, and the black levels looked good.
Did VCI use 16mm prints for their Burke's Law season one set? I used to have it, but I sold it so I can't compare but I don't remember it looking as good as I saw it on TV the other night.

I can't answer your question, and I haven't seen "Burke's Law" on Me-TV, but I have seen the VCI DVDs of Season One and my recollection is that the episodes looked very good.

 

[Jack P]

VCI's prints were beautiful re-mastered ones. Which makes it all the more tragic that we haven't gotten Season 2 on DVD. This has become my #1 Grail title of unreleased B/W shows because I want this one completed!!!!

 

[vnisanian2001]

I don't care how their apologists spin it. Nothing makes any sense about Fox's logic. At all.

 

[John DeAngelis]

VCI's prints were beautiful re-mastered ones. Which makes it all the more tragic that we haven't gotten Season 2 on DVD. This has become my #1 Grail title of unreleased B/W shows because I want this one completed!!!!

Me too!