Donna Reed Show Season 2 - May 5th (1 Viewer)

[docdoowop]

Just ordered (using store credit) from DVD Planet for $21.27.

 

[Greg2356]

Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My order for "The Donna Reed Show/ The Complete Second Season is being prepared to ship by Amazon.com!!!!!!! And it is now too late to change my order!!!!!!!!!!! Best Words that I've heard for a LONG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pitchman]

I received notice that my copy shipped from DD yesterday. It's always a crapshoot with their "free" shipping, but with any luck I may have it by Monday. You can't beat the price though, $18.34 delivered!

I'm surprised I can't find a review yet. Has anyone seen one?

 

[pitchman]

My DeepDiscount order just showed up... even earlier than I hoped!

I'll report back as soon as I've had a chance to check it out. But, first blush, everything looks promising. All 38 season two episodes are included (episode guide insert with original airdates) and one of the listed bonus features is called: "Downloadable Episode Scripts." I can't wait to see what that's all about. Also, for some reason, Virgil Films switched packaging this go-round and has gone to a standard Amray case with two double-sided disc trays. No floaters, so I guess it's no big deal. I just don't understand why studios can't keep consistent packaging from season set to season set.

 

[pitchman]

I just wanted to post a quick follow-up. I watched the first 4 or 5 season two episodes last night and am pleased to report that overall quality is on par with season one. In other words, you can expect very serviceable video and decent audio. Yes, there is an occasional video blemish and the audio tracks do fluctuate a bit in level from episode to episode (just like season one.) But, the best news is that (in at least in the episodes I viewed so far) the programs are all uncut. There is still the little "quick fade" on the final closing title-card (like season one) but otherwise, these episodes all clock-in at just under 26 minutes. Long story short, if you enjoyed season one, then you're sure to be pleased by season two!

 

[pitchman]

Another quick follow-up. I'm not panicking yet, but I just stumbled upon what appears to be a cut episode. It's episode #9 on disc 1 (Flowers For the Teacher.) It's a little under 22 minutes, so my guess is that it is taken from a syndicated print. I just checked the final episode on disc 1 and it is full-length, so 9 out of the 10 programs on disc 1 are full-length. One other thing I forgot to mention, all of the episodes (so far) use the IIRC what was the daytime rerun show open (it showed up on few episodes in the season one set too.) It is not a big deal to me, but I wanted to make sure I mentioned it. The thing that always struck me odd about this show open is that we see Donna talking on the phone, but meanwhile we hear it ringing on the soundtrack. I guess 1959 was a more innocent time when it came to technical continuity...

Edit - - The closing credits for the above episode are wrong, too. Marion Ross is the guest star as a first-time teacher at Jeff's school, but she is not listed in the credits. Rather, they are for a completely different episode. Like I say though, out of the 10 episodes that comprise disc 1, this is the only one that is problematic...
Edited by pitchman - 8/2/2009 at 09:47 pm GMT

 

[Joe Lugoff]

There always seems to be something!

You may not be panicking yet, but I am!

 

[pitchman]

Point well taken, Joe, but compared to the wholesale butchery that goes on with some sets (Rhoda, My Three Sons and WKRP to name just a few) I am willing to give a small player like Virgil Films the benefit of the doubt when it comes to one or two shows in an entire 38 episode season from 1959. IMO, just the fact this is a full season set (non-split) and that (for the most part) it appears to be uncut makes this box set worthy of our consideration. As always, YMMV, but I feel much better about supporting a company like this that is trying to do the right thing as opposed to some of the big names who seem perfectly comfortable in their occasional deliberate cash-grabs.

 

[pitchman]

Final quick follow-up...

Since it will take me some time to view all 38 episodes, I went ahead and scanned the four discs for possible syndicated (or cut) episodes. The good news is that I only found one more on disc three (The Gentle Dew - 22 minutes and change.) All other episodes appear to be full-length (i.e. just under 26 minutes) except for the season finale (The Cool Cat) with a running time slightly under 25 minutes. (I'm not sure what that's about...)

I may post my overall reaction to the season when I finish it, but I wanted to pass this information along to all who are interested in the set. If you can live with two (possibly) syndicated cuts out of a 38 episode season (and you are happy with the "look and feel" of season one) then you can buy this one with confidence.

Cheers,

 

[Joe Lugoff]

Thanks for alleviating my panic to some extent, Gary ... but it's odd they'd let two syndicated episodes slip through. As I say, there's (almost) always something to aggravate me in a TV season set.

 

[pitchman]

Glad to help out, Joe.

Not to defend Virgil Films, but we are talking about a small company and a fifty year-old TV program. I consider the fact that they got this much right with two full-season sets to be a minor miracle! My guess is that when you are dealing with such an old property (not to mention the large number of episodes per season) it's entirely possible that however these programs were archived, the two episodes in question simply slipped through the cracks. At least they saw fit to include them, albeit in truncated form. AFAIK, not too many programs ever had a 38 episode season. I have seen 36 on occasion, but even that is less common than the 30-33 episodes that was more the norm around the time.

 

[Gary OS]

Originally Posted by pitchman

Not to defend Virgil Films, but we are talking about a small company and a fifty year-old TV program. I consider the fact that they got this much right with two full-season sets to be a minor miracle!

I completely agree on this count. I'm generally bummed about syndicated cuts on any release, but in this instance I think we can cut this smaller company some slack. 36 out of 38 is pretty solid.

Gary "thanks for the info on this set - I'm still waiting on mine from DD" O.

 

[Greg2356]

The Donna Reed Show Episode "Cool Cat" has always been a little shorter than the rest of the second season episodes for some reason even way before Nick at Nite started cutting episodes up to add more commercials. This particular episode runs about 23 Minutes and 37 Seconds in length.

 

[Greg2356]

I had pre-ordered The Second Season of "The Donna Reed Show" from Amazon.com many months ago, and the price was Free! You see, there was a special deal on an Amazon Credit Card that I had been approved for on the spot while I was pre-ordering this Second Season of "The Donna Reed Show". And when you payed for your first item with this particular credit card they would reimburse you the money on your next statement, but only for the first item you had purchased on this particular credit card. So I lucked out Big Time with this unique offer from Amazon.com!

 

[pitchman]

Originally Posted by Greg2356

The Donna Reed Show Episode "Cool Cat" has always been a little shorter than the rest of the second season episodes for some reason even way before Nick at Nite started cutting episodes up to add more commercials. This particular episode runs about 23 Minutes and 37 Seconds in length.

I just re-checked my disc 4. The episode run time is 24:13. I'm guessing that the extra several seconds don't make much difference, but it at least reaffirms that the episode is uncut.

 

[Greg2356]

Yes, I agree with you!

 

[Joe Lugoff]

Pitchman said: "AFAIK, not too many programs ever had a 38 episode season."

Actually, in the 1950s and into the 1960s, shows were "supposed" to have 39 episodes a season, and then rerun 13 in the summer (or go off the air for 13 weeks with a "summer replacement" in the time slot.)

In actuality, due to various reasons (including pre-emptions for specials), it turned out to be rare that a show actually had 39 episodes a season.

The great and amazing exception would be "Leave It to Beaver," which had exactly 39 episodes for each of its six seasons (1957-63).

 

[Greg2356]

Originally Posted by pitchman



I just re-checked my disc 4. The episode run time is 24:13. I'm guessing that the extra several seconds don't make much difference, but it at least reaffirms that the episode is uncut.

That sounds Correct!

When I had added the ending Theme Song to the Episode, "Cool Cat" The episode run time (after the Theme Song Cut off) was 24:11. The first time I checked this episode's length, I didn't include the ending Theme Song so the run time came to 23:37.

I am happy with the Picture Quality on the 10 episodes that I have viewed thus far when skipping through to various episodes from all four disc's. I expecially liked the picture clarity of the episodes that have the company name Colex attached to them which this company name appears with these certain episodes directly after the Theme Song cuts off... In these particular Episodes from this Second Season of "The Donna Reed Show" they seem to have very few White Out Specks if any! It is like watching these episodes on Nick at Nite.. Maybe even clearer on some of these episodes from the Colex Sources. I don't know, but maybe they were just trying to advertise a laxative or something! LOL

Furthermore, regarding the episode entitled, "The Free Soul," the entire ending of "The Donna Reed Show Theme Song" is played right to the very last note with the Screen Gems Sign Included...Alleluia!!!!!

 

[pitchman]

Originally Posted by Greg2356

 

[pitchman]

Originally Posted by Joe Lugoff ">[/url]

Pitchman said: "AFAIK, not too many programs ever had a 38 episode season."

Actually, in the 1950s and into the 1960s, shows were "supposed" to have 39 episodes a season, and then rerun 13 in the summer (or go off the air for 13 weeks with a "summer replacement" in the time slot.)

In actuality, due to various reasons (including pre-emptions for specials), it turned out to be rare that a show actually had 39 episodes a season.

The great and amazing exception would be "Leave It to Beaver," which had exactly 39 episodes for each of its six seasons (1957-63).[/QUOTE]You are absolutely correct, Joe. I don't know what I was smoking when I wrote that. I certainly know better...

It's startling to realize that over the years, we have somehow gone from a 39 episode "full season" to 22 (or less.) At this point, new programming is pretty much relegated to "sweeps" periods, only.