Looks like Maverick will head to DVD... (3 Viewers)

[Jack P]

I've found in watching the series for the first time, that in the early going, it takes some getting used to, to accept Kelly in his solo episodes. They at least played it smart by first easing Kelly in with the joint appearances and the Garner intros so that in time the Kelly episodes are just as distinctive in their own right by Season 2. That said, it's more fun when he and Garner are together because the chemistry between the two is outstanding.

Kelly also clearly was better at handling the episode's that were darker and more serious in nature. I have to be honest, Season 2's "Prey Of The Cat" is the most disturbing one of them all, by far the most "un-Maverick" episode I've seen up to this point and it requires Kelly to be his most dramatically intense (the decision to use the vocal version of the "Maverick" theme over the end credits for this episode was also very inappropriate).

What I'm going to miss though with Season 3 and the remaining episodes is not seeing that great band of supporting characters, Dandy Jim Buckley and especially Samantha Crawford any longer (yes, I know there is one Gentleman Jack Darby episode in Season 3).

 

[bretmaverick2]

As much acclaim as Garner gets for Maverick, I actually read in a book about the series that many of the episodes that featured Jack Kelly as Bart (solo) were actually rated a bit higher than Garner's solo episodes.

 

[Jack P]

In Seasons 1-2 yes, but in S3 when the ratings dropped somewhat that's when Garner's episodes began to rate much higher.

 

[BobO'Link]

Once they sell out of the pressed discs, does the disc come off of the replicated list? If not, is there a way to tell if it is pressed or not?

Maverick becomes a tough call now. As pointed out, there is only one episode in season 4 that has Garner in it. Might have to wait for that to go on sale even if it means getting a MOD set. Season 5 I have no interest in.

Yes, a title comes off the replicated list once all pressed copies have been sold. For example, the Forbidden Hollywood sets were all replicated at initial release. Now there's only v4-v7 with v1-v3 being MOD.

I'll get all the Maverick seasons just as long as I can get them pressed and not MOD. While I tend to like Bret a bit better I've enjoyed all the episodes I've watched so far (S1 & S2).

Other than the possibility of getting a MOD copy of a season, my biggest problem with the series going to the Archive is I just do *not* understand the logic behind their pricing structure. It seems to be somewhat a cash grab as there's no middle-man with whom to share the profits.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Other than the possibility of getting a MOD copy of a season, my biggest problem with the series going to the Archive is I just do *not* understand the logic behind their pricing structure. It seems to be somewhat a cash grab as there's no middle-man with whom to share the profits.

Yes, it is. In many cases they need the cash grab to make the release worthwhile. Probably not with season 3 of maverick.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

In regards to Jack Kelly, it took me awhile to "warm up" to his solo eps as well; but I now fully appreciate his portrayal of Bart. I've even gotten to the point where I enjoy the bulk of the fifth season. It still *rankles* me that NBC turned down Garner's proposal for a second season of "Bret Maverick". For the second season Garner wanted to do, essentially, "Bret and Bart Maverick". The idea being that Bart would stay with "The Lazy Ace" (which would feature the ensemble cast of Sweetwater) while Bret would resume his wandering ways. As before, they would alternate solo eps with occasional team-ups. NBC just wasn't interested in non-Garner eps of "Bret Maverick". From their perspective the only reason "Bret Maverick" was on the air was because they couldn't get any more "Rockford Files". In retrospect, though, this probably would have worked; and in any event, the ratings for "Bret Maverick" were certainly strong enough to warrant a 13 episode guarantee which is all Garner demanded. Oh, well: What would you expect from the network which cancelled the original "Star Trek"?

 

[Carabimero]

My third season set came today. It was pressed. I'm hoping when I finally get around to watching these episodes, I will warm up to the Jack Kelly episodes as well, and end up springing for the last two seasons apparently very expensive seasons..

 

[Jack P]

Not every Garner episode is great. I heartily recommend skipping "Cats In Paradise" which introduces the character of Modesty Blaine. In contrast to Diane Brewster's Samantha Crawford who was easy to fall in love with even as she conned ether Maverick brother, Blaine's character in pulling her con jobs twice tries to get Brett killed making her someone easy to hate and when Brett is conveniently giving her another chance again at episode's end it makes him look dumb. I read in the Ed Robertson book on the series that the audience reaction this character was negative as well and that ratings dropped five percent after this aired, so that when they brought the character back a second time they toned her down but it'll frankly be hard for me to warm up to the character the second time after such a bad first impression in this episode.

 

[bretmaverick2]

Modesty. Hmmm. I don't think that it helped that they switched actresses that played that role once or twice. Makes it difficult to warm up to a character when that happens.

SIDE QUESTION - I have read various places that questions are posted on the "WB page". Where is it? How do I find it? I wanna ask about the possibility of both Young Maverick and Bret Maverick being released after they finish Maverick.

 

[David_B_K]

I tend to like Bart's episodes as much as Brett's. At first, I was a bit wary of Jack Kelly as I was used to the fact that in his other roles, there is a bit of a con-man/smooth talker quality about him that makes him (or rather some of his characters) seem a tad sleazy. However, he really does not play Bart Maverick that way. The Maverick brothers are portrayed as scrupulously honest gamblers (no doubt to avoid the negative connotations associated with gamblers in westerns), and it took me a while to notice that Kelly was in fact playing an honest and good-humored character.

I still have not sprung for the 3rd season as I have spent too much money lately, including having to replace our washing machine last week. However, I'm sorely tempted to get a pressed version.

 

[bretmaverick2]

Sorta off topic but still MAVERICK related, does anyone know what other WB western series that Garner and Kelly played their Maverick characters in (no matter how brief the appearance)?? And other than Samantha Crawford, did any of the regular supporting characters show up on another WB western??

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Sorta off topic but still MAVERICK related, does anyone know what other WB western series that Garner and Kelly played their Maverick characters in (no matter how brief the appearance)?? And other than Samantha Crawford, did any of the regular supporting characters show up on another WB western??

Kelly played cameos of Bart Maverick in an episode of "The Fall Guy"; and also in the TV mini-series "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw". The latter I have on DVD and is a real hoot as it features cameos from a multitude of longtime TV western characters. (Chuck Conners as The Rifleman, Gene Barry as Bat Masterson, Hugh O'Brien as Wyatt Earp, and so on.)Of course there are people who will tell you that Garner came as close as he legally could in reprising his Maverick character in the two western/comedy movies "Support Your Local Sheriff" and "Support Your Local Gunfighter". (He even walks around in his Maverick garb in the latter.)

 

[Joseph Bolus]

My third season set came today. It was pressed. I'm hoping when I finally get around to watching these episodes, I will warm up to the Jack Kelly episodes as well, and end up springing for the last two seasons apparently very expensive seasons..

My set is supposed to get here on Monday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be pressed ...The fourth season is "hit-or-miss" as Roger Moore really did a good job as "Cousin Beau" but the writers seemed to let him down more often than not -- especially in his last few appearances. Of course Season 4 also includes the really excellent "The Maverick Line" which is the last Bret and Bart team-up ep. And then there's "Triple Indemnity" which introduces Peter Breck as Doc Holliday. Breck would reprise the role in five episodes of Season Five. This episode also features Bart at least referring to Bret on multiple occasions -- something that had been avoided in the first half of Season 4. The less said about the two episodes "featuring" Brent Maverick, the better.

 

[FrancisP]

I think Garner was seen as the key because the show was originally written for him and it fit him like a glove. Kelly was only brought in because they fell behind on their production schedule. II think they lost interest in the show when Garner left. I suspect the only reason that it lasted for a year and a half was that they were hoping to get Garner back either legally or by offering him a bigger contract which they did after Garner won.

I enjoyed the "Cruise of the Cynthia B" and the interplay between Bret and Modesty much more than in "Cats of Paradise". When Bret is informed that Modesty cooked the desert, he comments that this is why they call it the death ship. When they first meet, Modesty talks about setting Bret up on a riverboat and Bret seems gleeful as he shows her the boat. "Cruise of Cynthia B" is a excellent episode and I would strongly recommend it.

I also notice that in some of the episodes that are credited as Bart and Bret episodes, Jack Kelly has a small walk on role. In "A Fellow's Brother", Bret is leaving the sheriff's office after solving the case and recovering the money when the bounty hunter brings in Bart and Bret says hello to brother Bart and walks out. After Bret and Modesty are unable to collect the reward money in "Cruise of Cynthia B", Bart walks in with his copy of the deed and collects the reward and ends up splitting the money with Bret and the others. Again a small walk on. I haven't found a episode where Garner does that in a episode featuring Kelly.

 

[Jack P]

Not in Season 3 perhaps but in a couple Season 1 episodes, Garner did do a couple cameos in the first solo Kelly episodes to help audiences get used to him and then that gave way to him doing the introductions for most of the remaining solo Kelly shows for S1.

 

[bretmaverick2]

Note about BRET MAVERICK. When Encore used to rerun the series a few years back, there was once specific episode that was skipped over every time. The title of that episode escapes me at the moment but I never found out if the episode was lost or if there was something objectionable in the episode that caused Encore to skip it.

If it's a case that WB has lost their copy, I have a VHS of every BRET MAVERICK episode I would be glad to make available to them for restoration if they decide to release the series on DVD following the release of MAVERICK.

Just puttin that out there....

 

[JMas]

The episode they skipped was Welcome To Sweetwater.

 

[bretmaverick2]

If YOUNG MAVERICK is ever released on DVD, I have one question.

There were two episodes of YM that never aired even though they were fully produced and edited, ready to air. I am just wondering if anyone thinks these two episodes would be included on such a set?

I know that years ago when AMERICAN GOTHIC was released to DVD, it included episodes which never aired on CBS.

 

[Gary OS]

Someone please remind me again: If I order a WB Archive title from Deep Discount am I getting a pressed disc or a dvd-r? Thanks.


Gary "can't keep track of all these things in my mind" O.

 

[bretmaverick2]

SOrry. Never used "Deep Discount". Can't help on that one.