Brent Avery
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2002
- Messages
- 747
Purchased an early copy and the first item I should mention is that although the three individual slim keep cases included in this boxset is becoming a common way to package multiple dvds the downside is that there seems to be more of a tendency for the disc to seperate from the hub - in my case the second disc was badly scratched from moving around. The hub design on this set is not great and the disc was too easy to release, so when you get a copy - especially at a retail seller - try to hear if they are loose inside, it might save you some frustration and time later on. If the one damaged side plays without a hitch I will probably just live with it.
On to the actual content. There are 11 episodes in total with a complete running time of 15 hrs. and 45 min. Audio is listed as 2.0 Mono and I will say that the dialogue and the theme music sounded very good with the soundtrack having very decent dynamic range. It won't tax your speaker system at any reasonable level but it did come across with good detail. I hadn't heard it since the series aired in the early '70's and couldn't remember the theme but I really liked it.
The video elements have held up well enough with good colours and images that are reasonably sharp and while scenes can look somewhat dull in appearance - it seems to be a case of the film stock of the time -there is also some speckling noticeable in night shots. For the most part McCloud gets 4 out of 5 overall. I have only watched the pilot episode and part of the second but if these are any indication Universal gets a passing grade. No extras except for a Bonus Episode of McMillan & Wife entitled "Murder By The Barrel"
The 11 episodes are on three flip discs which I will list.
Disc 1 Side A: Portrait Of A Dead Girl - Pilot
Man From Taos
Disc 1 Side B: Manhatten Manhunt
Murder Arena
Disc 2 Side A: Encounter With Aries
Top Of The Word, Ma!
Disc 2 Side B: Somebody's Out To Get Jenny
The Disposal Man
Disc 3 Side A: A Little Plot At Tranquil Valley
Fifth Man In A String Quartet
Disc 3 Side B: Give My Regrets To Broadway
The third disc also includes the McMillan & Wife bonus episode. One Last mention, the onscreen menu displays a still shot of each of the two episodes per side and when you choose one another menu comes up with a short overview on that episode from which you can hit play etc. It has been a long time without McCloud and although not at the top of my must have list I still find it enjoyable to watch. This will prime me for Adam 12 and possibly Emergency! - just up the road.
On to the actual content. There are 11 episodes in total with a complete running time of 15 hrs. and 45 min. Audio is listed as 2.0 Mono and I will say that the dialogue and the theme music sounded very good with the soundtrack having very decent dynamic range. It won't tax your speaker system at any reasonable level but it did come across with good detail. I hadn't heard it since the series aired in the early '70's and couldn't remember the theme but I really liked it.
The video elements have held up well enough with good colours and images that are reasonably sharp and while scenes can look somewhat dull in appearance - it seems to be a case of the film stock of the time -there is also some speckling noticeable in night shots. For the most part McCloud gets 4 out of 5 overall. I have only watched the pilot episode and part of the second but if these are any indication Universal gets a passing grade. No extras except for a Bonus Episode of McMillan & Wife entitled "Murder By The Barrel"
The 11 episodes are on three flip discs which I will list.
Disc 1 Side A: Portrait Of A Dead Girl - Pilot
Man From Taos
Disc 1 Side B: Manhatten Manhunt
Murder Arena
Disc 2 Side A: Encounter With Aries
Top Of The Word, Ma!
Disc 2 Side B: Somebody's Out To Get Jenny
The Disposal Man
Disc 3 Side A: A Little Plot At Tranquil Valley
Fifth Man In A String Quartet
Disc 3 Side B: Give My Regrets To Broadway
The third disc also includes the McMillan & Wife bonus episode. One Last mention, the onscreen menu displays a still shot of each of the two episodes per side and when you choose one another menu comes up with a short overview on that episode from which you can hit play etc. It has been a long time without McCloud and although not at the top of my must have list I still find it enjoyable to watch. This will prime me for Adam 12 and possibly Emergency! - just up the road.