I can make some screen captures of the menus and from the episodes but I can't host the pictures. So if anyone can put them somewhere, let me know. PM me in that case. They will probably be about 50Kb each. (from the R2 boxset of course...)
A big thanks to Rickard who sent me an absolute ton of screenshots but I won't post them all here in order to prevent lagging for anyone with 56K modems.
Here's some shots of the menu's from the R2 set & a couple of random shots from the episodes themselves:
I just thought I should mention that the first cap is from when the disc starts, shown while Jim's answering machine sounds in the background. After that, a moving menue starts while the title tune is played. I sampled some of the images just to show you a few. Then there is the episode menu and then two caps from the "pilot" and two caps from The Kirkoff Case.
To be picky, that episode, "Aura Lee, Farewell", is actually from the first season. I watched it on DVD last week...
For you Rockford fans: is this book any good? "Thirty Years of The Rockford Files : An Inside Look at America's Greatest Detective Series" by Ed Robertson
Of course you're correct, and I knew it. The official season began six months after the pilot movie aired in March of '74. Since they now refer to the pilot as "episodes 1 & 2" of Season One, I was thinking "Aura Lee, Farewell" was from the next season, since it was broadcast ten months after the pilot.
The Rockford Files is currently ranked on Amazon at number 12 for all DVD's being sold. This is truely amazing considering that there is still 3 months to go until it is released. It might eventually go down as the biggest TV show seller that amazon ever had. I don't even think that shows like Seinfeld ever moved up the charts this fast. I hope this will eventually lead to the release of the entire 1st season of Mavorick which is my favorite James Garner show.
That is awesome news!! I cant wait to get my copy in a few weeks!! I certainly hope that all 6 seasons are released. This show is truly a gem. The picture quality looks great in those screen shots. I'm glad that it was properly remastered.
I saw it in a major "big-box" chain store today...almost bought it, but I already had it pre-ordered elsewhere. I did alert the employee working the department that they had it for sale way before streetdate, so he pulled them (and FAMILY GUY V3, which was also on the shelf).
Assuming the following review posted on Amazon is correct, I'll be ordering the R2 version:
So, we here in R1, after a very long wait, are rewarded with a brief Garner interview, but denied the pilot? I figured the other 90-minute episode ("This Case is Closed") would be the syndicated version, but I did not expect Universal to omit the pilot!
A possible explanation could be Universal's apparent policy of four-episodes-per-disc. "Rockford"'s first season had 21 regular 60-minute episodes, 1 90-minute episode and the 90-minute pilot. Since "This Case" and the pilot were both expanded into "two-parters" for syndication, the total number of hour-long episodes is 25 for season one. That 25th hour would require another disc, one that Universal may have been too cheap to include. Of course, had they used the original 90-minute versions there would be no problem, assuming my theory has merit (which it probably doesn't.) A more likely explanation is that this release was managed by someone without a clue.
Since the above review is only the first, I'll wait for a few more confirmations before ordering the R2 set. Otherwise, I may bite the bullet and get the R1, and transfer my original, unaltered pilot (from Universal's own VHS release!) to DVD for inclusion with the set.
Man, do I get tired about bitching about Universal!
Argg, this better not be true about the pilot movie missing. As far as the bad disc 3 is concerned not everyone is gonna have the same problem obviously. But i have this on pre-order it almost would make me cancel my order if there is no pilot. Hopefully someone can get word from universal and find out.
As I mentioned yesterday, I actually held the set at a store, and almost bought it. The back cover does state "23" episodes, which I figured (hoped!) meant the 22 regular + 1 pilot. The cover makes no mention of the pilot. The 23rd episode is obviously the "second" episode of the previously 90-minute one.
If this is the case, maybe TVShowsOnDVD can get some answers from Universal. Yeah right.
I'll probably be canceling my pre-order and opting for the R2. Universal still gets my $, only in a round-about way. It doesn't mean I'm happy about it, though.
I thought profit and loss was the only 2-parter in season 1 ? so roundabout is 90 minutes ? This really pisses me off, I may have to opt for R2 now aswell.
"Profit and Loss" is the only real 2-parter, originally broadcast in two separate weeks. "Roundabout" is a standard 1-hour episode. The pilot (retitled "Backlash of the Hunter" for its two-part syndi version) and "This Case is Closed" were both originally broadcast as 90-minute episodes/movies (75 minutes net.) They were both "expanded" to form two-part episodes that could be broadcast separately in syndication.
Matt: ok thanks for clearing up the 90-minute thing. You said you held the box in your hands. On the back of the packaging did it say whether it had the pilot or not ? Is this 100% definate or could the guy on amazon be not accurate.
Nevermind i see you answered that further up. hmmm i dunno what to do cancel and get r2 or wait and hope.