Top-Rated, Nearly Forgotten DRAMAS! (1 Viewer)

[Ethan Riley]

Since there was a lot of interest in the "Comedies" thread, I thought I'd try a similar one for all those Dramas that haven't made such a good showing on dvd. Again, I'm mainly concentrating on shows that ran at least 100 episodes, but we can make exceptions for any other notable show that deserves to be on dvd. Here's a (large) handful of shows that deserve some dvd (or blu-ray!) love, and you can add your own faves to the list:

Edit: The list grew and grew due to other members' suggestions. All of the ones added by other forum members are marked in red or pink or whatever this color is. Since it is their commentary, you'll have to scroll through the thread to find out what they said about all these terrific shows!
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954) 166 episodes 5 seasons (Various PD releases only)
Barnaby Jones (1973) 178 episodes, 8 seasons (1st season released)
Baywatch (1989) 243 episodes, 11 seasons (1st 3 seasons released?)
Baywatch dvds confuse me. I have no idea what's going on here. It was probably one of the most successful syndicated shows--ever, but apparently there are only two "official" releases. The rest of the series is either European releases or bootlegs. I'm not sure which. It's true that "Baywatch" was wildly successful overseas--even moreso than in its home country--but fans complain of shoddy dvd production and music replacement. Ditto that for the official studio releases in Region 1. We'll see if they ever get around to making a definitive Baywatch dvd series...
Ben Casey (1961) 153 episodes, 5 seasons NO RELEASES
"MAN...WOMAN...BIRTH...DEATH...INFINITY..." intoned the (scary) narrator at the beginning of each episode, and thousands of 1960s kids got the crap scared out of them before the show began. Still, "Ben Casey" was a huge success. And not one single episode is available on dvd!! If things weren't bad enough, the show has rarely been in syndication since the 1970s! What would star Vince Edwards say to that??
The Big Valley (1965) 112 episodes, 4 seasons (1 and 1/2 seasons released)
This is one that's been complained about on countless threads...so let's complain some more! Season One was released on double-sided discs that had playback problems for some purchasers (including ME.) Then Fox decided to switch to half-season sets for Season Two...and not only did they stick with flipper discs, but they were trying to charge the same price for half a season that they did for a full season. And then they sat back and wondered why it wasn't selling. And so the saga of the Barkleys of Stockton ended on dvd. For now, anyway. As I often like to point out, this series would look arrestingly beautiful on blu-ray. So maybe another pass is in order?
The Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre (1963) 98 episodes, 4 seasons NO RELEASES
The Bold Ones (1969) 86 Episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES

Bourbon Street Beat (1959) 39 episodes, 1 season NO RELEASES

Bracken's World (1969) 41 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Burke's Law (1963) 81 episodes, 3 seasons (1st season released)
Cagney and Lacey (1982) 125 episodes, 7 seasons (2nd season released)
This was a ground-breaking series that didn't quite make it on dvd. What happened was, they released Season Two calling it "Season One" due to the fact that the real Season One starred Meg Foster, rather than Sharon Gless as Cagney. Therefore, they skipped over the (very short) first season, not to mention the original tv movie that acted as pilot for the series (which in turn starred Loretta Swit!) That would have been acceptable, but it led to a bit of fan confusion. This is only a small part of why the series didn't sell too well on dvd; it started coming out just when the Recession was hitting hard, and there were a lot of other dvds to compete for its dollars. The reunion movies have made to shelves as "The Menopause Years," but there's still 6 other seasons waiting to be released. (Both seasons 1 and 3 were very short). Interestingly enough, some of these other seasons are available for streaming via Amazon, so it's obvious there's still some interest. Here's hopin' we'll see more one of these days.
Cannon (1971) 123 episodes, 5 seasons (1st and 2nd seasons released
Chicago Hope (1994) 141 episodes, 6 seasons NO RELEASES
Thought of by many as the other "ER," Chicago Hope held its own for six terrific seasons. But it's been almost completely forgotten these days. I guess hospital shows have to have doctors making out in the supply rooms in order to survive these days.
CHiPS (1977) 139 episodes, 6 seasons (1st two seasons released)
Here we have one of the most iconic series on the 1970s. It was hardly Shakespeare, but every kid had CHiPS toys and memorabilia lying around the house. Two seasons were released several years ago, but nothing since. The CHiPS '99 reunion movie (actually broadcast in 1998) has been released on vhs, but big whoop. Where is the rest of CHiPS?? (Special note: the thread originator acted as an extra in "CHiPS '99" and was treated to the sight of series stars Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox donning corsets before the filming began!)
Daktari (1966) 89 episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES
Death Valley Days (1952) 452 episodes 18 seasons NO RELEASES
The Defenders (1961) 132 episodes, 4 seasons NO RELEASES
Dragnet (1951) 276 episodes, 8 seasons (a big parade of scattered PD releases)
While it's great news that the color 1960s version is coming out currently, there has been no word on the original 50s classic that started it all. "Dragnet" is available on home video as an endless parade of cheapola PD versions, but there has been no official release as of yet.
Dr. Kildare (1961) 191 episodes, 5 seasons NO RELEASES
Its star famously came out of the closet, but the series that made him famous has not come out of the vault! A lone Christmas episode came out on a "Christmas" themed collection from Warners, but what about the other 190 episodes? I can find Waldo or Carmen Sandiego quicker than I can find Dr. Kildare on dvd!!
Early Edition (1996) 90 episodes 4 seasons
Eight is Enough (1977) 112 episodes, 5 seasons NO RELEASES
Five seasons would be enough to fill our lives with love. Except for a Christmas episode on the aforementioned compilation from Warners, there has been nothing from this fantastic show!
Everglades (1961) 38 episodes 1 season NO RELEASES
Fantasy Island (1977) 157 episodes, 7 seasons (1st season released)
"Welcome...to Season Two!" is something I fantasize about hearing. This show stalled ages ago during the big Sony cutbacks and nothing's been heard from it since. Like thousands of other fans, I wanna see Tattoo scamper up those stars and ring that bell...again and again.
Flipper (1964) 88 episodes 3 seasons (First two seasons released)
Freddy’s Nightmares (1988) 44 episodes, 2 seasons NO RELEASES (had a few vhs best ofs)
Okay, this is a shorter series and doesn't necessarily fit in with the rest of the series we're considering, but it deserves mention here anyway. The problems I have with the lack of "Freddy" on dvd are these: genre shows almost always show up on dvd sooner or later. And here we have one of the most iconic Movie characters in American history...he has a 44 episode series, ready to go and yet the powers that be have given us nothing. His theatrical films continue to sell and sell on dvd and blu-ray, and yet the tv show has been completely ignored. Well, there are some scattered vhs tapes from back in the day and a cheapola Region 2 release that has a whopping 3 episodes on it. But due to the ongoing popularity of Freddy, you'd think we'd have had the entire series on dvd years ago.
Fury (1955) 115 episodes 5 seasons (PD releases and also available in Germany)
Gentle Ben (1967) 56 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Harbor Command (1957) 39 episodes 1 season NO RELEASES
Harold Robbins' The Survivors (1969) 15 episodes, 1 season NO RELEASES
Hart to Hart (1979) 110 episodes, 5 seasons (1st 2 seasons released)
This is another stalled Sony show that irritates a lot of people. We've recently been getting the 8 made-for-tv reunion movies as MODs, but those final three seasons remain elusive.
Hawaiian Eye (1959) 134 episodes, 4 seasons NO RELEASES
4 fun-filled seasons, just waiting to be seen. Personally, I've never seen a single episode or this or its sister shows, "77 Sunset Strip" and so on. And I've really been wanting to, for years and years. Maybe they can just put out a sampler of some of these related shows and see if there's a little interest?? I mean, if "I Spy" and "Honey West" can survive on dvd, so can these shows.
The High Chaparral (1967) 98 episodes, 4 seasons (German releases only)
Highway Patrol (1956) 155 episodes 4 seasons (First Season Released)
Highway to Heaven (1984) 111 episodes 5 seasons (1st 3 seasons released)
Hill Street Blues (1981) 146 episodes, 7 seasons (1st 2 seasons released)
Here's a hugely popular, Emmy-winning blockbuster of a cop show that's been stalled at season 2 out of 7! Hill Street Blues is like the all-time Grand Champion of its genre and yet we only have gotten 2/7th of it so far? What the...
I Led 3 Lives (1953) 117 episodes 3 seasons NO RELEASES
Judd: For The Defense (1967) 50 episodes, 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Judging Amy (1999) 138 episodes, 6 seasons NO RELEASES
At this point, I'm sure Tyne Daly is getting a little frustrated that so little of her work is available on dvd!
Knots Landing (1979) 344 episodes, 14 seasons (2 releases)
Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963) 59 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Lassie (1954) 591 episodes, 19 seasons NO RELEASES
Oh yeah, it's one of the longest-running series in the history of the planet, but it's not on dvd except for some lackluster PD copies and other "best of" junk. Is this a way to treat a dog who's saved so many kids from so many well-tumbling incidents?
Lawman (1958) 156 episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES
L.A. Law (1986) 171 episodes, 8 seasons NO RELEASES
Another long-running Bochco show; this one hasn't seen the light of day on dvd. I wish they'd put it out--I'm still trying to figure out the "Venus Butterfly."
Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1977) 39 episodes, 2 seasons NO RELEASES
The Lineup (aka San Francisco Beat) (1954) 201 episodes, 6 seasons NO RELEASES
The Lone Ranger (1949) 169 episodes, 5 seasons (1st 2 seasons released)
The first two seasons finally came out on a fair dvd release some time ago, but there's yet more to come.
Lou Grant (1977) 114 episodes, 5 seasons NO RELEASES
This dramatic spin-off from the Mary Tyler Moore Show has been talked about and rumored for years, but nothing's been done as of yet.
The Man Called X (1956) 41 Episodes 2 Seasons NO RELEASES
Maverick (1957) 124 episodes, 5 seasons (Only release was a three-episode sampler dvd)
Medical Center (1969) 170 episodes, 7 seasons (1st season released)
The first season finally came out recently as a MOD, so there's hope the rest of the series will follow soon. They have to continue at least until the episode where Mr. Brady decides to have a sex change!
Men Into Space (1959) 38 episodes 1 season NO RELEASES
Mr. Novak (1963) 60 episodes, 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Movin On (1974) 48 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
The Name of the Game (1968) 76 episodes 3 Seasons NO RELEASES
New York Undercover (1994) 89 episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES
The Nurses (aka "The Doctors and the Nurses) (1962) 98 episodes, 3 seasons NO RELEASES
Note: also continued as a daytime soap in 1965, with a different cast.
NYPD Blue (1993) 261 episodes, 12 seasons (1st 4 seasons released)
Another top cop show that got stalled on dvd. I can't figure this out.
Party of Five (1994) 142 episodes, 6 seasons (1st 3 seasons released)
At least half of this series trickled out on dvd, which is a good thing. But the other half has been in limbo for many years--which is a bad thing. And they didn't bother to put it out when series star Matthew Fox was so popular from "Lost." And there's fan requests from time to time for a release of its spin-off "Time of Your Life," which starred ever-popular Jennifer "Ghost Whisperer" Love-Hewitt in the leading role. While that series was well-received, it was a ratings disaster and Fox never bothered to air its final 7 episodes. Maybe all of this deserves a second Time of Its Life on dvd.
Peter Gunn (1958) 114 episodes, 3 seasons (Part of 1 season released, with edited episodes)
Peyton Place (1964) 514 episodes, 5 seasons (1st 64 episodes released)

Picket Fences (1992) 89 episodes, 4 seasons (1st season released)
A quirky, spooky weirdo show that retains a dedicated fanbase. It's kinda like a mixture of "Twin Peaks," "Desperate Housewives" and "Northern Exposure" all rolled into one. A very hard-to-define genre offering but it was critically acclaimed and won numerous Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series two years in a row! And yet it remains stalled at season one...
Police Woman (1974) 92 episodes, 4 seasons (1st season released)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely One-Season Release...
The Practice (1997) 168 episodes, 8 seasons (1st 13 episodes released)
What is this crap...13 paltry episodes out of 168? We didn't even get to the part where the doctor cut off the girl's head and hid it in a duffel bag! Or the part where Henry Winkler played a fetishist who liked girlies to crush cockroaches with their toes. Or the part where James Whitmore played a judge coming to the slow realization that he was suffering from Alzheimer's. And never mind the surprising final season melding of this show into "Boston Legal." Aside from "Ally McBeal" and "Boston Legal," David E. Kelley's shows are just not out there on dvd! Not to mention his collaborator Stephen Bochco! Why so little dvd love for two of tv's most popular and prolific producers?
The Promised Land (1996) 69 episodes, 3 seasons NO RELEASES
Providence (1999) 96 episodes, 5 seasons (1 best of)
I have no idea why, but instead of a complete season set, the studio chose to put out (an otherwise splendid) dvd set which featured nothing but scattered "best of" episodes. It would have been nice enough, except that Providence had continuing story threads throughout each of its 96 episodes, and it was impossible to tell what was going on. Another pass is in order, I believe.
Quincy, M.E. (1978) 148 episodes, 7 seasons (1st two seasons released)
Rescue 8 (1958) 78 episodes 3 seasons NO RELEASES
The Rifleman (1958) 168 episodes, 5 seasons (various PD releases)
You'd think that Timeless would get around to this--one of the most popular tv Westerns ever produced. It certainly continued its long life into Syndication Land for years and years, whereas the majority of other 50s and 60s Westerns were quickly forgotten. We have seen some scattered PD releases, but they're real crummy.
Ripcord (1960) 78 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
The Rookies (1972) 92 episodes, 4 seasons (1st season released)
Need I say--yet another Sony orphan.
Run For Your Life (1965) 86 episodes, 3 seasons NO RELEASES
Science Fiction Theatre (1955) 78 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Sea Hunt (1958) 155 episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES
77 Sunset Strip (1958) 206 episodes, 6 seasons NO RELEASES
One of those rare shows that had over 200 episodes and no releases. It's one of the "kookiest" shows of the swingin' 60s and kind of defined its genre. But it ain't on dvd.
Sisters (1991) 127 episodes, 6 seasons NO RELEASES
One of those shows that everybody seemed to tape, week after week and watch later. It was quickly forgotten after its run, but it did boast Swoosie Kurtz in the lead and featured a family of adult siblings (something that wouldn't be tried again on television until the similarly-titled "Brothers and Sisters" in 2005). But it does have 127 terrific episodes and a supporting cast that reads like a Who's Who directory of Hollywood stars.
St. Elsewhere (1982) 137 episodes, 6 seasons (1st season released)
Another abandoned show on dvd. And might I add--what is it with hospital shows not really making it on dvd? Aside from "ER" and "Grey's Anatomy," they never seem to get too far. Is it just that the genre doesn't hold up for repeated viewings? Or is it because everybody's always watching the current Doctor shows and they don't want to rewatch the older ones? I don't get it...it's usually one of the most popular genres on television at any given moment.
Streets of San Francisco (1972) 119 episodes 5 seasons (1st 2 seasons released)
We are still holding out hope that this one will continue on dvd. It's not too late...
Surfside Six (1960) 74 episodes, 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Tarzan (1967) 57 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Then Came Bronson (1969) 26 episodes, 1 season NO RELEASES
Touched by an Angel (1994) 211 episodes 9 seasons (1st 4 seasons released)
Trapper John MD (1979) 151 episodes, 7 seasons NO RELEASES
Another hospital show, really, but it broke genre just a little bit. And it's something of a spin-off from M*A*S*H. And it's got a naked Gregory Harrison popping out of the shower at the beginning of every episode. And yet it's been totally forgotten on dvd.
Twelve O'Clock High (1964) 78 episodes, 3 seasons NO RELEASES
Waterfront (1954) 78 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Whirlybirds (1957) 111 episodes 3 seasons NO RELEASES

Okay, there's my little list. I know there's dozens more for the rest of you to add lol. And aside for all this, there's still dozens more very short-lived shows I'd like to see like Summerland, Savannah, Second Noah, A Year in the Life, Central Park West and on and on and on. What else needs a little dvd love in these troubled times?

 

[MatthewA]

Another great list, with a lot of shows I would like to see. The only correction I would make is that Stephen Bochco did not produce St. Elsewhere.

I would also like to add one of the most obvious ones:

Knots Landing (1979) 344 episodes, 14 seasons (2 releases): Warner gave it two chances, yet the best episodes are yet to come, and their only chance at this point is through the Warner Archives.

 

[vnisanian2001]

Burke's Law (1963) 81 episodes, 3 seasons (1st season released)
VCI released volume 1 and 2 of the first season, and was a strong seller. They were going to get more episodes, but then Fox, for no reason, started demanding for astronomically higher prices.

 

[Professor Echo]

Great idea for a thread and great first post, Ethan!

Not sure it was ever "Top Rated," but RUN FOR YOUR LIFE ran for three seasons and was at least critically acclaimed in some circles. Created by Roy Huggins it was very similar to his other creation, THE FUGITIVE, and ran concurrently, though on a different network.

Ben Gazarra starred as an ostensibly wealthy attorney who is diagnosed with an unnamed fatal illness which in true Hollywood fashion never manifests itself in any symptoms or pain or inconvenience, just gives you a two year death sentence. He is also told that work is constantly being done to cure his illness, so there is some hope en route a potential final episode (though such never materialized and the series ended unceremoniously). All of this was set up in the prologue before the opening credits each week and from there the series focused on Gazarra's character trying to squeeze in a lifetime of adventures in the two years he had left to live and constantly embarking on death defying activities. As such he traveled the world and got involved with other people and their various situations.

Sadly, unlike its counterpart THE FUGITIVE, which was able to utilize Southern California location work in effective disguise for the rest of America, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE mostly used terrible looking stock footage and the backlot to represent the world at large. In addition, the writing often veered toward the melodramatic and too often seemed to concentrate on Gazarra interacting with his former clients who all seemed to be very wealthy people with very wealthy people's problems, something that has sustained many a soap opera over the years, but wore thin in a dramatic series. Upon seeing 30 or so episodes of it a few years ago I generally liked it, but my fond childhood memories of it were not justified in the new viewings. It's an okay show and Gazarra is very good with his method intensity, but the cheap Universal production and the overwrought scripts fail to back him up.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Another great list, with a lot of shows I would like to see. The only correction I would make is that Stephen Bochco did not produce St. Elsewhere.

I would also like to add one of the most obvious ones:

Knots Landing (1979) 344 episodes, 14 seasons (2 releases): Warner gave it two chances, yet the best episodes are yet to come, and their only chance at this point is through the Warner Archives.

Oops--how'd I manage that. I always thought it was a Bochco show.

 

[Regulus]

I Led 3 Lives (1953) 117 episodes 3 seasons NO RELEASES - Supposedly the Favorate TV Series of a Criminal who did his "Thing" in Dallas in November of 1963
Waterfront (1954) 78 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Science Fiction Theatre (1955) 78 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES - This was mentioned in the 1985 Motion Picture Back To The Future
Highway Patrol (1956) 155 episodes 4 seasons (First Season Released) Warner has released the first season, no word of seasons 2-4.
The Man Called X (1956) 41 Episodes 2 Seasons NO RELEASES
Harbor Command (1957) 39 episodes 1 season NO RELEASES - Simular to Highway Patrol, but with Boats instead of Squad Cars.
Sea Hunt (1958) 155 episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES
Men Into Space (1959) 38 episodes 1 season NO RELEASES
Ripcord (1960) 78 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Everglades (1961) 38 episodes 1 season NO RELEASES
All of these were from the same Producer, one Maurice Ziv. An associate, Ivan Tors, worked on many of these and then produced the Following:
Flipper (1964) 88 episodes 3 seasons First two seasons released.
Daktari (1966) 89 episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES
Gentle Ben (1967) 56 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES

 

[Charles Ellis]

Some more to add:
The Defenders- the original series with E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed (owned by Paramount)
The Nurses- with Shirl Conway and Zina Bethune (also owned by Paramount)
Mr. Novak- starring James Franciscus and Dean Jagger (owned by Warner Bros.)
The Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre- a color anthology series, Universal owns this.
Judd: For The Defense -starring Carl Betz in his Emmy-winning role (a Fox property)
The High Chaparral- the popular 1967-71 Western (may be owned by either Paramount or Universal- who knows the answer?)
and of course, the classic B/W Warner detective shows 1957-64 :
77 Sunset Strip
Bourbon Street Beat
Hawaiian Eye
Surfside Six

 

[vnisanian2001]

^ I was expecting you to mention Peyton Place.

 

[FanCollector]

Maverick (5 seasons; 124 episodes) A 3-episode sampler disc released. Long-running, well-remembered, and oft-rerun, I think this is one that would have been released by any studio but Warner Brothers. Maybe the WB Archive will let Bret and Bart roam once more.
Barnaby Jones (8 seasons; 178 episodes) 1 season released, albeit the shortened first one. Quinn Martin's longest-running show after The FBI (that would fit the thread, but the WB archive seems to be on the case now), this series was quite a big success for CBS in the '70s, but it has only just peeked out on DVD.
Cannon (5 seasons; 123 episodes) 2 seasons released. Stuck in the same CBS quicksand as sister series Streets of San Francisco, with 3 seasons left to go. One of the very best PI series.
Peter Gunn (3 seasons; 114 episodes) Part of 1 season released, with edited episodes. Highly regarded and influential series from producer Blake Edwards, it's only had two sub-par releases here. The British have uncut releases of the first two seasons, but Region 1 sets are MIA.
Quincy, M.E. (7 seasons; 148 episodes) 2 seasons released. Running almost constantly, it is a surprise how much trouble this one has had getting released. Five seasons to go. Shout Factory? Are you listening?
Lots more in various stages of release, but Maverick is the biggest crime here.

 

[Jack P]

Highway Patrol's S1 release was MGM MOD not Warner, BTW.
"The FBI" rated at the top of this list for a long long time but we now have S1 released and I fully expect more to follow from Warner Archive.
Others to add:
"Twelve O'Clock High". Along with "The FBI" it's a QM show not controlled by CBS/Paramount. But in this case it's Fox, and given what Fox is doing across the board there is little hope of it appearing.
"Barnaby Jones." This wins the award for WORST percentage of a show's run available on DVD with just half a season (even if it is a "complete" season) of seven and a half seasons worth of shows out.

 

[Regulus]

Death Valley Days (1952) 452 episodes 18 seasons NO RELEASES
ANOTHER long-running series, this was a Western Anthology Series, the episodes were based on True Stories in the Old West. Nothing but a handful of PD Episodes.
Lawman (1958) 156 episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954) 166 episodes 5 seasons NO RELEASES
The Bold Ones (1969) 86 Episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES
Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963) 59 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES - Another Anthology Series, produced two Spin-Off Series - Court Marshal and Run For Your Life No releases for those two either
The Name of the Game (1968) 76 episodes 3 Seasons NO RELEASES - Another Anthology Series each episode was 90 minutes long.

 

[Charles Smith]

Such great stuff here. Bring it on! Did anyone mention Surfside 6 and Bourbon Street Beat?

 

[Regulus]

^^ Yup, they've been mentioned!
Highway to Heaven (1984) 111 episodes 5 seasons Seasons 1-3 Released, then....Nothing!
Touched by an Angel (1994) 211 episodes 9 seasons seasons 1-4 released along with a few "Best Of' Sets, then... Nothing!
The Promised Land (1996) 69 episodes, 3 seasons NO RELEASES - Spinoff of Touched by an Angel.
Early Edition (1996) 90 episodes 4 seasons First two seasons released, then... Nothing!
Movin On (1974) 48 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
Bracken's World (1969) 41 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES
FURY (1955) 115 episodes 5 seasons NO RELEASES except for a few PD Episodes
Whirlybirds (1957) 111 episodes 3 seasons NO RELEASES
Rescue 8 (1958) 78 episodes 3 seasons NO RELEASES
Tarzan (1967) 57 episodes 2 seasons NO RELEASES - Possibly due to the Estate of Edger Rice Burroughs, which owns the Tarzan Name.
New York Undercover (1994) 89 episodes 4 seasons NO RELEASES - Probably due to "Music Rights".

 

[Jeff Willis]

William,

"Fury" is available from Amazon Germany, the complete series set. Link is here . The exchange rate price as of this post is 66.99 Euros = $95.66 .

The transfers are decent in this set.

 

[Regulus]

William,

"Fury" is available from Amazon Germany, the complete series set. Link is here . The exchange rate price as of this post is 66.99 Euros = $95.66 .

The transfers are decent in this set.

Got mine already, Thank You!

 

[Professor Echo]

I believe the two sets of PETER GUNN released in the US by A&E constitutes the entire first season. And while the prints and transfers aren't great, I didn't know they were edited. ???
I also wonder about some of the shows being mentioned qualifying as "top rated," per the thread heading. Not sure a show that ran for a single season fits, but so be it.

 

[FanCollector]

The Peter Gunn sets come up six episodes short of the first season, totaling 32 episodes between them. They are missing 2-3 minutes per episode. The shows are still good, but with a whole detective story crammed into a half-hour slot, every minute counts!

 

[Ethan Riley]

Such great stuff here. Bring it on! Did anyone mention Surfside 6 and Bourbon Street Beat?

Surfside Six. What's that?

 

[Charles Smith]

Detectives! Houseboat! Miami Beach!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053540/

I'd forgotten about it entirely till someone mentioned the title to me a couple of years ago, then I remembered seeing it as a kid. I think we were particularly fond of this one since we'd just moved to Florida.

 

[Professor Echo]

Wow, thanks for the info on PETER GUNN! I was sure I had read a review at the time of the releases that said they comprised the first season. I also didn't know the episodes had been cut. Thanks for the clarification and for the correction to my assumptions. Time to seek out the UK sets.