What did you watch this week in classic TV on DVD(or Blu)? (16 Viewers)

[morasp]

Very sorry to hear about James Olson's passing. He was indeed terrific in The Andromeda Strain, a truly outstanding science fiction movie that actually had some honest-to-God science in it. Not to mention all his other fine work in films and various TV shows. May he R.I.P.

This week is doubly sad, as we also lost a British TV great with the sudden passing of Dennis Waterman, at the comparatively young age of 74. This came as a bit of a surprise, as he seemed relatively hale and hearty throughout all 12 seasons of the BBC "oldies" crime drama, New Tricks (which ended in 2015, with Waterman the only original cast member still involved with the show). His most recent work was in the Australian-set comedy, Never Too Late, in 2020.

Of course, Waterman was best known for two legendary and extremely popular U.K. TV series, co-starring with John Thaw for all four seasons of the hard-hitting London cop drama The Sweeney (as well as the two spinoff films based on the series), and especially for taking the lead in the comedy/drama Minder (alongside George Cole) for the first 7 of its 11 seasons.

Both series come highly recommended. And to pay tribute to the man, I watched a very good episode of Minder the other night, and will be reviewing it here soon.

Here's the link to The Guardian's obit for Waterman.

New Tricks, Minder, and Sweeney are all shows I enjoy.

 

[The 1960's]

NOOooooooooooo

These are special books. A couple of my best just for you Russ!!

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[JamesSmith]

I didn’t know about that VHS collection Alan. I’m guessing his son Peter Funt both holds the rights and holds it captive. Found a stray episode here and there but few and far between.

Can't believe you said Grodd because I remember back in those days whenever they put a monkey or an Ape or a Gorilla on any cover sales would soar. I always found that to be hysterical!

Knew about it. However, I don't like apes. Don't know why. Maybe it's because they don't wear pants.

==jthree

 

[The 1960's]

Knew about it. However, I don't like apes. Don't know why. Maybe it's because they don't wear pants.

==jthree

How do you feel about Porky Pig?

 

[morasp]

McCLOUD Pilot Movie Portrait of a Dead Girl

A while back there was a thread about what shows you would like to see released on DVD and I listed McCloud and Ironside Seasons 5-8 . When I found both of them for sale recently it felt like Christmas. One of two shows I'm aware of that were inspired by Clint Eastwood movies McCloud along with Columbo and McMillan and Wife was one of the original NBC mystery movies that rotated weekly in the 70's and it was a staple in our household. Although I'm sure it's not perfect this set is very good with good picture quality and includes the six original one hour season one episodes and the reunion movie making a total of 50 episodes if you include the three season one episodes that combined the six.

It was great fun to go back and watch the pilot which I had never seen. It cleared up a lot of things I never understood like how did he get stationed in New York City and How did he meet his girlfriend Chris (Diana Muldaur). With the exception of Chief Clifford who was played by Peter Mark Richman rather than J.D. Cannon it was pretty much the same format as the regular movies. McCloud's down home witty comebacks are non stop right from the beginning and help keep the dialog moving at a brisk pace. In this episode, he is escorting a witness back to New York to testify in a murder investigation. Once there he gets bushwhacked and loses the prisoner. The rest of the movie is about him trying to get the prisoner back and solving the case. I won't spoil the ending but it went by very quickly and was very engaging all the way through. If your a fan of the show the set is well worth picking up.

Guest Stars
Craig Stevens, Diana Muldaur, Raul Julia, Julie Newmar

Quote
Truck driver: [McCloud is walking in the middle of the road with handcuffs on] Trying to get killed, Mack?
Sam McCloud: I need a lift!
Truck driver: With those handcuffs? Good luck!
Sam McCloud: Look, I'm a peace officer, got a badge in my pocket.
Truck driver: Sure, and I got the Mets in my glove compartment.

 

[JamesSmith]

How do you feel about Porky Pig?

View attachment 138250​

I'm kind of ambivalent about Porky, but apes, "no way."

 

[Desslar]

I have to upgrade my rating of "The Magician" to a mild recommend. The second episode "The Vanishing Lady" has great location shoots all over Las Vegas, from the Circus Circus casino floor show to the airport to Hoover Dam. Plus Bixby trades in his regrettable skintight purple pants from the last episode for a Six Million Dollar beige denim suit. Looks like things are turning around.

 

[BobO'Link]

Did you know that Bixby was an amateur magician and member of The Magic Castle?

 

[ScottRE]

His being a magician was something I knew but I didn't know about his Magic Castle membership. Ah Bix. He was always surprising.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Last of the Summer Wine
4.7 "A Merry Heatwave"
4.8 "The Bandit of Stoke-On-Trent"
A couple more amusing episodes from 1978 to close out S4 of this long-running Britcom, which was a Sunday night staple on the BBC for decades. Technically, "A Merry Heatwave" is the show's first of many Christmas specials, but only tangentially, as it takes place - as the title suggests - during a summer heatwave. Uncharacteristically, stony-faced battleaxe Nora Batty (Kathy Staff) is inconsolable, as her brother Billy, who lives in Australia, is apparently on his death bed, and wishes nothing more than to experience a good old English Christmas once more before he shuffles off this mortal coil. Foggy (Brian Wilde) has a brainstorm: why not take a series of photos of Nora, her lugubrious husband Wally (Joe Gladwin) and other Holmfirth locals celebrating Christmas...in a heat wave? (Look for a very young Pete Postlethwaite as a cafe patron in one brief scene).

"The Bandit of Stoke-on-Trent" refers to Amos Hames (Timothy Bateson), a weaselly sort who is visiting Holmfirth for the day and whom Compo (Bill Owen) and Clegg (Peter Sallis) know has a slightly hinky reputation where the law is concerned. Pompous busybody Foggy grows increasingly suspicious when he spies Amos sizing up the local bank. The usual Foggy-engineered chaos ensues.

So far, I've worked my way through four seasons and 28 episodes of LOTSW (plus a few from later seasons sprinkled here and there), and have greatly enjoyed pretty much all of them. I think I'll skip the next episode, the series first "proper" seasonal outing ("A Small Tune on a Penny Wassail") for the time being, and save it for this coming Christmas. So, onward to S5!

The Champions - 1.10 "Shadow of the Panther"
When a British scientist drops dead at a hotel in Haiti, his hair turned white from mortal terror, NEMESIS agent - and one of the three superpowered Champions - Sharron McCready (Alexandra Bastedo) arrives to investigate. Sharron begins to notice several VIP guests acting strangely, as if in a trance...is some form of voodoo involved? Her fellow Champion agents, Craig Stirling (Stuart Damon) and Richard Barrett (William Gaunt) are soon dispatched to assist her...but they basically prove surplus to requirements, as Sharron has things well in hand, pretty much singlehandedly taking down the baddies without any noticeable help from the boys. This one is a ton of fun, and it's nice to see the gorgeous Ms. Bastedo take center stage for a change. Donald Sutherland puts in one of his handful of ITC guest starring turns here (he also had a cameo in an episode of The Sentimental Agent, and bigger parts in one episode of Gideon's Way, two episodes of The Saint, and two eps of Man in a Suitcase), and is a welcome presence as always.

Gunsmoke - 20.1 "Matt Dillon Must Die"
The first episode of the final season is another solo Matt outing, and it's a good one, putting poor old James Arness, bad back and all, through the physical wringer in a sort of western take on "The Most Dangerous Game." Dillon tracks wanted killer Laban Wakefield (Frederick Herrick) back to his homestead in the mountains, and is forced to kill the man in self-defense. Unfortunately, Laban's deranged, murderous father, Abraham Wakefield (Morgan Woodward) and his vicious outlaw brood witness this, and take Dillon prisoner. Wakefield has been on a mass-murdering rampage ever since the horrible and unjust killing of his wife by vigilantes, and has raised his sons to be just as bloodthirsty and vengeful as he...all except Jacob (Joseph Hindy), who has never killed anyone and doesn't intend to.

After Dillon shows that he's a flinty hardcase, not easily intimidated, he gains just enough respect from crazed papa Wakefield to earn an hour's head start out in the frozen mountain wilderness. Soon the family, including their law-hating bloodhound, are hot on Dillon's trail. Lots of rugged outdoor scenery on display here, as well as some typically fine, mad-eyed acting from the great Woodward, whose final Gunsmoke role (his 18th!) this was. Woodward's other mangy sons were played by William Lucking, Henry Olek and Douglas Dirkson. Nicely directed by actor (and also frequent guest star) Victor French.

Minder - 2.4 "Don't Tell Them That Willie Boy Was Here"
As I mentioned farther upthread, last week saw the sudden death of popular UK TV star Dennis Waterman, and to mark his passing, I broke out my big Minder: The Dennis Waterman Years boxset from Network, and watched this episode. As you can tell from the episode title, Minder was a series with a cheeky sense of humor (all episode titles are riffs on famous movies).

For those unfamiliar with the series, it was a Euston Films production (the same company who made Waterman's earlier hit, The Sweeney), shot all on film around some of the seamier sides of London, and aired on Thames Television for ITV. Waterman got the role of his career as Terry McCann, an amiable, ex-con former boxer, frequently hired as a bodyguard ("minder" in Brit slang) for borderline dodgy businessman Arthur Daley (George Cole). Terry just wants to live his life trouble-free, but Arthur never fails to get him involved in some wacky and often dangerous, possibly illegal scheme, leaving Terry holding the bag and forced to use his wits - and his fists - to extricate himself from the problem.

In this episode, Arthur arranges for Terry to "mind" a former boxing champion, Willie (Paul Barber), whose cocky public persona resembles a rougher Muhammed Ali (Willie's nickname is the "Mersey Mouth," and he lives up to his smartarse reputation), as he prepares for a big comeback fight. At first, Terry and Willie clash, but Terry's straight-shooting personality and adept fighting skills soon earn Willie's grudging respect. Terry quickly susses out two things: 1) that Willie has lost the "eye of the tiger," no longer feeling the need to pummel his opponent into a bloody pulp, and has been tricked by his manager Barney (Arthur Marks) into thinking the fight, with a tough up-and-comer named Jack Straw (Alex Tompkins) will be a dawdle...and 2) that Barney plans to make a killing by betting heavily on Willie to lose. Willie has been living as a tax exile in Jamaica with his wife, Ruth (Tania Rogers) and their kids for two years, but has grown homesick for England and needs 20,000 pounds to get the Inland Revenue off his back before he can move back permanently. Terry, as a former "coulda been a contenda" pugilist himself, takes the art of boxing seriously, and is digusted by the con job and corruption going down...so he starts to train Willie on the side, to give him a sporting chance.

This episode is not only highly enjoyable, full of the series' usual earthy humor, action and seedy late '70s London atmosphere, it also gives Waterman some real meat to chew on, as Terry clashes with Arthur over the latter's greed at cashing in on Willie's potential misfortune. Terry gives Arthur a real dressing down at one point, naturally siding with the underdog fighters who get in there and give it their all. Terry's parting words of wisdom to Willie, after a suspicious Barney has him fired, have the intended galvanizing effect on Willie at a crucial moment in the climactic bout.

Barber and Rogers are effective as Willie and his sympathetic wife (who quickly bonds with Terry). Waterman, an amateur boxer in his youth, handles himself well in Minder's frequent fight scenes. Though started as a vehicle for Waterman, in the later seasons the show's focus gradually shifts more to emphasize George Cole's comic grotesque, Arthur Daley, and as a result, loses a tad of the scruffy London underbelly grit, phasing out a lot of the violence and occasional nudity (Terry has a way with the ladies, wink wink, nudge nudge, know what I mean) and becomes more comedic in tone. Perhaps as a consequence, Waterman tired of the role after 7 seasons and 73 episodes, leaving Cole to soldier on for four more seasons with a new minder, this time Arthur's nephew, Ray (played by Gary Webster). But it's these first few rough-and-tumble, grittier seasons of the series that work best, IMO.

After leaving Minder, Waterman - now a bona fide TV star - went on to headline a few more also-ran series (including the pleasant comedy/drama Stay Lucky, also available from Network), before hitting it big one more time as part of the ensemble of elder statesmen actors playing retired police detectives, called back into service to solve cold cases on the BBC's New Tricks. Waterman was a bit of a singer, as well, crooning the theme tunes to Minder, Stay Lucky and New Tricks. He had an likably scrappy, energetic screen presence, and shall be missed. R.I.P.

Callan - 1.1 "The Good Ones Are All Dead"
A leaner, meaner Edward Woodward, 20 years or so before becoming The Equalizer, stars in this leaner, meaner spy drama, created and mostly written by James Mitchell, which ran for several seasons on the ITV network in the U.K. between 1967-1972. His character, hard-edged working class government operative and assassin, Callan, first appeared on an Armchair Theatre TV play entitled "A Magnum for Schneider." The play was such a success that an initial season of 6 episodes immediately followed. This premiere episode sees Callan (Woodward) - who had become more recalcitrant and questioning to his superiors in the secretive government organization dubbed "The Section," and therefore was let go from the agency - forced back into working for them by his former boss, codenamed "Hunter" (Ronald Radd). Hunter and Callan have established a sort of hostile détente: Hunter threatens to have Callan eliminated if he doesn't cooperate, and Callan insists that if that eventuality comes to pass, he'll be sure to take out Hunter first. Callan's assignment: pose as a bookkeeper for a successful, supposedly Greek businessman named Stavros (Powys Thomas), whom the Israelis suspect is actually former Nazi war criminal Strauss. Callan is to get proof, and then turn the man over to the Section, to be traded to the Israelis in exchange for vital information. To get said proof, Callan needs to break into the man's expensive, German-made safe, and to do that, he enlists the help of a craven petty criminal named Lonely (Russell Hunter), so called because he stinks when he's nervous...and he's nervous often when he's around the deadly Callan (Callan is quite nasty and threatening with Lonely here, but over the course of the series, develops a genuine fondness for him...in fact, Lonely essentially becomes Callan's only friend). But there's a wrinkle in the Section's plan: Stavros' slinky secretary (Linda Marlowe) is also his lover, and is highly suspicious of Callan's motives...

The series starts out as it plans to go on: tough, uncompromising espionage stories, with seemingly callous, no-nonense Callan betraying layers of morality and disquiet over his chosen profession...often to the extent of disregarding orders, allowing his targets a modicum of humanity. Extremely well-written and acted drama, its often grim and downbeat plots periodically leavened with biting black wit. Woodward gives a powerhouse performance in the lead. Also with Anthony Valentine (Raffles), as Toby Meres, Callan's cheerfully amoral counterpart.

Sadly, this episode is one of only two that exist from the show's first black-and-white season, the rest having had their tapes wiped, as was the (deplorable) custom of both the BBC and various ITV regional networks at the time. S2 was more than double the length of S1 and is in slightly better condition (with 6 of 15 episodes missing); luckily, all of S3 and 4 (which were filmed in color) survive, leaving 34 of 44 episodes extant. Those lovely folks at Network in the U.K. have released all surviving episodes in two boxed sets, one for the first two monchrome seasons and another for the final two color ones. There's also a 1981 follow-up TV movie, Wet Job, which is also available and recommended.

 

[Desslar]

Last of the Summer Wine
4.7 "A Merry Heatwave"
4.8 "The Bandit of Stoke-On-Trent"
A couple more amusing episodes from 1978 to close out S4 of this long-running Britcom, which was a Sunday night staple on the BBC for decades. Technically, "A Merry Heatwave" is the show's first of many Christmas specials, but only tangentially, as it takes place - as the title suggests - during a summer heatwave. Uncharacteristically, stony-faced battleaxe Nora Batty (Kathy Staff) is inconsolable, as her brother Billy, who lives in Australia, is apparently on his death bed, and wishes nothing more than to experience a good old English Christmas once more before he shuffles off this mortal coil. Foggy (Brian Wilde) has a brainstorm: why not take a series of photos of Nora, her lugubrious husband Wally (Joe Gladwin) and other Holmfirth locals celebrating Christmas...in a heat wave? (Look for a very young Pete Postlethwaite as a cafe patron in one brief scene).

"The Bandit of Stoke-on-Trent" refers to Amos Hames (Timothy Bateson), a weaselly sort who is visiting Holmfirth for the day and whom Compo (Bill Owen) and Clegg (Peter Sallis) know has a slightly hinky reputation where the law is concerned. Pompous busybody Foggy grows increasingly suspicious when he spies Amos sizing up the local bank. The usual Foggy-engineered chaos ensues.

So far, I've worked my way through four seasons and 28 episodes of LOTSW (plus a few from later seasons sprinkled here and there), and have greatly enjoyed pretty much all of them. I think I'll skip the next episode, the series first "proper" seasonal outing ("A Small Tune on a Penny Wassail") for the time being, and save it for this coming Christmas. So, onward to S5!

The Champions - 1.10 "Shadow of the Panther"
When a British scientist drops dead at a hotel in Haiti, his hair turned white from mortal terror, NEMESIS agent - and one of the three superpowered Champions - Sharron McCready (Alexandra Bastedo) arrives to investigate. Sharron begins to notice several VIP guests acting strangely, as if in a trance...is some form of voodoo involved? Her fellow Champion agents, Craig Stirling (Stuart Damon) and Richard Barrett (William Gaunt) are soon dispatched to assist her...but really, they prove surplus to requirements, as Sharron has things well in hand, and pretty much singlehandedly takes down the baddies without any noticeable help from the boys. This one is a ton of fun, and it's nice to see the gorgeous Ms. Bastedo take center stage for a change. Donald Sutherland puts in one of his handful of ITC guest starring turns here (he also had a cameo in an episode of The Sentimental Agent, and bigger parts in one episode of Gideon's Way, two episodes of The Saint, and two eps of Man in a Suitcase), and is a welcome presence as always.

View attachment 138368 View attachment 138369 View attachment 138370

Gunsmoke - 20.1 "Matt Dillon Must Die"
The first episode of the final season is another solo Matt outing, and it's a good one, putting poor old James Arness, bad back and all, through the physical wringer in a sort of western take on "The Most Dangerous Game." Dillon tracks wanted killer Laban Wakefield (Frederick Herrick) back to his homestead in the mountains, and is forced to kill the man in self-defense. Unfortunately, the man's deranged, murderous father, Abraham Wakefield (Morgan Woodward) and his vicious outlaw brood witness this, and take Dillon prisoner. Wakefield has been on a mass-murdering rampage ever since the horrible and unjust killing of his wife by vigilantes, and has raised his sons to be just as bloodthirsty and vengeful as he...all except Jacob (Joseph Hindy), who has never killed anyone and doesn't intend to.

After Dillon shows that he's a flinty hardcase, not easily intimidated, he gains just enough respect from crazed papa Wakefield to earn an hour's head start out in the frozen mountain wilderness. Soon the family, including their law-hating bloodhound, are hot on Dillon's trail. Lots of rugged outdoor scenery on display here, as well as some typically fine, mad-eyed acting from the great Woodward, whose final Gunsmoke role (his 18th!) this was. Woodward's other mangy sons were played by William Lucking, Henry Olek and Douglas Dirkson. Nicely directed by actor (and also frequent guest star) Victor French.

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Minder - 2.4 "Don't Tell Them That Willie Boy Was Here"
As I mentioned farther upthread, last week saw the sudden death of popular UK TV star Dennis Waterman, and to mark his passing, I broke out my big Minder: The Dennis Waterman Years boxset from Network, and watched this episode. As you can tell from the episode title, Minder was a series with a cheeky sense of humor (all episode titles are riffs on famous movies).

For those unfamiliar with the series, it was a Euston Films production (the same company who made Waterman's earlier hit, The Sweeney), shot all on film around some of the seamier sides of London, and aired on Thames Television for ITV. Waterman got the role of his career as Terry McCann, an amiable, ex-con former boxer, frequently hired as a bodyguard ("minder" in Brit slang) for borderline dodgy businessman Arthur Daley (George Cole). Terry just wants to live his life trouble-free, but Arthur never fails to get him involved in some wacky and often dangerous, possibly illegal scheme, leaving Terry holding the bag and forced to use his wits - and his fists - to extricate himself from the problem.

In this episode, Arthur arranges for Terry to "mind" a former boxing champion, Willie (Paul Barber), whose cocky public persona resembles a rougher Muhammed Ali (Willie's nickname is the "Mersey Mouth," and he lives up to his smartarse reputation), as he prepares for a big comeback fight. At first, Terry and Willie clash, but Terry's straight-shooting personality and adept fighting skills soon earn Willie's grudging respect. Terry quickly susses out two things: 1) that Willie has lost the "eye of the tiger," no longer feeling the need to pummel his opponent into a bloody pulp, and has been tricked by his manager Barney (Arthur Marks) into thinking the fight, with a tough up-and-comer named Jack Straw (Alex Tompkins) will be a dawdle...and 2) that Barney plans to make a killing by betting heavily on Willie to lose. Willie has been living as a tax exile in Jamaica with his wife, Ruth (Tania Rogers) and their kids for two years, but has grown homesick for England and needs 20,000 pounds to get the Inland Revenue off his back before he can move back permanently. Terry, as a former "coulda been a contenda" pugilist himself, takes the art of boxing seriously, and is digusted by the con job and corruption going down...so he starts to train Willie on the side, to give him a sporting chance.

This episode is not only highly enjoyable, full of the series' usual earthy humor, action and seedy late '70s London atmosphere, it also gives Waterman some real meat to chew on, as Terry clashes with Arthur over the latter's greed at cashing in on Willie's potential misfortune. Terry gives Arthur a real dressing down at one point, naturally siding with the underdog fighters who get in there and give it their all. Terry's parting words of wisdom to Willie, after a suspicious Barney has him fired, have the intended galvanizing effect on Willie at a crucial moment in the climactic bout.

Barber and Rogers are effective as Willie and his sympathetic wife (who quickly bonds with Terry). Waterman, an amateur boxer in his youth, handles himself well in Minder's frequent fight scenes. Though started as a vehicle for Waterman, in the later seasons the show's focus gradually shifts more to emphasize George Cole's comic grotesque, Arthur Daley, and as a result, loses a tad of the scruffy London underbelly grit, phasing out a lot of the violence and occasional nudity (Terry has a way with the ladies, wink wink, nudge nudge, know what I mean) and becomes more comedic in tone. Perhaps as a consequence, Waterman tired of the role after 7 seasons and 73 episodes, leaving Cole to soldier on for four more seasons with a new minder, this time Arthur's nephew, Ray (played by Gary Webster). But it's these first few rough-and-tumble, grittier seasons of the series that work best, IMO.

After leaving Minder, Waterman - now a bona fide TV star - went on to headline a few more also-ran series (including the pleasant comedy/drama Stay Lucky, also available from Network), before hitting it big one more time as part of the ensemble of elder statesmen actors playing retired police detectives, called back into service to solve cold cases on the BBC's New Tricks. Waterman was a bit of a singer, as well, crooning the theme tunes to Minder, Stay Lucky and New Tricks. He had an likably scrappy, energetic screen presence, and shall be missed. R.I.P.

Callan - 1.1 "The Good Ones Are All Dead"
A leaner, meaner Edward Woodward, 20 years or so before becoming The Equalizer, stars in this leaner, meaner spy drama, created and mostly written by James Mitchell, which ran for several seasons on the ITV network in the U.K. between 1967-1972. His character, hard-edged working class government operative and assassin, Callan, first appeared on an Armchair Theatre TV play entitled "A Magnum for Schneider." The play was such a success that a initial season of 6 episodes immediately followed. This premiere episode sees Callan (Woodward) - who had become more recalcitrant and questioning to his superiors in the secretive government organization dubbed "The Section," and therefore was let go from the agency - forced back into working for them by his former boss, codenamed "Hunter" (Ronald Radd). Hunter and Callan have established a sort of hostile détente: Hunter threatens to have Callan eliminated if he doesn't cooperate, and Callan insists that if that eventuality comes to pass, he'll be sure to take out Hunter first. Callan's assignment: pose as a bookkeeper for a successful, supposedly Greek businessman named Stavros (Powys Thomas), whom the Israelis suspect is actually former Nazi war criminal Strauss. Callan is to get proof, and then turn the man over to the Section, to be traded to the Israelis in exchange for vital information. To get said proof, Callan needs to break into the man's expensive, German-made safe, and to do that, he enlists the help of a craven petty criminal named Lonely (Russell Hunter), so called because he stinks when he's nervous...and he's nervous often when he's around the deadly Callan (Callan is quite nasty and threatening with Lonely here, but over the course of the series, develops a genuine fondness for him...in fact, Lonely essentially becomes Callan's only friend). But there's a wrinkle in the Section's plan: Stavros' slinky secretary (Linda Marlowe) is also his lover, and is highly suspicious of Callan's motives...

The series starts out as it plans to go on: tough, uncompromising espionage stories, with seemingly callous, no-nonense Callan betraying layers of morality and disquiet over his chosen profession...often to the extent of disregarding orders, allowing his targets a modicum of humanity. Extremely well-written and acted drama, its often grim and downbeat plots periodically leavened with biting black wit. Woodward gives a powerhouse performance in the lead. Also with Anthony Valentine (Raffles), as Toby Meres, Callan's cheerfully amoral counterpart.

Sadly, this episode is one of only two that exist from the show's first black-and-white season, the rest having had their tapes wiped, as was the (deplorable) custom of both the BBC and various ITV regional networks at the time. S2 was more than double the length of S1 and is in slightly better condition (with 6 of 15 episodes missing); luckily, all of S3 and 4 (which were filmed in color) survive, leaving 34 of 44 episodes extant. Those lovely folks at Network in the U.K. have released all surviving episodes in two boxed sets, one for the first two monchrome seasons and another for the final two color ones. There's also a 1981 follow-up TV movie, Wet Job, which is also available and recommended.

Great reviews. Very cool to see Sutherland pop up on The Champions.

So is Minder not really a crime show like The Sweeney but more of a comedy/drama?

 

[Purple Wig]

Picked this up at a rummage sale this morning. Not the greatest condition but fun for 50 cents, and 3 different women were excited by it.

 

[bmasters9]

Hunter, second-season premiere "Case X" (OAD Saturday, September 21, 1985 on NBC)

This is not so much a review of this second-season premiere episode of Hunter, as it is a review of VEI's presentation of Hunter on DVD in this new 2022 all-in-one. For one thing, the disc I loaded to start the second go (1985-86) started w/Stephen J. Cannell's logo in a later format and with later music, then had VEI's logo, before going to the menu.

Also, in a first for a VEI release, this Hunter all-in-one actually has captioning (the captioning is not letter-perfect, as you will see [Los Angeles is rendered as "los angeles"], but at least there is captioning, unlike the original Creek all-in-one).

And one more thing (not shown here): the end title track is low-pitched, and so is the Cannell logo of the time.

Here are some screenshots of the presentation of it (menu, title sequence/billing, some scattered early dialogue to show the captioning, and a 1985 Cannell copyright card).

 

[Desslar]

Picked this up at a rummage sale this morning. Not the greatest condition but fun for 50 cents, and 3 different women were excited by it. View attachment 138432

For 50 cents I'd say it wildly exceeded expectations. Next time I pour the wine I'll try reading a few racy passages from Encyclopedia Brown.

 

[Nick*Z]

Not sure if any of these can be considered 'classics' yet, but I've been binge watching my 'Arabesque' (aka 'Murder She Wrote) discs from Elephant Films (region free) and marveling at the image quality, which is pristine. A Pity this isn't available in NA with the original English titles. Also, binge watching Magnum P.I., (watched the crossover 'Magnum on Ice/A Novel Connection) between these two shows, and, finally, revisiting primetime glam-bam with reruns of the original Dynasty and Dynasty II: The Colbys. Loving every minute of this.

 

[Nick*Z]

Hunter, second-season premiere "Case X" (OAD Saturday, September 21, 1985 on NBC)

This is not so much a review of this second-season premiere episode of Hunter, as it is a review of VEI's presentation of Hunter on DVD in this new 2022 all-in-one. For one thing, the disc I loaded to start the second go (1985-86) started w/Stephen J. Cannell's logo in a later format and with later music, then had VEI's logo, before going to the menu.

Also, in a first for a VEI release, this Hunter all-in-one actually has captioning (the captioning is not letter-perfect, as you will see [Los Angeles is rendered as "los angeles"], but at least there is captioning, unlike the original Creek all-in-one).

And one more thing (not shown here): the end title track is low-pitched, and so is the Cannell logo of the time.

Here are some screenshots of the presentation of it (menu, title sequence/billing, some scattered early dialogue to show the captioning, and a 1985 Cannell copyright card).

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God I loved this show. Can we please get Blu-rays of this, Moonlighting, Murder She Wrote (in North America), as well as all the primetime soaps - Dallas, Dynasty, Dynasty II: The Colbys, Arthur Haley's Hotel, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing?!? Also, The Thorn Birds and North and South. TV this good should not remain buried in SD!

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Great reviews. Very cool to see Sutherland pop up on The Champions.

So is Minder not really a crime show like The Sweeney but more of a comedy/drama?

Thanks, Stephen! I would characterize Minder as a comedy/drama set around, and frequently involving, London's criminal underground. It's much more lighthearted than The Sweeney. Both shows are well worth watching if you like this sort of thing.

 

[Desslar]

Thanks, Stephen! I would characterize Minder as a comedy/drama set around, and frequently involving, London's criminal underground. It's much more lighthearted than The Sweeney. Both shows are well worth watching if you like this sort of thing.

Thanks Jeff. I do really like The Sweeney and The Professionals' brand of high energy crimefighting adventures out on the streets of London, but have been hard-pressed to find similar UK shows. Most of the UK crime shows I have looked into are either quite lightweight or very dry, and in either case fairly laidback. Which is perfectly fine sometimes. But would it really hurt Inspector Morse to blow up a car once in a while?

All that aside, the clips I've seen from Minder look very promising so I'll check it out.

 

[bmasters9]

Oh, and one more thing about this 2022 VEI Hunter release: the first five gos (1984-89) are in a thicker wallet, and the last two (1989-91) are in a thinner one (just a word about the packaging).

 

[Rustifer]

These are special books. A couple of my best just for you Russ!!

Well, at least thanks for the brevity of only two comic covers this time...