What did you watch this week in classic TV on DVD(or Blu)? (2 Viewers)

[Flashgear]

Oh boy.

All 20 seasons of Gunsmoke just added to Paramount + in OAR, HD.

Hoping and praying for a complete BD set now. It is just beautiful.

Great to hear that, Bryan! Glad for fans that can access it there. I have the entire series of Gunsmoke in the original CBS/P half season volumes and full season DVD releases from 2004-2019, but I might check out a few HD episodes on Paramount+ on a free 7 day preview (want to see Top Gun Maverick too). As Scott said, a Blu-ray release seems to be pie-in-the-sky, but the DVDs themselves are the absolute gold standard that CBS/P exemplified...state of the art transfers from HD scans of vault 35mm OCNs!

Death Valley Days
The Breaking Point

Bones, and Janice Rand are in cahoots, and shacking up. DeForest Kelley plays a no good trying to drive tension and paranoia in the minds of two likeable gold prospectors. Grace Lee Whitney is a saloon gal in the scheme as well. Gets a bit worrisome toward the end, but like most episodes of Death Valley Days, it has a decent outcome. Sadly thus was the last episode I saw on Starz streaming service before they pulled the series entirely.

Thanks for the screen caps, Bryan! So Starz has already dropped the whole series from their streaming library? A damn shame, and the principle reason why so many of us don't trust streaming and demand to have our own hard copies. That Death Valley Days episode looks fantastic (and it appears that at least part of it may have filmed on the Palm Springs/Lone Pine perimeter of Death Valley), with a notable cast of Star Trek alums Deforest Kelley and Grace Lee Whitney, as well as golden age star Dick Foran and TV stalwart William Schallert. The Breaking Point is from season 10 (1961-62). I wonder if the Borax Corporation (Rio-Tinto) who owns the series might find another streaming platform for the show?

 

[Bryan^H]

Great to hear that, Bryan! Glad for fans that can access it there. I have the entire series of Gunsmoke in the original CBS/P half season volumes and full season DVD releases from 2004-2019, but I might check out a few HD episodes on Paramount+ on a free 7 day preview (want to see Top Gun Maverick too). As Scott said, a Blu-ray release seems to be pie-in-the-sky, but the DVDs themselves are the absolute gold standard that CBS/P exemplified...state of the art transfers from HD scans of vault 35mm OCNs!

Thanks for the screen caps, Bryan! So Starz has already dropped the whole series from their streaming library? A damn shame, and the principle reason why so many of us don't trust streaming and demand to have our own hard copies. That Death Valley Days episode looks fantastic (and it appears that at least part of it may have filmed on the Palm Springs/Lone Pine perimeter of Death Valley), with a notable cast of Star Trek alums Deforest Kelley and Grace Lee Whitney, as well as golden age star Dick Foran and TV stalwart William Schallert. The Breaking Point is from season 10 (1961-62). I wonder if the Borax Corporation who owns the series might find another streaming platform for the show?

You're probably right about Gunsmoke not coming to BD.
I just think it is a possibility because the work is already done, and they can cram a ton of HD episodes on one disc nowadays (CBS doesn't care about bit rates anyway). I'm sure it wouldn't be subtitled though, but It will still look great.
It has been a great seller on DVD, even the huge chunky DVD set broke the top 100 (when it was in sale a year ago) at Amazon.


Regarding Death Valley Days it is a crying shame because it is such a great series. I'm cancelling my Starz subscription for that reason alone. I'm hoping it makes it to disc or available to purchase digitally I'd love to own it.

 

[The 1960's]

Death Valley Days
The Breaking Point

Bones, and Janice Rand are in cahoots, and shacking up. DeForest Kelley plays a no good trying to drive tension and paranoia in the minds of two likeable gold prospectors. Grace Lee Whitney is a saloon gal in the scheme as well. Gets a bit worrisome toward the end, but like most episodes of Death Valley Days, it has a decent outcome. Sadly thus was the last episode I saw on Starz streaming service before they pulled the series entirely.
View attachment 172876

View attachment 172877 View attachment 172878 View attachment 172879 View attachment 172880 View attachment 172881 View attachment 172882 View attachment 172883 View attachment 172884 View attachment 172885

Great to hear that, Bryan! Glad for fans that can access it there. I have the entire series of Gunsmoke in the original CBS/P half season volumes and full season DVD releases from 2004-2019, but I might check out a few HD episodes on Paramount+ on a free 7 day preview (want to see Top Gun Maverick too). As Scott said, a Blu-ray release seems to be pie-in-the-sky, but the DVDs themselves are the absolute gold standard that CBS/P exemplified...state of the art transfers from HD scans of vault 35mm OCNs!

Thanks for the screen caps, Bryan! So Starz has already dropped the whole series from their streaming library? A damn shame, and the principle reason why so many of us don't trust streaming and demand to have our own hard copies. That Death Valley Days episode looks fantastic (and it appears that at least part of it may have filmed on the Palm Springs/Lone Pine perimeter of Death Valley), with a notable cast of Star Trek alums Deforest Kelley and Grace Lee Whitney, as well as golden age star Dick Foran and TV stalwart William Schallert. The Breaking Point is from season 10 (1961-62). I wonder if the Borax Corporation who owns the series might find another streaming platform for the show?

I'll never bump the creator's essay! NEVER!

Anyone else is fair game.

 

[Nelson Au]

Wow, those are great screen caps from Death Valley Days of DeForest Kelley and Grace Lee Whitney. I’ve never seen that series. I’ve read and seen interviews with Kelley discussing his work in westerns playing heavy’s. But there’s less info on Grace Lee’s work. I know she did Batman after Star Trek and The Outer Limits before Star Trek. It’s also neat to see Kelley in a Route 66.

Randall, the photo essay of The Saint episode with Donald Sutherland is cool. I think that episode has been mentioned before. I look forward to seeing it. It’s interesting of the Saint episodes I’ve been watching from the 1st and 2nd seasons are based on the books. I’m imagining that later episodes would have used up that material?

 

[Bryan^H]

I'll never bump the creator's essay! NEVER! View attachment 172905

Anyone else is fair game.

Thanks for your informative post on Ben Casey Neal. I've always wanted to watch that series. I think I'm going for McCloud complete DVD next, but then after that hopefully

 

[The 1960's]

Thanks for your informative post on Ben Casey Neal. I've always wanted to watch that series. I think I'm going for McCloud complete DVD next, but then after that hopefully

Wow thanks Bryan. Anytime the creator himself compliments me I am thrilled!

Ben Casey is fun in small doses, literally. Medical drama can be rather upsetting if one watches too much. But this and Kildare are the ones to get for sure. And I love McCloud, in fact I love anything with Dennis Weaver.

 

[ScottRE]

You're probably right about Gunsmoke not coming to BD.
I just think it is a possibility because the work is already done, and they can cram a ton of HD episodes on one disc nowadays (CBS doesn't care about bit rates anyway). I'm sure it wouldn't be subtitled though, but It will still look great.
It has been a great seller on DVD, even the huge chunky DVD set broke the top 100 (when it was in sale a year ago) at Amazon.

Also consider the audience who would want it have already - and fairly recently - spent a month's allowance on the big box set if they didn't go on the journey with the individual releases. And since CBS/Paramount has yet to make the HD jump to shorter and equally legendary shows (like The Fugitive and The Untouchables), Gunsmoke is a longshot.

Anyway, back on topic...



Tales of the Gold Monkey: Legends Are Forever.

One of Jake Cutter's old pilot friends (William Lucking) returns with a far fetched story that he knows where King Solomon's treasure is. He leads Jake, Corky, Jack and Sarah on a dangerous quest to find it - at great cost.

Man I forgot how great this series was. Thanks to the popularity of Raiders of the Lost Ark, this series (actually inspired by the films Only Angels Have Wings and Casablanca) created by Donald Bellisario is filled with fun, excitement, adventure and great characters. Stephen Collins (putting aside his horrific and already talked about actions) is a likeable and offbeat choice to lead the series.



The great Jeff Mackay as Corky is such a treasure in his greatest role. Usually a goofy sidekick like this would annoy me on principal but there's magic in his work and I love the guy. He's touchingly sweet and often hilarious.



Caitlin O'Heaney is appropriately cast as Sarah Stickley-White, an American agent keeping tabs on the neutral village of Boragora. I had such a crush on her when I was a lad. There's a habit in shows of this vintage to make their women look contemporary rather than period. They walked a line with her look and it works.



And, of course, Roddy McDowall is one of my favorite actors. He joined the cast in the second episode, replacing Ron Moody as Bon Chance Louie, the village magistrate. He's such a great character and Roddy is always a win.



I can't go on without mentioning Jack, the Jack Russel terrier (Leo) who is as much a part of the cast as anyone else. Again, usually cute animals grate but he's charming and his interactions are genuinely amusing. Especially since Jake keeps losing his Opal with star sapphire false eye in games of chance.



The great William Lucking, who was a staple on shows like this during the era is winning as Jake's old friend who had a knack for getting Jake into life and death scrapes. They settle every argument with a fistfight and the brawl at the Monkey Bar in the first act is a great example of 80's stage fighting. Great fun.



The stories move quickly and there's a ton of budget on screen. So much location shooting and fresh shots of the Grumman Goose, with action, a ton of guest actors and even back projection.



Sadly the ratings weren't really high enough to justify the cost, so the show got the axe. It went right to USA for reruns where it stayed for a bit. It was a genuine shame, the series was really great. The theme tune by 80's TV stalwarts Mike Post and Pete Carpenter is an earworm and the scores by Frank Denson keep that adventurous feel throughout the run.



I have to be careful, I get so wrapped up in the series as it goes, I tend to plow through a few episodes rather than savor them. Shout Factory still sells the series and at a decent price. The prints are below par, no work has been done on them, but they are more than watchable and when a show is this much of a joy to watch, it doesn't matter.



Jeff Mackay and Roddy are both gone, Collins is living in disgrace, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this series.

 

[The 1960's]

Anyway, back on topic...

View attachment 172929

Tales of the Gold Monkey: Legends Are Forever.

One of Jake Cutter's old pilot friends (William Lucking) returns with a far fetched story that he knows where King Solomon's treasure is. He leads Jake, Corky, Jack and Sarah on a dangerous quest to find it - at great cost.

Man I forgot how great this series was. Thanks to the popularity of Raiders of the Lost Ark, this series (actually inspired by the films Only Angels Have Wings and Casablanca) created by Donald Bellisario is filled with fun, excitement, adventure and great characters. Stephen Collins (putting aside his horrific and already talked about actions) is a likeable and offbeat choice to lead the series.

View attachment 172930

The great Jeff Mackay as Corky is such a treasure in his greatest role. Usually a goofy sidekick like this would annoy me on principal but there's magic in his work and I love the guy. He's touchingly sweet and often hilarious.

View attachment 172931

Caitlin O'Heaney is appropriately cast as Sarah Stickley-White, an American agent keeping tabs on the neutral village of Boragora. I had such a crush on her when I was a lad. There's a habit in shows of this vintage to make their women look contemporary rather than period. They walked a line with her look and it works.

View attachment 172932

And, of course, Roddy McDowall is one of my favorite actors. He joined the cast in the second episode, replacing Ron Moody as Bon Chance Louie, the village magistrate. He's such a great character and Roddy is always a win.

View attachment 172933

I can't go on without mentioning Jack, the Jack Russel terrier (Leo) who is as much a part of the cast as anyone else. Again, usually cute animals grate but he's charming and his interactions are genuinely amusing. Especially since Jake keeps losing his Opal with star sapphire false eye in games of chance.

View attachment 172937

The great William Lucking, who was a staple on shows like this during the era is winning as Jake's old friend who had a knack for getting Jake into life and death scrapes. They settle every argument with a fistfight and the brawl at the Monkey Bar in the first act is a great example of 80's stage fighting. Great fun.

View attachment 172939

The stories move quickly and there's a ton of budget on screen. So much location shooting and fresh shots of the Grumman Goose, with action, a ton of guest actors and even back projection.

View attachment 172944 View attachment 172946 View attachment 172940 View attachment 172941 View attachment 172942 View attachment 172943

Sadly the ratings weren't really high enough to justify the cost, so the show got the axe. It went right to USA for reruns where it stayed for a bit. It was a genuine shame, the series was really great. The theme tune by 80's TV stalwarts Mike Post and Pete Carpenter is an earworm and the scores by Frank Denson keep that adventurous feel throughout the run.



I have to be careful, I get so wrapped up in the series as it goes, I tend to plow through a few episodes rather than savor them. Shout Factory still sells the series and at a decent price. The prints are below par, no work has been done on them, but they are more than watchable and when a show is this much of a joy to watch, it doesn't matter.

View attachment 172947 View attachment 172948

Jeff Mackay and Roddy are both gone, Collins is living in disgrace, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this series.

Nicely done Scott. A curious series for sure. voltranboy on YouTube has 13 watchable episodes uploaded there. Darn high 8.0 rating at IMDb!

Wow, those are great screen caps from Death Valley Days of DeForest Kelley and Grace Lee Whitney. I’ve never seen that series. I’ve read and seen interviews with Kelley discussing his work in westerns playing heavy’s. But there’s less info on Grace Lee’s work. I know she did Batman after Star Trek and The Outer Limits before Star Trek. It’s also neat to see Kelley in a Route 66.

Randall, the photo essay of The Saint episode with Donald Sutherland is cool. I think that episode has been mentioned before. I look forward to seeing it. It’s interesting of the Saint episodes I’ve been watching from the 1st and 2nd seasons are based on the books. I’m imagining that later episodes would have used up that material?

Will Nelson soon begin watching classic tv westerns?

Wouldn't it be best if he finished watching what he already has?

Will he continue spending more time ripping and labeling than actually watching?

The Saint S5E14 Escape Route (July 9, 1967) W: Michael Winder, D: Roger Moore. Guest starring John Gregson, Wanda Ventham, Donald Sutherland, Jean Marsh, Jeremy Burnham, Ivor Dean, Vicki Woolf.

The Saint was out of production for about a year as ITC retooled the series for color and return as a 1967 mid-season-summer replacement show for ABC in the states. With an increased budget, Roger Moore returned with occasional director gigs as an added incentive. As was the case with his earlier directed episodes, he was fond of location filming at familiar landmarks such as Victoria Station and Trafalgar Square. And with Escape Route, he handled a remarkable cast with John Gregson (Scott of the Antarctic, Lavender Hill Mob, Sea of Sand, Gideon's Way/C.I.D. etc.), Donald Sutherland (Dirty Dozen, Kelly's Heroes, Eagle Has Landed, Eye of the Needle, 196 credits and still working today), Jean Marsh (Frenzy, Eagle Has Landed, Willow, Upstairs/Downstairs, still active today), lovely ITC babe Wanda Ventham (Blood Beast Terror, UFO, Doctor Who, still working today), and veteran ITC company Ivor Dean, Jeremy Burnham, Romo Gorraro and pretty Vicki Woolf in a fleeting scene.

Simon Templar seems to have finally succumbed to the darkside of 'Cat Burglary' ...no surprise to Inspector Teal (Ivor Dean), who has long suspected 'the Saint' of concealing his nefarious nature. Teal catches Simon red-handed stealing a fortune in jewelry, and soon convicted, Templar is off to gaol...the truth is soon revealed...the Saint is working undercover and in concert with the same Inspector who has long held him in absolute contempt...what's up with that? Is Templar just a sucker for punishment? Simon soon finds himself a cell-mate with goon John Wood (Donald Sutherland). After an initial dust-up, Simon and Wood become fast friends. The cocksure convict is sure that he'll soon escape with the help of a mysterious enabler, and urges Simon to join him as they make an exciting escape on a helicopter from their hard labor in a quarry. Simon soon is introduced to their mysterious benefactor...'Colonel Roberts' (John Gregson making for a stylish criminal) and his threatening number two (Jeremy Burnham) and cold-as-ice colleague (Jean Marsh)...the price for their freedom is a half share in their hidden stolen riches...Colonel Roberts promises to smuggle them across the channel to the continent...but can the Colonel be trusted? And Simon is deeply concerned with protecting a club singer (Wanda Ventham looking scrumptious) who suspects the Colonel of having killed her father, an innocent man...my screen caps from the TMG/Shout complete series DVD set...
View attachment 172767
View attachment 172768
View attachment 172769
View attachment 172770
View attachment 172771
View attachment 172772
View attachment 172773
View attachment 172774
View attachment 172775
View attachment 172776
View attachment 172777
View attachment 172778
View attachment 172779
View attachment 172780
View attachment 172781
View attachment 172782

Concluded next post...

The Saint S5E14 Escape Route (July 9, 1967) directed by Roger Moore, concluded...

Having finally met the mysterious enabler 'Colonel Roberts' (John Gregson) who facilitated his prison escape with fellow prisoner John Wood (Donald Sutherland), Simon Templar also needs to worry about the lovely club singer Penny (Wanda Ventham), who knows that Colonel Roberts has killed her father and is now determined to take him down...Simon and John Wood are about to be smuggled across the channel by Roberts' crew, with a half-share of the criminal's stolen loot as fare...Simon knows the Colonel can't be trusted, especially with his threatening minions Harry (Jeremy Burnham) and Ann (Jean Marsh)...Penny's fate seems to be sealed when the Colonel discovers that she is the daughter of the man he once killed...despite police Inspector Teal's best efforts, Simon will have to save the day by himself...but if anyone can, it's the Saint!
View attachment 172783
View attachment 172784
View attachment 172785
View attachment 172786
View attachment 172787
View attachment 172788
View attachment 172789
View attachment 172792

There's a commentary on this episode conducted by Jaz Wiseman with star and director Roger Moore and production supervisor Peter Manley and executive producer Robert S. Baker that's also worth a listen...among other things, Roger Moore recounts how Donald Sutherland got his big break in The Dirty Dozen, having screened his rushes from this Saint episode for director Robert Aldrich at MGM Boreham Wood...and Sutherland was off to the races with an acclaimed career that is still going strong...Escape Route is an exciting episode with an astounding cast...and luscious Wanda Ventham is yet another scrumptious ITC babe...still active today along with Sutherland and Jean Marsh!

R.I.P. Sir Roger Moore and John Gregson.

Randall I've accumulated so much stuff I didn't even realize I had not one but separate collections of The Saint, both digital downloads. This morning I watched Escape Route and I must say I was not at all impressed. The story was so predictable I was able to guess exactly what was about to happen the entire way through. Your commentary was far more interesting to me than the episode itself. Also the quality of this color episode left something to be desired. The b&w episodes at first glance look much better. Have the color episodes been remastered on BluRay? Anyhow thank you for your fine Photo Commentary. I hope there are other episodes better than this one.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Death Valley Days
The Breaking Point

Bones, and Janice Rand are in cahoots, and shacking up. DeForest Kelley plays a no good trying to drive tension and paranoia in the minds of two likeable gold prospectors. Grace Lee Whitney is a saloon gal in the scheme as well. Gets a bit worrisome toward the end, but like most episodes of Death Valley Days, it has a decent outcome. Sadly thus was the last episode I saw on Starz streaming service before they pulled the series entirely.

Good news about Gunsmoke coming to Paramount+ in HD, but sad to hear that Starz is pulling Death Valley Days. Thanks for the great screencaps and review of the DeForrest Kelley and Grace Lee Whitney episode, Bryan! Ms. Whitney's sure looking very fine there. Hopefully, some other streaming site will pick that series up. Agreed with Randall about not being able to rely on various streamers for consistent viewing of classic material...but it's a double-edged sword, as many of these older shows would likely not receive these beautiful HD remasters if it wasn't for the streaming market (and to a lesser extent, cable TV). At this late stage, we'll have to take what we can get.

Tales of the Gold Monkey: Legends Are Forever.

Man I forgot how great this series was. Thanks to the popularity of Raiders of the Lost Ark, this series (actually inspired by the films Only Angels Have Wings and Casablanca) created by Donald Bellisario is filled with fun, excitement, adventure and great characters.

Great tribute to this very fun series, Scott! Nice caps, too. "Legends Are Forever" is among my two or three favorite Gold Monkey episodes, and William Lucking's brash character works well with Collin's more measured lead. Agreed on the rather lackluster picture quality of the DVD sets (mine is the R2 Fabulous Films version, which looks on par with the caps you've posted above), but am also with you that the image quality is adequate and that mild caveat shouldn't prevent someone from enjoying this very entertaining show. It's still plenty watchable.

This morning I watched Escape Route and I must say I was not at all impressed. The story was so predictable I was able to guess exactly what was about to happen the entire way through. Your commentary was far more interesting to me than the episode itself. Also the quality of this color episode left something to be desired. The b&w episodes at first glance look much better. Have the color episodes been remastered on BluRay? Anyhow thank you for your fine Photo Commentary. I hope there are other episodes better than this one.

Wow, disagree with you strongly on the relative merits of "Escape Route," Neal...but hey, as our buddy Marv would say, we can't all like the same things.

I would recommend checking out an episode or two from the earlier black-and-white seasons before giving up on the show. As Nelson alludes in his post, the monochrome episodes were pretty much all based on Saint creator Leslie Charteris' short stories, whereas most of the later color episodes were original to the TV series. The B & W eps are a little more down-to-earth and serious than some of the color ones. While I haven't seen a huge amount of the B & W ones yet (they were never syndicated in my neck o' the woods when I was growing up), I can strongly recommend the following episodes:

"The Arrow of God"
"The Saint Plays with Fire"
"The Miracle Tea Party"
"The Scorpion"
"The Saint Steps In"
"Sibao"

If you watch any of those and don't care for them, then it's obvious this series is just not for you.

Per your other question, to the best of my knowledge, only two Saint episodes are available in HD, both color: "The Queen's Ransom" (which is available on Network's Retro-Action! sampler set) and "The Ex-King of Diamonds" (a dry-run for The Persuaders!, with The Champions' Stuart Damon in the Tony Curtis role). That episode is included as an extra on Network's awesome The Persuaders! Complete Series Blu-Ray set. As for the B & W episodes...I have Network's big monochrome Saint set and think the episodes on it look pretty great by DVD standards. The transfers used for the A & E color seasons set look fine but as you say, far from pristine. Hopefully Network will eventually remaster the color seasons of the show at the very least and release them on Blu-Ray, but with 47 color episodes, that will be a massive and expensive undertaking, so who knows if it will happen.

Here's a short trailer for Retro-ACTION! Volume 2, which has clips from The Saint "The Queen's Ransom" in HD (as well as from Gideon's Way "The Tin God"), which should give you some idea of how great those series clean up in HD:

 

[Justin2001]

Does High School Musical on DVD Count?

 

[ScottRE]

Oh boy.

All 20 (7-20 only...thanks Clark)

Yeah, I was just gonna come back and comment. It's been starting at season 7 for some time, which is why I'll spring for the massive DVD set. That's a bummer, I would love the entire series available on the platform.

 

[ScottRE]

Does High School Musical on DVD Count?

I don't think that's aged into "Classic" yet.

 

[Nelson Au]

Jeff, I recently watched both The Miracle Tea Party and The Scorpion. And I rather enjoyed many others. The Bunco Artists and Luella are fun episodes. Interesting to see a young David Hedison as Simon’s old friend before his Captain Crane role and back with Moore as Felix Leiter.

With so many British TV shows being discussed here, I happen to watch two episodes of Thunderbirds yesterday. One of the shows that I liked a lot as a child. Along with the other Gerry Anderson Supermarionation shows. Plus I watched an episode of Space: 1999 tonight. One of the more fun episodes, The Last Sunset.

Neal, ha, ha! Those are great clips from The Twilight Zone and one of my favorite episodes! Another episode that haunted me as a kid and to later realize it was The Shat. The Mystic Seer is correct!

And yeah, not so sure, I’ll ever be collecting any Westerns. I did see a video being sold that I never bought that collected episodes that the original Star Trek actors appearing in, including Kelley and Nimoy. To do that properly would probably cost a fortune to buy all the shows on DVD and make a collection up.

 

[ScottRE]

Jeff, I recently watched both The Miracle Tea Party and The Scorpion. And I rather enjoyed many others. The Bunco Artists and Luella are fun episodes. Interesting to see a young David Hedison as Simon’s old friend before his Captain Crane role and back with Moore as Felix Leiter.

Hedison was filming that episode when Irwin was pestering him. Roger Moore told him to take it. That plus being told Basehart was cast sealed the deal.

And yeah, not so sure, I’ll ever be collecting any Westerns.

You say that now, but once it dawns on you that Roddenberry wrote two dozen episodes of Have Gun Will Travel, you'll pick that up. Then you'll realizes it;s a great series in general. Suddenly, you're open to Westerns. It's alllll downhill from there. This is how Satan works!

Welcome to the dark side, Nelson!!!

 

[Nelson Au]

Hey Scott! I had read about how Roger Moore helped to convince David to take the job. In watching that episode of The Saint, he seemed so young and played that character so broadly. I’ve not seen the black and white episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea in ages, but he seemed so much more serious as Captain Crane!

About Have Gun Will Travel, I’ve actually picked up the series in early 2020. I have not had a chance to open the set yet. It’s probably the only real Western TV series I have if you consider The Wild Wild West sort of James Bond in the old west.

 

[ScottRE]

I have the DVD set. If you like Lee Marvin or tightly scripted half hour narrated cop shows, it is highly recommended. I purchased based on the generally positive reaction from members in this subforum. This one and McGavin's Mike Hammer I have really enjoyed discovering. Both use some location filming, Marvin in Chicago and McGavin in New York. I have found the episodes very watchable due to 5he stories being told. Squad's video is average to poor, but the story generally draws you in. Timeless worked with what they had. I had never heard of this show before reading about it in here.

I have never seen Highway Patrol and The FBI was not something my family watched. I have no way to say how it stacks up. I'm sure others on this forum can answer that question.

For me, I'm glad to own this one. I did realize that M Squad was the jumping off point for Police Squad.

Hey Doug (or anyone honestly) I am interested in M Squad but I see different packaging depending on the site. Are the individual slip cases per season or a foldout of the entire series? I'm tired of being scammed...

 

[Doug Wallen]

My copy has 9 double DVD cases, 18 discs in all. I believe that there are 8 episodes per disc. The series is not broken into seasons. When the first season ends, the very next episode is season 2, episode 1. The series utilizes 17 discs, the 18th (if memory serves) are other television appearances featuring Lee Marvin.

The episodes appear to be uncut, but the quality is all over the place. For me, having this series is the thing.

I am on disc 16, still savoring each episode. I have been watching 4 eps at a time. Having known him from movies only (series premiered two weeks before I was born), I have enjoyed seeing him in this series (similar to watching star Steve McQueen in his Western before he exploded on the big screen).

Good luck finding a copy. Hope this helps.

I'm at home and have just checked, my copy is 16 discs and is as described in the following post.

 

[GMBurns]

The M Squad set I bought 6 years ago is similar to Doug's, with a slightly lower disc count (16). It's 5 discs per season, even though they aren't labeled that way, and disc 16 has the extras: episodes of Virginian, Wagon Train, Checkmate and Lawbreaker with Lee Marvin. At the time I paid about $38 for it. It's still selling on Amazon for $58 and on Shout's website for $63, still not bad for 117 episodes. As Doug mentioned the quality varies per episode. But it's a fun series to have. Marvin's character is no nonsense, and he always gets the bad guys. Best watched late at night with the lights turned off.

 

[Doug Wallen]

Columbo
The Conspirators (7.5) Clive Revill, Jeanette Nolan, Bernard Behrens, Michael Horton, Albert Paulsen, L.Q. Jones, Sean McClory.

Make Me A Perfect Murder (7.3) Trish Van Devere, Laurence Luckinbill, Patrick O'Neal, James McEachin, Ron Rifkin, Lanie Kazan, Bruce Kirby.

End of the original run. Last episode of season 7 aired on May 13, 1978 and was off for nearly 11 years. The series returned on February 6, 1989.

Gunsmoke
Roots Of Fear (15.13) John Anderson, Louise Latham, Jodie Foster, Cliff Osmond, Warren Vanders, Walter Burke, Roy Roberts, Robert Karnes.

The Sisters (15.14) Jack Elam, Lynn Hamilton, Craig Huxley.

The War Priest (15.15) Forrest Tucker, Richard Anderson, John Crawford, Sam Melville, Richard Hale.

M Squad
Race To Death (3.24) Don Kelly, J. Pat O'Malley, Mary Munday, Diana Crawford.

The Velvet Stakeout (3.25) Whitney Blake, John Shay, Malcolm Atterbury.

Anything For Joe (3.26) Ann Morrison, John Herman Shaner, Joe Corey, Charles Tannen.

A Kid Up There (3.27) Bert Freed, Connie Gilchrist, Al Ruscio.

Nichols
Ketcham Power (1.3) Joyce van Patten, John Rubinstein. Not sure why this episode is placed here. Story-wise, it belongs on the first disc as it is out of continuity for the series.

The One-Eyed Mule's Time Has Come (1.10) Walter Burke, Kristofer Tabori, Roy Jenson, , Rayford Barnes, Jerry Summers, Lillian Bronson.

Away The Rolling River (1.11) Steve Forrest, Stefan Gierasch, Richard Yniguez, John Daheim, William Patterson.

Where Did Everybody Go? (1.12) Catlin Adams, Jesse Vint, Bill Vint, Alan Vint, Paul Hampton, Robert Gist, Richard Bull.

The Untouchables
City Without A Name (3.9) Paul Richards, Mike Kellin, Bruce Gordon, Theodore Marcuse, George Keymas, Vic Perrin.

Hammerlock (3.10) Harold J. Stone, John Larch, Will Kuluva, Joan Staley, Robert Carricart, John McLiam, Oscar Beregi, Jr.

The Canada Run (3.11) Simon Oakland, Arthur Hill, Bruce Gordon, Dabbs Greer, Than Wyenn.

Fall Guy (3.12) Jay C. Flippen, Herschel Bernardi, Don Gordon, Robert Emhardt, Herbie Faye, Frank Cady, John Lormer.

The Virginian
The Man Who Couldn't Die (1.19) Vera Miles, James Doohan, David White, Jeff Morrow, Walter Brooke, E. J. Andre, Brendan Dillon.

If You Have Tears (1.20) Dana Wynter, Robert Vaughn, Phyllis Avery, Gene Raymond, Britt Lomond, John Milford, Frank Ferguson, Tol Avery, Stacy Harris, Nancy Sinatra.

The Small Parade (1.21) David Wayne, Barbara Barrie, R. G. Armstrong, George Brenlin, Ford Rainey, J. Pat O'Malley, Morgan Woodward, Del McKinnon, Roy Barcroft, John Banner.

Ellery Queen
The Adventure Of The Tyrant Of Tin Pan Alley (1.19) Rudy Vallee, Ken Berry, Polly Bergen, Michael Callan, Norman Fell, Albert Salmi, Tom Reese, Renne Jarrett, Brad David.

The Adventure of Caesar's Last Sleep (1.20) Edward Albert, Stuart Whitman, Jan Murray, Michael V. Gazzo, Kevin Tighe, Elizabeth Lane, Timothy Carey, Erica Hagen, Arch Johnson, Bibi Besch.

The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet
David's Engagement (4.1) Diane Jergens, Will Wright.

Homemade Ice Cream (4.2) Jesse White.

The Football Hero (4.3) What will it be, football or band?

Invitation To Dinner (4.4) King Donovan, Barbara Eiler, Diane Jergens.

Carnation Perfume (4.5) Diane Jergens.

The Campers (4.6) Neighbors on a bet for the pride of their family name.

Man Across The Street (4.7) Parley Baer, Diane Jergens.

Music Appreciation (4.8) Susan Whitney, Rickie Pond. Symphonic classical or “bop” music. Great dance contest.

Ball Of Tinfoil (4.9) Frank Cady, Parley Baer.

Wedding Rings (4.10) Janet Waldo, Joyce Holden, Dick Elliott. Excellent scam perpetrated by Harriett.

Interesting to see Ozzie and Harriet sharing a double bed.

 

[ScottRE]

Thanks @Doug Wallen and @GMBurns for the M Squad info. It'll help in my decision making.

Too many shows out there.