TV Shows on DVD Reviewed
by Billy Ingram

Car 54, Where Are You?

Car 54, Where Are You? has arrived on DVD and it's terrific. If you haven't seen this sitcom from the early-1960s it truly is one of the funniest shows ever broadcast. That's not hyperbole, just the facts, ma'am.

Created by Nat Hiken (Sgt. Bilko) starring Fred Gwynn (The Munsters) and Joe E. Ross Car 54, Where Are You? became popular with a new generation of viewers after airing on TV Land or Nick, I forget which.

The regular cast includes Nipsey Russell, Beatrice Pons, Charlotte Rae, Al Lewis, and so many other recognizable Broadway and television actors turn up in guest roles - like Al Nesor (Li'l Abner) and the great Yiddish comedienne Molly Picon.

The scripts are as fresh as the day they were written.The genius of Nat Hiken's broad, over-the-top storylines and crisp direction is so evident in these comedy gems, he's one of the great unsung heroes of early TV. Every performance hits the highest note as these superb comics milk the proceedings for all it's worth.

The digital transfers were done right from the 35mm master prints so the picture and sound are first rate. Besides the 30 side splitting episodes of the first season, an interview with Charlotte Rae and Hank Garrett conducted by Robert Klein is included as an extra. I loved the stories about Joe E. Ross being such a pain on the set.

This is one of the best bargains out there when you consider there's almost 15 hours of the finest sitcom ever produced.    

GREAT CHRISTMAS RELEASE
From the press release: Once again, the Bing Crosby Archive digs deep into the vault to release a treasure trove of rare and unreleased material guaranteed to satisfy fans of Der Bingle. And what better time of the year than Christmas, because as everyone knows, no Christmas celebration is complete without that warm Crosby tone casting a glow on the proceedings.

Infinity Entertainment Group’s BING CROSBY: THE TELEVISION SPECIALS – Volume Two: The Christmas Specials showcases Bing’s beloved holiday shows, all of which are making their DVD debut. Included in this premiere, four-hour plus, two-disc collection are Bing’s first holiday special; his first color special; Bing Crosby and the Sounds of Christmas from 1971 and his final special, taped just five weeks before his death in 1977, Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas, which features the iconic duet of The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth with David Bowie. All four specials are presented in their original uncut form. Bonus Material includes: Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank Show, a 1957 holiday episode of The Frank Sinatra Show filmed in color, and out-takes from the 1962 Bing Crosby Christmas special with Mary Martin.

Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster

Invasion of the Astro Monster

I have fond memories of getting up early on Saturday morning in the 1970s and tuning in a far off, snowy station in Raleigh to watch a horror movie double feature that came on each week after the Farm Report. The movies were all 1950's B (and C) movies, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, The Thing, Incredible Shrinking Man, that sort of thing.

If we were really lucky there would be a Godzilla movie. They were the top monster movies of the time, surprisingly well-made schlock; it was like TV wrestling as guys in rubber costumes battle each other on a dirt ring.

Now the entire Godzilla catalogue has been released on individually released deluxe DVDs and these films are a joy to behold all over again. Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster is a hoot with Godzilla and the flying beast locked in mortal combat - rubber suit against rubber suit. These are the 'good guy' Godzilla movies where the creature is out to save mankind not destroy it.

It's mid-sixties fun on a grand scale, as is Invasion of the Astro Monster (also known as Monster Zero), an all star monster mash with Godzilla and Rodan battling Ghidorah on an alien planet. That one starred Nick Adams (The Rebel) in one of his last major roles, if you can call this a major role. He died 3 years after this production.

The transfers are crisp and the colors pop. It's every bit as fun (and funny) as I remember them being. The cool thing is you get both the American and Japanese versions of the movies, along with commentary tracks for each and other bonus features. A serious value for only $18.00 if you order online now.

This is a beautifully packed set of individual DVDs - buy one or get them all. My 10 year old nephew is crazy about Godzilla movies, if you have kids this would be a double treat. You'll enjoy it as much as the little ones!

The commentaries by Stuart Galbraith (Invasion of the Astro Monster) and David Kalat (Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster) are concise and loaded with obscure info on the Japanese monster genre, the special effects (which can be quite good), actors and filmmakers.

Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Vol. 1

Oh joy! Oh heaven! Popeye is on DVD in a brand new deluxe collection that is one of the most exiting DVD releases in a long while - and the extras are nothing short of extraordinary.

During the first two decades of television, Popeye cartoons were often thrown on if a station had a few minutes to kill, a common problem in the early days. They were also popular on local kid shows and could be clustered in a half hour block to fill time in the mornings. As a result, I'm sure I watched every one of these as a kid but I haven't seen them since - the early, best Popeyes were all in black & white so they pretty much disappeared from broadcast television after the mid-sixties.

If you only viewed the later Popeye cartoons I can understand why you might think I'm exaggerating here. The first Popeyes are nothing short of genius, hilariously funny, wonderfully inventive, wildly imaginative. These cartoons in particular are some of the best animated shorts of all time, created before the characters became too mainstreamed and tame, silly and obnoxious.

Restored to a luscious black and white luster, they look astonishing especially considering how old and neglected these films were. At times they look brand new. And wait until you see the early color Popeyes, they shimmer and shine with a brilliant luster.

The production of this DVD set was a labor of love obviously, the couple of dozen commentaries are all insightful and inspiring, everything you ever wanted to know about Popeye and early animation in general by the top animation / Popeye historians anywhere including authors and cartoon pros Jerry Beck, Eric Goldberg, Glenn Mitchell, John Kricfalusi and others. If you're contemplating a career in animation this is a master's course.

There are 2 documentaries and some retrospectives, 'Out of the Inkwell' silent shorts are also in abundance, innovative live action mixed with animation shorts that I actually watched on television as a very young boy.What a spectacular value!

This is the only Popeye collection you'll need, the best of the best. If you have kids, here comes some quality time with mom and dad. I suppose they're a lot more violent than what kids get on Cartoon Network but there's a great deal more wit and style than you'll find in modern fare. They aren't politically correct, they weren't created for our wimpy sensibilities. It is, in the words of commentator Paul Dini, "jolly violence."

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet: Best of Ricky and Dave

One of the longest-running and most beloved sitcoms returns to DVD with another 'best of' collection and it's a sweet, nostalgic time capsule of times gone by.

Personally, I enjoyed Ozzie & Harriet more when the focus was not on the kids, especially TV's first manufactured pop star Ricky, but I suppose I'm in the minority in that.

This is not laugh out loud funny stuff, it's more of a heartwarming, family affair. Heartwarming and weird - it's difficult to fit Ozzie & Harriet's world into a modern context. Folks just ain't like that anymore.

That's the charm of the series, sure, but the people who inhabit this TV land act in the most bizarre ways.

This was a time when parents were proud that their kids were part of the gang. Would you think twice if a 50 year old neighbor came to play upstairs alone with your 8 year old son? As a parent would you take a 60 minute ride on the back of a motorcycle to buy a toy, candy and flowers? Do you encounter many polite high school boys preoccupied with studying, listening intently to whatever adults have to say?

The soda shop down the street, teens in high waist trousers and sport coats, kids who say "swell," "gee," and call their dad "pop" - this is the America the Nelson family preserved in their shows and that alone makes this program so wonderful and so oddball.

There are a few extras - a trivia quiz, you can access the songs by themselves on each disc, and 4 radio episodes are included as well as a booklet with episode synopses.

In some (but not all) cases it looks as if syndicated prints were used, there are cuts and some of the show openings aren't the originals since the sponsor tags are missing (the show was sponsored by Hotpoint, Aunt Jemima and Coca-Cola which is why you'll see Ricky enjoying a Coke at school).

Only the final season was shot in color and there are 2 episodes from that year (1966-67). The transition is glaring, it's no wonder the show was cancelled just as color TV took hold. The production was so anti-modernity even the elaborate sets were decorated with wallpaper, furniture and curtains right out of the early-1950s.

The prints look great for the most part, the sound is crystal clear. The color episodes look the roughest but that's a small criticism for a very nicely done DVD set.

TV SHOWS ON DVD REVIEWS: Mary Tyler Moore Show / Paul Lynde Halloween Special / Life on Mars / Sheriff of Cochise / U.S. Marshall / Bing Crosby Specials

TV Shows on DVD Reviewed -
some of the more obscure TV on DVD
releases you might have missed!

TV SHOWS ON DVD REVIEWS: Mary Tyler Moore Show / Paul Lynde Halloween Special / Life on Mars / Sheriff of Cochise / U.S. Marshall / Bing Crosby Specials

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