A small taste

A few years back, television series began coming out on DVD. Usually television shows that were very popular and only had recently gone off the air. Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek Deep Space Nine being just two examples.

Of late the television shows being put on DVD is much more common. Here is just a small sampling I saw in Target recently- That Girl, Perry Mason, Hogan's Heroes, F Troop, The Gilmore Girls, 24, I Dream of Jeanie, Mission Impossible, St. Elsewhere and Bewitched to name just a few. If one is a fan of old or classic television, and I am, these DVD collections are like gold. Twenty years ago if one wanted to see a television show no longer on the air, you could turn on a local channel and find plenty to offer. Not so much anymore, local channels have long since switched to Judge and talk shows. If one wants to watch old classic television shows, they have to go to cable and then other than TV Land there isn't even that much around.

While TFM appreciates these old shows coming out, I have assembled a collection of ones as varied as Hogan's Heroes Star Trek DS9 and The West Wing, I've also been noticing a problem. Some of the companies putting out the shows but not doing a complete set. In other words releasing a season or two and then stopping.

I'll mention three such examples

Hogan's Heroes- Seasons 1-5 are out but season six isn't and doesn't appear likely to be coming either since CBS Video has made a collector set of seasons 1-5.
Mission Impossible- Season 1 out and no announcement yet for season two
St. Elsewhere- Ditto



TFM just bought the first season of Hawaii Five 0. I love that show.

Some of my favorite episodes were-

The V for Vashon Trilogy- McGarret vs. An Island crime family led by Harold Gould and Luther Adler. Five 0's only three part episode.

Retire in Sunny Hawaii-Forever- When show star James McArthur's real-life mother, award winning actress Helen Hayes made a guest appearance on the show.

3,000 Crooked Miles to Hawaii- Buddy Ebsen plays a larcenous academic who leads a plane full of criminals to the island. The show's closing line by McGarret, "Aloha, suckers" is not easily forgotten.

One big Happy Family- Slim Pickens leads a hillbilly family that comes to the islands and starts killing people in order to support the family's vacation. The mother's explanation for their crimes at the end is chilling.

Cloth of Gold, Skinhead, and Highest Castle Deepest Grave are three other standout episodes that come to my mind. There are others. Since getting the DVD on Friday, I've managed to watch The pilot and two other episodes in full.

All seven of those episodes above come in Hawaii Five 0's seasons 3-8. Remember Five 0 was on for twelve seasons in all. My own opinion of the show is that its best seasons were 3-6. Season 12 is best forgotten.

The question I have is will CBS DVD and Paramount Home entertainment be dedicated enough to put out all 12 seasons? Supposedly the DVDs sold out quickly in Hawaii. There is a market for this show, but if the companies are only going to tease us with a season or two, I think there are going to be more a few fans of Five 0 are going to feel betrayed.

Maybe Danno can threaten to book em if the need arises. I guess Five 0's fans will just have to wait. Aloha.

Linked to- Blue Star, Cao, Jo, Woman Honor Thyself,