Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Eighth Season Review

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(More customer reviews)Amazon suggests that reviewers tell what we would have wanted to know before we purchased this product. Well, I'll tell you: For the past few years, I have heard that, after Season 6, Five-0 really fell off. In my opinion, that simply is NOT true. Granted Five-0 changed after Season 6. It became more mature, taking a more intellectual look at issues and details. We certainly wouldn't have spent an hour in Season 1, learning about the art world, yet we did in Season 7 ("How to Steal a Masterpiece"), and we are all the better for it.
In Season 8, we continue to learn. In "Death's Name is Sam," we learn about heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles - hand-held ones, in fact. This was brand new technology in 1975, when this was filmed. Even now, it is fascinating to watch as McGarrett tries to divert the missile with flares in order to keep the aircraft from being shot down. Fortunately, the experimental effort was successful. But Season 8 isn't all about technology and learning.
Steve has a new love interest in Season 8 ("Sing a Song of Suspense"). She is Chelsea Merriman, and she is a professional singer. After witnessing a brutal murder, she is taken to Steve's beach house for safekeeping. Oh, how the romantic sparks fly between them. As he leaves for work, she tells him to "Call if you're going to be late tonight, dear." I had to wonder whether Lois Nettleton, who portrayed Chelsea, didn't ad lib some of those lines.
The Five-0 Team has settled in nicely with McGarrett, Danno, Chin Ho, Duke, Jenny, Che Fong, and Doc - and the Governor, of course. Sadly, Season 8 was Doc's last on the show. He will be missed.
All the way through, not a single dud came to light. Not every episode was bottle rockets and roman candles, but every one was good and held my attention from beginning to end. Don't miss it. McGarrett and the Five-0 Team are still right on top. Be there. Aloha!

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Studio: Paramount Home VideoRelease Date: 03/16/2010

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Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Second Season (1968) Review

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(More customer reviews)Nothing lasts 12 years without having something going for it. In the case of Hawaii Five-O, it easy to dismiss it as a typically television crime drama that got lucky by finding its audience and keeping it. The same could be said for Law and Order. Except, in television years, luck usually runs out after two or three years. Gimmicks get old, the formula is figured out, and sharks are jumped so often they don't even complain.
But shows that last five years, much less 12, have to have something besides luck, gimmicks, and great scheduling. Hawaii Five-O had a number of things going for it. First of all, let's be honest. The setting was, and still is so lush and exotic that it is easily intoxicating. Hawaii is beautiful, and most people either live there or want to live there. Filming on location has always been a blessing when it's been done, and probably no more so than on this series.
Next, Jack Lord, playing Five-O chief Steve McGarrett, was one of a long line of no-nonsense law enforcement figures. The strength, integrity, and dedication of these kinds of characters cannot be overstated, and these characters will always have lots of fans rooting them on, not unlike Law and Order's Jack McCoy.
Finally, watching shows like this is always a treat because you see so many stars that were either big stars enjoying a working Hawaiian vacation, or lots of up and coming stars before they got their big break. Hawaii Five-O was a natural draw for both categories, and it's fun to watch them and remember when.
It's also fun to remember when you could look forward to hearing one of the best and most recognizable theme songs in television history. Not a small thing when you add it with the other factors. Hawaii Five-O had a lot going for it then, and it has a lot going for it now.

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Filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, the show followed Jack Lord as he played Steve McGarrett, head of an elite state police unit investigating "organized crime, murder, assassination attempts, foreign agents, felonies of every type." James MacArthur played his second-in-command Danny ("Danno") Williams, with local actors Kam Fong, Zulu, Al Harrington, and Herman Wedemeyer, among others, playing members of the Five-O team. Guest stars included Helen Hayes, Ricardo Montalban, Leslie Nielsen, Herbert Lom, Hume Cronyn among others. McGarrett's nemesis is the evil Wo Fat — "a Red Chinese agent in charge of the entire Pacific Asiatic theatre.

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Hawaii Five-O - The Complete First Season (1968) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have long been waiting for H5O to come out on dvd. (I mean, come on we have 6 seasons of Magnum P.I. now...) After watching my almost 20 year old VHS tapes made from tv I can say these dvd's blow me away with the clean crisp prints and excellent sound. This show was groundbreaking in that it was shot comepletely on location in Hawaii, something that was very expensive to do, and who can ever forget that theme music.
Season 1 has several great episodes and the pilot episode a 96 minute one called "Cocoon" is very chilling. Some of the standout episodes from this season are the pilot one, And They Painted Daisies On His Coffin, By The Numbers, Yesterday Died and Tomorrow Won't Be Born, King Of The Hill, and The Box. Two of these have Gavin McLeod playing the role of drug kingpin "Big Chicken" and he does it very well.
The only extra is a nice one. It is a special from 1996 filmed in Hawaii with James MacArthur as co-host. Sadly most of the stars of H5O have passed on since this was taped but it is a very interesting and informative special with a nice tribute to Jack Lord. My biggest wish is that James MacArthur had done some commentary for a few episodes, mostly King Of The Hill and And They Painted Daisies On His Coffin, as these were very piviotal episodes based on his character Danno.
If you are a fan of this show (or 1960's cop shows in general) be sure to pick it up you will not be dissapointed. Hopefully we won't have to wait twelve years to have all twelve seasons on dvd. Last note, all the epidoes apprear unedited and run approximately 51 minutes and all music seems to be intact including sevreal night club numbers sung by various guest stars on the show. Kudos to CBS for clearing the music rights for this show.

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Filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, the show followed Jack Lord as he played Steve McGarrett, head of an elite state police unit investigating "organized crime, murder, assassination attempts, foreign agents, felonies of every type." James MacArthur played his second-in-command Danny ("Danno") Williams, with local actors Kam Fong, Zulu, Al Harrington, and Herman Wedemeyer, among others, playing members of the Five-O team.

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