The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season One (5 Disc Box Set) (1961) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just bought this set (along with Season 2) and can't say enough good things about it. First, when Image says the episodes are "restored" -- they mean it! Picture and sound quality are excellent. Next, these are the FULL-LENGTH episodes, completely unedited. The first episode I played had a scene in the middle of the show that I'd never seen before (not on TV Land, not on Nick at Nite, not in local syndication). Running time of each episode is at least 25 minutes & 30 seconds -- wow. Another episode I played even had the original network footage at the beginning, with Dick Van Dyke saying, "Welcome to our new time slot." Amazing. Then there are the bonus features -- audio commentaries (interesting ones!) and new interviews and original TV commercials and Emmy Awards footage and more. Finally, the packaging is very sleek and looks great. Do yourself a favor and buy this. Do ALL "Dick Van Dyke Show" fans a favor and buy it so that Image will release Seasons 3 through 5.

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Trip into the living room of comedy writer Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) along with his lovely wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), wisecracking coworkers and nutty neighbors.Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, this groundbreaking series is consistently ranked among the top TV comedies of all time and renowned for its topnotch cast and stellar writing.Now enjoy the first season's entire 30 episodes, each digitally remastered to its original full-length version.
30 episodes on 5 discs: The Sick Boy and the Sitter, The Meershatz Pipe, Jealousy, Sally and the Lab Technician, Washington vs. the Bunny, Oh How We Met the Night That We Danced, The Unwelcome Houseguest, Harrison B. Harding of Camp Crowder MO, My Blonde-Haired Brunette, Forty-Four Tickets, Tell or Not to Tell, Sally Is a Girl, Empress Carlotta's Necklace, Buddy Can You Spare a Job?, Who Owes Who What?, Sol and the Sponsor, The Curious Thing About Women, Punch Thy Neighbor, Where Did I Come From?, The Boarder Incident, A Word a Day, The Talented Neighborhood, Father of the Week, The Twizzle, One Angry Man, Where You Been Fassbinder?, The Bad Old Days, I Am My Brother's Keeper, The Sleeping Brother, The Return of Happy Spangler.

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Rhoda: Season 4 -- BRAND NEW RELEASE Review

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(More customer reviews)After a melancholy Season Three chronicling Rhoda's separation and eventual divorce from Joe, the show bounces back in its fourth season, originally airing Sunday nights at 8pm on CBS during the 1977-78 TV season with a total of 24 episodes.
First, the bad: The script quality was declining at this point, but the cast gamely did their best with what they were given.
The good news is that Nancy Walker returns after a one-year absence (and two failed sitcom attempts at rival network ABC: "The Nancy Walker Show"; "Blansky's Beauties"). Her scenes with Harper and Kavner are always high points of the show. Kavner even won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work this season, beating out Sally Struthers.
With Joe out of the picture for good, the series can now focus on Rhoda and Brenda as two swinging singles in the Big Apple during the disco era. Even the opening credits reflect this, with location scenes of "Rho and Bren" throughout NYC backed by the absolute best version of the catchy theme song to date. (This version will get stuck in your head for days, with its powerhouse drumming and lovely bells and chimes).
Valerie Harper looks somewhat emaciated when the season begins, and Julie Kavner has grown her hair long, though she goes back to her medium-length hairstyle by mid-season.
Rhoda begins her new job working at a costume shop for gruff boss Jack Doyle. Friend and neighbour Gary (Ron Silver) is still in the picture, and Brenda is dating the rollerskating toll-booth operator Benny. Rhoda occasionally dates the flashy nightclub singer Johnny Venture. Verna, the crazy cat lady appears for a few episodes.
While many viewers have stated the show had clearly Jumped the Shark at this point, I suggest giving it a second chance because it actually plays better now compared to most of the subpar sitcoms of the late-1990s-today currently in syndication.
Some of the more memorable episodes this season include the opener where Ida returns from a one-year travelling vacation; "Who's Shy" in which Brenda joins a help group to become more assertive (watch for her dead-on Ida impression); "So Long, Lucky" (with "Phyllis" star Carmine Caridi) where Rhoda seems to have "cursed" a NYC cop; and "Five For the Road", which has the gang stranded during a road trip.
Shout! Factory has really done right by the fans by continuing to release "Rhoda" on DVD. After the Season One debacle with cut and faded prints, they have redeemed themselves because the episodes on subsequent releases look better than ever! The cover art has been gorgeous and the menus very well-done.
The design and layout of Season 4 seems a little cheaper than previous releases, but this is still a quality product we should be very grateful for. This volume uses the same graphics and layout as previous releases. However, like other Shout! Select titles, they have forgone the outer box/slim cases format and this set comes in a plastic snapcase. Also, the original episode airdates are not listed this time around.
The menus are more static and the closing theme loops as we see an episode selection and the same image of Rhoda that appears on the cover.
As with Seasons 2 and 3, the picture has been remastered and has never looked this good before. I can finally toss my old VHS tapes from WTN and Nick@Nite!
Fans need to support this Shout! select title so that they will soon bring us the fifth and final season on DVD. Here's hoping after that they will bring us a complete series set of "Phyllis"!

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