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 Phil Silvers had a solid career as a second
banana and comic support in dozens of Hollywood films, but it was this series,
developed for him by Nat Hiken, that made his fame. Master Sgt. Ernie Bilko is
the reigning conman at Fort Baxter, Kan., and the most entertainingly conniving
officer in this man's peacetime army. Bilko and his partners-in-hustle (Harvey
Lembeck and Allan Melvin) target every fresh recruit who marches through camp,
every payday bankroll in soldiers' pockets and especially the bankrolls of
fellow officers on the base. Paul Ford is the camp colonel, fully aware of
Bilko's reputation and nonetheless his eternal foil, and Elisabeth Fraser is his
match as Sgt. Joan Hogan, who makes her first appearance in the third episode of
the season. The show took home Emmys for Best Comedy Series, Best Comedy
Writing, Best Director and Best Actor (Phil Silvers) on its inaugural
season.
Thirty-four episodes on five discs in a standard case with hinged
trays. The episodes are uncut and look quite good, but they feature the animated
opening titles of the syndication version of the show (which was renamed "Sgt.
Bilko"). The original network opening is included as a supplement. Also features
"The Lost Audition Show," an early version of the pilot with alternate cast
members (including Jack Warden in the Melvin role) but essentially the same
script taken from a worn 16mm kinescope print; commentary by co-star Allan
Melvin on the series debut "The New Recruits" (a kind of rambling, unfocused
remembrance) and guest star George Kennedy on "The Court Martial" (previously
featured on the best-of collection "Sgt. Bilko: 50th Anniversary Edition"); and
original cast commercials.
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| The Sweeney: The Complete Season 1 / The Complete Season 2 |
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Britain's bare-knuckle cop show of the '70s stars John Thaw in
his pre-"Inspector Morse" incarnation as DI Jack Regan, the take-no-prisoners
leader of the rough-and-tumble Flying Squad. Dennis Waterman ("Minder") is his
partner DS George Carter, assigned to help him navigate the gangs of South
London in the original pilot telefilm "Regan." "I don't like your methods,"
Carter tells him in the pilot, but he respects his commitment and his tenacity.
"The Complete Series 1" features the original pilot and the initial 13 episodes
of five discs, and "The Complete Series 2" features 13 episodes on four discs.
Both sets feature commentary and introductions to select episodes, featurettes,
bonus interviews and original mono soundtracks plus optional Dolby Digital 5.1
remix.
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| Stephen Fry in America |
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Stephen Fry turns tour guide in this journey through America via
Fry's black London taxi. He drops into the primaries in New Hampshire, puts a
lobster to sleep in Maine, goes hunting in the Adirondacks and even creates his
own Ben and Jerry's flavor (Even Stephen). And that's just the first few minutes
of the first episode. It's a whirlwind road trip through all 50 states, guided
by an utterly amiable bloke who celebrates the greatness of American culture and
history with genuine appreciation. Six episodes on two discs on DVD and
Blu-ray.
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| Hunter: The Complete Series |
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Fred Dryer is maverick police detective Sgt. Rick Hunter, a
Dirty Harry for prime TV who hates the pimps, pushers, creeps and killers who
prowl our city streets, and Stepfanie Kramer is his partner Dee Dee "The Brass
Cupcake" McCall. They're a lethal combination in the violent cop show, which
aired for seven seasons. This set packs all 152 episodes (including four seasons
never before on DVD) on 28 discs in Mill Creek's unique keep case, which holds
the discs in separate paper sleeves stacked in a snug holder (although 28 discs
do get unwieldy in this design). No episode guide, but the episodes are listed
on each disc.
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| Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Final Season |
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Melissa Joan Hart made the jump from Nickelodeon diva to
prime-time network star as the title character in the sitcom based on the Archie
comics spin-off about -- you guessed it -- a teenage witch. After
seven successful seasons, and well past her teenage years, she cast her final
spell as Sabrina in the adolescent "Bewitched," as she enters adulthood and the
workforce and is faced with choosing between old boyfriend Harvey (Nate Richert)
and new crush Aaron (Dylan Neal). Twenty-one episodes on three discs, including
the two-part series finale, plus the TV movie "Sabrina Goes to Rome" as a
bonus.
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Sean Axmaker is a film critic for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and a
DVD columnist for MSN Entertainment, and a contributing writer to GreenCine.com,
Turner Classic Movies Online, Parallax View and Asian Cult Cinema, among other
publications. You can find links to all of this and more on his shamelessly self-promoting blog.
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