DVD Review: Route 66: Season 3 Volume 1: Martin Milner, George Maharis: Movies & TV

Jul21

DVD Review: Route 66: Season 3 Volume 1: Martin Milner, George Maharis: Movies & TV

Posted by admin | on 21 July, 02:51 AM

DVD Review: Route 66: Season 3 Volume 1: Martin Milner, George Maharis: Movies & TVSeason 3 - Vol. 1. - Back to half season releases: But…..,

By Glenn M. Schoditsch (Richmond, Virginia USA) -
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

After all the praise I gave Infinity Entertainment for listening to the desires of the consumer with the release of Route 66 - The Complete First Season and Route 66 - The Complete Second Season, they backslide with a half-season release of Season 3, Volume 1. This is early news and perhaps a full season issue would be not far behind. Either way Infinity Entertainment is light years ahead of the dullards at CBS/Paramount.

With further thought, Season 3 was a transitional season with the mid-season departure of primary performer George Maharis due to illness. With Maharis out and Glenn Corbett in AND being 31 episodes long, a 2-Vol. set is semi-acceptable; just barely:)!

Either way, we do praise Roxbury/Infinity Entertainment for continuing marketing of this fine classic anthology.

UPDATE: 07.08.09

Having secured an early preview of this set, here’s a scoop on what to expect.

This 16 episode set is housed in a plastic clam-shell; two discs staggered per side. The discs themselves are pictures of the cover art with a large 1, 2, 3 and 4. The audio quality is extra crisp while the picture quality is superb, retaining the original Aspect Ratio of 1.33:1. The DVD intro splash menu is really clever with a PLAY ALL or EPISODES options. And I stand corrected as Original Episode Commercials are listed under the EXTRAS option on Disc 4.

The only cons are that there are no listings of the episodes in the clam-shell or cover box; only on the EPISODES option. Also the cast and bios feature from S.1 & S.2 are missing.

For me, quality picture, audio and story content top everything! And as a neat surprise, the 1st episode is a superb story starring every one’s favorite “Fugitive”, David Janssen! Enjoy!

UPDATE: 07.15.09

Possibly some bad news here with QA/QC problems. I noticed that Discs 1 & 4 make a rumbling sound in my best DVD player; a Panasonic burner. But all seem to play okay in my computer drive and an old RCA player. I’d like to know if anyone else is experiencing this problem.

UPDATE: 07.16.09

And now we hear reports that all discs on the S.3-V.2 are bad! What in the world is going on here? I really thought when Infinity released both S.1 & S.2 as whole season releases we would be rid of defective discs, phony wide-screen video, etc. Some people should lose their jobs because of this!

DVD Quality is GREAT, but what’s with the omission of the Episode listing? UPDATE: Classic Commercials and Promos ARE ON DISC 4!,

By Chris Damon “Classic TV Guy” (New Jersey) -

I just received my copy of this release, and the packaging is different than the previous season releases. It comes in a plastic Amaray style case that holds 2 discs on each side, which slips into a cardboard slipcase. I don’t mind the new packaging, but the omission of the episode listing is quite annoying. Now the only way to determine what episodes are on each disc is to put it in the player! Well I guess I will make up my own episode list and put it in the case. Don’t worry though the video and audio quality are crisp and clear as ever. Another thing they omitted is the cast bios from this release, BUT, unlike the previous season you DO get the classic commercials they once gave you. This time they throw in Bumpers, Next On Promos, Station ID’s, etc.

NOTE: … according to TV Shows on[..] is offering an EXCLUSIVE FULL SEASON 3 RELEASE on July 14, 2009 which apparently is an IN STORE ONLY release so keep your eyes peeled for that.

UPDATE: There is a production issue with the Best Buy FULL SEASON RELEASE, so I would not recommend buying it quite yet! The full second half of the Season will not play on a DVD player (The Blue Discs labeled S3V2). I have been in touch with Gord [...] and they will be posting an update as soon as more information is available….stay tuned.

An amazing, iconic TV show continues…,

By Amanda -

The adventures of straight-laced Yale graduate Tod Stiles (Martin Milner) and his “bad boy” friend Buz (George Maharis) continue in Route 66: Season 3 Volume 1. This time around, the pair encounters even more interesting characters as they drive cross-country in search of adventure along the iconic American Route 66.

Much like earlier seasons of the show, season three utilizes the unique, edgy anthology format that Route 66 was known for. While similar to an episodic drama, each week’s show features a completely new cast and story as Tod and Buz continue their adventures across America and get swept up in the everyday lives of the people they meet along the way. Rather than focusing on the cast regulars, Route 66 takes a unique approach and centers on the guest stars in each episode, which allows them to tell their story.

In the episodes included here, Tod and Buz encounter even more fascinating characters. The pair crosses paths with an embittered Oregon fisherman who must learn how to work through his lingering war memories before enduring a series of strange events when they give a supposed local “jinx” a ride. Just when things couldn’t get any stranger, Tod meets a former Prohibition-era gangster, who is convinced that demons from his past are out to get him. Also, while taking their usual string of odd jobs along the journey, Tod and Buz must work with a workaholic shark-hunting scientist, Buz deals with a strange co-worker who carries on an exclusive phone relationship with a woman he has never seen and Tod finds a new calling working for an award-winning author.

While Tod and Buz are very flat characters where the viewers learn very little about them, many of the central guest characters are fully expanded on and given complete, in-depth characterizations in highly literate scripts that viewers don’t see on television anymore. While the two leads do a decent job of portraying their characters, the real gem of this show are the amazing guest talents that appear in each episode. Guest stars in this set include John Astin, Buster Keaton, Sorrell Brooke, Rod Steiger, Nina Foch, Ed Asner, Leslie Nielson, Ron Howard, Natalie Schafre, and Julie Newmar, among others, with each one bringing something stunning and original to the show. Plus, the open-ended format of each episode makes the show feel like it could continue on indefinitely, and allows the screenwriters to utilize a wide variety of plot lines and unlimited landscapes. The two lead characters simply had to be inserted into each landscape which allows for a plot that feels natural and seamless.

This three-disc set includes the first 16 episodes of season three in all of their traditional, black and white glory. Sadly there aren’t any special features included, but considering the age of the series and its obscure nature, it was probably very difficult to put together much of anything of value for this release. Despite this, it still would have been nice to see a little more about this innovative, unique series.

From Chicago to Oregon, everything about this show is extraordinary, almost literary. From the catchy opening music, “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66,” to images of the iconic, all-American Corvette, Route 66 captures a phenomenal view of 1960s America and the colorful stories of everyday people. Because of this, episodes range from heavily dramatic and emotional to comedic and light-hearted. Even though the show can feel dated at times, its themes and emotions still resonate with viewers.

Route 66 delivers something different with each episode that will keep viewers coming back to see what happens. This kind of television is rare these days, and it’s wonderful to see this great series released on DVD.
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