The Brief: The Complete Collection (2004 – 2005/Acorn Media DVD set)/Kojak: Season Three (1975 – 1976/Shout!
Factory DVD set)/Number 96: The
Beginning & The Bomb, Volume Three – 40th Anniversary Collection
(1972 – 1975/Umbrella Import PAL Region Free DVD Set)
Picture: C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D/C/B- Episodes: B-/B/B-
PLEASE NOTE: The Number 96 DVD set can only be operated on machines capable of
playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0/Free PAL format software and
can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the website
address provided at the end of the review.
Three
different TV show hits from three different countries are up next, all
including crime, drama and murder.
Newest to
us is The Brief: The Complete Collection,
a British TV series that ran from 2004 to 2005 and is part of a series of “good
lawyer” crime shows that have been with us for since Perry Mason (reviewed elsewhere on this site) was such a tremendous
hit. Alan Davies is Henry Farmer, a
lawyer with personal problems who does his best to do his job and make sure
justice is served. The show is from the
creator of the phenomenally successful Inspector
Morse and is as intelligent, even if it did not last as long or go over as
big. We get essentially four telefilm-length
mysteries per season, so the set has eight good shows altogether and the best
thing is that they are not the usual, boring, formulaic police procedural that
has damaged this genre. Fans of the
genre and those interested will not be disappointed and Davies carries the show
just fine. Sadly, there are no extras.
Kojak: Season Three (1975 – 1976) follows the recent Telefilms Set we reviewed at this link
that includes the original TV movie that launched the series and the revival
telefilms:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11416/Californication+%E2%80%93+The+Fo
You can
also read about the series with our coverage of Season Two at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11161/Kojak+%E2%80%93+Season+Two
The show
was really hitting its stride here as a strong, rich, smart, energetic, gritty
detective drama that was a hit for all the right reasons. Telly Savalas had actually grown better in
the role and the show holds up as strongly as ever. All 24 hour-long episodes are here over 6
DVDs and familiar faces & guest stars include…
Eli
Wallach, Jennifer Warren, Jerry Orbach, F. Murray Abraham, Charles Kimbrough,
Michael V. Gazzo, Charles Napier, Fran Aletter, Sylvester Stallone, Neville
Brand, Tony Pena, Thayer David, William Katt, Joanna Miles, Eugene Roche, Jason
Wingreen, Frank Campenella, Michael Cristofer, Norman Alden, Anna Berger, Ron
Rifkin, Delores Mann, Robert Alda, Bernie Kopell, David Odgen Stiers, Eileen
Brennan, Jeff Corey, Lonnie Chapman, Phil Leeds, Veronica Hamel, Oskar Homolka,
Alan Napier, Oscar Beregi Jr., Malachi Throne, Forrest Tucker, Suzanne Charney,
Rosey Greer, Bill Duke, Dee Timberlake, Diana Hyland, Daniel J. Travanti, Jay
Novello, Stephen Macht, Victor Campos, Whit Bissell, Michael Ansara, Gail
Strickland, Ned Glass, Don Knight, Susan Sullivan, Anthony Mason.
This was
the mid-point of the series and it was as strong as any of the urban detective
shows that made up the 1970s cycle. It
holds up very well and impresses. A new
cast/crew interview featurette including members of Savalas’ family is the only
extras, though the inside of the cover liner has a brief episode guide/listing.
Finally
we have Number 96: The Beginning &
The Bomb, Volume Three, which is actually the fourth DVD release of the
tremendous, groundbreaking hit Australian TV show we first covered in the Volume One set The Pantyhose Strangler at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7660/Number+96+-+The+Pantyhose+Strang
I really
liked the earlier set and besides a second volume we missed, there was a
feature version of some sort, but to understand how groundbreaking the show
was, the best analogy would be a combination by U.S. TV standards of All In The Family, Soap and maybe Hot L
Baltimore, but as a drama with no comedy intended.
This is
actually a compilation of about all the surviving episodes from its 1972 debut
to the climactic “Who Shot J.R.?”-like storyline where it turns out a mad
bomber is on the loose at the title apartment building, all with the same
suspense and intelligence as the serial killer Pantyhose Strangler storyline and one worth checking out. This was also bolder in its sexuality than
anything U.S. TV could have ever got away with from casual nudity to
sexuality. I liked the writing,
attention to detail, intelligence of the show, chemistry of the cast and how it
was ahead of any U.S.
soap opera, which this just qualifies as being.
This is a
great way to celebrate the show’s 40th Anniversary and I am glad as
many of the episodes of this 4-DVD set actually survived. Extras include a PDF of press clippings of
the time you can access on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, plus audio commentary tracks on
select episodes, audio interview on the show with actor James Elliott and
director Peter Benardos and two separate (from two separate shows) on-camera
interviews with alumni of the show.
Co-star Elisabeth Kirkby is on one program, while co-star Elaine Lee and
creator David Sale are on the other.
Sadly, many of the cast and crew are no longer with us, but this is another
fine set of the show and I wonder if there is anything more to issue. If not, this is a solid set worth your time.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on Brief
is a little soft and detail-challenged throughout when it should have just
edged out the 1.33 X 1, 35mm filmed image on Kojak and the professionally PAL taped image on Number 96 (in both black and white and
color) look better overall than you would expect despite their age and
flaws. The lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
on Brief is not bad, but the lossy Dolby
Digital 2.0 Mono on Kojak holds up
very well and is cleaner than expected while the lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
on Number 96 is just a bit better
than the previous set reviewed.
As noted
above, you can order the Number 96 PAL
DVD import set exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
Nicholas Sheffo
