Mister Ed – The Complete Second Season (1961 – 62/Shout! Factory DVD Set)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Episodes: C+
Mister Ed moved from surprising syndicated
success to CBS, where it thrived further for more seasons and high
ratings. You can read more about its
beginnings and the show at this link for the First Season DVD release:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9089/Mister+Ed+%E2%80%93+Season+One
Though a
one-joke show, Alan Young and Connie Hines did have some chemistry to help make
this a more pleasant show and the episode titles were as simple as the
humor. Besides Ed talking when hardly no
one was around, guest stars this season include Alan Hale Jr., Donna Douglas,
Milton Parsons, Henry Corden, Miriam Nelson, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jack Albertson,
Herb Vigran, Karl Lukas, Hank Patterson, George Burns, Nick Stewart, Neil
Hamilton, C. Lindsay Workman, Olan Soule, Ted Eccles, Shirley Mitchell, Jimmy
Garrett, Kathleen Freeman, George O’Hanlon, Albert Carrier, Jeff Donnell, Linda
Henning and even Clint Eastwood as himself!
As safe
and family friendly as The Donna Reed
Show, it’s gimmick was a sign that people wanted more than happy family
sitcoms and changes were on the way, no matter how odd or gimmick-ridden. For many, that a show like this could exist
is part of the joke and enough people went for it. This DVD set will continue that interest.
The 1.33
X 1 image is not bad for its age, filmed in black and white 35mm film and
looking decent throughout if soft more than I would like, but has good Video
Black. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is
better on this season than the last.
Guess the first episodes being syndicated manes they were stored differently
or CBS put more money into the production, but this is a welcome
improvement. Extras include Studebaker
car ads, a paper insert episode guide inside the slidecase and audio interviews
with Young and Hines from the internet radio series Stu’s Show.
- Nicholas Sheffo