Has anyone purchased the new DVD set? What sort of extra features do the DVD come with?

-Evan

Just 1 week to go before the show officially hits DVD. The set's special features include:

- Brand New 36 Minute "Making of" Documentary with Stephen Collins (Jake Cutter), Caitlin O'Heaney (Sarah Stickney White), Tom Greene (Writer/Producer), Harvey Laidman (Director)
- Audio Commentaries on 5 Episodes
- Series Synopsis
- Stills Gallery
- Caitlin's Original Costume Gallery
- Artefacts Gallery
- 24- Page Collectors Booklet

That sounds so cool! I wish it wasn't region 2. Very upset about that.

It's been a week now. I'm dying to know what the quality is like. How are the features etc?

Sean, no need to worry. A region 1 release will be coming in 2010. Check www.tvshowsondvd.com for details!

Awesome!

OK, now I'm happy.

Hi from the UK. My DVDs arrived yesterday from HMV. I've watched the documentary and the first two episodes so far. The episodes are looking good. Picture is pretty good so no complaints there. Some of the dialogue may possibly be slightly quiet in the pilot at times but not enough to be a problem and episode two seemed fine. Documentary is excellent and comprehensive. Everyone seems to have genuinely good memories of making the show. I'm extremely impressed that the DVD company have actually gone to the trouble of making these extras. The best thing though is of course being able to see the show again for the first time in 27 years (and finding that i still like it!)

Can anyone confirm that the actual original network episodes were used and not syndicated prints? What are the runtimes of the episodes on the DVD? Thanks.

The running time on the last episode of the DVD I watched was about 48 minutes. No sign of any cuts. The preview scenes at the start of each episode are intact too. Hope that helps.

Jason thanks. That helps. Since they'll probably be using the same source tapes that they did on the UK/Australia release that they will with the USA release it doesn't sound like I need to worry. I can't wait for the US release. Is the picture/sound quality good?

Since I posted, my friend brought over a DVD with the full commentary of "Last Chance Louie". The DVD was transfered from the Box Set, and the quality was outstanding. I've been told it's even better than when orignally aired. In those days, people didn't have the kind of screens they do now, and the transfers were many times done without going through a "wet gate", and were full of dust and crap, and even bad edit splices (even though they were all "negitive cut"). They were transfered to video, which back then was a bit crude, and a second 16mm print ran at the same time, in case the video broke, which it did more times than not, and suddenly you'd be seeing a horrid 16mm untimed print of the show! So first I was blown away by the look of the show. And for the commentary, it was, in a word: stunning. So much detail. So beautifully told. How the producer, Tom Greene could recall in such vivid speak so much wonderful stories is beyond me! It was like he had just walked off the set and was talking about it. I know a lot of the people on the show loved it so that they all were bursting with stories. If you watch that home made video of the reunion, you can see that. They all had stories. But Greene is a born story-teller, and you can hear that he not only took a great deal of care in making these, but has a wonderful way of talking. He should be doing more of these (why only five?!??!), and have his own show talking about movies, or TV or anything. I can't wait to hear the others. I'm told the other commentaries that Greene does are: "Force of Habit", "Last Chance Louie", "Bora Gora or Bust", "A Distant Shout of Thunder", and "Naka Jimi Kill"

I can't wait to see the "making of". Can you tell us more about what's in it?

The Making of doc covers pretty much everything I was hoping for. Off the top of my head subjects covered included: The relationship to Raiders, filming the pilot in Hawaii, the pilot's amazing set, training Leo, why Ron Moody was only in the pilot, the chemistry of Jake and Sarah, Jeff Mackay, Roddy McDowell, Gushi, Faye Grant, why the show was not renewed, Donald P Bellissario, how many Gooses there were and how Stephen Collins was almost drowned by John Hillerman! I'm sure there's more too.

I have only listened to a few minutes of one of the commentaries so far but it sounds like they are worthwhile from the previous post. It may be just me, but they seemed to take a bit of hunting down on the discs but persevere as they are there.