Customer Reviews

21 Jump Street: The Complete Series

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I recently had the opportunity to review the Mill Creek re-issue of the Complete 21 Jump Street on DVD and I have to say that I'm both a little excited about it and a little bit bummed out. First off, I have to make it clear that Mill Creek provided a review copy of the DVD, but I'm also a fan of the show already owning a few of the seasons that were previously released by Anchor Bay on DVD.

First, the DVD set Pros...
-The set is decently affordable at about sixty to seventy bucks (especially compared to the season by season box set cost.)

-The quality of the transfer is pretty close to the original Anchor Bay DVDs. The original source material was rough to begin with though, and there's only so much you can do to pretty it up. It's not the nest looking show on film.

As far as the cons go...
-The packaging is medium to subpar. Mill Creek is the king of budget DVD releases, and over the past year or so they've changed the style with which they box their DVD sets. Though the sets are packaged in clamshell-style cases, the DVDs themselves aren't housed on individual pegs or spindles. Instead they're individually wrapped in plain black paper sleeves which stack together and sort of snap into a frame on one side of the case. That means that when you want to pull out DVD #17, you have to pull them all out and sift through the sleeves, which can be a pain. With a smaller set it's not that big of a deal, but with these complete series sets it really gets to be a pain.

-There are no liner notes and no DVD booklet. You want to know which episode guest star's Brad Pitt? Go to IMDB and find it that way. Again, with a smaller or season set this wouldn't be that big of a deal, but with a complete series set it's really a pain.

-Also, and this was a problem with the original DVD releases as well, most if not all of the original music has been removed from the show. It's a sad fact of TV on DVD production that music rights are just too expensive and were never negotiated since there was no market at the time. It's nothing Mill Creek did wrong per-se, but it's also something they did not remedy from the Anchor Bay DVDs...

As far as the show itself goes, this is an example of Stephen J. Cannell at his most playful. Starring Peter and Michael Deluise, Holly Robinson (Peete), Dustin Nguyen, Steven Williams (the X-Files), Richard Grieco, and of course a young Johnny Depp in his break-out role as Officer Tom Hanson, 21 Jump Street was like the older brother of Saturday Morning cartoons in the 80s. Usually centered on some hot-button topic of the day, the series was a fun spin on detective shows that gave the actors a lot of range to play all sorts of undercover roles.

Though the episodes do stray more toward a lighter tone, they're usually fun and always entertaining. The series is a snapshot of what the Fox Network was like during it's inception as well, and helped to define a slightly hipper alternative to the normal programming on the main three networks. It works best as a time capsule of 80s television and features a plethora of guest stars like Brad Pitt, Pauley Shore, Mario Van Peebles, Kurtwood Smith, Jason Priestley, Mindy Cohn, Bridget Fonda, Sherilynn Fenn, Josh Brolin, Christina Applegate, Vince Vaughn, John Waters, Shannon Doherty, and Thomas Haden Church.

All in all, for the price, the set is probably worth picking up if you're a fan and don't already own the series, though I would wait for a sale.

The set claims to be the complete series seasons 1 thru 5. This is misleading and not accurate. The episode Black Out, which was filmed in the fourth season and held over the fifth season is not included. This was Johnny Depp's last episode. Complete series means all the episodes. Buyer beware that if you want the episode Blackout you have to purchase the fifth season.

It's a great deal for all 103 (or 104) episodes. I was glad that Wheels and Deals Part 1 (from Booker) was included. However, Johnny Depp's final episode "Blackout" is nowhere to be found, either on the final disc of Season 4, nor the first disc of Season 5. Can Miller Creek Entertainment explain what's going on here??? Thank you!!!

I have never been one to care for or watch cop shows. Any kind of procedural based on any branch of the law. I just can't watch them. Zero interest. "21 Jump Street" was a show I never really watched or paid attention to when it was originally on(1987-1991). I saw bits and pieces, but it didn't grab me. It was just another cop show. Oh, how wrong I was! This show, as I later re-discovered in life, is not just another cop show. To me, it is THE cop show. A year ago, I stumbled upon the first season on sale and bought it. It was one of the best surprises I could of gotten. I immediately had to get all five seasons, which are nicely collected here in one nice package. But first, the lowdown....

"21 Jump Street", which debuted on the just launched FOX Network in 1987, centers around a special unit of the police force, named Jump Street. This special unit consists of fresh faced officers, as young in age as possible, who go undercover as students in high schools/colleges to bust crime. Crimes that include drug rings, date rape, bullying, drunk driving, murder, etc. Several other tough topics like - AIDS, religion, race, teen pregnancy, alcohol, homosexuality don't go unnoticed either. The four officers we follow are Tom Hansen(Johnny Depp), Doug Penhall(Peter DeLuise), Judy Hoffs(Holly Robinson), and H.T. Ioki(Dustin Nguyen). The unit is first seen by Captain Janks(Fredric Forrest), and he is then replaced halfway thru season 1 by the cool and smooth Capt. Adam Fuller(Steven Williams).

Like I said in the title, 'Jump Street' is a show for people who don't like the genre and never thought they would. The show was quite hip, cool, edgy, and startling for it's time, and you know what? It still is. 24 years after it's debut and 20 years since it's end. It was the 80s, so it already has that cool vibe that immediately tells you this isn't your dad's cop show. The characters are instantly likeable, watchable, and fleshed out. Depp was the breakout star, but credits must go to everyone here, especially DeLuise. These are people you feel like you know, and can maybe see yourself or your friends in some of the high schoolers they meet along the way. We have 5 seasons here and 103 episodes. That's a lot, so I am not going to go over much in that way. Sure, sometimes it seems like it might be kind of preachy, but so what? There's nothing wrong with educating and trying to get out a message. The show, in my opinion, was really ahead of it's time. There have been episodes where I was genuinely startled. The writers never seemed to be too afraid to tackle strong subjects head on and unflinchingly. Also, part of the fun is seeing a who's who parade of people come through the show. People like Brad Pitt, Christina Applegate, Jason Alexander, Bridget Fonda, Josh Brolin, Jason Priestley, Vince Vaughn, Pauly Shore, Shannen Doherty, Thomas Haden Church, Blair Underwood, and more. Richard Grieco joined the show in season 3 as Dennis Booker, and was spun off into his own show, "Booker", after season 3. Johnny Depp left after season 4, along with Nguyen. DeLuise bailed out halfway thru the 5th and final season. At the end, Robinson and Williams were the only ones left. This is the first time I am really watching the show, so I can't really say anything about the music issue. What was here, what isn't here on the DVDs, and so on. I am only reviewing the show for the show, and not knocking points for music issues or lack of extras.

Brought to us by the legendary Stephen J. Cannell, "21 Jump Street" is a blast from the get go. It's an interesting and fun premise, and the makers certainly make the most of it. Many episodes here are thought provoking, serious, funny, touching, shocking, and everything else in between. Some episodes are tough to watch because they are so shockingly in your face. I don't think I've seen much like it before or since. There is a lot to love here. Great characters, some stellar writing and acting, a kick butt theme song, and a sense of not wanting to be a typical, by the numbers procedural. It may be a bit dated here and there, but that's part of the charm. If only things were still as great as they were then, and they still made shows like 21 Jump Street.

It's nice to see in season 4 part 1 of "Wheels and Deals" but where is Johnny Depp's last episode "Blackout"?? Wish it was there instead of having to watch in on Hulu. It's a good deal for all the episodes though....

I love the series for all the memories it bring me. It was a good era. I never had the opportunnity to watch the season 5 on TV. And even when I love the series I realize why the series going down. Season 5, its certainly not good at all, because the gang split off; but no matter what I'm very please for this series and if you was part of that time and you want to remember and, of course, review those nice episodes, this product going to be good for you, especially, season 1- season 4...

The morons who were running Fox in the late 1980s really crippled this show. It was fresh (not really a Mod Squad clone) with a fine young cast. But the "suits" made their first big mistake by replacing Frederick Forrest after 6 eposodes. The ridiculous explanation was that audience input indicated a need for a traditional top cop. Audience input? An audience of primarily teenagers who don't like or respect authority and would not mind a laid-back former hippie police captain? Add a character who took so much time away from the young actors? Just stupid! Fox just couldn't let the show be that original! No wonder Depp, Nguyen and P. DeLuise were happy to get off the show. The upcoming movie version is not something for which I am holding my breath. Maybe it will be a pleasant surprise?

I was conflicted about ordering this because so many complained that season 5 is not on the disc. Since this is advertised as COMPLETE, I knew i could send it back for false advertising. It is complete, so go ahead and get it.

Product shipped when promised and since this was a last minute purchase I was pleased to receive it in time for Christmas. Item was packaged so that it arrived without problem. Easy transaction.

This is one of the best purchases I have made online to date. Such a great deal for the price! I loved the series as a kid, and watching them all over again has been a real treat for my family. The shows are edited, so no cursing will be found. The bad words were voiced over. (kinda corny but good if younger people are watching).
Mostly I'd rate it PG-13, lots of sex and drugs throughout the episodes, not kid friendly.
Johnny Depp never looked better! Two thumbs up!