Customer Reviews

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet: Best of Ricky and Dave

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For old - or new fans (like me) of the "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," this boxed set is a welcome change from the countless cheap DVDs with the same 10 or 12 episodes we've been subjected to over the past decade or so.

First, there are quite a few more "never before available on DVD" episodes on this set than on the first. Granted, there are a few that are already out there, but the sound and picture quality on this set is vastly improved from anything released so far.

I, like many others would like to have the series released like just about every other TV series has been - by SEASON. I can't tell you why this hasn't been done . . .

Shout! has done a good job on the digital transfer - but I would much rather see every UNCUT episode from season 1 to season 14. I hope this isn't a trend where a company will release "favorite episodes" for years and then come out with the "complete set" after the fans have spent hundreds of dollars on previous boxed sets.

There were 435 "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" episodes aired. Some were great, some okay, and some were not exactly life-changing experiences, but they all deserve to be seen by the fans!
Whatever it takes - let the public see episode 1/1 to 14/24 . . . PLEASE!

Until we see each season represented on DVD, do not hesitate to buy this set. The prints are good, the audio is good, and Rick sings some of his best (if under-rated) songs of his early career. Overall, a solid B for content - and an A- for the visual and audio aspects.

1 035 - A Door Key For David
2 066 - Ricky's Lost Letter
3 067 - Father Son Tournament
4 175 - The Man Without A Family
5 176 - Road Race
6 187 - The Picture In Rick's Notebook
7 BONUS - Ricky sings "Waiting In School"
8 BONUS - Ricky sings "Stood Up"
9 BONUS - Ricky sings "Just Because"
10 BONUS - Original Radio Episode: David Sells Ozzie's Suit

1 191 - Who Is Betty?
2 256 - Rick Gets Even
3 270 - Dave And The Schoolteacher
4 282 - A Sweater For Rick
5 299 - Dave's Golf Story
6 300 - Rick's Broken Arm
7 BONUS - Ricky sings "I'm Confessin"
8 BONUS - Ricky sings "Boppin' The Blues"
9 BONUS - Ricky sings "Right By My Side"
10 BONUS - Ricky sings "Young Emotions"
11 BONUS - Ricky sings "That's All"
12 BONUS - Ricky sings "You'll Never Know What You're Missing"
13 BONUS - Original Radio Episode: David Fights

1 304 - Selling Rick's Drums
2 306 - Rick's 21st Birthday
3 320 - Rick Grades A Test
4 334 - Rick And The Maid Of Honor
5 342 - Rick, The Host
6 352 - David And The Teenager
7 BONUS - Ricky sings "Hello Mary Lou"
8 BONUS - Original Radio Episode: Apartment Building Next Door

1 361 - Dave And The Fraternity Lease
2 362 - Ozzie, Joe, And The Fashion Models
3 368 - Rick's Wedding Ring
4 367 - Blue Moose
5 411 - The Tangled Web - should be color ?
6 434 - Ozzie The Babysitter (aka Ozzie The Sitter) - should be color ?
7 BONUS - Ricky sings "Fools Rush In"
8 BONUS - Ricky sings "Fire Breathing Dragon"
9 BONUS - Ozzie & Harriet Trivia Quiz
10 BONUS - Original Radio Episode: Jury Duty

This was the second excellent DVD box-set from the Shout Factory on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, with many wonderful and heart-warming bonus features including some of Ricky's songs. Sure was great, every bit of it - and the video quality was wonderful. This is the type of product that serves to enhance America's image as these episodes are a sheer delight and comforting to watch - as are listenting to the few older radio (pre-TV episodes) shows included.

I love the endings on some of these video shows where Ozzie has Ricky or someone in the family look directly into the camera and provide some cute response appropriate to the episode. Always puts a smile on my face and makes me laugh. Too precious.

Maybe someday, all 435 episodes that were filmed will be officially released by the Nelson family; sure would be nice to have a complete official set. Anyway, please keep these coming if possible, and avoid the bootleg copies as they are inappropriate and a disservice to the contributions of the Nelson family.

And thanks to the Nelsons for all the hard work and time in putting these DVDs together for release.

If all the fans of classic TV would refuse to buy these sets then the studios would take the extra time to give us an uncut product. How come Mill Creek can produce a 100 episode set of unedited shows for $20, and ION network can show unedited episodes but Shout, a high end company, can only come up with these lousy edited for syndication episodes? This show is a wonderful American classic and should be available in its original form. Next we may see Shout stripping out all the original music like CBS/Paramount did to My Three Sons and The Fugitive.

In the episode "The Man Without A Family", Rick Nelson sings the song "Be-Bop Baby" which was his 1st Billbord hit on his lengthy stay on the Imperial record label. I do not understand why the song was not included here. I personally do not like the syndicated versions although they are more visually watchable. Critics Choice Video did a good job of presenting Ozzie and Harriet episodes in prestine quality (with original commercials as well)...there are 3 volumes of that collection available. This Shout Factory collection is great for other reasons: the extra features as well as the other rare songs from Rick and alternate versions of "Right By My Side" and "Young Emotions". A great set!!

This compilation has some great episodes in it. My only complaint was that since it was called the Best of Ricky and Dave, it should have had more Ricky and Dave. The last DVD is mostly episodes from the last couple of seasons featuring Ozzie. Ricky and Dave are in them only a couple of minutes. Kind of disappointing, but overall, really enjoyed it.

Don'tcha hate hearing the words "Yes!! But..."?
Briefly: The BEST Ozzie and Harriet Collection is the
100 episode 12-disc MILL CREEK one for about the same
price as this one.
That said...the FIFTEEN episodes on THIS collection,
from seasons 1,2,6,8,9,10,11,12,& 14 that are=> NOT <=
on the [other] 100-episode collection ARE worth the
asking price for THIS one.
For the money, you'd rather have the extra five minutes on
episodes than a commentary by the, now deceased, David
speaking with his nephew on plot developments that ARE re-
vealed ON the so-call bootleg, public-domain, non-estate
authorized 100 episode, 12-DVD collection.
Right?
The NINE episodes, here, that are a-l-s-o on the LARGER col-
lection have as much as 5-minutes--each--cut out of them.
What a shame that some episodes are forever gone... unless
you buy some of those OTHER ones saved by someone with their
OWN 16mm film collections, as collected by MILL CREEK!
The DIFFERENT episodes on THIS collection are between 23 and
26-minutes, and the last few are even in the original color.
So, again, the OTHER 100-episode collection is more complete--
although the audio and video sucks (a bit) the episodes ARE
complete with commercials, in most cases--Coca-Cola and Kodak
Camera-- and have as much as an extra FIVE (5!) minutes an ep-
isode... and a few vintage commercials as well.
BTW: in the olden days, some shows used a process-- to allow
for another two commercials (without scissors) by S-L-I-G-H-T-L-Y
speeding up the shows in syndication (reruns). The very slightly
higher speaking voices were best percieved when you heard music...
not a slightly higher pitched "Hey Aaaabbbbbot!"
The speed was re-adjusted on the ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW,
and not a minute of those shows are gone.
Let's hope that there ARE un-cut episodes of OZZIE AND HARRIET
out there...
somewhere.
Yes!! But...
I wouldn't hold my breath!

I don't know what there would be not to like about these classic shows from TV's "Golden Era". The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet has been sorely neglected in recent years, never turning up in syndication, and heretofore only available in cheaply made public domain DVD's.

The Shout Factory DVD releases aren't perfect, and certainly some additional time and money could have been spend cleaning up the prints, but compared to what we've had in the past, it's almost as if we're watching first run broadcasts of the show. To my eyes it looks like Shout used versions of the program that were broadcase years ago on The Disney Channel, back when it was a pay-premium channel. Still, nothing to complain about in my book, what Shout has given us will likely never be released in any better quality.

All the same, it's great to see "America's Favorite Family", Ozzie, Harriet, David and Ricky again.....They've been away far too long!!!

I would recommend this set and the previous Should Factory release to any Nelson Family fan, or fan of nostalgic/classic television.....Shame they don't make 'em like this anymore.

As has been previously menitoned in earlier reviews, there are plenty of Ricky Nelson tunes throughout the discs, including an un-cut performance of one of the all-time quintessential Rock & Roll songs, "Hello Mary Lou". Ricky and his lead guitarist, the legendary James Burton, never sounded better.

So, journey back in time to the Black & White Days of Classic American Television with the Nelsons.......Buy with confidence!!!!

More Good News!!! Looks like we'll have a Yuletide visit from the Nelsons this year as well...Amazon has a Shout Factory, single disc, "Christmas With The Nelsons" available for pre-order (July 2008)

The adventures of Ozzie & Harriet: best of Ricky & Dave. This boxed set compared to the previous is probably the best in quality so far. The black and white episodes are very good and clear, their is various episodes from the 14 year run including two beautiful color episodes. This box set is worth buying for the color episodes alone. I only wish they would add more color episodes. shoutfactory has done a very job in this box set. If your buying your first ozzie & harriet box set get this one.

Always love to see RICKY and DAVE on THE OZZIE and HARRIET show. This is a very good dvd with the boys in it.