Customer Reviews

Dragnet 1968: Season Two

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

OUT with Universal and IN with SHOUT! Factory.

Major kudos to Universal for allowing SHOUT! Factory to take over the Dragnet franchise! This is THE classic Dragnet that we grew to and know love with Jack Webb's Joe Friday teamed with Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon. SHOUT! Factory has a superb track record with crisp video/audio season sets as with "Adam 12", S.2-5, and "Dragnet 1968" has followed suit. Among the 28 episodes of Season 2 are two of Dragnet's finest narratives; "The Shooting Board" & "The Big High".

And just check out the super bonus features for Dragnet 1968: Season Two--

*Dragnet 1966 Pilot Movie
*"Jack Webb: The Man Behind Badge 714" Featurette
*Original Dragnet Trailer
*Commemorative Booklet

Optimistically seasons 3 & 4 are on their way. This really makes up for the short comings of Season 1 from Universal!


UPDATE: 07.14.10

As many reviewers have noted, SHOUT! Factory initially excised the 1st 2:15 minutes from the 1966 Pilot Movie. This footage, while fairly tame for today's dramas, is slightly disturbing but really should have been included. Now I'm hearing that a replacement disc will be offered with the 1966 Pilot Movie intact. Hearing this I promptly sent an email to SHOUT! Factory for a replacement disc on a Friday afternoon and there was my replacement disc #1 in the mailbox the following Monday. Talk about a DVD distributor taking prompt responsibility; Woo Hoo!!!!

UPDATE: 09.07.10

Super good news for Christmas 2010 - SHOUT! Factory will be releasing Dragnet 3rd Season - (Dragnet 1969), being released on December 7, 2010 and now the final season, Dragnet 1970: Season Four spring of 2011!

Much obliged SHOUT! Factory.....

"What's your name, fella?"
"Freddy, man, Freddy the Loader."
"That's your last name, is it, 'Loader?'"
"No, man, that's just what they call me."
"Who calls you that?"
"Everybody, man."
"Got a job, Freddy?"
"Ain't got the time."
"Then where'd you get the bread to score?"
"Don't need money man, that's love grass."
"Yeah, right."
"In the Valley, man. Really square..."

Three words: The Big High. A stunning slice of classic 60's television that's as potent as its subject matter and will leave you breathless. What other episode would give you a no-nonsense lecture on the dangers of recreational drug use ("No, I don't have time for a lecture, I'm just going to lay it out for you straight..."), throw in a Bible lesson ("Try Chapter Five, lady, the Apostle Paul also said this...") and, for the obligatory levity, reveal the hidden ingredient in Bill Gannon's special barbecue sauce? Having given up all hope that Universal would deliver Season Two, I kept a VCR handy should my lost copy taped off Nick at Nite two decades ago ever resurface. That this absolute gem of docudrama was withheld from the discriminating DVD-buying public for so long is a crime in itself. God bless you, Shout Factory!

Jack Webb's longtime hit police procedure series finally returns with the 28 episodes from Season 2 of the 60s version of the Series. It begins with the fabled Joe Friday vs. 'Timothy Leary' debate episode. Each episode has in it at least one of the 'Jack Webb Repertory Acting Group', people he used on the the show many, many times. The transfers are clean, crisp and complete. Plus it has a lovely interview segment with three actors he used many times over, and one of Jack Webb's wives. But the capper is the Inclusion of the feature length, made-for-TV Pilot film 'Dragnet'(1966). I recommend this DVD Set wholeheartedly. It has been well worth the wait. I hope Seasons 3 and 4 aren't long in coming. - James Bryant
Wiser.

Season One was released in 2005, but nothing since. Now Shout Factory! has picked up the 1960s version of Jack Webb's Dragnet. Coming out July 13, it will include all episodes from the second season, Dragnet 1968. So hopefully 1969 and 1970 will soon follow. Thank you Shout!

After buying the first season, I was disappointed on the way Universal presented the material. SHOUT took over the rights to produce season 2 and it's GREAT. All discs are single sided, have the bonus 1966 Pilot and has bonus materials about Dragnet and Jack Webb. The quality of the video is very good to excellent. The colors are sharp and the contrast is excellent. The bonus movie looks like from a copy because I will see the commercial or reel blips. The quality of the bonus movie is better than I have ever seen it. Season 2 is my favorite for this generation of Dragnet. I've waited a long time for this and it was worth it. Can't wait for the third season. Hope SHOUT will do that too.

Wow! I absolutely love this DVD set and the terrific job Shout! Factory did in producing it! First class job by Shout! Factory, including topnotch bonus extras. "Dragnet" (Joe Friday and Bill Gannon) was such a classic & entertaining 1960s TV series, and it is a must-have addition to my DVD collection - I am thrilled with this set, and highly recommend it! I can't wait for Shout! Factory to release Season 3 and Season 4 of "Dragnet." Great show!

After patiently waiting for season two to be released by someone other than universal it finally was by shout factory. Thank you shout. This is my favorite show of all time. I watched this as a kid on nick at nite and although I probably didn't know what the hell was going on I liked it anyway. I eagerly bought season one years ago and got somewhat lucky when only one of my episodes froze on those terrible two sided discs. I knew I wouldn't have to worry about that with this release. 28 classic episodes, a Jack Webb documentary, the great dragnet movie and a informative booklet make this my favorite buy of 2010. Let's make season 3 my favorite buy of 2011. (or maybe sooner?)

On the heels of their pitch perfect complete "Leave it To Beaver" DVD set SHOUT Factory releases a near perfect DVD set for season 2 of DRAGNET. While so many companies are cutting corners to save money SHOUT continues to bring on the extras...classy packaging that includes a 20 page booklet with many interesting photos a well written essay and generous description of all the episodes. The episodes themselves look very good ..I'd say a bit better than season 1 that Universal put out on their notorious "flipper" discs. In fact the season episodes look better than the hour and a half pilot film from 1966 which is a fabulous bonus feature but is a bit washed out. If I had to pick at anything it would be the featurette on Jack Webb: the Man Behind Badge 714....which I felt was not up to current standards..but that said..what companies would have even bothered and it was sort of interesting and informative so I can't complain.

I'm very happy SHOUT Factory has this series...whatever they take over they do with the utmost in care and diligence.

As far as the series itself...I'll let others debate that. I prefer a bit more action and the show sure dates...but that is partially the charm for me along with Jack Webbs staccato narration....its a real treasure trove of nostalgia for this baby boomer.

a happy owner...

This is an excellent review from Dragnet Season 2 from Shout factory. The video and audio is crisp and pristine, the menus system is well designed and good looking, the packaging is well thought out, there is a color booklet for this season release, there are even some bonus specials:
1. A documentary on Jack Webb
2. The pilot movie, etc.

This season 2 release far surpasses the previous season 1 release.

RE: The Dragnet pilot movie (included as a bonus feature on disc 1): To viewers like myself who watch this movie and come away with the feeling that they've missed something - you're absolutely correct! This DVD version is missing the two-minute introductory montage narrated by Jack Webb ("This is the city, Los Angeles, CA------") during which we're shown a young blonde female, tied up and cringing in terror, while a homicidal photgrapher fondles the cord he'll shortly use to strangle her. The montage also shows a (male) corpse being dumped from a car, a body in a hotel bed, and a rose discarded in a hotel room wash basin - all of which are related to the cases which follow. (I should add that over the years I've watched this movie various times on various TV stations, and this opening montage has ALWAYS been included before! One wonders how this DVD company managed to overlook this omission.) No Dragnet episode seems complete if we don't hear Jack Webb say "I work here. I carry a badge." Anyway, I offer this info to silence nagging doubts, and to reassure Dragnet fans that they aren't imagining things!