Customer Reviews

I Spy Box Set #1

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"I Spy" BOX SET #1 (Image Entertainment):
- This appears to be a direct copy from master tapes of good condition.
- Video not redone. Some minor specs/lines, usually towards the beginning of each episode, otherwise crystal clear.
- No languages (English only).
- No subtitles.
- No Close Captioned.
- Audio not redone. Some words are a little muddled and you'll just have to figure out what was said. Rare.
- Container box for discs has classic picture, box set number, and episode titles.
- 7 discs each in its own slim transparent case. Each case is about 4-1/2 discs thick.
- Simple menu. 4 episodes per disc. 6 chapters per episode. All in color.
- Each case has a covering insert. Front cover has a classic picture, series title, and episode titles. Back cover has episode titles, each with a list of its guests and a short synopsis of the episode. 'Spine' has series title, disk number, and one episode title.
- No extras, neither on disc nor included written documentation.
- Each episode is 50 minutes long.
- No laugh track. The series was not recorded with a laugh track.

It's amazing that 1 hour TV shows were that long back then. Today's 1 hour shows rarely go over 45 minutes. I would have liked subtitles, close captions, and extras. Either more episodes per disc and extras together on other discs, or mixed together, would also have been nice. Obviously each disc contains lots of blank space. The series lives on DVD and can still deliver the incredible enjoyment of the show, commercial free.

This is called box set 1. Box set 1 is a random collection of episodes from any given season. What I would like to see is 'I Spy-The Complete First Season'. I would like THAT box set to have a lot of bells & whistles--outtakes, commercials for the show, interviews (recent and from the era), tv guide covers and articles from everywhere!

While the DVD is pretty basic (although Robert Culp's commentary is interesting), it is just wonderful to have this classic TV series available again. THIS is what collaborative television acting is all about. There is a poise and a maturity to this series that many of today's efforts lack (despite the slicker special effects and more complex soundtracks of today's TV dramas). Some of the Cold War issues may seem dated, but in fact this series had almost every international issue possible, and some things are back in fashion again. At the time "I Spy" was celebrated for its groundbreaking casting and for its lush locations. Today, while those remain interesting, the incredibly effective pairing of Culp and Cosby (and the creative contributioins of both these talented artists) make this series something very special.

After Goldfinger hit so big in 1964, I (like everybody else at the time) read every James Bond novel Ian Fleming had written. What struck me the most was how much the novels gave us an insight into 007's mind by displaying his thoughts. The movie industry has generally shyed away from first-person narritive for some reason and so that element was lost in the movies. However, first in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in 1964 and the next year in I-Spy, that externalized thinking was delivered with a simple device, namely buddies. Two spies constantly bantering. gave back the element of the thinking-man's spy story.
I-Spy remains unique in many ways though. First, each episode was filmed on location around the world and that adds an open and airy atmosphere that cannot be duplicated on a studio lot. Second, unlike James Bond who always saved the world from utter disaster, agents Scott and Kelly do what I assume secret agents actually do, which is more along the line of international detective work. Also they kind of muddle through their assignments at times relying upon luck rather than skill, and if one of them jumps out of a moving vehicle, then he will get a broken bone. Third, what was new for TV in 1965 was instead of the bad guys getting maimed the show had a tendacy to leave dead bodies laying around.
There was a total of 82 episodes included in all three seasons of the show and they are all included in the three box sets, however the sets are not arranged by season nor are they in chronological order.
BOX 1 has 22 episodes of season 1 (out of 28) and 6 episodes of season 2.
BOX 2 has 20 episodes of season 2 (out of 28) and 8 episodes of season 3.
BOX 3 has 18 episodes of season 3 (out of 26), 6 episodes of season 1, and 2 episodes of season 2.
Follow up:
Forget these box sets and get the new ones released in chronological order and by season.

Anybody loved "I SPY" can't miss this opportunity to get the whole series on dvd!

A great series whose characters were perfomed by two great actors. Spy histories are well mixed up with friendship and loyalty feelings linking the two agents.

No regrets for the obvious absence of special effects: this is a wonderful series anyway.

Regrettably DVDs don't contain any extras (only on box set 3 there is an audio commentary by Robert Culp on "So Long Patrick Henry" and "The War Lord"); in any case the box sets and the dvds look very nice.

As a little boy, I loved watching I-Spy. Although I couldn't understand a whole lot of what was going on, it seemed obvious that the two guys were cool, the places they visited were exciting, and it held my interest. Of course, lots of things can seem interesting to a five-year old. When you get older, and watch something that you haven't seen in thirty years, it's painful, but you're almost resigned to be disappointed. Watching I-Spy now is even more enjoyable than it was then because not only can I understand what's going on, it's still a fun, entertaining show.

We have to remember than when this came out in 1965, it was a HUGE DEAL to have black and white co-stars together in a show. And while it was obvious that the show was cautious about Bill Cosby's role in the beginning, it was obvious even in the very first episodes that he would more than hold his own with Robert Culp. Their byplay, born from genuine, offscreen friendship, is still the gold standard for two-person partners and teams in television and films. Their interaction was natural, spontaneous, and genuine, and no duo has come anywhere close in matching it. If Spenser For Hire had lasted longer, perhaps Robert Urich and Avery Brooks may have come the closest, but no one has managed, not Miami Vice, Lethal Weapon, or any other attempt.

The simple concept of having two globe-trotting spies working together in the guise of a world-class tennis player and his trainer seems so basic, but adding the team of Culp and Cosby, exotic locales, and good directing and editing makes all the difference. A complete first season collection would be better, but this is still a treasured momento from a not-so bygone era.

How often can a television series lay claim to having helped to change television, and, yes, even the world? I Spy did just that. This was the first series to star a White and a Black together, and I Spy marked the first time a Black actor won an Emmy ... three back-to-back Emmys, no less, for Bill Cosby as Best Lead in a Drama. Racial barriers were pushed aside when I Spy hit the air in September 1965. This was also the first series to shoot around the world and ushered in the technology to make that possible - film making techniques that are still used to this day! And this is where the "buddy picture" began. "Miami Vice, "Starksy & Hutch," "Lethal Weapon" all owe much to I Spy.
To find out how the makers of this series did it, how they accomplished the near impossible, read "I Spy: A History and Episode Guide to the Groundbreaking Series" ... then watch these episodes in a whole new light. They are more historic than you may yet know.
For the three box sets from Image, the DVD transfers are very good; the Robert Culp commentaries are well worth hearing; and you can use the above mentioned book as a guide to the proper order that the episodes were intended to be viewed - which will enhance the viewing experience.
This series should be remembered and cherished. TV was never the same again after it, and, in some ways, either were we.

I remeber this show from my misspent youth. I did not realize I was watching groundbreaking tv back then. No, I just thought that it was a greatshow. It is almost strange, when you think about it, that this was the first pairing of a white guy and black guy as partners in a serious setting. Don't mistake me, this is not an all serious show. There is situational humor and some of the best bantering dialogue of all time here. Follow the exploits of two secret agents as they travel around the world. They are not "superspys" at all, but they get the job done. Make a note of the exteriors. They actually went and filmed at the places they were supposed to be. No stock shots here. Watch this show, maybe not because of the socialogical implications, because it is good.

Anybody loved "I SPY" can't miss this opportunity to get the whole series on dvd!

A great series whose characters were perfomed by two great actors. Spy histories are well mixed up with friendship and loyalty feelings linking the two agents.

No regrets for the obvious absence of special effects: this is a wonderful series anyway.

Regrettably DVDs don't contain many extras (only on two dvds of the box set 3 there is a pleasant audio commentary by Robert Culp on the 7 episodes that he wrote: "So Long Patrick Henry", "The loser", "The tiger","Court of the lion", "The War Lord", "Magic mirror" and "Home to judment". Furthermore you can also find stills concerning 'The Warlord makeup'on dvd n° 21); in any case the box sets and the dvds look very nice.

Audio and video quality very good for an old series.

I love this show. I can't tell you how much. I remember seeing this when I was little and my mom watched it all the time, and I remember sort of liking it, but after having gotten the first box set and watching the shows myself I'm floored by how good this show was. Robert Culp and Bill Cosby are a pleasure to watch.

The DVD's themselves are not all that amazing. Just the shows, no real extras, and the menus aren't the best in the world. The DVD cases are very thin and don't contain anything other than the DVD itself. I would recommend this if you enjoy the show, or you just like spy movies with dry humor, cause that's what this is.