Customer Reviews

Laredo - The Complete Series 1965-1967 - 12 DVD Set!

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

 

 

This set collects in a nice slipcase the four half-season sets previously released by Timeless Media from October 2007 to January 2009. The 12 DVDs are exactly the same as the originals. The six individual slimline cases are exclusive to this set. Each holds two DVDs and has "The Complete Series" and disc numbers printed on the spine. The video quality of these DVDs is very good, probably the best of Timeless' western releases of the past few years. The color is bright overall and shows very little, if any, fading. I'm not sure if the shows were ever remastered but they looked pretty good on Encore Westerns in the mid-90s and these appear to be from the same source. The back of the slipcase states that the series is "faithfully reproduced from the original NBC masters". For whatever reason, the show looks good for 45 years old.

The first six discs, covering the first season, play the show's opening credits only as part of the menu. The second season's six DVDs all play the opening as part of each episode, which is the way it should be and the way the first DVDs should have been done. The sound quality on all is very good and in most instances comes blasting from my TV's speakers. It would have been nice to have more extras. The only extra here is a recent interview with co-star Peter Brown. It's interesting but covers most of his career and not just Laredo. I would have liked for the series pilot, at the very least, to be included in this set. The pilot was actually the final episode of the third season of The Virginian, titled "We've Lost A Train". Timeless has recently released the first two seasons of The Virginian, so maybe there's hope for the third season and the elusive Laredo pilot.

On the back of the slipcase is one misstatement and one glaring error. Claude Akins is stated as having joined the series in its second season, while Robert Wolders made several appearances. In fact, it was exactly the opposite. In the bottom right corner, we read: "Contains Exclusive Interview With Robert Fuller". Robert Fuller?? Robert Fuller's interview is on the Wagon Train Seventh Season Set. As I stated previously, the interview on Disc 10 here is with Peter Brown. Someone at Timeless did a poor job of proofreading.

If you're bothering to read this, you probably already know about the show. I will merely add that I've found it to be a nice blend of western action and comedy, with some occasional drama. The stars play well off each other. If you haven't seen it, think of the comic episodes of Bonanza mixed with the jocularity of Alias Smith and Jones, and including enough gunplay to please any western fan. Give it a try. You should find at least a few episodes to your liking.

Update: Timeless is releasing Season Three of The Virginian on DVD March 15. The final episode of that season, "We've Lost A Train", is the Laredo pilot.

I loved this show when I was growing up and I still love it. Excellent cast work so well together with witty comedic writing in a western setting. It's delightful fun.

This was a favorite show of mine when I was growing up, but I'd quite forgotten it until the first DVD set was released a couple of years ago. I'm so glad that it's back in circulation. This light-hearted, funny take on classic 60s westerns has plenty of action, but also plenty of great give-and-take among the three Texas Rangers who are the main characters. It doesn't take itself seriously at all. Neville Brand is the heart of the show--usually typecast as a villain, but with great comedic chops as the goofy but lovable Ranger. You'll also see a few great character actors and even a future movie star or two. Even if you're not very fond of westerns, I'm betting you'll like Laredo quite a lot.

In 2007 when "The Best of Laredo: Season One" came out - I didn't buy it - I very seldom buy a "best of" anything as I want complete seasons with episodes in the order they were originally seen so I can enjoy the series the same way I did when it first was aired. Eventually they released most of the episodes in multiple "best of" sets but I didn't but any of them because I wanted complete seasons with episodes in the order they were first aired. When the complete series came out I was excited about it and finally got it - what a disappointment - first of all it is not the complete series as the pilot episode is not included and second is the fact that these are the very same discs that were in the "best of" sets - the discs even have labels that say "best of" - so the episodes are out of order along with the missing pilot episode. How the Timeless Media Group can get away with calling this the Complete Series is a mystery to me. Very disappointing...

I loved this show when I was a teenager, and was happy recently to be able to purchase the entire series. I was disappointed that the pilot episode was not included, and that the episodes are not organized in the order that they first aired. I would also have liked to see more extras - like interviews with the regular cast members where possible. The DVDs are attractively packaged, but it would have been nice to have the DVDs in a collector tin rather than the flimsy cardboard case.

But aside from that I would highly recommend this series to all lovers of a good western. The acting is great and the interaction between the main characters is often amusing, sometimes touching, and always entertaining. I have watched all 56 episodes, some more than once,and enjoyed them all over again. The show has everything that a good western should have: exceptionally great looking guys, wonderful scenery, famous guest stars, drama, comedy, action, unbelievable horsemanship, and mostly great scripts. The comedy and the special relationship between the rangers makes this a western series unlike any other. The quality of the DVDs is good; the color is excellent and with the exception of a few sound blips the sound is good. It is clear that these DVDs have been made from the original tapes. It is a real shame that only 56 episodes were ever made!

Laredo used to be one of my favorite television programs growing up. You can imagine my excitement upon discovering the complete series available on DVD! I have watched every one of the 56 episodes already, some of them twice. It is a joy to watch the comedic interactions between the talented actors. Their delivery and timing is excellent. I must say, the casting is perfect! I, too, would have preferred to have the pilot, We've Lost a Train, included in this boxed set. I didn't have any problem with the quality of the picture or audio in these DVDs. Although it was difficult to select a certain episode from the menu when I played them on my Blu-ray DVD player, I had no such problem when watching them on my regular DVD player. All in all, I am quite satisfied with this purchase.

I used to watch this series when it was on tv. I am so enjoying going back and watching the entire series again as an adult. This was one of my favorite westerns and I am so glad I was able to get this to watch again and again. It still remains one of my favorites.

I love this TV show. I wish it had lasted longer then three seasons. This is a good deal, you get all the episods in one package. This is really a comedy/ western show. Kind of like Alias Smith and Jones, another one of my favs. Neville Brand is the best one on the show. His charecter Reese is very funny.

I was reading the reviews here on Amazon of "F-Troop," another 1965-1967 Western set at a frontier fort, when I remembered "Laredo" and just had to search for it. I watched both series in prime time when I was a kid, and I'm anxious to get the DVDs so I can relive all the fun. "F-Troop" had Captain Wilton Parmenter (Ken Berry) and "Laredo" had Captain Edward Parmalee (Philip Carey). I used to get "Parmenter" and "Parmalee" mixed up. The difference between the two shows was that "F-Troop" was straight comedy while "Laredo" was a kind of comedy-drama.

As another reviewer said, even if you don't like Westerns you might enjoy this. "Laredo" was even popular enough at the time to have some of the episodes put together as a theatrical release. I saw that movie and although I don't remember too much about the plot, I know it involved a recurring humorous character in the show. She was an Indian woman who continually wore a straight face (kind of like Garfield the cat), and she was always sucking on a piece of licorice. There was laughter in the theater during the scene when she was watching one of the handsome rangers from a distance (with her usual bland expression), and then he took off his shirt. She really sat up and took notice then, lol!

So here's to all of you who remember "Laredo" fondly (as I do), and to all of you who have yet to discover it. May it give you the same enjoyment now!

I came across this set for a very low price somewhere, and being in a tv-western mood I bought it. It's very enjoyable; I love the interaction between the three (later four) Rangers (four/five, I suppose, if you count Captain Parmalee). I think it would have been just fine without the Erik character (they seem to have taken part of Chad's personality and transplanted it to him), but he does have his own charm.

I love that it's not crude, foulmouthed, and vulgar the way so much tv is these days. It's funny, and dramatic, and I'm glad I bought it.

(One thing: I know I'm supposed to find the Reese character charming and humorous, but maybe because I've watched too many episodes in too short a time, mostly I find him deeply stupid, loudmouthed, and annoying).