Customer Reviews

My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(40)

 

 

NOTE: I had originally written this review before I was aware that CBS/Paramount was altering their product through entire music score replacements and so on. As much as I love programs like "My Three Sons," I can't see the justification for such decisions as split-season releases or soundtrack altering. My five-star rating was originally for the show, not the product, and it can not be changed. That being said:
The color episodes of this show were good too, but the episodes we prefer to watch are the black & white episodes with Mike (Steve's oldest son) and Bub (the boys' grandfather - Steve's father-in-law). It was a very different show, with such plots as Steve's neighbor wanting to take a pleasant Sunday drive with his wife and daughter, but ending up hoodwinked into taking Steve's car and about a dozen others with them; or Bub losing Chip's frog that he was going to use for show and tell. There was an episode where Rob was reading detective novels and became convinced that someone was following him. Another episode had Mike taking an umbrella stand made from a hippopotamus foot to his fraternity house where they used it so as to make it appear as though a giant beast walked into a nearby lake and never came out. One episode took place on the morning that daylight saving time ended, and Bub turned the clocks ahead instead of back, forcing a tired crew to roll out 2 hours early. The whole episode was staged to the narration of a NASA public info film that Chip was watching on TV.
Some of what makes these episodes important is the way we see Chip and Ernie develop a close friendship prior to the 1965 adoption episode. These earlier episodes make that particular one more weighty and understandable. Thank goodness for Nick at Nite back in the late 80's, because I had never seen the black & whites in re-runs before they ran them, nor have I seen them run again. Makes me glad I recorded them! However, DVD season sets would be a very welcome addition to my collection.
UPDATE: JUNE 23, 2008. CBS/Paramount has confirmed a release date for this series. "My Three Sons" Season 1, Volume 1 will be released September 30, 2008.
Update: July 2, 2008: The rear cover art for this series mentions music changes. To what extent? Who knows. It is particularly sad to hear of this happening in this series as Frank DeVol's music was essential to the feel, thus the flow of these shows. One example that quickly comes to mind is an episode that I believe is called "The Horseless Saddle." There are two pieces of music used at crucial points throughout the episode, it's necessary that they be there. The saddle has it's own music, and the pony has it's own music, and I don't recall ever hearing these two pieces used again.
There's also an episode where Mike becomes very serious about a girl he's met in college. He tells Steve about her and arranges for her to come for dinner and meet the family. She immediately becomes infatuated with Steve (Talking about him when she's out with Mike, even comparing him with John Wayne while they're at the movies) and begins phoning him and creating situations that bring them together. Again, there is not only a particular piece of music used each time she gives Steve a "look," but the same sound effect is also used and they really work well together.
These shows without DeVol's music would be like a bun without a burger. Changing or deleting anything that's there would be a huge mistake!
UPDATE: OCTOBER 1, 2008. Still waiting for a legitimate release.

Never in the relatively brief history of the DVD has there been such a prime example of a greedy, short sighted, narcissistic, indifferent QA/QC and downright mean spirited entity such as CBS/Paramount.

At a time when family income is stretched, CBS/Paramount dangles classic American TV treasures before the eyes of the very core fans of the product; baby boomer families (AND their greatest generation parents; those fortunate to have them still) and now Gen X & Y's are finding series like 'My Three Sons' quite refreshing. The media offered? Exorbitantly priced half season sets, sets with music altered or completely replaced, grainy transfers full of artifactual trash, sets with edited footage & missing laugh tracks and so on.

We as consumers must enjoin CBS/Paramount to realize that the American consumer ever so hungry for the media offered will just take but so much abuse before "Just Saying NO"!

This offering of My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1, (a perfect classic American TV treasure) at ~$1.50 per a 25 minute episode is a direct finger in the eye of a huge consumer demographic. CBS/Paramount, I know you have heard our voices; but you don't care enough to be listen!

I loved this show and have very fond memories watching it as i was a child growing up. I give it a one star because of the dvd product not the show it's self. After all we are rating both the show and the actual dvd product here on Amazon.

Once again, Paramount turns to pure greed tactics to gain hefty profits while giving little to no concern about the consumer. With a show having 12 seasons you could spend an astronomical amount to own this series if most or all of the seasons are offered as split seasons. It's only a half hour show for Pete's sake.

So i will have to pass on owning My Three Sons and that greatly disappoints me.

Shame on you Paramount!!!!!

THANK YOU to all who took the time to give honest reviews-especially those that were rated lowest (which I always read first). I actually had My Three Sons Season 1-Vol 1&2 in my cart and ready to check out when I noticed they weren't really rated that high-so I checked them out. I've been wanting these DVDs and was ready to purchase because they're now a little more reasonably priced-but when I read that Paramount had CHANGED the music (the MUSIC?!?!?) on, of all things, this show with the easily recognizable saxophone-that-made-you-smile-'cause-you-knew-what-was-on-TV....well, I don't know WHAT they were thinking....(better question-WERE THEY THINKING???)
I'm beginning to wonder who is behind all of the big studios compilation and release of the classic TV DVDs-they need to remember THE PEOPLE THAT BUY THESE RELEASES BUY THEM FOR THE ORIGIONAL CONTENT-ALL OF IT!!!!!
Times are tough-money's tight-I'm gonna spend mine on the best releases and these reviews help me determine which ones they are-TAKE HEED Paramount and all you other studios!!!!!!!
(fyi-I didn't purchase these-I'll just keep watching the re-runs on Familynet TV).

SHAME ON YOU Paramount!!! What's the idea of cheating us with Vol 1 of MY THREE SONS when it is only a 1/2 hr show??? Throw the season in one volume only and charge a little more. You have many customers who want all 12 seasons of this beloved show, but in COMPLETE SEASONS only. Reconsider before you lose me and many more as a sure customer of this show.

I was looking forward to buying the entire first season of My Three Sons as it originally aired, until I found out it was Paramount up to old tricks yet again, like changing the music (how could they take out the DeVol's score for this show. It's like having pancakes without the syrup), then also releasing half season sets for the price of what a whole season should cost. That's SHAMEFUL and GREEDY of Paramount.
DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT PEOPLE, YOU'RE BEING GYPED!

I was also looking forward to buying the first season because I only saw the color episodes when I was a kid. I guess I'll be hanging on to those half dozen Columbia House videos I have with the complete and UNEDITED shows

PARAMOUNT, YOU'RE A BIG JOKE. Shame on you you're not getting my money!

I was so excited to hear this was coming to DVD ( My Three Sons), but when i read the reviews here. CBS/Paramount When are you guys going to learn not to mess with customers that pay your salaries? I guess you just want to lose customers left and right, first you screwed up with The Fugitive - Season Two, Vol. 1, then The Beverly Hillbillies and now this ! get with the program, i'm to a fan of these classic shows and want an unedited version with no original music missing or scenes etc. I guess i will have to wait alittle longer until you get you're act together,too bad. i wanted to get this DVD set for my dad for christmas, but i guess i'll have to wait. you shot yourself in the foot by replacing the music and some footage i've heard. i'm not getting that edited set are you crazy? oh well hopefully you'll get your act together like i said. i'll purchase this title when it is the unedited version with original music/scenes intacted in the future, same thing with the other titles mentioned that you screwed over. when will you learn?

Maybe The Person In charge of Making These Bad Decisions ought to be Fired or Demoted to Different Department i hope so you are really making alot of fans mad with this practice. Just give people what they want simple as that.

Paramount, I want this series in its original unedited version! I was very excited with the prospect of purchasing this series, but will not now due to all of the bad reviews. Please keep the "CLASSICS" as they are. I believe that is what the majority of consumers want.

This gets 1-star (would be zero stars if Amazon would let me) -- not because of the exorbitant price point (though that's inexcusable), but because the background music is changed substantially from the original versions.

It's "The Fugitive - Season Two Vol. One" all over again! Great original music replaced with 2008 synthesized junk.

Don't buy. Period. (Head over to Home Theater Forum to learn more about this latest botched release from CBS/Paramount.)

I've waited too long to settle for anything less than an unedited dvd set. Shame on CBS/Paramount. I truly have been waiting for the release of this series for no less than 5 years. I was thrilled when I saw it listed on Amazon and very disappointed when I realized that CBS/Paramount has decided to hold the unedited version hostage. I was too young at the time the black/white episodes aired to remember those, but I do remember watching and enjoying the color episodes. I have approximately 20 color episodes recorded on VHS from reruns shown several years ago. I suppose I will have to be satisfied with those few episodes because I WILL NOT give in to this hostage situation.