Product Details

• Actors: Terence Knox, Stephen Caffrey, Joshua Maurer, Steve Akahoshi, Tony Becker
• Directors: Stephen Caffrey
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: June 8, 2004
• Run Time: 1003 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (157 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001Z3I12
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,617 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Tour of Duty - The Complete First Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Follows a platoon in the field during the Vietnam war.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 8-JUN-2004
Media Type: DVD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Orginal music and more, June 27, 2004

By 

Logan Ratty (California, United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tour of Duty - The Complete First Season (DVD)

First off, let me say that I think some people are blowing this whole music thing way out of proportion. I have copies of some of the original Tour of Duty shows on tape, as aired on TV. All the original Tour of Duty instrumental music (including the shows instrumental theme song) is still here, and still the same. Only the professional, licensed artist music is missing. In place of that music, is more instrumental music that very often fits in and compliments the mood and feel of this great show. Some of the added music isn't all that bad either. Sure, some may not be as great as some of the missing period bit songs. But if you look at it closely, you might find that the show now has a more concentrated feel to it and lets you think more about what's going on in front of the camera and what the actors are doing, instead of grooving with popular tunes. It actually is a step up in the realism department in some ways. This does not mean I don't care about the missing music, just that it has its good points as well. For the people who only just care about the missing music, they need to learn some of the lessons taught within the show itself...

The fact is, that Tour of Duty was an incredible show, with fantastic acting, good writing, and great crew work. A lot of sweat and pain obviously went into it and it still stands as a great testimony to being one of, if not the greatest, war series ever to be filmed. They provided not only a record of insight into the Vietnam War, but into humanity.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Did they cut my song?, March 21, 2005

By 

Jim Beaver (Hollywood CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Tour of Duty - The Complete First Season (DVD)

I wrote the episode "USO Down," about the chopperload of USO entertainers shot down in the jungle. When writing the scene where the band says, "Here's the national anthem of Vietnam!" and begins playing "We Gotta Get Outa This Place," I was recalling my own tour of duty with the Marines in Vietnam and having that exact thing occur at a USO show. And I was never more sincere in my writing than when I placed the same song over the helicopter flying away, leaving the boys behind at the end. I haven't seen this DVD, mainly out of fear that those two moments have been ruined by replacement of the song in each case by generic music. How did the studio handle those moments? (Thanks to all who've praised the show here.)

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Music is Important, July 5, 2004

By 

Ron F. "ronf528" (Victoria, MN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tour of Duty - The Complete First Season (DVD)

I've read with interest all the reviews and viewpoints on this new release. It's an obvious statement on the popularity of this show to see such a reponse. I see both sides of the music argument, and if it doesn't bother you to see the original score removed, then more power to you. But I'm joining all the others who are not buying this release. I just found out it was released and was so excited that I had been jumping back and forth between Ebay and Amazon to find the best deal. Then I decided to read the reviews just to make sure, and I'm glad I did. After always being dissapointed by the sound track changes on the TNT TV versions, I had eagerly awaited a release on DVD by the studio, certain they would release it in its true, original form. I was a Huey door gunner just after Vietnam (shooting at dead tanks at Fort AP Hill makes me a lot less braver than my older brethern getting shot at over the rice patties in Vietnam), and there was nothing that made my hair stand up on the back of my neck like the opening scenes of TOD with "Paint It Black" turned way up high. That one song being taken out is enough for me not to buy the DVD. For me, and like many others who have commented, the music is an integral part of the scenes. The writing and acting was great, but the overall effect just isn't the same when the music is changed. However, I'm not certain I buy into the conspiracy theories being floated about regarding the licensing. Several years ago, while TNT was running TOD every day, one of the TOD web sites reported that the Stones refused to negotiate a licensing agreement, and that was why there was a different opening. Not sure how accurate that is and it seems strange that all the bands associated with the original soundtrack would take the same stand. Regardless, I have all 3 seasons on VHS that I recorded off the TV, and I watch them regularly. They have the commercials, they don't have Paint It Black, and the picture isn't great. But the new DVD has little more than all that, so I'm saving my money. Hopefully sales will be dissapointing to the studio and they will reconsider their strategy.