Customer Reviews

The Virginian - Complete First Season on 10 DVDs - Limited Edition Embossed Collector's Tin! Plus Bonus Interview DVD!

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I couldn't wait for the May release of this fine series either so I picked it up at Sam's Club. This has to be the most beautifully photographed of all the classic TV Westerns. Another reviewer mentioned each episode was like a mini-movie, and this is true.

The storylines are credible and entertaining, and the cast is stellar. LJ Cobb is in a category by himself, of course, but having watched the first two seaons on Encore Westerns (and then again on the DVDs) I'd forgotten what a genuinely good actor James Drury was. Ditto for Clu Gulagher and Doug McClure. And while I am enjoying the later episodes, I must confess I miss Gary Clarke's "Steve" and the chemistry the three main leads--Drury, McClure and Clarke--displayed during the first two seasons.

One of the things I find enjoyable is how "real" the series plays. The guy that played Randy carps about this in the book written about the series (especially how the horses were handled?) but I beg to differ. Within the constraints of the time it was filmed--the 60s and 70s when all the actresses had the wrong hair and makeup for the Victorian Era, and even the dim saloon interiors were lit up bright as day--The Virginian looked as real as it could get. It's one of the few Western series that actually took advantage of the vistas--we get plenty of sweeping shots of Shiloh, etc.--and low and behold! When the script called for it, Drury and Co. were actually portrayed as scruffy, dusty and *bearded*.

And another thing: They actually herded real cattle and horses. I don't recall that happening on any episode of The Big Valley. And did any of Ben and his sons ever sport a five o'clock shadow, even when they'd been out riding the trail for days, away from the ranch house and hot water?

Finally, the leads could all actually RIDE. I'm talking about Drury and McClure here, especially, as both of them are perfectly at ease with horses, on the ground as well as astride, but all actors that were supposed to be working cowboys look credible riding. LJ Cobb, not so much--I can see where they shot and edited some scenes to cover his unease but even that doesn't detract. After all, the Judge is the boss--he's not a range rider. It's conceivable that while he might be comfortable around horses that he wouldn't be a crack rider as his hands would have to be.

Now, as to the quality of the DVDS: They are excellent. They look sharper played in my upscaling Blu-Ray player than they look on Encore, and that's saying something. I was afraid we would be short-changed when it came to the transfer quality but someone took pains to make the DVDs as pristine as possible. I'm sure it helps that the original series was such a high quality production to begin with. I haven't gotten to the bonus tracks yet as I am still savoring the episodes.

So when do we get Season Three?

Until "The Virginian" bowed on NBC in the fall of 1962, Westerns were relegated to either half-hour or one-hour time slots. The network took a chance, counting on the popularity of Westerns at the time, to expand a weekly Western series to 90 minutes. The gamble paid off. The show ran through 1971, chalking up a total of 249 episodes. "The Virginian" is the third longest-running TV Western, behind only "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza."

"The Virginian - The Complete First Season" contains all 30 full-color episodes from the first season. The 1902 Owen Wister novel on which the series was based was set in the town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming in the 1890's, and chronicled the lives and relationships of the people who came west to settle the wild land. The title refers to a man of mystery whose past was unknown.

The novel was first adapted to the screen as a silent picture directed by Cecil B. DeMille. There was another silent film in 1923 and then the 1929 sound version starring Gary Cooper as the man with no name. Joel McCrea reprised the role on the big screen in 1946. The story was one of the best known in the genre by the time it hit home screens.

For the TV series, James Drury starred in the title role as foreman of the Shiloh Ranch. Doug McClure portrayed Trampas, a devil-may-care lovable rogue, and Lee J. Cobb played patriarchal figure Judge Garth, owner of the Shiloh Ranch. Gary Clark, Pippa Scott, and Roberta Shore rounded out the cast of regulars.

Filmed mostly in the greater Los Angeles area, on the back lots and sound stages of Universal Studios and at surrounding ranches, "The Virginian" was strengthened by A-list guest stars. In the first season, George C. Scott, Lee Marvin, Bette Davis, Robert Duvall, Brian Keith, Colleen Dewhurst, Hugh O'Brian, Gena Rowlands, Jack Warden, Ricardo Montalban, Fabian, Eddie Albert, Vera Miles, and Ida Lupino guested.

The Collector's Set is packaged in a handsome, embossed tin container. In addition to the entire first season, the set includes a bonus disc containing interviews with star James Drury and cast members Gary Clark, Roberta Shore, Robert Fuller, and Peter Brown.

I am very glad to see the Virginian is finally out on DVD. The first season is 10 dvd out in May. I remember the series with great fondness. The fist season has many good episodes with Judge Garth and how he came to adopt Betsy. It also has Trampas at his most charming. I am anxious to see if the old series holds up. It took a long time to put it on DVD as it was in a 90 minute format. All Were in color also. This is a series worth watching again. Pay careful attention to the guest stars. Many are famous now and were not then.

So far i have only seen a few episodes of season 1.I live in the u.k. so my set took a little longer to reach me than it would domestic u.s.a. customers.I remember seeing this series as a child.It was shown friday evenings on bbc telelvision,so we had the privilege of watching the show without any adverts interrupting.Even though i loved westerns,as a young boy i found the series a little dull.It had too much talking and not enough gunfire or deaths in each episode.As an adult i can begin to fully appreciate this show.It oozes class and pedigree.The episodes are well written,acted and beautifully photographed.The list of guest stars in the first series is a who"s who of hollywood and tv stars.The first few episodes i"ve watched boast guest stars such as lee marvin,bette davis,robert vaughan,nancy sinatra and dana wynter.One show is even directed by the legendary sam fuller with lee marvin at his most evil as one of the bad guys.This set is lovingly remastered and produced in a set that gives the series the treatment a series of this stature deserves.When i saw the show in the 60"s/70"s i didn"t fully appreciate it or its merits.Like classic wine this show has aged and matured beautifully over the years.

THIS IS PURELY A TECHNICAL REVIEW:
The embossed tin box is really awesome, congrats. The book-style disc-holder looks also great, but it is so unsuitable for storing discs! They are stuck between two pages that are glued together. So they get scratched everytime you take them out or force them in. And you need to put your fingers on the discs to do so.
Imagine the state of these discs once you're done watching the whole show once!

As for the coding of these dvds, here it is: The discs are coded so that you will NEVER see at what point of the show you are, there is no running time displayable on either dvd-player display or on the screen. I can't believe they still makes these dvds. They did the same with most Will & Grace dvds in the UK.
These are 90-min shows, how can you not let people see how long they are, at what moment they are in the show?
And then, there are only 3 chapters for show: One right after the main titles (so like, after 1 minute in), one during the episode (can't tell you where because...well, you can't tell, there's no running time displayable!), and one right before the end titles.

Some real genuises put together this package. I sure hope the next seasons are released in cheap boxes, at least they won't get scratched by taking them out or putting them in.

So far probably the LEAST practical DVDs I have EVER seen!

Just picked up Season One - Part One, Season One - Part Two, Season Two - Part One & Season Two - Part Two at my local Sam's Club at $19.98 for each half season.

I've only watched a couple of episodes, but can tell you that the picture quality is even better than it is on my Dish Network Encore Western Channel where they are currently showing. Image quality on the Dish channel is 480i by satellite and the colors are much more vibrant and the picture sharper on the new DVD discs.

There are also interviews of some length included, by: James Drury, Roberta Shore, Peter Brown and others.

If you want a super deluxe set, then wait for this special Tin Box package release. However, if like me, you can't wait any longer for your very own Virginian "fix", then trot down to your local Sam's Club and see if they are also carrying them.

It took way to long for this series to become available to all of us that grew up on The Virginia. I am really really really pleased with this set and can not wait for Season 2 to become available.
To anyone looking to purchase this boxed set - do so. The quality is good.
What really counts here is that I can go back and see the series in order and just have something fun to watch that is not filled with extreme violence, bad language, etc. If only this quality of TV series could be produced today!!
Buy it....the more sold, the better chance all of us fans will have to have Season 2+ become available, Enjoy watching a great western with great story themes.
Buy, Buy, Buy!

If you've seen these as they are now showing on Encore Westerns, you know that the quality is amazing, can't wait to get these on DVD!!

I am so glad to see that this series is being brought out on DVD and I cannot wait to obtain the whole series (1962-1971). I know the name was changed from THE VIRGINIAN to the MEN FROM SHILOH and despite not having seen the whole series when it was telecast, I enjoy it so much that I watch it at every opportunity and would like to add the whole series to my collection. It's a great western series with romance, humour, action and great special guest stars.

Owen Wister wrote "The Virginian" in 1902. It is set in the town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming in the 1890's and it chronicles the lives, hardships, and relationships of the people who came west to tame and settle the land. The title refers to a mysterious man with an unknown past who brings law to the territory. In 1962 NBC Televised a 90-minute color version starring James Drury as the title character. As a series, it was blessed With a talented cast, an A-list of guest stars, and excellent scripts, giving us one of the greatest shows ever produced for TV. The Show ran for nine seasons with 249 ninty-minute episodes, and would go on to become the third longest-running TV western just behind "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza."

I assure that you and your family will thoroughly enjoy this show. Personally, I can't wait to see the BD version. It should be more than terrific.