Customer Reviews

Wiseguy: The Collector's Edition (Seasons 1- 4)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

When Wiseguy originally came out on DVD, I was excited beyond words to finally see my favorite tv show of all time after so long. Right before I went to the store I decided to check Amazon for reviews, which is where I discovered the most climactic scene out of the entire series had been massacred. Any other episode I might understand, but for the studio to care so little about the show to not pony up the extra dough to keep "Nights in White Satin" in the final scene told me a lot about not only how much they care about the profit margin, but also how little they care about the fans. To me it's the same thing as taking John William's music out of the final Death Star scene in the original Star Wars movie. At that moment I refused to buy any Wiseguy DVDs, from any season.

Years later I hear about this collector's edition coming out, and again I get potentially excited..until the announcement comes out that's it's not a collector's edition at all, just a repackaging of the previous releases. I can at least understand the Dead Dog Records arc because of the sheer number of songs and the editing issues, but one song in what most fans consider the most poignant and emotional scene of the series?

Great job to the studio and Mr. Cannell. After all these years you still know how to put the screws to the fans. I guess it's time to find some old VHS copies and convert them to digital format.

Just an FYI. Buyer beware.

Mill Creek won't be issuing versions w/ the original songs -- and they won't be shelling out the bucks for music rights to the Dead Dog Records arc (hence they simply aren't including those episodes at all.

If that's not a big deal to you, go for it.

Huge Wiseguy fan, thrilled to pieces when it finally got a DVD release. However, the same as previous reviewers, I did some research and found out it was missing music and then whole episodes, so I flat out passed. Again was excited to hear of this new 'collectors edition' hoping against hope that they music was fixed and the Dead Dog arc was back in, but nope, this is another cheap attempt at extracting dollars from our wallets with a half baked product. Again I shall pass.

The temerity of companies doing this galls me beyond belief. Release the show, as broadcast, uncut and with all original music or just don't bother. This non collectors edition is just another two fingers up to the consuming public.

Be like me... don't buy it... and continue to not buy it or any other show given such a disrespectful release until it is issued in its entirety and in its original presentation. Perhaps FINALLY these companies will get the message and lift their game. Until then... leave it on the shelf

The following episodes are missing in the Wiseguy: The Collector's Edition (DVD):

Season 2-Dead Dog Lives
Season 2-And It Comes Out Here
Season 2-The Rip-Off Stich
Season 2-High Dollar Bop
Season 2-Hip Hop On The Gravy Train
Season 2-The One That Got Away
Season 2-Living and Dying in 4/4 Time
Season 3-People Do It All The Time

I've watched every single thing Ken Wahl has ever made starting with the movie The Wanderers back in 1979. The man is a genius, not only in front of the screen, but behind it as well. His attention to every detail and keen sense of knowing what the public wants is nearly unmatched by today's standards of churning out trash TV. I watched Wiseguy when it originally aired, and again in syndication (and I now thank God I taped them). I was thrilled to see the box set DVDs come out and eagerly purchased all of them, like an idiot. I have never been so disappointed in my life as I was with these box sets.

Simply put, they massacred the final episode of the Steelgrave arc by not having the song Nights in White Satin play in the background when Vinnie and Sonny were silently reflecting their intense brotherhood. That was, and still is, the single most electrifying and chilling scene I've ever witnessed on any TV show or movie. I still get chills when thinking about that scene. I cried my eyes out when watching it. Still do. It's something that you "had to be there" (so to speak) in order to "get it". These box sets simply robbed people of that experience.

I was appalled when watching the rest of the episodes in the box sets to see how much they removed from the original show. Those songs, along with other details, were what made the scene believable, understandable and enjoyable. The only thing I did enjoy from the box sets were Ken Wahl's commentaries that gave a lot of the backstory and set ups to the scenes that you would not have known otherwise. Thank you Ken, for taking the time to do the heartfelt, interesting and sometimes comical commentaries. I laughed along with you and enjoyed hearing about the series. However, it's just too bad that they took advantage of you and your talent, the great Wiseguy series, and the buying public by cranking out this crap that slaps Wiseguy right in the face.

I will not endorse Hollywood's nickel and diming of its fans, no matter how tempting this set may be. I would pay double the listed price for the fully restored series with the music. But without the Dead Dog arc and the music, this is just a sad shell of what was. It's a shame because Wiseguy is a perfect example of how great TV used to be, but you wouldn't know that from watching these DVDs. When Season One aired, I knew someone who cried during Nights In White Satin. Without the music, much of the impact is lost. It's just a shame, no other way to put it. Save your money and hope for syndication.

I have one of the original DVDs of the Steelgrave & Profit arcs. I definitely missed Nights in White Satin and the significance of the song at that point in the story. I have been waiting for the Dead Dog Records arc - patiently, waiting. Now, we have "the complete series" with no Dead Dog Records????

What's the deal? I know there are litigations, but the money that would be made by selling the REAL COMPLETE SERIES would help pay for the music fees, artist fees, etc. If the artists won't agree - they were already paid when they appeared on the show, then let the fans know. Then we will really let THEM know how we feel.

This is ridiculous. Thank you other reviewers for letting us know that we would be short changed again - no Nights in White Satin (which is a fabulous song and even better when the Moodies perform in concert) and no Dead Dog Records Arc. Why buy it?

It just didn't add up; 67 episodes on 13 discs for less than $50 delivered... it was going for upwards of $200 at one point. Screw it! I'm gonna own the series! I loved this show!

So, I got it and immediately started watching it again. I don't care a bit about the packaging, where paper envelopes are used in lieu of plastic retainers for each disc, it's a non-issue, it's the show that matters. Still great writing, still great acting, still great characters and acting. Then I hit the speedbump in Season 2, when there's a huge gap in the flow of the series.

Did a little looking and noted that the Dead Dog Records arc is missing; yeah, I got all 13 discs, almost 3100 minutes of video, but only got 67 of 75 episodes because of copyrights and associated costs; no one wanted to pay for the rights to the music used, so they just cut the whole segment of the series out, and I fell for it, blindly.

Well, shame on me for thinking I was getting a single complete and iconic piece of dramatic history in one box, to be viewed and enjoyed over and over. I know, stupid, huh? And shame on Mill Creek Video/Stephen J. Cannell for getting cheap on something that I've really enjoyed in the past, and looked forward to owning when it became available. All of you got me (you too, Amazon!), enjoy it, it won't be happening again.

That was a real cheap shot.

I was so excited when I saw this collector edition was coming out for all 4 seasons. Only to find out that the arc I wanted to see the most Dead Dog isn't there. You can keep "Season 4" what a waste and by the end of season 3 the writing changed dramatically. The full first season and Dead Dog was really what made Wiseguy so great. wish I had seen these other reviews before I bought this.

I would buy this in a heartbeat if it had the original music and all the episodes.
I'd gladly pay the increased cost. The music is part of the art, but multinational corporations don't appreciate art -- just commerce. And they underestimate us, disrespect us, thinking we will buy it regardless.
I hope no one buys this...