Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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259 of 269 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A terrible thing to do to a wonderful series, January 10, 2005
I am reviewing this DVD set, not the series, which is one of my favorites.
I pre-ordered this DVD set as soon as I possibly could, so that I could replace my not-very-high-quality, copied-from-TV episodes on bulky VHS tapes with clean copies on a few DVD's. It had been a while since I had watched the episodes, so I didn't notice anything wrong until I reached "Good Morning, Peoria." When Chick and Rachel were dancing that romantic dance, all I could think was, "Huh? What the heck happened to the music? Wasn't there a *real* song there before?" So I did some digging on the Internet, to make sure my memory wasn't playing tricks on me, and was absolutely horrified to discover that the music in various episodes had been changed. Most especially I was flabbergasted that they messed with the soundtrack of "M.I.A." That is one of the best episodes in the series, and the music felt as much a part of the story as the words. I played the final scene from the DVD, and it was awful, dreadful; the music was no longer a presence, it was just some background noise. Thank heaven I was able to retrieve my old VHS tapes. I played the same scene from them. Even with a grainy, dark picture, the original packed more of a wallop. It wasn't just "Georgia On My Mind," it was also "Unchained Melody," with its wrenchingly appropriate lyrics - "My darling, I hunger for your touch; are you still mine?"
I cannot believe that Universal was unable to get permission to use the original music; so it must have been a question of money. It isn't as if this was a super-cheap set to begin with, but I would not have minded paying a few more dollars to cover the royalties for the songs, so that I could have the real show. I don't care about extras on the DVD's - I don't need interviews, or commentaries, or behind-the-scenes stories, but I do care about being able to watch the show that I loved. And for Universal to release these pitiably maimed things without warning of the changes is an outrage.
What's next? To save money on royalties, dub in the voice of little Johnny Doe from the high school drama club instead of Clark Gable's as Rhett Butler? "American Graffiti" with Muzak-type songs instead of the original classics?
This whole series is about time travel, and one of the most effective ways to evoke a particular time period is to play the music of that time. The unmemorable pap that replaced the classic songs on these DVD's does nothing, *nothing* to add to the show.
I might keep this set, simply because of the terrible reception my TV got when I originally taped the episodes, but I'm not sure; and I will think long and hard before I order the third season.
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54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A lot more than "Georgia On My Mind" is missing, January 8, 2005
If you do an internet search with the words "Quantum Leap: The Definitive Music List" you can find a complete list of all the songs that have been removed, along with the episode they were originally in, and also the famous songs that were not removed. Here's a quick rundown of the songs that are missing:
DISCO INFERNO:
"That's the Way I Like It" by K.C. & The Sunshine Band; "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas; "Do The Hustle" by Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony.
GOOD MORNING, PEORIA:
"All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley; "Maybe Baby" by Buddy Holly & The Crickets; "Yakkety Yak (Don't Talk Back)" by The Coasters; "Jail House Rock" by Elvis Presley; "Shout" by The Isley Brothers.
THOU SHALT NOT:
"Locomotion" by Little Eva; "Killing Me Softly" by Roberta Flack.
ANIMAL FRAT:
"Louie, Louie" by The Kingsmen (even though you can see characters mouthing the words in the episode); "Surfin' USA" by The Beach Boys; "I Can't Help Myself" by The Temptations.
ANOTHER MOTHER:
"Call Me" by Blondie; "Shake It Up" by The Cars; "He's So Shy" by The Pointer Sisters.
ALL-AMERICANS:
"Big Girls Don't Cry" by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons; "The Twist" by Chubby Checker.
LEAPING IN WITHOUT A NET:
"Tequila" by The Champs.
MAYBE BABY:
"Runaway" by Del Shannon; "Dancing In the Streets" by Martha and The Vandellas.
M.I.A.:
"Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding; "This Guy's In Love With You" by Herb Alpert and His Tijuana Brass Band; "Someday We'll Be Together" by Diana Ross & The Supremes; "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers; "Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles.
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133 of 154 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quantum Leap - The Complete Second Season, October 9, 2004
"Quantum Leap" is about Dr. Sam Beckett, a genius who has built a time machine. Sam is sent into the past, finding that his mind is inside someone else's body. Each person has had something gone wrong in what is now the future, and Sam's mission is to prevent the tragedy. The only problem is that his memory is "swiss cheese", with lots of holes in it. His coworker, Al, appears to him as a hologram that only he can see and helps him. A series with a deeper message that small interventions can make a difference.
Here is a short episode guide:
1. Honeymoon Express - April 27, 1960: Sam leaps into an NYC cop on his honeymoon who is threatened by an ex-husband.
2. Disco Inferno - April 1, 1976: Sam is a stunt man trying to save his little brother's life.
3. The Americanization of Machiko - August 4, 1953: Sam, a sailor, brings home his Japanese wife.
4. What Price Gloria? - October 16, 1961: Sam, a beautiful female secretary, is sexually harassed by a boss.
5. Blind Faith - February 6, 1964: As a blind pianist, Sam needs to rescue his girlfriend from being murdered.
6. Good Morning, Peoria - September 9, 1959 gs: Chubby Checker (as himself): The radio station where Sam is a disc jockey is in danger of being shut down for playing Rock and Roll.
7. Thou Shalt Not... - February 2, 1974: Sam is a rabbi whose sister-in-law is falling for a sleazy author.
8. Jimmy - October 14, 1964: Sam leaps into a developmentally disabled youth who wants to get a job and fit in with his coworkers.
9. So Help Me God - July 29, 1957: Sam, an attorney, defends a young black woman charged with the murder of a powerful man's son.
10. Catch A Falling Star - May 21, 1979: Sam, the understudy for the role of Cervantes in "Man of La Mancha", tries to prevent the star from falling and hurting himself while drunk.
11. A Portrait for Troian - February 7, 1971: Sam is a parapsychologist. His mission to investigate a young widow's claim that her husband is speaking to her and to stop her from joining him.
12. Animal Frat - October 19, 1967: As a partying frat boy, Sam tries to stop the bombing of the chemistry department by campus radicals protesting the Vietnam war.
13.. Another Mother - September 30, 1981 gs: John Hillerman (Jonathan Higgins): Sam leaps into a divorced mother of three. His mission is to prevent his teenaged son from disappearing. Note: John Hillerman also played "Jonathan Higgins" on Magnum PI, Murder She Wrote, and Simon and Simon.
14. All Americans - November 6, 1962: Sam is a high school football player trying to stop his best friend from throwing the championship game and blowing a college scholarship.
15. Her Charm - September 26, 1973: Sam's mission is to protect a woman in the witness protection program from a hit man.
16. Freedom - November 22, 1970: Sam leaps into a Native American. His mission is to help his Grandfather go home to the reservation to die.
17. Good Night, Dear Heart - November 9, 1957 gs: Robert Duncan McNeill: Sam leaps into a coroner. A young woman is thought to have committed suicide, but Sam thinks she was murdered.
18. Pool Hall Blues - September 4, 1954: gs: Shari Headley: Sam leaps into Charlie "Black Magic" Walters, a well-known pool player. His mission is to help his daughter buy back the marker for her bar from a loan shark.
19. Leaping in Without a Net - November 18, 1958: Sam is a trapeze artist, whose sister wants them to do a dangerous stunt without a net.
20. Maybe Baby - March 11, 1963: Sam, a bouncer, is on the run with his girlfriend who has kidnapped a baby.
21. Sea Bride - June 3, 1954: Sam finds himself on board a cruise liner, where his ex-wife is about to marry a crook.
22. M.I.A. - April 1, 1969: Sam, as an undercover police officer, meets a Navy nurse whose husband is MIA in Vietnam. Al tells him that his mission is to stop her from marrying someone else.
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