Daugherty, Herschel

Emergency - Season One

Created and produced by TV legend Jack Webb, Emergency! delivered a double dose of medical drama and real-life action into its stories, which made it a major favorite among viewers during its '72-77 network run. The season 1 set compiles the first 11 episodes of the program, in which paramedics Gage (Randolph Mantooth) and DeSoto (Kevin Tighe) tackle crises both big and small, from plane accidents ("Crash," "Dealer's Wild") and baby deliveries ("Brushfire") to the rescue of a horse in a ditch ("Publicity Hound"). Ably assisting the men in the field are the emergency room hospital staff, led by Dr. Joe Early (Bobby Troup, the composer of "Route 66"), Dr. Kelly Brackett (Robert Fuller of Laramie), and Nurse Dixie McCall (singer Julie London); Deirdre Hall of Days of Our Lives fame also appeared (in this season only) as Nurse Sally Lewis. An energetic and entertaining series, the success of Emergency not only spawned a host of promotional tie-ins (and a Saturday morning cartoon), but also helped spark attention for and interest in paramedic work during its network run, which is a considerable legacy for any television program.

Though no extras are included in the season 1 double-disc set, the 1972 two-part pilot, "The Wedsworth-Townsend Affair," is included; directed by Jack Webb, the pilot also features guest appearances by Martin Milner and Kent McCord in their roles from another of his then-current series, Adam-12. --Paul Gaita

Biff Baker USA

Tony Bennett's New York

His heart may be in San Francisco and his act in Atlantic City (at least for the purposes of this program), but singer Tony Bennett, the son of an Italian immigrant grocer born in Astoria, Queens, is a New Yorker through and through, a point this documentary-cum-performance DVD makes abundantly clear. With writer-coproducer Reggie Nadelson providing narration (she's not exactly James Earl Jones, to put it charitably, but she clearly knows and loves her subject) and such quintessential New Yorkers as writer Jimmy Breslin and ex-governor Mario Cuomo offering insight, the highlights and lowlights of Bennett's life and career are all covered: the influence of Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, and others; his early days as a heartthrob pop crooner through his '60s civil rights activism, '70s career doldrums, and '80s renaissance as the urbane and elegant epitome of cool, thanks to MTV; his sideline as a painter of considerable merit; and more.

There's plenty of music too, with Bennett leading his crack trio through what he calls "the best folk songs in the world," including standards like "A Foggy Day," "I Got Rhythm," and "I Wanna Be Around"--and, natch, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," preceded here by a medley of endearingly awful karaoke performances of the signature Bennett tune. All right, so Tony Bennett may not be a giant on the order of Sinatra, Crosby, or Armstrong. But he's still here, both an embodiment of a bygone era and a still-vital performer of depthless class and style. We're lucky to have him. --Sam Graham

Tony Bennett, the man who gave the world the classic "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," has been one of the top singing stars for nearly a half century. His popularity and appeal spans all generations, won over by a musical style that is timeless. More than thirty million album sales later, Tony Bennett is still going strong. This unique video features Tony performing in Atlantic City and in interview in and around New York. Archive footage and contributions from his many entertainment business friends bring further insights. This is a fascinating look at the eventful life and career of the man Frank Sinatra named as his favorite singer and who is now considered 'The King of Cool' by a new generation of admirers. Includes "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Just in Time," "Stranger in Paradise" and more.

The Six Million Dollar Man