Leacock, Philip

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - The Complete Epic Series

With its campy combination of lightweight adventure and Spandex disco chic, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is a nostalgic throwback to post-Star Wars opportunism. Series co-creator Glen A. Larson was incapable of originality, and former soap star Gil Gerard (in the title role) was a bland incarnation of the comic-strip hero, so the much-anticipated series premiered on September 20, 1979, with serious disadvantages. Although the two-hour pilot "Awakening" had tested successfully as a theatrical release, Gerard and the show's producers could never agree on a stable tone for the series, which presents Capt. William "Buck" Rogers as a jovial space cowboy who is accidentally time-warped from 1987 to 2491. Earth is engaged in interplanetary war following a global holocaust, and Buck's piloting skills make him an ideal starfighter recruit for the Earth Defense Directorate, where his closest colleagues are Dr. Huer (Tim O'Connor), squadron leader Col. Wilma Deering (former model Erin Gray, looking oh-so-foxy), the wisecracking robot Twiki (voiced by cartoon legend Mel Blanc), and a portable computer-brain named Dr. Theopolis, who's carried by Twiki like oversized bling-bling.

The series struggled through an awkward first season, with routine plots elevated by decent special effects and noteworthy guest stars including Jamie Lee Curtis, ill-fated Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten (appearing, with her voice dubbed over, less than a year before her tragic murder), Batman alumnus Julie Newmar, Buster Crabbe (veteran of vintage Buck Rogers movie serials), and several others in a show that favored vamps and vixens over credible science fiction. A full-scale overhaul resulted in a disastrous second season, but devoted fans still gravitate to Hawk (Thom Christopher), the charismatic alien "birdman" who was introduced with new characters and a new, space-faring search for lost tribes from Earth (with echoes of Larson's own Battlestar Galactica). Behind-the-scenes squabbles continued, and by mid-season of 1981, NBC pulled the plug on a breezy, still-engaging series that suffered from uneasy chemistry and never realized its full potential. Existing somewhere between Galactica and Lost in Space in the TV sci-fi food chain, this Buck--with a dearth of DVD extras--now functions as a cheesy stroll down memory lane. --Jeff Shannon

Secret Agent (aka Danger Man) - The Complete Collection Megaset 2007

It was 1965 when American audiences first welcomed handsome principled secret agent John Drake (Patrick McGoohan of The Prisoner ) into their homes as CBS ran the unique spy series known as SECRET AGENT.Now at last John Drake s entire crime-solving career including the first season that aired only in the U.K. under the name Danger Man as well as all 47 episodes of the international hit Secret Agent is available in one unique collection. Each episode of this exciting spy thriller is complete and uncut and presented in the original broadcast order from the original Danger Man episodes through the two rarely seen color episodes of Secret Agent that provided a vivid finale to the long-running suspense thriller.The complete Secret Agent series including the first season that aired only in the U.K. is now available togther for the first time in one high-margin 18-disc set.Features all 86 episodes from the SECRET AGENT A.K.A. DANGER MAN series at a 50% discount from buying the Danger Man and Secret Agent Megaset™ collections separatelyStarring the Emmy® Award-winning Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner ). Special Features: Patrick McGoohan Biography/Filmography WComplete Full-Length Original U.S. Opening Featuring SecretAgent Man Sung by Johnny Rivers WPhoto GallerySystem Requirements:Run Time: 3420 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 733961768589 Manufacturer No: AAE-76858

Fantasy Island - The Complete First Season

Smiles everyone smiles! It's the fabulous first season of FANTASY ISLAND the mysterious Pacific paradise where anything can - and will - happen. Join Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban) and his assistant Tattoo (Herve Villechaize) as they welcome their very special guests - including Bill Bixby Don Knotts Juliet Mills Leslie Nielsen Ray Bolger and Sandra Dee - for a weekend stay and make their fondest dreams and wishes come true. This DVD includes the long-running series' initial 14 episodes plus the 1977 pilot and the original feature-length television movie that started it all!System Requirements: Running Time 776 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396114906 Manufacturer No: 11490

One of the definitive TV shows of the 1970s originally aspired to the dark moral complexity of anthology shows like The Twilight Zone. Even diehard fans will have to admit Fantasy Island fell short of its goal--but that didn't stop it from becoming hugely popular, lasting for seven powerhouse seasons. All the most iconic elements were present from the beginning: Diminutive Tattoo (Herve Villechaize, The Man with the Golden Gun) shouting "De plane! De plane!"; infinitely gracious Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) commanding "Smiles, everyone, smiles," before delivering pages of exposition with his implacable Latin gravitas; the white suits; the tropical island that somehow has all the vegetation and weather patterns in the world; the pageant of celebrities from Jim Backus to Karen Valentine, Barbi Benton to Don Knotts--it all added up to sneakily addictive television. After all, wish-fulfillment--be it a schlub who wants to be irresistible to chicks or kids who want their separated parents to reconcile or a former cheerleading team who want to relive their high school glory days--had a built-in narrative hook, even though the resolution (various versions of "be careful what you wish for") was never in doubt. Almost every episode bubbled over with sex, revenge, ambition, and regret, delivered with a shameless lack of subtlety. Over the course of the first season, the interplay between Montalban and Villechaize--each armed with an intriguing exotic accent--became more and more prominent, with Mr. Roarke becoming increasingly supernatural while Tattoo oozed the mortal sins of greed and lechery. Turn on any episode; you'll find it hard to stop watching, no matter how cheesy or ludicrous the storyline. This four-dvd set includes the original TV movie pilot, its sequel, and the 16 episode first season, as well as a couple of largely bland featurettes enlivened by the occasional barbed comment from executive producer Leonard Goldberg. --Bret Fetzer

The War Lover

Steve McQueen fights his own private battle as a volatile "war lover" in this gripping story based on a novel by John Hersey. Stationed in England during World War II Buzz Rickson (McQueen) is the bravest Air Force pilot in his squadron and the most reckless. His maniacal quest for thrills takes him to the brink of destruction during the B-17 bombing raids on Germany. But while Buzz's daredevil heroics win the grudging respect of his crew his rebellious attitude alienates everyone except his co-pilot Ed Bolland (Robert Wagner). Ultimately Buzz destroys even this relationship by pursuing Ed's girlfriend Daphne (Shirley Anne Field). Featuring spectacular aerial footage THE WAR LOVER is one of the most explosive adventures you'll ever see!System Requirements:Running Time: 105 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 043396100527 Manufacturer No: 10052

Three Sovereigns for Sarah

This dramatization of a true story deals with one of the most troubling episodes in early American history, the "witch hysteria" that convulsed the village of Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1690s. Noted actress Vanessa Redgrave plays Sarah Cloyce, who years later, is seeking to clear the names of her sisters who were executed as witches. The historical basis for this drama is the fact that early in the 1700s the colonial government offered to pay reparations to the survivors of those who had been killed, but only if their relatives could somehow prove that the deceased were not in fact witches. Redgrave's character, in telling the story of her sisters' tragedy, shows the difficulties face by the accused, who really had no way to defend themselves against accusations that were, by definition, supernatural. Using actual transcripts of some of the trials as the basis for the dialogue, the production sacrifices some dramatic flair while striving to remain historically accurate, yet seeing how the peculiar madness of the witch hunt developed over time remains fascinating. Redgrave's performance, as might be expected, stands out, and she does a fine job of portraying how literally earthly concerns--paltry disputes over land ownership--eventually snowballed into a frenzy that saw 20 people executed and scores of others jailed on suspicion of witchcraft. --Robert J. McNamara

This is a true story. Nineteen people were hanged and one old man pressed to death, while hundreds of others suffered in jail cells during the witch hysteria" of 1692. THREE SOVEREIGNS FOR SARAH is the most accurate portrayal yet. Each character you will see actually existed, actually spoke many of the words you will hear. Original transcripts of the trials are woven into the dialogue.

Waltons - The Foundling (TV Premiere DVD)

Secret Agent AKA Danger Man, Set 1

Danger Man first aired in 1960 as a half-hour spy program on British television. Phenomenally popular, it returned in England in 1964 as an hour-long series that CBS imported in 1965 for prime-time programming. Taking heed of the James Bond craze and the ratings success of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., the show was renamed Secret Agent.

This collection contains six vintage 1964 episodes. Patrick McGoohan stars as John Drake, who is dispatched around the globe to quell cold war intrigue. Danger Man was a gritty spy series, relying more on realistic stories of espionage than on the gadgets and beautiful women popularized by 007. The episode "Yesterday's Enemies" is particularly brutal and cynical, as an increasingly conflicted Drake travels to Beirut to uncover a traitorous former British spy's network of double agents. In "Fair Exchange," Drake races to stop a relentless fellow agent from killing the East German secret policeman who tortured her. In "No Marks for Servility," the often undisciplined Drake must pose as "the perfect English butler" to a ruthless blackmailer and extortionist. Also included in this collection are "The Battle of the Cameras," "A Room in the Basement," and "Fish on the Hook." --Donald Liebenson

Before there was The Prisoner, there was Secret Agent. American audiences welcomed handsome secret agent John Drake (Patrick McGoohan) into their homes when CBS ran the unique spy series known as Secret Agent (originally titled Danger Man in the U.K.) in 1965. The show was the epitome of cool, with its now famous theme song ("Secret Agent Man," sung by the indomitable Johnny Rivers) reaching No. 3 on the Pop Charts. Enjoy the first 6 hour-long episodes as broadcast in the U.S. of this exciting international spy thriller, digitally restored and uncut.
Episodes: The Battle of the Cameras, A Room in the Basement, Fair Exchange, Fish on the Hook, No Marks for Servility, Yesterday's Enemies.

Shattered Silence

The Steve McQueen Box Set (Baby, the Rain Must Fall/The War Lover)

Secret Agent AKA Danger Man, Set 4