Rich, John

I Spy - Season 1

Robert Culp and Bill Cosby star as international espionage agents Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott on highly dangerous missions in this ever-popular award-winning series. Culp poses as a world-class playboy/tennis player and Cosby goes undercover as his trainer. Together they travel the world trading quips and fighting high-level crime with cool bravado and extraordinary savoir-faire. Combining humor with action/intrigue "I Spy" was the first adventure TV series to be shot in exotic international locales establishing a new standard for television dramas.System Requirements:LENGTH: 1429 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 014381395228 Manufacturer No: ID3952PQDVD

I Spy - Season 2

Robert Culp and Bill Cosby star as international espionage agents Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott on highly dangerous missions in this ever-popular award-winning series. Culp poses as a world-class playboy/tennis player and Cosby goes undercover as his trainer. Together they travel the world trading quips and fighting high-level crime with cool bravado and extraordinary savoir-faire. Combining humor with action/intrigue "I Spy" was the first adventure TV series to be shot in exotic international locales establishing a new standard for television dramas.System Requirements:LENGTH: 1428 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 014381395327 Manufacturer No: ID3953PQDVD

I Spy - Season 3

Robert Culp and Bill Cosby star as international espionage agents Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott on highly dangerous missions in this ever-popular award-winning series. Culp poses as a world-class playboy/tennis player and Cosby goes undercover as his trainer. Together they travel the world trading quips and fighting high-level crime with cool bravado and extraordinary savoir-faire. Combining humor with action/intrigue "I Spy" was the first adventure TV series to be shot in exotic international locales establishing a new standard for television dramas.System Requirements:LENGTH: 1332 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 014381395426 Manufacturer No: IS3954PQDVD

Barney Miller - The First Season

Barney Miller is the kind of cop we'd all like to meet. He somehow manages to maintain order over a group of inner-city detectives who gamble for a hobby get hit on by anything in skirts go to renaissance philosophy conventions for fun and would really prefer to be writing. Stars Hal Linden Abe Vigoda and more! Two-disc set includes all 13 episodes from the first season.System Requirements:Starring: Hal Linden Abe Vigoda Gregory Sierra Maxwell Gail Jack Soo Ron Glass Running Time: 314 Min. Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396016132 Manufacturer No: 01613

The brainchild of veteran writer-directors Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker, the comedy/drama Barney Miller (1975-1982) offered a very human look at the inner workings of a New York City police precinct; its wry and observant scripts, aided by a stellar cast, helped earn the series three Emmy Awards and a devoted fan base, which should be pleased by this two-disc set that compiles its entire first season. Viewers familiar with the series' later seasons will notice substantial differences in the cast and storyline; episodes divide Barney's (Hal Linden) time evenly between the 12th Precinct and his apartment, which he shares with wife Barbara Barrie and two children (all of whom would be phased out of the series). The first season squad was composed of Abe Vigoda's dyspeptic Fish, the overeager Wojciehowicz (Max Gail), dry-witted Yemana (Jack Soo, who passed away during the fifth season), and street-smart Chano (Gregory Sierra, who departed the series after the second season); Ron Glass's dapper Harris would not be listed in the opening credits until subsequent seasons.

Arnold, along with Chris Hayward (Get Smart) and other scribes, would pen the majority of the first season, which set the tone for the series by pitting the squad against a host of offbeat criminals, other cops, and regular citizens, several of whom would become semi-regulars; James Gregory's crusty Inspector Luger makes his debut in "Vigilante" (episode 9), while unscrupulous lawyer Arnold Ripner (Alex Henteloff) and Detective Wentworth (a pre-Alice Linda Lavin) have their first appearances in "The Experience" (episode 2) and "Ms. Cop" (episode 8), respectively.

Columbia/TriStar's two-disc set offers all 13 episodes of the first season, as well as short credit lists for some of the major players; the little-seen 1974 pilot, "The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller," might have made an interesting supplemental feature, but fans should be pleased to have this set regardless. --Paul Gaita

The Brady Bunch - The Complete First Season

Because of Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, writer-producer Sherwood Schwartz will forever be a TV hall-of-famer. They were his only real hits, but they were both grand slams in their prime times and have remained syndicated favorites ever since. Following closely on the Gilligan's Island season 2 release, The Brady Bunch is ready for home theaters with a nicely designed, 4-disc set of 25 first-season episodes. The pilot episode, "The Honeymoon" sets up the story we all know from the theme song (lyrics by Schwartz) by giving us the marriage of Mike and Carol and the coming together of the six kids. Schwartz provides commentary for just this first show, but he fondly recalls his intention of sweet, subdued, and often corny gags the pre-fab family encountered as a precise format each week. Two other episodes include commentary by Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter), and Susan Olson (Cindy), and their reminiscences are equally affectionate about time on the show and everyone's surprise at its enormous success. Every Brady episode is a classic in some sense, and this first of five seasons (those kids did grow up fast) includes some real charmers when the six Brady kids still seemed impossibly young. It's hard to say the show was ever hip, even though it became slightly more attuned to a pop sensibility as the Bradys moved into the '70s. But man, is this 1969 everyfamily ever square. Even so, it's hard to resist the way each one gets their own screen time with shows devoted to simple childhood joys and traumas--Jan's missing locket, Cindy's missing baby doll, Greg's crush on his math teacher, Peter's swelled head when he gets his picture in the paper, etc.

In a brief bonus featurette we get more innocuously entertaining interview comments from Schwartz, Williams, Olson, Knight, and Mike Lookinland (Bobby). It's interesting that all the subjects make note of how seriously the classically trained (now-deceased) Robert Reed took his role as patriarch, Mike Brady. His reputation as being "difficult" followed the long run of the show, but if Schwartz's first choice had gotten the role it could have been a lot worse. (Schwartz is delighted to reveal the famous name and career path that followed, so the mystery shouldn't be spoiled here.) As it was during its TV run, The Brady Bunch on DVD is clearly meant for a specific generation--yours. --Ted Fry

THE BRADY BUNCH - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON tells the story of Carol, a single mother of three girls - Marcia, Jan and Cindy and architect Mike Brady, a single father of three boys - Greg, Peter and Bobby who get married and blend the two families into one. Added to the mix are housekeeper Alice and dog Tiger. The Bradys' experience the same obstacles as any family, from adjusting to their new extended family, to sibling rivalry. The comedy series famous for its catchy theme song truly has become a pop culture icon and is still enjoyed by viewers of all ages.

The Brady Bunch - The Complete Fourth Season

The Bradys just keep on movin', keep on groovin', keep on doin' it right. By season four the Brady Bunch crew had got the magical formula down and was churning out one groovy television classic after another. Not only is season four the best of the later seasons, including the memorable performance by the Brady band "The Silver Platters," but the episodes included in this run almost read as a "Brady best-of" list. If there is a hall of fame for three part television episodes, this season's opener would easily be among the top five. The "Bradys Abroad" formula seemed to be so successful after season four's two-part opening trip to the Grand Canyon, the gang was able to pack it up and head to Hawaii. The Hawaii trip has it all; a family trip to the USS Arizona, Greg's Surf contest, a family Luau, the mysterious tiki idol, and guest appearances by b-horror staple Vincent Price and Hawaiian idol Don Ho. After the tropical vacation it's back to school. In order to fit in, Marcia the freshman signs up for every after-school activity on campus including the elitist "Boosters." Greg's love life gets complex when he discovers his girlfriend and sister are both in competition for the coveted head cheerleading spot, and he is the judge! Love strikes Marcia too, who falls in love with her dreamy dentist, only to be crushed by Jan's news that he is married with children. Never one to rest on the rebound, Marcia lands a date with Doug the campus hero only to have her heart ripped out once again when the boys break her nose with an errant flying football. Then there's Peter who has to play Benedict Arnold in the school play and is suddenly on the receiving end of his peers' snide remarks calling him a traitor. And in the classic season finale Greg and Marcia battle it out to see who gets to move out of the kids' bedroom and into their own space in the attic. Corny, yet cool, dated, yet timeless, vanilla as is comes, but still mesmerizing, The Brady Bunch - The Complete Fourth Season is the season that most people will identify as quintessential Brady. --Rob Bracco

The Brady Bunch - The Complete Second Season

The Brady Bunch never scored high ratings during its five year run, but this friendly family comedy has remained in reruns ever since, while bigger hits have slipped into oblivion. Pretty much everyone who grew up in the 1970s or '80s knows the show inside and out: A vision of suburban family life so utopian it's as fantastical as Neverland or Santa's workshop--and just like these imaginary realms, it casts a spell over every kid who wished all problems could be resolved with a few wise words, a good-natured shrug, or a winsome smile. The Brady Bunch: The Complete Second Season is indistinguishable from every other season, but the reassuring formula is crucial to the show's appeal. Eldest brother Greg (Barry Williams) may decide he's all grown up and wants a groovy bachelor pad, or eldest sister Marcia (Maureen McCormick) may get all riled up about women's lib and decide to join the Frontier Scouts, or super-maid Alice (Ann B. Davis, whose persona is hilariously similar to Ellen DeGeneres) may fantasize about running off with an old flame, but by the end of the show you know everything will return to a zen-like domestic harmony.

It's all pretty bizarre when you realize that both halves of the family have suffered the death of a parent! The most angst to be found is the relentless identity crisis of middle sister Jan (Eve Plumb), who tries to remove her freckles with lemon juice and buys a curly brunette wig to forge a new self-image. Nowadays Jan would be a prime candidate for bulimia, but in the Brady world such psychodrama is unthinkable. This even emotional keel could have been creepy and antiseptic, but due to the charm of the kids and the smooth yet earthy presence of Robert Reed and Florence Henderson as parents Mike and Carol Brady, The Brady Bunch just seemed nice. You wanted that to be your family. If you watched the show in your childhood, watching The Brady Bunch: The Complete Second Season as an adult will lull you into a sweet, blissful dream. --Bret Fetzer

The adventures of a family created when two divorced people with children, marry each other.
No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: BRADY BUNCH
Title: SEASON 2
Street Release Date: 07/26/2005
Domestic
Genre: TELEVISION

Maude - The Complete First Season

Lest anyone doubt that Maude was part of the great second golden age of TV sitcoms in the mid-'70s, the first season of the show will lay those doubts to rest. The inimitable Bea Arthur, who won an Emmy for the role, is the uber-feminist-realist at the center of a loving, slightly dysfunctional family in the Norman Lear series. Arthur, and Maude, are fearless in confronting issues of the day, from abortion and penalties for marijuana possession to the real heartbreak post-divorce. The supporting cast is first-rate, too, including Adrienne Barbeau as Maude's daughter, Carol, who's come home to nest after a traumatic divorce; Bill Macy as Maude's beleaguered fourth husband, Walter; and the beloved, fearless Esther Rolle as housekeeper Florida Evans. Despite the roiling issues and confrontation s in each episode, nothing rattles Maude, who became something of a role model for women trying to navigate through turbulent changing times. Sample dialogue: Maude: "When he says wife, he means possession." Walter: "So what, Maude? You told me a hundred times you want to be possessed." Maude: "Walter Findlay, I never said that standing up and you know it." Maude speaks her mind in all 20 episodes--and if you don't like it, God'll get you for that. --A.T. Hurley

Stills from Maude (click for larger image)