Image Entertainment has detailed the release of The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Complete Series Blu-ray Box Set. All five seasons have been digitally remastered from the 35mm negatives in high-definition for the first time ever. The deluxe 15-disc set is packed with new exclusive bonus features and even a variety of extras from the award winning DVD set. Catch The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Complete Series on Blu-ray November 13th.
In The Dick Van Dyke Show, you'll join Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) in his struggles with the ups and downs of work and home, aided and agitated by his lovely wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). Adding to the fun are Rob's wisecracking co-workers Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam), long-suffering Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon) and hot-tempered boss Alan Brady (Carl Reiner).
Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, The Dick van Dyke Show is one of television's most memorable comedies – TV Guide ranked it number 13 on its list of the 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. The series is a creation of comedy genius Carl Reiner, and based on his experiences as a writer for Your Show of Shows.
New Bonus Features Exclusive to the Blu-ray Set:
TV Academy Tribute to Carl Reiner featuring Dick Van Dyke, George Clooney, Garry Shandling, Ray Romano, Brad Garrett, Paul Reiser, Rose Marie, Larry Mathews, and more.
50th Anniversary Q & A with Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner and Garry Marshall
"It May Look Like a Walnut" Color Test
Dick Van Dyke Appearance on "The Danny Kaye Show"
Mary Tyler Moore appearance on "The Danny Kaye Show"
Mary Tyler Moore appearance on "The Danny Thomas Show"
"Kick the Habit" Radio Spot featuring Dick Van Dyke
Safety Council Reel
Network Promos
Blu-ray Set also Includes Bonus Features from the Award Winning DVD Set:
Audio Commentaries with Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke and many more.
"Head of the Family" (Original Series Pilot Episode)
The Making of "It May Look Like a Walnut" (Behind-the-Scenes Featurette)
Rare Rehearsal Footage
Interviews with Cast and Directors
Original Commercials with the Cast and Network Promos
I watched these all the time as a kid on Nick at Nite, but this really isn't the kind of show that I feel compelled to own, especially at that price. I wonder if the HD transfers will make it to Netflix? I might watch an episode or two that way, but I'm not in it for the complete series.
The late 50s and early 60s were a golden age for TV. Anything from that period gets me fired up. This is great news. In this particular case, I've seen the episodes so many times that I'm not inclined to invest this much in the set. But I might cave-in when I see some screen caps. Now what would REALLY be a "day one" for me would be the original Outer Limits on BD.
Awesome to see more TV getting it's HD due. It's also great to see them commiting to the complete series, rather than just doing a season at a time. I grew up on this show, along with I Love Lucy, Andy Griffith that remain timeless, IMO. Look forward to seeing it again.
The audio had better be lossless and the average bitrates per episode should be in the high 20mbits to justify this price. I gladly bought all the Twilight Zone blurays on day one due to their attention to a high-quality HD video presentation and not cramming too many episodes per disc. (Despite the fact TZ used 192kbps Dolby Digital for their commentaries, which have to be cranked to understand.)
If the reviews for the set don't reveal Dolby Digital, or more than 4 hours of content per BD-50, I'll probably get this on the first day.
I'm really looking forward to other classic shows like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Andy Griffith Show, etc. I hope we get the complete Scooby Doo with lossless audio as well.
My only complaint is the lack of non-white characters in these classic shows -- it can be confusing for kids. That being said, I don't know of any shows shot on film that regularly featured non-white characters...
At half the current cost, I might consider a purchase. Otherwise I'll wait for individual season releases. Quite possibly my favorite TV show of all time.
