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SECRET AGENT!! ROCKFORD!! M:I!!! OC!! SCRUBS!! KOTTER!! Herc’s Season-Box DVD Vault!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
A bit of Emmy history:
“The Rockford Files” didn’t get nominated for an Emmy its first season. Outstanding drama series nominees in 1975 were “Kojak,” “Police Story,” “The Streets of San Francisco,” “The Waltons” and “Upstairs Downstairs.” “Upstairs Downstairs” won.
“Rockford” didn’t get nominated for an Emmy its second season. Outstanding drama series nominees in 1976 were “Baretta,” “Columbo,” “Police Story” and “The Streets of San Francisco.” “Police Story” won.
“Rockford” didn’t get nominated for the outstanding drama Emmy its third season
, steeting today. 1977 Nominees were “Baretta,” “Columbo,” “Family,” “Police Story” and “Upstairs Downstairs.” “Upstairs Downstairs” won. (When it came to Emmys, PBS was apparently the HBO of the pre-cable era, and “Upstairs Downstairs” its “Sopranos”).
The following year, 1978, “Rockford” would not only get its long overdue Emmy nomination for best drama series, it would grab a surprise win, beating out “Columbo,” “Family,” and “Lou Grant.” And “Rockford’s” nominations in this category would continue until it left the air in 1980.
But the third season was the first to garner (no pun intended) the series’ first Emmy in any category: James Garner for best actor in a drama series.
End of Emmy history.
The Emmys can be slow to acknowledge greatness, too often favoring familiar veterans over innovative newcomers. And Jim Rockford, beloved for his pragmatic nature, chronic misfortune and understated quips, was not a typical TV hero of the era.
But he was the brainchild of two huge talents. Roy Huggins (1914-2002), having created "Maverick" in 1957 and "The Fugitive" in 1963, had already spent decades as a TV legend by the time he reteamed with Garner in 1974. Having crafted stories for "Rockford" under the pseudonym "John Thomas James," Huggins was newly partnered with 33-year-old Cannell, a veteran of Jack Webb's prolific Mark VII operation. "Rockford" was the first in a long, diverse string of hit crime dramas Cannell would create, a string that would include "The Greatest American Hero," "Ten-Speed and Brownshoe," "The A-Team," "The Commish," "21 Jump Street" and "Wiseguy."
“Rockford,” I’ve been reflecting lately, shares a lot of the same qualities evidenced by “Veronica Mars”: an emphasis on characterization and comedy, brainy but beleaguered private eyes, undertones of social commentary, and a large cast of entertaining recurring players.
The third season gratifyingly returns cowardly con-man Evelyn “Angel” Martin (Stuart Margolin, who won two Emmys for the role) and Rockford’s fabulous lawyer-babe (and sometime girlfriend?) Beth Davenport (the fabulous Gretchen Corbett). Rockford’s friendship with police sergeant Dennis Becker continued to solidify, but season three saw Rockford’s chief police nemesis changed from Lt. Diehl (Tom Atkins) to Lt. Chapman (James Luisi). Season three guest stars included a 30-year-old pre-“Cagney” Sharon Gless (who looked a little like Busy Phillips in those days), Robert Walden, Robert Loggia, William Daniels, Gerald McRaney, Ned Beatty, Ron Rifkin, Steve Landesberg, Jack Riley, Cleavon Little, Louis Gossett Jr., Isaac Hayes, Charles Napier, and future Hill Street regulars Veronica Hamel, James B. Sikkng, Jon Cypher and George Wyner.
Regular writers on season three included Cannell (the hilarious Steve Landesberg-Jack Riley episode “There’s One In Every Port” and the equally hilarious Louis Gossett-Isaac Hayes episode “Just Another Polish Wedding”) and “Sopranos” creator David Chase (the two-parter “To Protect and Serve”).
While a $170 “Secret Agent AKA Danger Man” megaset has been available since 2003, the new Secret Agent AKA Danger Man Complete Collection Megaset 2007, arrives this week with a retail price of only $99.99. Not only is the new set way cheaper, it also contains the 39 season-one episodes the earlier set does not, so you get 86 episodes in all.
Britain’s "Danger Man" spy series has one of the most convoluted histories in TV. Season one consisted of 33 half-hours broadcast in the United Kingdom between September 1960 and June 1961, and six more straggling along between December 1961 and January 1962. Several of these episodes were broadcast on CBS. Season one’s John Drake (Patrick McGoohan) was an Irish-American operative of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The first season was titled “Danger Man” on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the show's second season, which didn’t happen along until October 1964, Drake suddenly grew an English accent (McGoohan himself was raised in Ireland and England), and worked for the fictional British intelligence agency M9. The show also switched at the start of season two to hourlong episodes. CBS, which did poorly with the first season of “Danger Man,” retitled the second season “Secret Agent” and added the famously infectious Johnny Rivers rockabilly classic “Secret Agent Man” (sort of combining both titles) to a new title sequence.
Seasons two (1964-1965) and three (1965-1966) consisted of 22 and 23 hourlong episodes, respectively.
Season four, the first shot in color, only lasted two episodes, and didn’t see air until January 1968.
Just as “The Prisoner’s” Number Six abruptly quit his agency, so did McGoohan abruptly quit "Danger Man" to create and star in "The Prisoner."
"Danger Man" apparently grew so popular in the United Kingdom that producer Lew Grade gave McGoohan complete creative control over “The Prisoner,” which was in 1967 the most expensive British TV series of all time.
(Note that the two season-four episodes of “Danger Man” were finally broadcast only just as the last few “Prisoner” episodes were airing.)
McGoohan has persistently denied that the unnamed “Prisoner” protagonist is actually John Drake, but these denials may have been issued only because McGoohan did not control the rights to the Drake character, and remains keen to avoid an expensive lawsuit.
The first season of “Danger Man,” spread over the new set’s first five discs, follows the original broadcast order; the second and third seasons discs on the 13 other discs, for reasons unexplained, do not.
All of the episodes on the new set are the British versions, with the jazzy “Danger Man” title credits. The American “Secret Agent” opening is conveniently available as an extra on each of the latter 13 discs.
Watching the American Drake beside the British Drake offers a fascinating glimpse into McGoohan’s early artistic evolution. (And it was early: the first-season credits read “Introducing Patrick McGoohan.”) American Drake is crafty and charismatic, but also terse and functional. British Drake, by contrast, embodies disdainful wit – he’s all about smirks, sly glances and irony-underscoring pauses. During the long hiatus, McGoohan – an Orson Welles protégé during the 1950s - did more than stop biting down on his “r”s; he created an entirely new spy. I’d argue that British Drake had a good deal less to do with American Drake than British Drake had to do with Number Six.
To put it another way, when season-one Drake speaks, we’re watching McGoohan playing a part with which most of us are unfamiliar - but when season-two Drake speaks, we feel like we’re watching the character from “The Prisoner.”
Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry
I. Sony’s $24.97 Sale continues:
$24.97 Air America: The Complete Series
$24.97 Beautiful People: Season One
$24.97 Boondocks: Season One
$24.97 Charlie’s Angels: Season Two
$24.97 Charlie’s Angels: Season Three
$24.97 The Critic: The Complete Series
$24.97 Dawson’s Creek: Season Two
$24.97 Dawson’s Creek: Season Three
$24.97 Dawson’s Creek: Season Four
$24.97 Dawson’s Creek: Season Five
$24.97 Dawson’s Creek: Season Six
$24.97 Dilbert: Complete Series
$24.97 Family: Seasons One and Two
$24.97 Fantasy Island: Season One
$24.97 Hart To Hart: Season One
$24.97 Hart To Hart: Season Two
$24.97 Here Come The Brides: Season One
$24.97 Rescue Me: Season One
$24.97 Rescue Me: Season Two
$24.97 Seinfeld Seasons One and Two
$24.97 Seinfeld: Season Three
$24.97 Seinfeld: Season Four
$24.97 Seinfeld: Season Five
$24.97 Seinfeld: Season Six
$24.97 Starsky & Hutch: Season Two
$24.97 Starsky & Hutch: Season Three
$24.97 Starsky & Hutch: Season Four
$24.97 Strong Medicine: Season One
$24.97 T.J. Hooker: Seasons One and Two
$24.97 Tour of Duty: Season One
$24.97 Tour of Duty: Season Three
$24.97 VIP: Season One
II. Lions Gate’s $16 Sale continues:
$15.97 ALF: Season One
$14.97 ALF: Season Two
$15.97 ALF: Season Three
$16.47 ALF: Season Four
$15.97 Boomtown Season One
$14.97 Buffalo Bill: Seasons One and Two
$15.97 Dead Zone: Season One
$15.97 Dead Zone: Season Two
$14.97 Dead Zone: Season Three
$15.97 Dead Zone: Season Four
$14.97 Moonlighting: Seasons One and Two
$16.47 Moonlighting: Season Three
$15.97 Moonlighting: Season Four
$15.97 Saved by the Bell: Seasons One and Two
$16.47 Saved by the Bell: Seasons Three and Four
$15.97 Saved by the Bell: Seasons Five
$15.47 Weeds: Season One
$15.97 Wildfire: Season One
$15.97 Will & Grace: Season One
$15.97 Will & Grace: Season Two
$15.97 Will & Grace: Season Three
$15.97 Will & Grace: Season Four
TV-on-DVD Calendar
Last Week
Alias Smith & Jones 1.x
Bullshit! 4.x
Curious George: Zoo Night
Family Ties 1.x
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 2.x Vol. 2
What's New Scooby Doo 1.x
This Week
Captain N: Gamemaster: The Complete Series
Da Vinci's Inquest 1.x
Dog The Bounty Hunter: Best of 3.x
The Doris Day Show 4.x
The Flip Wilson Show: Best Of
Ghostbusters Vol. 1
Girlfriends 1.x
The Immortal: The Complete Series
Magnum, P.I. 6.x
Reno 911! - Reno's Most Wanted (Uncensored)
The Rockford Files 3.x
Secret Agent AKA Danger Man Complete Collection Megaset 2007
The State Within: The Complete Series
Next Week
Doctor Who: The Invasion
Doctor Who: The Sontaran Experiment
Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends 1.x
Hawaii Five-0 1.x
The Loop 1.x
Moonlighting 5.x
Northern Exposure 6.x
Sabrina The Teenage Witch 1.x
SNL: The Best of Steve Martin
South Park 9.x
Stargate Atlantis 2.x
March 13
Baby Looney Tunes Vol. 3
Bosom Buddies 1.x
Cool McCool: The Complete Series
Match Game '73: Dumb Dora Edition
Loonatics Unleashed 1.x
I Love Lucy 7.x-9.x
Mile High 1.x
The Pretender: The Movies
Robin of Sherwood Vol. 1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4.x
Without A Trace 2.x
March 20
Batman Beyond 3.x
Christy: The Complete Series
Deadliest Catch 1.x
Garfield: Ode To Odie
JAG 3.x
JAG 1.x-3.x
The Jeffersons 6.x
Justice League Unlimited 2.x
Maude 1.x
McHale's Navy 1.x
Miami Vice 3.x
Miami Vice 4.x
Milton The Monster: The Complete Series
NewsRadio 5.x
Run's House 1.x/2.x
Sleeper Cell 2.x
The Wild Wild West 2.x
March 27
The Addams Family 1.x Vol. 2
Family Affair 3.x
Fantastic Four Vol. 1
Full House 6.x
The Jeffersons 6.x
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Vol. 1
Mind of Mencia (Uncensored) 2.x
New Adventures of He-Man Vol. 2
One Foot in the Grave 1.x
One Foot in the Grave 2.x
The Shield 5.x
7th Heaven 4.x
Sonic The Hedgehog: The Complete Series
Touched By An Angel 4.x Vol. 1
Whose Line Is It Anyway U.K. 1.x-2.x
April 3
Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure
The Brady Bunch: The Complete Series
Defenders of the Earth Vol. 2
Entourage 3.1-3.12
Law & Order 5.x
Galapagos: The Complete Series
Happy Tree Friends Vol. 2<;/a>&amp;amp;lt;img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=aintitcoolcoa-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
Roseanne 7.x
She-Ra 1.x Vol. 2
Tom Goes To The Mayor: The Complete Series
Twin Peaks 2.x
April 10
Avatar: The Last Airbender 2.x Vol. 2
The Batman 3.x
Daniel Boone 3.x
Scooby-Doo Where Are You 3.x
The Streets of San Francisco 1.x Vol. 1
Teen Titans 3.x
The Untouchables 1.x Vol. 1
April 17
Filmation's Ghostbusters - The Animated Series, Vol. 1 <--- NEW!!
The George Lopez Show 1.x/2.x
Happy Days 2.x
Highlander: Best Of
Larry King Live: Greatest Interviews
The Larry Sanders Show: Not Just the Best Of
Laverne & Shirley 2.x
Mork & Mindy 2.x
Murder She Wrote 6.x
MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge 2.x <--- NEW!!
Shadow Warriors 1.x
SpongeBob SquarePants: Friend Or Foe?
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What crime did Jim do time for? (Yes, I know he didn't do it, but answer the question).
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That certainly is quite a lot of stuff. Super-exciting? Not so much. But voluminous, that's for sure.
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The Brady Bunch!! How can I make it through life without owning that!?!
I guess I'll find out.. -
that crazy goof Schneider! also, an early appearance by a young Valerie Bertinelli. so many good memories...
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I never did trust him. He had keys to every apartment.
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ah good times....
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Isn't that some seriously old 70's animated show? I better go by Wikipedia to have my mind dazzled by another useless DVD release. Thank goodness One Day at A Time is coming out on DVD. The wisdom of Schneider reigns again.
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What the hell is that Lorenzo Lamas crap. Hell he's even got a sword didn't anybody tell him about Highlander.
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Cuz that's what I'm waiting for. And if she is, hopefully she'll resist the Dirty Sanchez.
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It was hard to justify spending $50 on such a guilty pleasure, but $25 is a much better price for a 2 season dose of Shat.
Also, the price on Larry Sanders SE 1 is a lot better when purchased through the individual sellers ($25). -
What gives? It does give me more time to save $$. I still haven't bought V.2. Any more Looney Tunes golden collections?
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Truly, there is no justice in the world. Oh, and according to TheDigitalBits.com, a complete TWIN PEAKS series set (including the pilot) is coming.
Must...resist...TP Season 2...awesomeness...
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Herc, come on man. Tell me good news.
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dog the bounty hunter and doris day should do it. that would make my anus burn with pleasure.
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How about an answer to the trivia question?
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That brings back memories.
Moments of blissful latenight solitude encased in a golden barrel of youth. -
Rockford served time for an armed robbery he did not commit. He was pardoned by the governor. This didn't stop many people in various episodes from casting suspicion on him, particularly the police.
The specifics are only mentioned in the pilot episode, which Universal put on the Season 2 DVD set after they forgot to put it with Season 1. -
I'll take Kenny Blankenship's most painful eliminations of the day over any DVD every time.
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You're right! Man, that show was so cool. Amanda Pays was the hottest thing on TV, til she spoke, but other than that, Max Fewer and that show was a great visual experience. Too bad a lot of it flew over your head. That show and Frank's Place were 2 of the best shows not on DVD in the late 80's Can anyone think of some more?
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I missed seeing it in Herc's post - maybe it was there, but I missed it.
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Check out the cast that Amazon has listed for this dvd.
http://tinyurl.com/3dmkrj -
I just started watching this little show. It's sick and disgusting. I love it. And the theme ditty is stuck in my head for at least an hour after the show ends.
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