The FBI: Season One, Part 1 (4 Discs)

This show was a flagship production...huge budgets, on location shoots, almost every actor--even the bit players--was originally stage trained, so they all have their little pieces of business that add to the show. Zimbalist (who trained under Eva LeGalliene and was the co-producer of the first opera ever brought to Broadway where it won the Pulitzer) was certainly 'a very good actor despite the meretricious medium of television'[OK, his half-sister Marcia Davenport's assessment but she was qualified to give it] and carried this show as the lead for 9 seasons, probably no-one else could have done it. His comedic talents and range were never evident here as they certainly were in Sunset Strip, as he was always the Inspector with no humor--it takes a very good actor to carry that type of part for so long. The voice-over intros are great, and I think the show was stronger with Marvin Miller doing the narration. Of course the series is dated by today's standards, but most of them from this era are. The biggest detraction for me (and I am a car collector from way back before it became trendy) is the nonstop appearance of Ford vehicles--there are so many of them and when you watch the shows in sequence, you notice how that Ranchero pickup or 57 Ford sedan(these models appear constantly, only the 63's and 64's seemed to be out of fashion) I actually found it irritating but I'm sure over the years the show sold a lot of Ford cars. There was a whole stable of character and guest actors who appeared in the QM shows, some of them maybe a bit too often but you really only notice that because you're watching too many at a time. Many of them guested once a year in several of these shows. Milton Selzer, Malcolm Atterbury, John van Dreelen, Charles Korvin, Ruth Roman, Rhys Williams, Michael Rennie, we will never see this type of slightly quirky indiosyncratic talent again. The book (published 2002) about QM and Quinn Martin is interesting as it explains a lot of the little quirks about the QM shows. Another plus is the excellent background music which is of a much, much higher order than the typical show of that period or today--and the fabulous theme song by the great Bronislau Kaper! A truly classy show. I personally strongly prefer the non-digitally restored format because it preserves the soft film-like feel and the lighting effects which in this show, at least, were exceptionally well-crafted. To me, the prices are reasonable--when you're finished with them, you can resell them at most book/video resale stores for about 25-35% of the price (excluding shipping) so what's to complain about? There's no point in a business releasing shows for less money than the most they can get. Period entertainment of good quality at a reasonable price, and prompt shipping. I'll get the next seasons if they release them.

I am so glad that I took this journey down memory lane, with one of my favorite TV Lawmen, Inspector Lewis Erskine of the F.B.I.There is so, so much more to the character, than meets the eye. Erskine considered EVERY angle and detail of a case, often to Mr. Ward's--and to Mr. Hoover's--chagrin, but they were glad and relieved of that, once the cases were mopped up. And THAT, provided MORE job security, to the various other Departments, of the Attorney General's Office(Laughs!!). He was a wonderful mentor to his junior agents. He demonstrated incomparable compassion towards the criminals who'd merely gone astray, and would exonerate those that deserved it. He even acted as a Social Worker(!), in the episode, "The Problem of the Honorable Wife". The Inspector actually seemed to enjoy that aspect of his work on that case, and was "hands-on", in liaising with the local Social Agencies and related NGO's, in behalf of a peripheral victim. Every single episode was magical, in watching Efrem Zimbalist Jr., making his character bloom. It seems that a maximum amount of latitude was granted Mr. Zimbalist, in allowing him to create this character. Erskine simply was not the Two-Dimensional "savage cowboy", typical of the overwhelming majority of TV/Movie cops. He was urbane, sophisticated, cultured, intellectual,and spiritual/religious, without being mendaciously glib. You got the real deal. Whenever he wasn't involved on cases on Sundays, this man ACTUALLY attended Episcopal Church, probably participating in the running of his chosen congregation. I even imagine Mr. Erskine as being a Baritone/Bass Soloist in his church's choir!The series was a revelation, in how it nailed down the social, cultural, political, and spiritual issues, with an uncommon prescience that could prophesy how things and events would be happening to this very day, actually quite a gritty "envelope pusher", for its day, and it used a formula in its production values, that works--or ought to work--for any sensible classic TV drama--the recent "J.A.G.", being a fine example.I miss you terribly, Mr. Zimbalist; you seemed very much an alternate father to me.

Yes, the FBI Season One price is outlandish when compared to other DVD series currently on the market, but it's important to put things in perspective. I consider $2.50 per episode (16 episodes for $40.00) to be a bargain. I remember when VHS tapes of television series first came out: Individual episodes of the old Star Trek series cost $14.95 PER EPISODE in the late 1980s! Considering how inflation how skyrocketed over the years, $2.50 per episode of The FBI seems like a good deal in the year 2011. As to the question as to WHY someone would want to spend money on this particular series, you have to watch The FBI to fully understand its relevance in American culture. Well-groomed G-Men in dress jackets and ties going around the country and chasing (literally) down some of the country's most wanted criminals is something we haven't seen on TV since then. Granted, television producers tried to make a comeback in the early 1980s with Mike Connors (Mannix)leading the cast of "Today's FBI" on ABC, but Today's FBI didn't have the same wholesome aura of integrity that the original series had with Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (One of Today's FBI cast members was Joseph Cali, who played John Travolata's sidekick in Saturday Night Fever, so it was hard for me to view Today's FBI as being as "wholesome" as the original series.) The FBI no doubt gave the real Federal Bureau of Investigation some good publicity during its run in the 60s and 70s. In today's media, we hear nothing but negative propaganda about this nation's federal law enforcement agents. The FBI (which was based on real cases) helps counter that image. It's too bad The FBI has never made it to syndication like other shows from that decade.

I loved this series when I was a kid, but only saw it in the later seasons. I really enjoyed part 1 of season one, and it was a real pleasure seeing some of the guest stars of the day. Probably my favourite episode was Monster starring Jeffrey Hunter who commits a murder, and continues to stalk women for the remainder of the episode while they are closing in on him.

In the same league as contemporary series Hawaii 5'0, Mission Impossible, and Columbo, the FBI is one of the greatest police TV series in its time, in fact, of all time. Although set in the midst of the cold war, a now long-forgotten era, watching the episodes in this day and age is still both entertaining and enriching.The picture quality of the DVDs is excellent; the packaging also met my expectations.

Classic FBI TV series, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Is an excellent actor in this series, something special about watching old series bringing you back to that era.

字幕はありませんがFBI協力で実際の事件をもとに制作された作品なので見ごたえがあります。製作は「インベーダー」「逃亡者」でお馴染みのクイン・マーチンプロダクションなのでよくできている。日本では発売されていないので貴重なのでつい買ってしまいました。