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Released by: Shout! Factory
Released on: 9/6/2011
Director: various
Cast: various
Year: 1973-1974
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The Show:
This 1970s police drama takes place in Los Angeles and was created by then-L.A. detective Joseph Wambaugh, the man who wrote The Onion Field. It tells the stories of various members of the force in different departments and in different situations, but what's interesting about this show is there are no central characters. There are recurring characters, but they only showed up once or twice a season, if that, which made every episode unique. And the fact that there were no central characters gave the writers the freedom to delve into stories that didn't come out roses at the end. Sometimes the crooks got away. Good guys got killed. Some cops are assholes. No subject was taboo and no character was safe. Quite different from preceding police shows like Adam-12 or Dragnet. Every week was different and every episode self-contained. Tons of recognizable people filled the screen, both television actors and movie actors, which also helped to keep the show fresh.
The first season ran in 1973 and 1974 and the episodes range in topics, from prostitution to conspiracy and from robbery to serial murder. There are mobster stories, pimp stories, and even some social issue episodes, such as one dealing with policewomen in patrol cars. The episode “The Ripper†dealt with prejudice against homosexuals, with one cop calling gay men “fagsâ€, which even now, nearly 40 years later, can get a show in some trouble. Spin-off shows evolved, including Angie Dickinson's show Police Woman, and the show survived through most of the 70s in the form of a weekly episode and later as television movies.
The season is spread across six discs, each with four episodes with the exception of discs one (the two-hour pilot) and five (Movie if the Week), of which have three episodes. Included in the set is a four-page insert that provides episode titles, original airdates, and one-or two-sentence synopses. One thing they don't provide is mention of the stars of the episodes, something that might be of interest those who want to jump around. So, here's the breakdown of the set.
Disc One:
“Slow Boy†with Vic Morrow, Ed Asner, Chuck Conners and Diane Baker
“Dangerous Games†with James Farentino, Fred Williamson, Elizabeth Ashley, Janet Margolin
“Requiem for an Informer†with Tony Lo Bianco, Don Meredith, Sharon Farrell, John Larch
Disc Two:
“The Ten Year Honeymoon†with Claude Akins, Barry Atwater, Verna Bloom
“Violent Homecoming†with Pedro Armendí¡riz Jr., Pepe Serna, Richard Yniguez
“The Ho Chi Minh Trail†with George Maharis, Clifton Davis, Antonio Fargas
“Collision Course†with Sue Ane Langdon, Dean Stockwell, Jerry Lee Lewis
Disc Three:
“Death On Credit†with John Saxon, Tina Louise, Rory Calhoun
“The Big Walk†with Lynda Day George, Dorothy Provine, Don Murray, Larry Wilcox
“Man on a Rack†with Kim Hunter, Martin Balsam, James Olson, Sally Kirkland
“Line of Fire†with Jan-Michael Vincent, Cameron Mitchell, Alex Cord
Disc Four:
“Chain of Command†with Stuart Whitman, Patty McCormack, Edmond O'Brien
“Countdown: Part 1†with Vic Morrow, Tige Andrews, John Randolph, Joe Santos
“Countdown: Part 2†with Vic Morrow, Tige Andrews, Lana Wood
“Cop in the Middle†with Christopher George, Brandon Cruz, Sid Haig
Disc Five:
“The Ripper†with Darren McGavin, Marcia Strassman, Michael Cole
“Country Boy†with Kurt Russell, Gary Collins, Clu Gulager
“Big John Morrison†(Movie of the Week) with Tony Lo Bianco, Don Meredith, Jackie Cooper, Frank Avalon, Sal Mineo
Disc Six:
“Wyatt Earp Syndrome†with Smokey Robinson, Kim Darby, Harry Guardino
“Fingerprint†with Tim Matheson, Earl Holliman, James Gregory
“Chief†with John Forsythe, Pernell Roberts
“The Gamble†with Angie Dickinson, Bert Convy, John Kerr, Joseph Campanella
As said before, there are so many familiar faces appearing in the show, some better known at the time, some better known now than they were then, and many were TV actors that showed up in just about every show on during that era. As with the anthology format of The Twilight Zone, different episodes may be more memorable to some fans than they are to other fans. And for new viewers, some episodes may seem less interesting than others, depending on the topic they cover.
A groundbreaker in the world of television, Police Story brought the realism of life as a cop to the small screen and delivered some punches not seen up to that time. This is a great piece of TV history.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Shout! delivers the show in its 4:3 television format, and the shows look pretty nice. There's some debris to be seen, but the overall the picture is satisfactory. At some points the dark scenes look a bit murky, but considering the age of the show and the probability that these are from a tape source, there's nothing to complain about. Although at some points the image shook a bit. The audio is a mono track that plays out of the front two speakers and the balance sounds great. The 70s soundtrack adds to the fun and the nostalgia of the set. No disc issues to report.
There is just one extra in the set, which is a 22-minute interview with the shows creator, Joseph Wambaugh, talking about the show's roots and how he became involved. He also talks about his book The Onion Field and how his mixing of writing and being a detective finally had to come to an end. It's an interesting watch and well worth the time spent with it. The featurette has a scope of 16:9 for those keeping track.
The Final Word:
Solid stories and an array of acting talents make this show one that certainly earns its place in the annals of tube history. For those who grew up on shows like the 80s Hill Street Blues or the 90s NYPD Blue, take a look at Police Story and see how those other shows learned some of their tricks. And keep your eyes peeled for the world's hairiest forearmed boy.
