The Jetsons - Season 2, Part 1

Released by: Warner Brothers
Released on: June 2, 2009
Director: Various
Cast: Various
Year: 1963
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The Series:

Following The Flintstones and Top Cat, famed animation studio Hanna-Barbara unleashed The Jetsons onto the nation's television screens in 1962. By 1963, the show had been cancelled after only 24 episodes but remained a fan favorite throughout the next four decades through syndication and reruns. Add to that the fact that they were licensed out for comic books, toys, games, movies, and then a second animated series in the eighties, and it's no wonder that they're one of the most recognizable cartoon families in history. But the first season fizzled out pretty quickly and the Jetsons, while popular, were in limbo until the 1980s when they were brought back - hence, this set, which compiles the first batch of episodes from that era.

Warner Brothers and Hanna Barbara follow up the release of the complete first season with the first part of the second one. Here are the twenty-one episodes that are on those four discs…

Disc One:

Elroy Meets Orbitty / Rosie Comes Home / Solar Snoops / Judy's Birthday Surprise / SuperGeorge / Family Fallout / S.M.A.S.H.

Disc Two:

The Mirrormorph / Mother's Day For Rosie / Jetson's Millions / Fugitive Fleas / Rip-Off Rosie / Far-Out Father / Astro's Big Moment

Disc Three:

The Cosmic Courtship Of George And Jane / Fantasy Planet / S'no Relative / Instant Replay / Haunted Halloween / Future Tense / The Wrong Stuff

Does the second run of the series differ from the first one much? Nope, not really, but it's still fun to see how animators in the era interpreted their cartoon version of what the future might be like while still staying true to 'everyman' type stories like those populated by The Flintstones a few years before it. Not a single one of the episodes here pushes the boundaries or really shows much initiative outside of great design work but the show is still a lot of fun regardless thanks to some decent characters, solid gags, and the retro appeal that's grown around it over the years.

The humor, while definitely on the softer and more kid friendly side of the spectrum, is still effective and the dialogue surprisingly good. Thankfully many of the voice actors from the original run returned for this 80s reincarnation so you honestly probably won't notice much of a difference between this batch and the first batch - which is a good thing indeed - even the opening is identical to the one used in the sixties.

Video/Audio/Extras:

Obviously, as is a vintage television series, the episodes are presented 1.331, which is how they were meant to be seen. While the quality isn't perfect, the colors are still pretty nice with decent black levels and only minimal dirt visible throughout. There is some shimmering that occurs in a few scenes, the transfer are interlaced (surprisingly) and there is some edge enhancement throughout but it's minor and doesn't really ruin the experience much at all unless you're really looking for it.

The entire season is presented in a simple but clean sounding Dolby Digital Mono track, in its native English. While a stereo or surround track might have been fun for a few of the scenes (I'd love to hear the space car sounds in 5.1!) it's not really needed and having the original sound mix on the set is in keeping with the time that the episodes were made. No real hiss or distortion or problems worth noting - it's a basic track but it does the job just fine. Optional subtitles are included in English, French and Spanish and a dubbed Portuguese track, also in Mono, has been included.

Extras are limited to a simple documentary entitled The Jetsons Return To The Future that 'explores the evolution of the series' by interviewing a few of the producers and some of the others that worked on the show. It isn't deep in the least but it's a fun look back at the show that does touch slightly on its cultural importance and impact without ever really saying much of any real substance.

The Final Word:

Fans of The Jetsons have been waiting a long time for this set and Warner Brothers has done a pretty nice job bringing the first family of space to DVD for a second go around. Decent audio and video one minor interesting extras make this set a recommended purchase for anyone who loves The Jetsons or classic cartoons. Hanna -Barbera junkies already know they want it.