Reviews (2)

this episode
This video has two episodes that are highly ranked of my favorite episodes. The seal is my second favorite. BUY THIS DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tense, as usual
Of the two episodes in this video, the best is The Seal. It is always great to watch the IMF in action. In The Seal, an ancient and sacred seal has been stolen from an obscure country and in the interest of obtaining their favor in the Cold War, it is the team's duty to return the seal.

While this is an earlier episode, you can tell the show was hitting its stride. All the elements are there: timed sequences, the fake accents, a magician, hiding in equipment to gain entrances, fake ids and what is always best - watching the team psych out their prey.

I do not recall having seen this episode and I was surprisingly tense watching this show...there is so much going on and you know there is always the unexpected surprise. This show had everything including a trained cat! Don't miss it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Noteworthy Entry for the Mission: Impossible Collector
THE CONTROLLERS is the first entry in Mission: Impossible's fourth season and features a semi-plausible plot and a somewhat larger cast than the previous seasons. In the two-part episode, the IMF must prevent a scientist from unleashing a mind-controlling drug. THE CONTROLLERS is a good edition to the post-Bain/Landau Mission: Impossible T.V. series, but there is a chemistry that seems to be missing. From a technical standpoint, the series stands out as the first appearance of Dina Merrill as Meredyth and a post-Star Trek Leonard Nimoy as Paris. An enjoyable edition to the series. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

best cult series
i think the bunker is a excellent episode which has a lot going for it.It is a Playdon adventure, personally my favorite writer Bain and Landau are excellent,the only thing that got me was the masks.having two on at the same time is a bit implausible.Otherwise a great episode a must-see for all mission fans!

FINE EPISODE FROM SERIES THAT BROKE THE MOLD
Mission: Impossible is the TV series that broke the mold and proved that an exciting show that doesn't insult the intelligence of the audience can still be very popular. During the 1960's when MI first appeared, most action-adventure series contained a large helping of car chases, fist fights and shoot-outs. Although, in the first season's episodes, we still see some elements of these things, by the second season they had pretty much disappeared and the emphasis became on out-thinking the enemy. It even got to the point that if someone had to be "liquidated", the IMF maneuvered the bad guys into doing it themselves (another major motivation for reducing the amount of violence in the show was the climate of disorder in the United States during this period including the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr, widespread opposition to the War in Vietnam plus the rioting in the major urban areas of the US caused by the racial unrest of the time). Another factor in the success of the series is the music which has become legendary that was written or inspired by Lalo Shifrin. Many scenes consisted of Barney connecting up wires or tinkering with some mechanical device and yet, the musical background kept up the tension and prevented the scene from becoming boring. The two-part episode on this tape was written by Paul Playdon who wrote some of the best stories for the series. There are plenty of clever gadgets and escape-proof prisons plus the presence of a hired assassin from a third country whom the IMF is not in control of to keep any MI fan occupied for two hours. The only reason I gave the story only 4 stars instead of 5 was because of the use of masks (someone even wears two masks at one time!) which I find rather implausible, but it is great entertainment in any event. I hope that more episodes will become available for purchase in the future!

IMF team has to rescue scientist and his wife. Undetected.
A scientist is held captive. He is to perfect the missile. Only the scientist knows what to do. If he is not to do it. His wife will be executed. Also in sub-plot. A assassin is hired to kill the scientist so he can not finish his work. The IMF team has a gaget that might work. Wil they rescue the scientist in time. END ... Read more

Reviews (8)

In Spanish too
I feel happy that tv series that I watched many years ago . Now I can get them in DVD, but these serios were no popular just in USA in other countries of Latin America was popular too. It should be make in Spanish too or with subtitles in several languages. Thanks

When's the DVD coming out????
I see all of these other old school TV shows coming out on DVD. Mission: Impossible was a great show and deserves its spot for a DVD release for each season.

Impossible to Match
I saw many of the Mission Impossible series as a teenager. I also read the original paperback book when it came out which was made as Vol. #7. Steven Hill playing Daniell Briggs (the first season)and Peter Graves ( all subsequent seasons) as Jim Phelps both play excellent as the genius mastermind Team leader of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) a top American government group virtually unknown to the rest of the top secret agencies. During his college days Dan or Jim majored in psychology at a top west coast university and was a chess champion. The rest of the IMF is composed of the beautiful model and Fem Fatale, Cinnamon Carter played by Barbara Bain is excellent. The academy award winner, Martin Landau who eventually married Barbara plays Rollin Hand, the magician and master of disguise. Black actor, Greg Morris does a superb job as Barney Collier, electronics genius with a prestigious background. The strong man or weight lifting world record holder, William (Willie) Armitage played by Peter Lupus is the brawn on the Team. he certainly looked the part also. Together the IMF carries out missions against impossible odds to rescue people, con enemy states, and change the courses of governments for the betterment of the free world especially without causing wars. This first volume is excellent in introducing this Team of specialists with exciting and intruiging plots and ways the IMF thwarts and bamboozles the opponent in the pilot and also in the second story called the Photographer which Anthony Zerbe stars. All of the Mission Impossible series are excellent and demonstrates how things can be accomplished through nonviolent methods also. The CIA actually did accomplish some similiar things which are now becoming declassified. This show was one of my favorite TV shows in the sixties and early seventies. You will enjoy them as well!!

Introducing you to the Cold War and the IMF Team
"Mission Impossible" originally ran from 1966 and 1973, telling tales of the Impossible Mission Force, a group of highly specialized government agents who were usually involved in disrupting the activities of small foreign powers trying to mess with the United States and the Free World. The group leader, Daniel Briggs (Steven Hill) in the first season and Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) for the rest of the show's run, put together the team and developed the complex plan to pull off the impossible mission; Cinnamon Carter (Barbara Bain) was the the beautiful female member of the team, Rollin Hand (Martin Landau) the master of disguise, Barney Collier (Greg Morris) was the electronics expert, and William Armitage (Peter Lupus) the muscle.

This first tape in the "Mission Impossible" series has the pilot and a choice episode from the show's second season. In the pilot episode (9/17/66), Wally Cox plays a safecracker who has to sneak into the vault of a hotel to steal a couple of nuclear warheads from a military dictator. This was the only episode of the show written by series creator Bruce Geller. This is not a classic episode per se, but it clearly sets the template for the entire series. "The Photographer" (12/17/67), written by two of the show's most productive writers, William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, deals with biological warfare. Enemy agents intend to spread pneumonic plague and a top photographer (Anthony Zerbe) is the key contact. The IMF fakes a nuclear attack on New York to get the key to the code. Yes, there is a large degree of irony in watching this particular episode today, but remember what things were like in the Sixties. "The Photographer" is a classic MI episode and along with the pilot makes this an excellent tape to have for fans of the series.

Final Note: For my money the title sequence for this show is definitely one of the ten best ever, not just because of Lalo Schifrin's memorable theme music but because of the way shots from the episode were mixed in with the burning fuse and shots of the cast. You always saw enough to get interested in what was to happen, but they never let the cat out of the bag enough to ruin the episode.

Mission: Impossible, Vol. 1
I Thought that these two episodes were two of the best. One the first episode had Steven Hill starring who I think in some cases is better at the part than Peter Graves is. Two the second episode had a clever set up. But I won't explain it to you I want you to see it for youself. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Exchange
There are two episodes on this tape. The Mercenaries and The Exchange. The Exchange is a major and exciting departure for M.I. It is the only episode where an MI agent is captured (Cinnamon) at the beginning. The entire show is based on an exciting and creative "rescue".

This is a show that the creator (Bruce Gellar) did not want to make. Later this became one of his favorite shows. Phelps is clearly pained by Cinnamons capture and the rescue is a "cold war" stroke of genius. A must see!!

The Mercenaries
I renember of watching "The Mercenaries" for the first time. I consider it one of the bets MI episodes ever! It was very inteligent.

I have the picture of the villian (with a Fidel Castro looking) shooting Rollin when he fiunds ot that Rollin is an IMF agent.

The golden stealing scene was really well planed and really well done (I hear that the golden bars whre Ice Creams tablets). I read in a megazine that this scene became very famous.

It was always good to see IMF on action. In my opinion, "The Mercenaries is the second best episode of MI's season 3. It only looses for "The Mind of Staphan Miklos". ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Put this show on DVD
This entire series needs to be put on DVD soon and with many special features! I loved this show since I was a kid. The original TV show blows the movies away ... BIG TIME.

SLP Recording really ruins video quality !
Good video. Poor delivery.

I was really annoyed by the fact that the video producers decided to shave pennies off of their costs by recoding in SLP (Super Long Play) mode.

Fantastic plots sold here
Want to bend your mind a bit? Let the IMF do it with these two as Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) matches wits with hyperintelligent secret agent Stefan Miklos (Steve Ihnat in one of his best performances ever) as Phelps seeks to destroy a spy ring that has penetrated American intelligence by leading the enemy's most accomplished thinker through turn after turn to completely dupe him in the process. When your brain stops hurting with the dense plot and amazing attention to logical detail, try the even more phenomenal "Live Bait" where Phelps and the IMF must keep American spy Orin Selby (John Crawford) by being unmasked by enemy security chief Helmut Kellerman (Anthony Zerbe in another fine guest role). Watch for the great subplot with Kellerman's faithless assistant Brock (Martin Sheen) and his scheming girlfriend (Diana Ewing). Buy this video *now*.

A Must-See
Two of the most intelligent and elegantly-wrtten episodes of the all-time great, "Graves-and the Landaus season" Mission: Impossible. If you haven't seen these two, you haven't watched Mission: Impossible at all. Don't miss them. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Should've Been Bigger Than Bonanza!
The only reason why I don't buy "Legend Of A General" is because I already have it on tape! If I didn't, you better believe I'd snatch it up in a second! "The Big Valley" is my absolute favortie tv western of all time! ("Dr. Quinn" comes in at a close second.)

For one thing, being from California & living just an hour away from Stockton, I liked the show's locale! Most other westerns take place in Texas, or Arizona, or New Mexico, or Nevada ("Bonanza"), but "The Big Valley" takes place near my home! It was also the first western I ever saw (I first saw it on re-runs when I was nine.) I also found the Barkleys more believable than the Cartwrights. (Ben Cartwright was widowed three times,. for godsakes!) The over-the-top stories with the moral/social lessons are solid (How many times has Lee Majors' "Heath" been falsely arrested by a corrupt sheriff?) & the action-scenes are well-staged. (My favorite was the episode where Nick helps out a boxer. The fight scenes were expertly done!) The characters were also well-defined (except of course, Linda Evans' "Audra", who isn't given much to do, except look pretty.)

If you haven't seen "The Big Valley" & you like westerns, buy this tape! The story concerns the Barkleys helping out an old friend of theirs, an exiled Mexican general, who is being sought after by a corrupt political opponent. (The Barkleys seem to have been involved with every historical figure of the Old West! And like other wealthy tv western families, they care more about what's right than about their vast land & financial holdings! After all, Barbara Stanwyck's "Victoria Barkeley" takes in Lee Major's "Heath" character as a member of the family, even though he is the illigitamate son of her husband & his mistress! If only REAL wealthy ranchers of the Old West were like that!) You may not get an accurate California history lesson by watching "The Big Valley" (the most inaccurate was the episode "Light Foot" with Joe Don Baker as a Modoc Indian, even though the Modocs were nowhere near Stockton!), but you'll get a solid family-drama with great dialogue & fast-paced action!

Like Lee Majors as "Heath" would say, "Boy howdy!"

THE BARKLEY SAGA
Every single episode of this fantastic western series should be available on video! I've met many people who, like myself, are devoted fans of this classic show which originally aired from 1965-1969. There were 112 hour-long episodes of this western filmed and it remains my very favourite show of all-time. As Victoria Barkley, Barbara Stanwyck is nothing less than sensational in her acting technique; as the widow Barkley, she is a curious combination of being both tough and gracious - but above all, Stanwyck was an incredibly NATURAL actress; she won an Emmy for her portrayal in 1966 (she was nominated the remaining three years of the show's run, plus she won other awards such as the Photoplay Medal) and her playing of the proud matriarch has practically made her Victoria Barkley a cult figure. Richard Long is fine as Jarrod, the level-headed eldest lawyer son - while never a great actor by any means, Long had an intensely likeable personna about him. Nick, the tough, egotistical son is played with neccesary verve by Peter Breck and Audra as played by astonishingly beautiful Linda Evans made many a male baby-boomer swoon (I was one of them!). NIGHT OF THE WOLF is a classic episode which lingers in the memory: Nick gets bitten by a rabid wolf and tries to find his lost love, golden-haired Jeannie before he dies; he finds she died from typhoid. Nancy Olson and Ronny Howard play the widowed mother and son who take Nick in and the conclusion is both happy and sad. Stanwyck was such a striking presence in this show (which was envied by many of her peers and was a huge personal triumph) that entire episodes are literally showcases for her acting talent. The youngest son, Eugene (played by the now-forgotton Charles Briles) was mysteriously written out of the show after the first season. The public's very favourite character, however was HEATH (the half-breed b------- from Strawberry) as played by Lee Majors! The rest of the cast was actually peeved and annoyed due to the fact that more stories centered around Heath, and Majors received more fan mail than any other cast member! The guest stars in this terrific western included Julie Harris, Susan Oliver, Colleen Dewhurst (she was terrific), Milton Berle(!), Robert Goulet(!), Pernell Roberts, Cloris Leachman, Buddy Hackett, Adam West, Virginia Christine, among many others. James Gregory worked well with Stanwyck and he was a frequent co-star. The stories were excellently written, the characters were colourful and genuine. The beautifully colourful scenery, the musical score by George Duning (which included the pretty little theme heard at the beginning of many an episode entitled A FUTURE LEFT BEHIND) are all first-rate. If someone doesn't do a book on THE BIG VALLEY..... maybe I WILL!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

IMF
Your Mission Jim Should You Decide to Accept It!

2 Thumbs Up!

The Council
This originally aired as a two part show. The theme is organized crime which later became a repeated theme as the show aged and budgets got tighter. This, however, was in the early years with a big budget and MAJOR excitment. Cinnamon plays a cosmetologist doing a plastic surgery job in front of a host of "bad guys". The show is riviting with an unforgetable finale. If you're an MI fan this is a must see!

THE ORIGINAL SPY MASTERPIECE IN ALL IT'S GLORY!
I am a big fan of this series and have been for many years. With this volume having some of the best episodes of the series. The gadgets and all the action and great storylines that never seemed to go over the top of the viewer's crediablity. The remake of The original "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" t.v series wasn't that good i don't think it could ever come close to the remarkable sucess of it's predecessor. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The "Hand " That Robbed The Crib
One of the finest exhibitions of plotting, stealth, pinpoint timing, acting, writing, and oh yeah, true IMF coincidences,
few fans will want to leave their seats during this two parter!

The plan is to free a cardinal bishop from a high security prison which has never been victim to a prison escape. Martin Landau's interaction with the frail cardinal took on a
somewhat father son quality. Mary Ann Mobley was brilliant
as the trapeeze artist. She and Barbara Bain worked their seductive magic in an effort to stall and divert the guards attention. The fine performances by Greg Morris as the clown and Peter Lupus punctuate the episodes. And of course, no 1st season episode would be considered a
classic without the great Steven Hill. His ability to slide
from total involvement to complete anonymity is a gift
that was occasionally explored but never eclipsed by Peter Graves. This episode along with Operation Rogosh and Ransom leaves you with a marvelous and wistful taste of
what could have been of Mission had Steven Hill stayed on.
Fine television viewing right to the finish!!

Shows with Guest Stars
The episodes are wonderful. But I'd like to know who is guest starring on ea. tape before purchasing.

The Ultimate First Season Mission: Impossible Episodes
OLD MAN OUT is arguably the best two-parter in MISSION's long history, and definitely stands out among the rarely-seen first season episodes. OLD MAN OUT finds the IMF in all their mindbending glory, attempting to liberate ailing political prisoner Cardinal Vossek (Cyril Delevanti) from an impregnable fortress. Although not as sophisticated as later shows, the episode does feature outstanding performances by Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and guest star Mary Ann Mobely. It also features some of the best character interaction in the series. OLD MAN OUT, more than any other show, makes the IMF appear comprised of human beings as opposed to the deadly clockwork machines they later became.

The Ultimate First Season Mission: Impossible Episodes
This two-parter from MISSION's first season is arguably the best of '66-'67. OLD MAN OUT parts one and two showcase the IMF in all their mindbending glory as they set out to free political prisoner Cardinal Vossek (Cyril Delevanti) from an impregnable jail. To free Vossek, the IMF must pose as a travelling carnival troupe which takes up residence outside the prison walls. Although not as sophisticated as some of the later episodes, OLD MAN OUT does feature outstanding performances by Marin Landau, Barbara Bain and guest star May Ann Mobely. Character interaction is also at an all-time high, as in this episode more than any other, the characters appear more human as opposed to the clockwork machines they later became. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Operation Rogosz-The Episode the Made the Series
Operation Rogosz (oh-come on, he's supposed to be Hungarian-spell it right!) was the fourth episode of Mission Impossible, and in my opinion, it was the one that made the series what it became. In the first season, there were still a lot of "action" scenes, shoot-outs, car chases and fist fights, but this episode doesn't have any of that, which is why it is so good. MI, at its best is all about psyching the enemy out and brain is more important than brawn. Fritz Weaver puts in a great performance as the consummately evil Imre Rogosz. Combining this with a very impressive job of directing by Leonard Horn and some very special camera work, we see a very intense and exciting story. One thing that is different about this episode from later ones in the series is that we see light-hearted banter between the members of the IM Force. It was apparently believed by the later writers that this might detract from the tension of the story, but on the other hand, it makes the members of the IMF more "human" and believable. I leave it to the viewer to decide which is a better approach.
One other factor that makes the story so compelling is that it is about bacteriological warfare, a subject that is unfortunately very relevant today. Get this video and see the good guys win.

"Operation Rogosh" on video--finally!
The great "Operation Rogosh" episode of "Mission: Impossible" featured the series' first time-displacement scam, with an environment completely recreated from scratch and a mission that, to be successful, had to be completed within a strict time-frame. To one extent or another, this first-year installment set the tone for the rest of the series, and after 37 years, "Rogosh" is still fresh, and still a model of staging and editing.

Director Leonard Horn was a veteran of the sci-fi classic "The Outer Limits" ("The Man Who Was Never Born," etc.), as was writer Jerome Ross ("The Man with the Power"). Other "Limits" tie-ins include directors Lee H. Katzin and Paul Stanley, as well as co-producer Alan Balter.

The second episode on the video, "The Train," is more gimmick-reliant but quite entertaining, with one especially nerve-wracking moment. To quote an early reviewer of "Mission: Impossible," fine stuff!

Two classic episodes
Two classic episodes for a great price -- "Operation Rogosh" features a genocidal saboteur (Fritz Weaver) convinced three years has elapsed, he's on trial for his life -- and all he can remember to prove his innocence is to tell "his accusers" of the "last" great operation he was trying to pull off in America. Great psychological drama and a real cliffhanger ending. "The Train" also features some fun technology, including a IMF-rigged train crash that never was, a faked heart murmur with a microphone, and great acting from villain William Windom. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A down and out knockout !!
The IMF delve into the sports world by thwarting an underworld attempt to rig boxing (and all) sporting events.

This episode makes very effective use of Barney portraying Richie Lemoyne, a boxer who burned his hands during a rescue. Lemoyne, who is now retired, promises to help the IMF if he is guaranteed to win a fight in clean, legitimate fashion.

Rollin, with the help of Willy and Robert Conrad, operates as a trainer preparing Barney for the big fight. Cinnamon works her feminine wiles to seduce and overthrow mob ringleader Charles Buckman. Graves gets a bookie job with
Buckman who finds that HE'S the one in a real fix!

A Great story, typical of many during the Landau/Bain years of the series. The acting is good, and the fighting scenes are passable. Watch for Sugar Ray Robinson as he gives the word "hitman" a new meaning. One of the finer domestic cases the Mission force tackled. Lord knows they would be too few and far between after 1969.

A Knockout Mission!
A fantastic and atypical Mission: Impossible.

This volume puts Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) and his team up against a corrupt boxing promoter, Charles Buckman ,who's working with organized crime to collect huge payoffs on his rigged fights.

This two part episode plays like a movie and gives the team some unusual challenges. First they enlist the help of non-agent Richy Lemoine an ex-boxer who will only help if the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) can defeat Buckman's champion without any of their usual dirty tricks. Second, the mission takes place over an extended period of time. Third, IMF agent Barney takes center stage, usually we see him doing behind the scenes work like crawling through tunnels and breaking into safes. Fourth, real life boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson guest stars as Buckman's ruthless hit man

Here on more than any other episode we get to see the team take it's time to develop the perfect frame. Richy and Rollin (Academy Award winner Martin Landau) put Barney through intensive training with help from boxing enthusiast Robert Conrad (in a cameo). Jim get's a job at a bookie joint. Meanwhile, Cinnamon (Barbara Bain) charms her way into the boxing promoter's love life in a sub-plot that will turn around and stab him in the back when he least expects it!

I highly recommend this tape to all fans of classic TV. It's a real gem. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For completists only
These two episodes are definitely the lesser entries of M:I's merely average seventh season. Instead of fun episodes like "Two Thousand" and "Break!" Paramount instead chose one average and one dismal episode -- "Puppet" has a strong cast (including villain Roddy McDowall, and backup scum Val Avery and John Larch) but a fairly slow plot and little visual style or gadgetry. "The Pendulum" only has some nice exteriors and sets to recommend it (Dean Stockwell's performance is particularly beneath his talent). Nevertheless, this is probably the only way a Mission completist can buy these episodes on tape, so if you're a collector, pick it up. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Good premiere episode...score: 75 (out of 100).
The Reluctant Stowaway is my favorite episode of the entire Lost In Space (LIS) saga. Actually, the two primary characters that steal this episode are Dr. Smith and the robot.

Plot: Evil government agent, Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris in his best role of the entire series), plans to sabotage space ship that carries Earth's first family into orbit for colonization. All in all, this episode of LIS could have survived as a story on The Outer Limits or The Twilight Zone, but CBS insisted that the series undergo three dreadful years.

Pros: Jonathan Harris, robot, special effects (for its time)
Cons: Characters, story

Overall score: 75 (out of 100)

Classic and Exciting First Episode of a Great Series
"The Reluctant Stowaway", is the first episode of the hugely popular 1960's sci fi series "Lost in Space" that premiered in 1965 and is still constantly seen in reruns around the world to this day. To see "Lost in Space", at its dramatic best you need go no further than is wonderful episode which sets up the whole story line from which the series would develop. Always remembered for its campy, comic approach, nowhere are those characteristics evident in this action filled, suspensful and exciting episode which represented clearly the serious approach the series took for its first season.

"The Reluctant Stowaway" chronicles the story of the Robinson family who have been selected to spearhead a mission to the far reaches of space in the hope of colonising a distant star, Alpha Centauri. However the episode tells us that other forces are at work to sabotage the efforts of America in the form of one Dr. Zachary Smith who has the assignment of reprogramming the Robot to destroy the Spaceship once it is 8 hours out into space. This premise is where all the excitment of this episode comes from as we find Dr. Smith actually trapped on the Space Ship as it takes off from Earth thus joining what he had planned to be a doomed mission. At this stage in the series Dr. Smith was still a cold blooded killer which added greatly to the dramatic slant of the story . Only later on when his character mellowed and became a comic individual did the series begin to lose steam along with its serious reputation. With Dr. Smith's added weight on board the space ship soon finds itself off course and heads straight into a huge meteor storm which seriously damages the flying capacity of the ship. Awakened from their suspended animation the family attempt to decide what to do when, as programmed the Robot begins its descruction of the ship and in the confusion the ship is pushed into a hyper drive which takes it right out of the galazy into a state of now being hopelessly lost.

For a 1960's program this is television at its very best. The sight of the launcing of the Jupiter 2 Space Craft, the Robinsons and Major West being sealed in their freezing tubes, and the spectacular Meteor Storm which the ship goes through are all grade "A" special effects which along with the dramatic storyline make first class entertainment. Aided by a seasoned cast of great actors "Lost in Space" at this time offered much promise for as long as the serious element was kept in the story. "The Reluctant Stowaway", is one of the better episodes of the series and gave good dramatic moments to most of the cast during its running time. For an exciting journey back to the beginnings of a classic 1960's science fiction series you cannot get better than this initial installment in the long running series . I highly recommend you take a look at this episode to see what the serious "Lost in Space" was all about, you wont be disappointed.

This is the original
This is the classic episode one where the Robinson's blast off to colonize Alpha Centori....

Timeless Masterpiece by Irwin Allen
I was five years old when this show aired for the first time. I didn't understand a thing. Then, after numerous reruns, the show grew on me as I grew up.

Owning this video brought back that magic a kid sees! I was so taken by the video, that I remembered how I really believed the robot was going to destroy the ship. I began to believe robots that walked and talked really existed.

Now, having had a career in computer science, I realized what got me started in the field: I was so involved with the goings on during the ship's launch and the ship's travels through the meteor belt that I began dreaming of mastering computers. No one realized that today we would have color monitors to look at instead of rows of blinking lights.

This show was the spark that built a career out of a dream. My children were equally captivated with the show. We highly recommend it. Buy it.

A great trip down memory lane
I saw the original in 1965 when I was 5 years old. After 35 years, the technical and plot flaws are painfully obvious. Of course, I didn't notice any of those back then--all I saw was the cool technology (spaceships, cryo-tubes, spacesuits, computers, huge displays, mission control, wow!) that fired an interest in science and space travel that has stayed with me ever since. Even now, watching it invokes some of that old excitement. What made "Lost in Space" special was that, unlike more "adult" SCI-FI fare like Star Trek, it involved a kid almost my age (Will Robinson) which made it much easier to relate to. Perhaps the best part of buying this tape was watching my own son view it and seeing the same reaction on his face that I had all those years ago. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

She took my pointer!
"She took my pointer" is one of my favorite lines in the series and apeared in this! This one is really funny and a can't-miss episode. Sure the story is gay at times, but the line "She took my pointer" makes it all worth it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

No Clint Eastwood in this classic episode of Rawhide, but special guest star Miss Barbara Stanwyck as Nora will make your day. In "The Captain's Wife," Lady Macbeth has nothing on Nora, who is dissatisfied with her life on a remote frontier outpost. When comancheros terrorize the region, she sees their capture as "the way back to Washington," whispering in her husband's ear, "It's boldness that makes heroes." Interfering with her plans is herd boss Gil Favor (series star Eric Fleming), who arrives at the fort for supplies. Nora has already defied regulations and risked lives and aided her husband's court martial by dispatching "every able-bodied man" to join her husband on patrol. That leaves "two women, four civilians, one of them a boy, and two troopers from sick bay" to fend off an anticipated raiding party. Tay Garnett (The Postman Always Rings Twice) directed. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Flat out great entertainment
In this one, the crew come across an abondoned fort, and with wild 'Camancheros' running loose in the territory, Mr. Favor is in a tight spot! Tense scenes and bold interactions mark this episode as a personal favorite. A great series for guys of all ages. an additional note:This is made in black and white, but the color isn't what's important, it's the stories and the characters that are important! 'Rawhide has character interaction not seen today.' Eric Fleming is amazing in this series. There hasn't been a show in the past thirty years that can hold a candle to Rawhide. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Clint sings! This memorable Rawhide episode steers off the cattle-drive trail for an often-comical story about a snake-oil hustler's redemption. Buddy Ebsen guest stars as Dr. Stimson, a "Golden Remedy" purveyor, whose pitch wagon is attacked by Indians. Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood) rides to the rescue, but in the ensuing skirmish one of his men, Frank Miller, is killed. The drivers pitch in to send money to Frank's widow and two children, but Stimson has a plan to raise the stakes. Feeling that he "owes this boy's family a debt," he suggests a way to turn the tables on a local crooked poker game (run by venerable character actor Jack Elam) using Mushie (James Murdock), thefrontier Gump, as the "pigeon." This being Mushie, the con is soon discovered, but Stimson has another ace up his sleeve. When his estranged wife (Joan O'Brien) arrives to announce she is remarrying the more respectable Sam (Hugh Marlowe of All About Eve and The Day the Earth Stood Still), Stimson convinces her to impersonate the popular singer Jenny Lind and perform a recital. Yet another setback finds Stimson, Rowdy, and the boys alone to face an audience of increasingly agitated high-paying customers. "Rowdy," suggests grizzled cook Wishbone, "why don't you go out there and sing?" This is an atypical Rawhide episode, but one that pays off in unexpected, off-center moments. And Ebsen, for one, is in his element as the folksy, fast-talking Stimson. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Rawhide should be on DVD. DVD please!
I recently read that Rawhide was one of the most popular TV western series of all time. They should put the Rawhide series out on DVD. They're converting all the other old TV series out on DVD, why not Rawhide? Also, there were about 270 one hour episodes made in seven or so years. Think of the all that great western footage from the golden years of Eastwood and the Western! I saw a short clip of Rawhide on the Eastwood documentary 'Eastwood-the Man from Malpaso' , and even that brief scene was good, so you know there's some good stuff hidden in all those episodes. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Interesting Episodes
The first episode is one of the classics of these great series. Interestingly enough, when the series was revived in 1988 with Peter Graves again starring as the IMF leader, the episode was an almost exact remake of the first episode on this video. Frankly, I thought the remake was better mainly because Robert Conrad plays a better "good guy" than the "bad guy" he is in this episode.
The second episode with William Shatner is not as good. One reason is because Mission: Impossible coincided with the War in Vietnam and after the War became extrememly controversial, it was announced that the producers of the show would no longer do stories about the IMF overthrowing evil governments and leaders in foreign countries (not politically correct in 1970's America!) which was a high percentage of their episodes, but from now on would rather would focus on the fight against organized crime. Since now all the resources of the IMF, which had previously been able to defeat the intellegence forces and even armies of bad foreign regimes would now be focused on bringing down one or few bad guys, it almost makes you feel sorry for these evildoers because they don't stand a chance! That is the case in this episode. However, there is no such thing as a "bad" episode of Mission: Impossible so it is still very entertaining.

Some good, some bad
'The Killer' starts out promising, but more than the usual amount of implausible ruses start to pile up. Leonard Nimoy as Paris is not into his disguise role yet. It is one of the few episodes that show how vast the IM network is.
Cocaine is a good show. Linda Day George seemed to play her roles a little too shallow. Maybe I was spoiled by Barbara Bain and Leslie Nielsen

Robert Conrad and William Shatner as the bad guys!
The first episode on the tape is the fifth-season classic, "The Killer," starring Robert Conrad as a hired assasin who carries out his assignments in a totally improvised fashion, leaving the IMF scrambling every second of the way in their mission to discover the identity of his boss. The customization of a hotel in a matter of minutes is the highlight of this episode, an excellent rehash of "Operation Rogosh" (volume 8). The second show, "Cocaine," stars William Shatner as a drug-smuggling assistant taken in by an IMF cocaine-manufacturing machine that, naturally, doesn't quite work to specifications. An enjoyable and complicated mission highlighted by an unusually effective Shatner as the heavy, Barabara ("Ironside") Anderson as a drug addict, and Peter Lupus as the instructive, bespectacled chemist who makes the "cocaine." Great fun. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Round up this vintage Rawhide episode originally broadcast in 1963. Clint Eastwood stars as Rowdy Yates, who becomes "Sir Lancelot" to Judy Hall (guest star Susan Oliver), a freshly tarred and feathered saloon singer to whom he offers safe haven with the cattle drive. Trail boss Gil Favor (Eric Fleming) disapproves of her disruptive presence. Out of spite, she vows, "By the time I finish with his crew, he'll be lucky if he has one cow left." James Best, perhaps best known as Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard, guest stars as Willie Cain, whose interest in Judy ("She bounces class like a fistful of diamonds") dramatically increases when it is revealed that she is in fact an heiress. The legendary Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolf Man) gives a heartbreaking performance as gentle giant Rock, who tragically defends her honor. As usual, grizzled cook Wishbone (Paul Brinegar) gets the episode's best line. Suspecting that Lola's Saloon is watering its drinks, he remarks of the carousing drovers, "Usually they'd be so drunk they couldn't hit the floor with their hat in three throws." --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Episode
To quote another reviewer, this is indeed proof of the golden days of the western and Clint Eastwood. In this one, the crew goes to a saloon in a nearby town to relax, but the locals have a scene hatched - steal their money and their supplies! One of the sweet lady singers in the saloon warns them, and a good old fashioned bar brawl ensues! But there are two evil lady saloon singer gals who didn't like her telling the visitor to the saloon what was going on, so they decide to take it out on her. The crews hears everyone laughing at her..." do you hear that... that's the sound of someone else taking pleasure in someone else's misery!"
They offer her safe haven with them for a while, but one of the guys is kind of bent on getting to know her, and she is hard to get to know. Each individual has their own unique personality such as the one guy who likes the new lady: "Noone laughs at me - nobody!"
Very realistic confrontations in this series. They are shown more the way hard feelings develope in real life. Character interaction is excellent.
First class western bravado. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Invaders
The quality was great. The shipping service could have been better. Originally tape was never shipped. The entry on the market place indicated that it was a pilot not on the 7 tape box set. Unfortuately it was.

Outstanding example of sixities televison sci-fi
A great example of TV Sci-fi Americana. Quality scifi drama and special effects for the time period. Brings back some great TV viewing memories. What it lacks in the most modern special effects it more then makes up in the execution of the script. A serious addition to any scifi's collection.

Pilot Episode "Beachhead"
This was the pilot episode of the Invaders known as "The Beachhead". There was a total of 43 episodes over a season and a half 1967-68. I am hopefull that all episodes will be released some day. It was a very well produced series by Quinn Martin.

WICH EPISODE IS THIS NO WHERE DOES IT APPEAR
ALL OF THE TAPES OR MOVIES HAVE AN EPISODE TITLE THERE IS NO WAY OF TELLING JUST WHAT IT IS UNLESS YOU OBTAIN A LIST WITH THE RELEASE DATES.

THE INVADERS!!! WOW!!! "THEY'RE HERE!!!"
GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY!!! GREAT MUSIC!!! GREAT ACTING!!! GREAT SHOW!!! THE INVADERS starring Roy Thinnes is the best science fiction show I've ever seen! The photography and music was better than on STAR TREK, and the writing was better than on VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. The only weakness of the series was a lack of purpose, as Roy Thinnes as architect David Vincent spends virtually every episode fighting what seems to be a losing and hopeless battle against the Invaders from another world. THE INVADERS probably would have been better if the series had been planned like its forerunner--also produced by Quinn Martin--THE FUGITIVE, with a beginning and an end.

But this first episode is dynamite! How can you top a show where an architect sees a flying saucer and meets the occupants--who look just like humans!--in the first five minutes, and spends the rest of the hour trying to convince everyone--incluidng his best friend and business partner--that he's telling the truth? The producers used special techniques for the color, incredible music written by Dominic Frontiere--who also wrote the music for THE OUTER LIMITS--and solid actors you've seen for years in Hollywood, to make the best science fiction show I've ever seen.

THE INVADERS!!! WOW!!! "THEY'RE HERE!!!"

Chari Krishnan ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The most beloved television series from the 1960's
The Big Valley is the most beloved television series from the 1960's based on a close-knit wealthy, and powerful family dominating the heartland of Stockton, California in the 1870's. Explosion is one of the series' most popular episodes. In this particular episode, a raging forest fire threatens to destroy the beloved valley. After several men are killed transporting nitro-glycerin to put out the fire, the Barkley men, Jarrod (Richard Long), Nick (Peter Breck), and Heath (Lee Majors) volunteer for the dangerous mission. Because of the extreme danger, they don't tell their mother, Victoria (Barbara Stanwyck) and their sister, Audra (Linda Evans) of their decision to transport the nitro. Inadvertently, Victoria learns of their plans. Her first instinct is to stop them, but then she realizes that she must allow them to be the brave, strong men that she had raised them to be. What follows for the men is the difficult task of getting the nitro to the scene of the fire. Their lives are risked many times and in many ways. Join the Barkleys as they ignite the screen with their bravery and their charisma. ... Read more