TITLE: HOGAN'S HEROES - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Info:

DVD Release Date: March 15, 2005 (Paramount Home Video)
Color
MSRP: $39.95
Number of Discs: 5
Number of Episodes: 32
Running Time: 882 minutes
Languages, Subtitles, Closed Captioning: English, No Subtitles, Closed Captioned.
Special Features: None

Introduction:

HOGAN HEROES fans fall in line for this hit CBS classic. HOGAN'S HEROES stars actor Bob Crane as Colonel Robert Hogan, an American officer confined to Stalag 13, a German POW camp. With the help of a very diverse group of other POW's, Hogan has access to hidden tunnels, confiscated supplies, secret radios and various other weapons. But his goal isn't to escape as much as it is to cause havoc and disruption. Making it easy on Hogan is the inept camp commandant, Colonel Wilhelm Klink, played by the late Werner Klemperer and the bumbling Sergeant Hans Schultz, played by John Banner. The gang of "Hogan's Heroes" consists of Robert Clary (as LeBeau), Richard Dawson (Newkirk), Ivan Dixon (Kinchloe), Larry Hovis (Carter) and Cynthia Lynn (Helga), here's the complete first season of the top rated hit TV sitcom, finally on DVD!

Memorable Episodes / Notable Guest Stars:

Season One of HOGAN'S HEROES includes many hilarious episodes. "The Informer" in which Hogan and his crew must discredit a German spy, "Hold That Tiger" in which Hogan gets his hands on the Nazi's new Tiger Tank, have it disassembled, send its blueprints to the Allies,a nd reassemble it - right under Klink's nose. "Kommandant of The Year," in which Hogan and his crew try to sabotage a secret rocket bomb by creating a distraction known as - "Kommandant of The Year," to throw Klink off their trail. "The Flight of the Valkyire" in which Hogan's scheme to help a German baroness escape to London is thwarted by the arrival of a new prisoner of war - Colonel Crittendon - whose repeated bungled attempts at escape are wreaking havoc on Hogan's mission to spirit away the baroness. "Happiness Is A Warm Sergeant" in which Sergeant Schultz, while escorting Newkirk to the dentist, gets drunk and is replaced by a hard-lined, no-nonsense guard. Hogan and his crew must act fast to get the docile Schultz restored to his post. Several other memorable episodes include "Anchors Aweigh, Men of Stalag 13," "It Takes A Thief... Sometimes," The Great Impersonation," "The Prince From The Phone Company," I Look Better In Basic Black," "Cupid Comes to Stalag 13," and finally, "Request Permission to Escape." And Season One also sees the debut of the priceless Bernard Fox (better known as Doctor Bombay on BEWITCHED) as recurring guest star, the bumbling Colonel Crittendon.

Packaging:

The cover art is a colorful design that features an orange/red backdrop with barbed wire. The top of the box features pictures of Schultz, Hogan and Klink while the bottom portion features the rest of the regular cast in what looks like press photos from certain episodes. It's a very nice cover. The back features more or less the same design. The case is like many Paramount releases; slip covers (think thin pack discs inside of a box). Each individual box features pictures of each cast member (two on a cover) with the same design used for the main box. Case/Disc One features Hogan and Klink (the disc covers are the same as the disc case cover, it is like that on all five discs) and episodes 1-7. Case/Disc Two features Hogan and Schultz and episodes 8-14. Case/Disc Three features Carter and LeBeau and episodes 15-20. Case/Disc Four features Newkirk and Kinchloe and episodes 21-26. Case/Disc Five features Hogan and Klink and episodes 27-32.

Menu Design and Navigation:

The main menu screen is the exact same design that the set is. It has a photo of a cast member (varies on each disc, such as disc one has Hogan, disc two has Schultz, etc.) and it has no theme music. It's an interesting design because there are no other menu selections! It just lists the episodes and gives you a "play all" option. No options for subtitles or languages--very bare! I was surprised. It's simple and effective but a bit jarring.

Video and Audio Quality:

For a show that's nearly 40 years old from the premiere date, the video is very good. The audio, like on most older show sets, was low, but not nearly as low as some older sets, so it may require you to increase the volume on your TV a bit. But there were no major issues to be concerned with on this set. And on this set, closed captioning is available but there were no Subtitles made available, or any type of language selection, for that matter. The pilot episode runs almost 26 to 27 minutes in length, but regular episodes run between approx. 24 and 25 minutes. You'll get nearly three or four extra minutes you can't see in syndication! There are also chapter stops, so you can find your way through the episode faster if you are looking for a particular scene using your DVD remote.

Special Features:

The major downside to this great set is that there aren't any special features at all. Not a single blooper, behind the scenes featurette, nothing. It was a disappointment. I would think they could at least include something, especially after that Bob Crane controversy a while back.

Final Comments:

In conclusion, I believe any fan of Hogan's Heroes will enjoy this set very much. For the extremely decent price of forty dollars, this is a wonderful set to own. But as a fan of this show, finding out there aren't any special features would be a let down. I do encourage fans to buy this set though, because it does boast crystal clear video as well as unedited episodes that you can't see in syndication, so this set IS a must have. For future releases, I would hope to see Paramount include something that can be called a bonus feature. There must be a blooper reel, or even old episode promos that can be included. Overall, a good set that has potential to be even better.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Video Quality: 4.8/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: N/A
Menu Design/Navigation: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

- Reviewed by TVJunkie101 on 02/26/05

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007KIFK0/ref=nosim/happydaysonline4-20

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