DVD Talk Forum - View Single Post - DVD Talk review of 'Alias Smith and Jones

Paul Mavis · 02-24-07, 07:05 AM

Thanks for writing; I don't know if I "constantly" comment on that aspect, but if I do, it's because it really is amazing how nice these old shows look -- you just don't expect the studios to keep such clean masters of essentially "forgotten" series.

If you're like me, you saw these shows when they were first broadcast, so a factor you didn't mention also plays into my evaluation of how the films look today: transmission. There wasn't nation-wide cable broadcasting back in 1970 -- just a whole bunch of ugly aerials stuck up on people's roofs. And believe it or not, some of us were still so primitive, that we actually still only had black and white TV sets (the earth had only just recently cooled). So many of my memories of these old shows are of grainy, black and white images, with various transmission issues such as snow and interferance (and yes, dinosaurs still roamed the earth!).

So for me at least (and I've had numerous emails from other readers who echo my own viewing experiences), it's miraculous how smooth and clean these DVDs look -- well, at least most of the ones I've seen. I suppose I shouldn't be so "gee whiz" about it after so many years, but I love vintage TV, and I want all my contemporaries who grew up on these great shows to support the genre, and buy these DVDs.

Thanks so much for writing.

Paul

02-24-07, 07:05 AM	#3
Paul Mavis DVD Talk Reviewer Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 436	Thanks for writing; I don't know if I "constantly" comment on that aspect, but if I do, it's because it really is amazing how nice these old shows look -- you just don't expect the studios to keep such clean masters of essentially "forgotten" series. If you're like me, you saw these shows when they were first broadcast, so a factor you didn't mention also plays into my evaluation of how the films look today: transmission. There wasn't nation-wide cable broadcasting back in 1970 -- just a whole bunch of ugly aerials stuck up on people's roofs. And believe it or not, some of us were still so primitive, that we actually still only had black and white TV sets (the earth had only just recently cooled). So many of my memories of these old shows are of grainy, black and white images, with various transmission issues such as snow and interferance (and yes, dinosaurs still roamed the earth!). So for me at least (and I've had numerous emails from other readers who echo my own viewing experiences), it's miraculous how smooth and clean these DVDs look -- well, at least most of the ones I've seen. I suppose I shouldn't be so "gee whiz" about it after so many years, but I love vintage TV, and I want all my contemporaries who grew up on these great shows to support the genre, and buy these DVDs. Thanks so much for writing. Paul