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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh Boy, 11 Aug 2005
Things weren't quite as ready for the time travel experiment as Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) thought they were. As a result, he finds himself leaping through time, trapped in other people's bodies with his own memory playing tricks on him. He must find a way to change their lives for the better so he can leap out. Along the way, he gets a chance to reconnect with his day (via phone) and help a future former girlfriend. The only person he has to help him along is a hologram from his own time. And Al (Dean Stockwell) isn't always as much help as Sam would like. I must admit that, while I like the series, I've only seen maybe a dozen episodes over the years. Anytime I do catch a rerun, seems like it's one I've already seen. As a result, all the episodes in this set were new to me. Of course, that isn't saying much. Season 1 was a mid-season replacement show. As a result, this season is only the pilot plus seven regular episodes. As with most shows, it uses this time to find the characters and polish the storylines. A few of the trademarks of the series aren't there as of yet. For example, it's on the last couple episodes that end with Sam's classic "Oh boy!" Still, we've got some entertaining stories here, stories that don't always go where you think they will. I especially enjoy some of the references to real history that Sam accidentally gets involved in, such as Watergate. These episodes also feature guest spots from Terri Hatcher and Jason Priestly before they became famous. Two episodes stand out from this set. "The Color of Truth" sends Sam into the body of a black man in the south just before the Civil Rights movement starts. His unintended actions create quite a stir in the small town, and it highlights the evils of segregation with only minimal preaching. The second one is just plain fun. "Play it Again, Seymour" finds Sam in the body of a PI. It spoofs noir in an entertaining mystery. I also enjoyed it because it guest starred Claudia Christian in her days before Babylon 5, one of my all time favorite shows. This is a three-disc set, which gives more then enough room for the nine hours of material. The picture is the original full frame, and the sound is mono. There is some dust occasionally in the picture, most noticeably when stock footage is used, but overall, it's sharp. Extras include a short documentary on the creation of the series and an introduction for each episode by series star Scott Bakula. Honestly, the biggest complaint is the price. It seems little steep for a set this short, especially considering what the full seasons of this show are going for. Over all, fans of this show will be pleased to have it. I enjoyed catching leaps I hadn't seen before. I'm going to have to get my hands on other season sets.
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