Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Previously, a box set of seasons 1 & 2 were available. The first box set had a few cool extras - the second box I don't believe had any. The third season was available on ITUNES and HULU and such places (AMAZON AS WELL) as digital only downloads. The entire series has been circulating around bootleg in crudely cut and shoddy looking VHS style visuals along with every ep having been cut for VIOLENCE and LANGUAGE?????? I don't know where these copies came from but without an official release one was forced to deal with them. The proper release of the greatest cop show of its time and maybe ALL TIME, all 7 seasons - one would HOPE that they would restore the (PREVIOUSLY ON HILL STREET BLUES) which were absent completely on the previous releases - and maybe, just maybe - we'll finally get the HILL STREET set we've been waiting for for all these years - I'm not going to pretend that this will have interviews with Bochco, Milch, Lewis, Franz, etc - I'm sure it will be bare-bones. That said - the price is not cheap, so maybe this really will be a lush restoration. But I'd be quite happy with crystal clear versions of all 7 seasons with the previously-on tags as well. PRAYING THIS IS REAL!!!!!! SPOILER ALERT: I will discuss most (not all) of the aspects of the new box set here. If you want to be surprised, stop reading until after you open the set. I'm very explicit here as to what is contained in the box. UPDATE: I now have the 2014 NEW DVD SHOUT FACTORY SET of HILL STREET BLUES: The Complete Series. Without "spoilers," allow me to say that this is THE REAL THING. If you've been waiting for a real presentation of this great series for 20/30 years - look no more. This is a very handsomely housed set of discs comprising all 7 seasons of the great show. The episodes look almost remastered and new - these appear to be struck from new prints or at the very least, the person who did the transferes clearly cared. They eps look like a million dollars and it's jarring to see the show look this good again. The episodes are easy and consise. Everything is outlined and marked beautifuly and it's a very intuitive set. That said - there are 4 commentaries - I've not yet heard them nor compared them to the original DVD set of the first 2 seasons, so I don't know if they are carryovers or not. BURNING QUESTION: Do these contain "previously on Hill Street Blues?" The answer is YES. In some cases as I did a very quick browse, you also get "and tonight, on Hill Street Blues" - as for me at that point I just hit the NEXT button which takes you into the top of roll call screen. These eps have NEVER looked and sounded this good (picture is original TV ratio and sound is an unusually clear 2.0). BONUS FEATURES: Again, while I don't want to spoil, the extras are mostly contained to one disc (except the commentaries) and are quite great. There are a bunch of interviews with actors, writers and other creatives involved in the show (It's a real bounty of extras although I have yet to sit and watch them. But just to wet your apetite, Dennis Franz does an interview explaining the differences between Buntz and Bennedetto.) The gag reel is super short and probably could've been included in other material, and I was secretly hoping for commentaries on the final episodes, etc - from the likes of present-day David Milch - there are no later-season commentaries as far as I could tell - just four from the first 2/3 seasons. At the forefront of the extras is a massive making of HSB documentary (it's in two parts - both run together for over 2 hours I think - all modern (2013) interviews from everyone involved. To sum up, this is the holy grail and as good as it's going to get. Every episode presented in a stellar manner and in the best audio/video it's ever been in since broadcast, completely UNCUT (a bunch of renegade bootlegs have been making the rounds that are cut for language and violence - these episodes are completely uncut with all the original music and act breaks. The bootlegs look like crap recorded from a VCR situation - these are a studio-quality older series reference point on how to present an older show and make it look great. Again, this is what we've always wanted. All the "previously ons, all the uncut eps, and perfect audio/video with a whole disc of amazing and fun and current extras. Bravo, Shout Factory! HILL STREET BLUES is alive and better than ever thanks to you! If you are on the fence about buying these - don't be. They are NOTHING for the price - all 7 seasons in pristine form with extras in a beautiful sturdy box? The wait is over, justice has been served - HILL STREET BLUES in all its original and ragged glory. A perfect A +. UPDATE: OCTOBER 1, 2014: So after a break, I went ahead and watched seasons 3, 4 & 5. The transfers are terrific. There seems to be a slight difference in transfer quality betwen the first 3 and 4 & 5, (understandable as the first 3 were slated for release while SHOUT FACTORY supervised the new transfers.) Seasons 4 & 5 seem a bit brighter but again - aged terrific for such an old show. Great negatives. As far as the PREVIOUSLY ON debate continues: Season 3 has SOME PREVIOUSLY ON along with a TONIGHT ON - you can also skip directly to roll call. Season 4 has many PREVIOUSLY ON with a FEW TONIGHT ONs, and season 5 has a LOT of PREVIOUSLY ON HILL STREET BLUES (mostly all missing from seasons 1 & 2 and are a welcome return.) Season 2 had a couple of interesting commentaries (Bruce Weitz admitted Belker growled way too much in early seasons) but once season 3 hits, no more commentaries to be found. Still going through - taking a break then on to 6 & 7, when Bochco left and Milch & Lewis took over. I will do a full, season by season mini-review when I'm done, but probably season 5 has some of the best of the series and many episodes that feel like they were marking time - putting Fay in the office I think was a mistake but I will get into fuller review mode once I finish the entire set - but so far, so great - good menus - no glitches - not one disc problem - no need to be careful with these discs. And season 5 season finale was a unexpected bookend to the saeson 1 finale, which might've been Bochco's way of saying GOODBYE to the show - but I'n just guessing. Usually I put one one and end up watching 8 - that's how addicting this show can be. UPDATE: DEC. 26 - Noticing some things in seasons 6 & 7. Something I had noticed before is becoming a little more prevalent - wondering if some of these transfers were done before final picture "sweetening." Plan to take a more in-depth look but in the season 7 opener, "SUITCASE", there is a shot of kids walking on the street in the last few minutes that should be in the dark but looks like it's the sunny afternoon. This occurs a few times - wondering if that scene was darkened for air and if this version had not had the change done yet. Just some small things - at the end of the season 6 episode 2 - there is a key bit of dialogue that can barely be heard in this mix. In ep two of season 7, Howard Hunter drives listening not to classical music as in the original airing, but - must be due to song rights - is now listening to some Kenny G power-keyboards. Maybe a few more tiny things like that. Also - Buntz has a crazy-high body count for two seasons. Just getting into the extras bonus disc - great docu - Milch conspicuously absent from it. Lots of interviews with Dennis Franz regarding the differences between Benedetto and Buntz. What a great set. JULY 2015: A few of you have asked if they are double-sided discs like the previous release from FOX - the answer is no - every disc is about 4-5 episodes or so and looks GREAT.