Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I haven't seen "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" since it was last shown on TV Land quite a few years back. This show is one of the best anthology series ever and deserves to be shown and enjoyed. Thankfully Universal has seen fit to release season one on DVD. All 39 episodes (yes, 39!) of this incredible show. The one constant element throughout the series is the presence of Alfred Hitchcock with his dry, macabre sense of humor. This show made the well-respected film director a huge TV personality of the 50s and 60s. It was part of his deal with CBS that he would direct many of the episodes but as it turned out he directed only 17 segments during the series entire run. Many well-known actors from film and television made appearances on the show during it's run. In this season one set you can expect to see Aunt Bea (Frances Bavier), John Forsythe, Cloris Leachman, Joseph Cotten, Peter Lawford, Barry Fitzgerald, Carolyn Jones, John Cassavetes, Charles Bronson, Claude Rains and many others. There was also a bit of nepotism afoot as Pat Hichcock made numerous appearances on her dad's show. Fortunately, she was a pretty good actress. The episodes are based on great short stories by writers such as Alexander Woollcott, Ambrose Bierce, Cornell Woolrich, Frederic Brown, Henry Slesar, H.H. Munro (aka Saki), John Cheever, John Collier, John Wyndham, Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch and Roald Dahl. Yes, that's the same Roald Dahl who wrote those entertaining children's stories (you've heard of Willy Wonka, I presume). He wrote one of the series most famous episodes "Lamb to the Slaughter." I have read that Hitchcock actually filmed two openings and closings for each episode. The ones Americans are familiar with feature Hitch sarcastically commenting on the show's sponsors and TV in general. The other openings and closings were created for the European market and featured Hitch poking fun at Americans. I don't know if any of these alternate scenes are included but they would be fun to watch. A price tag of under $30 for 39 episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" is a great bargain compared to the ridiculously overpriced "The Twilight Zone" seasons. As much as I like "The Twilight Zone" I refuse to pay those prices. As for "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," I'll be the first in line to drop my $30 for these great shows.