Rating: 
Summary: The way such shows were MEANT to be seen
Review: Thanks to Sofa/GoodTimes for doing up this set the right way. So many variety shows presented us with great entertainment during the golden era of television. Yet, I know of very few which are available in their entirety on DVD!
The majority of nods to this genre are done in a "Best Of" edited format. This is not the way the shows were meant to be seen, and certainly not the way I want to watch them. (This carries over to numerous genres, as well. I don't want a DVD of World Series highlights. I want the whole games!)
Sofa/GoodTimes has maintained these four shows intact, including both the good and the bad acts....and even including the commercials!!! They should be congratulated for the former and applauded for the latter.
The video varies in quality. But one must remember that these shows weren't preserved in the same manner as "I Love Lucy", and thus, can't be expected to be pristine.
Now if only someone would issue full episodes of "The Hollywood Palace"!
Rating:
Summary: Startling piece of cultural history
Review: These dvds are startling for a number of reasons. For one thing, even though the Ed Sullivan Show was once the premier and premium outlet for American talent, it is amazing to see how poor most of that talent was in hindsight. Acrobats, second rate magicians, overweight and unattractive singers and dancers, unfunny and formulaic comedians fill these broadcasts. In the world before cable, satellite, dvd players, Blockbuster video stores, computers, etc, entertainment options were severely limited. Most Americans were glued to their tv sets on Sunday night because there weren't many other choices. I remember being in awe of the Ed Sullivan show as a child. Now I see how bad it really was.
In the middle of this altar to mediocrity and has-beens pops up the Beatles - and they blaze forth like a lightning bolt in the dead of night. The Beatles - young, smiling, hip, slim, with talent on loan from the musical heavens - made everyone else on the show look absolutely terrible. Most of the acts wouldn't be hired by a local Kiwanis get-together today - they seem that bad in retrospect. These shows are a pivotal moment in pop culture history - the old show biz world was about to die and the new show biz was being born. Amazing stuff.
Rating:
Summary: The Fab 4 Conquer America!
Review: These shows are excellent capsules of the early 60's, featuring not just The Beatles, but Davy Jones (part of the Oliver! cast), Frank Gorshin (whom I remember better as "The Riddler" on Batman), Soupy Sales, Cab Calloway,etc.
The point of sale, is of course, the 20 performances by The Beatles, presented in very good shape here (as opposed to the numerous copies of copies boots and chopped specials). The sound and pictures being from a 4-decade old videotape are better than expected, and kudos to whoever did the mastering.
In other reviews, the other acts get panned, but they are good as well, Sullivan wasn't just a vaudeville rehash. Part of the problem with seeing the comedians,etc. now is that you need to know about the people being referred to (such as Allen and Rossi's bits with Sonny Liston and LBJ).
Overall,well worth the price of admission for these trips back to 1964 and 1965.
Rating:
Summary: Great look back at Ed Sullivan
Review: These were very good DVDs. The Beatles, as always, were fantastic with about 73 million people tuning into The Ed Sullivan Show to watch them! This DVD is definetly worth your money and it is a great DVD to add to anyones Beatles or Ed Sullivan collection!
Rating:
Summary: Nice piece of history
Review: This 2 disc set provides a most wonderful glimpse of an important time in both music and television history. Most notably, it contains the three full length shows (along with commercials) that were integral in the Beatles' first visit to the United States. The Beatles perform their chart toppers in the U.S. including "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "From Me To You," and "Please Please Me." The set also includes a most intriguing (and complete) 1965 show where you can clearly see the group's growth as songwriters. The 1965 song set consists of "I'm Down," "Ticket to Ride," and "Help." This is a long way in a relatively short time from "All My Loving" and "From Me To You." The first show is the one most treasured by fans, and it obviously is a must-see. Viewing the complete show allows you to better appreciate the magnitude and importance of the Beatles appearance in the U.S. However, ALL of the shows provide an amazing look at popular music during this time. Performances by Mitzi Gaynor, Cab Calloway, and the original brodway cast of Oliver (including Davy Jones who later became a member of the Monkees) are incredible and historical. Cilla Black (also managed by Brian Epstein) performs two enjoyable numbers.One interesting note about the entire set is that you might get a feel for the generation gap that existed in America at that time and what impact the Beatles had on whom Ed Sullivan called "youngsters." Performances by Acker Bilk, Tessie O'Shea (from England), and Gordon & Sheila McCrae show us what most adults who tuned in to Sullivan were listening to. The Beatles clearly went against the grain. As one famous person noted, "Suddenly, there were the Beatles and everybody else. And everybody else just looked wrong." As you see the younger generation embrace the Beatles, references to Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and even Dave Barry's comedy routine (on disc 3) seem like something that only the "old folks" would be interested in and perhaps considered very "square." Suddenly, the younger generation has decided what they like and what they would listen to. Soon after the Beatles first visit, Sullivan would be sure to always include "something for the youngsters." Historic and classic comedy routines by Allen & Rossi, Morcombe & Wise (also from England), and Soupy Sales are enjoyable to watch as well. The novelty acts are quaint and somewhat amusing, but nevertheless important because they were an integral part of Sullivan's shows. The real importance of these discs lies in the music and musical productions. The only drawback to the set is that it leaves Beatle fans hungry for more in the sense that now we want "the story behind the story." Davy Jones mentioned his inability to leave the wings during the broadcast because he was so enraptured by the Beatles' performance and how he suddenly realized that he wanted a future in a band. McCall & Brill, who perform a comedy skit on the first show, have told of their experience that Sunday night. Ed Sullivan hated their skit and wanted them to switch to another routine just before they hit the air. They panicked and didn't know what to do. By chance, they met the Beatles backstage while John Lennon was looking for a Coca-Cola. All of the Beatles made them feel more at ease and they went ahead with the routine, but Sullivan was not pleased. You'll notice that he does not call them over to shake hands, which is what Sullivan usually did with the acts he truly liked. It would have been nice to see interviews with reflections from those involved in the production of the first show. There are naturally some technical glitches once in a while but they are really not noticable. The shows are in glorious black and white and the audio is at its best. If you are a Beatle fan, this is definitely a must-buy. If you're not, but have a longing for musical variety programs once again, this set is still classic and enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: A Fabulous Journey Back to 1964
Review: This DVD collection is an example of why the simplist approach is often the best way to present an historic event. The four "Ed Sullivan" programs featuring the Beatles are shown 99% complete. Unlike many DVD issues, there are no clever edits or extras. But these shows stand on their own. Not only do you see the Beatles in glorious black and white, but you also get the other acts (many quite entertaining) and Sullivan's classic introductions. By having unedited versions of each show, one can truly experience what 73 million viewers saw all those years ago. For those who saw the shows when they first aired, the DVD will bring back wonderful memories. For those who weren't even born in 1964, it will give an accurate picture about what all the excitement was about. It is a true pleasure to see each Beatles performance in its entirety without any anoying voiceovers. I don't need or want anyone telling me about the importance of these performances. I just want to sit back and enjoy the magic of the Beatles as captured by the CBS television network in 1964. The camera work is excellent throughout, particularly on "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which efectively mixes long shots, close-ups, crowd shots and a move in and out on Ringo by a mobile crane camera. There are a few glitches on the sound balance on a few performances (originating from the original broadcasts), but this does not lessen the impact or excitement of the songs. The DVD sound and picture quality is superb. The DVD is indexed by performance so you have the option to skip the other acts and just watch the Beatles. My soon to be published book, "The Beatles Are Coming! The Birth of Beatlemania in America," covers the three 1964 shows in great detail. But while words and photographs can explain the magic and significance of these shows, the only way to truly experience it is to watch this DVD. This is an absolute must for every Beatles fan or anyone interested in learning why the Beatles took America by storm in 1964.
Rating:
Summary: Priceless
Review: This DVD is a pop culture history lesson that can't be missed, whether you're an older fan wanting to reminisce, or a newly minted Beatlemaniac enjoying for the very first time. The Beatles convey such enthusiasm and talent in their performances and are just as electrifying as they were forty years ago. It's not hard to see why the world still loves the Fab Four. All four episodes are shown in their entirety, plus commercials. The inclusion of the commercials add a sense of "authenticity" and are just as fun to watch as the program itself. As for the other acts, some of them are clunkers, but most are very entertaining. Highlights include Soupy Sales, Frank Gorshin, and Allan and Rossi. Also fun to watch is the audience: despite being surrounded by the Beatlemania hurricane, some adults and kids are sitting stone-faced! Regarding picture and sound quality, both discs are great, although in certain parts it seems like there's been some wear and tear over the years. (Nothing too distracting, though.) Overall, this is essential for any Beatle collection. A+
Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining
Review: This DVD set has The Beatles' legendary performances on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW. One would expect that the creators would do extensive editing to the original tapes and include just The Beatles' performances. Wrong. The entire broadcast from those days is shown here, with not only The Beatles, but all the other acts that went on the same night as they did. Also included are the original commercial breaks, which are very funny and are an interesting look at the way TV commercials have changed over the years.
This is great.
Rating:
Summary: Historic
Review: This is a must have DVD even if you are not a Beatles fan so to speak. It's a historic document of a special time in history when The Beatles were introduced to America in their prime. A must see.
Rating: 
Summary: A REAL Trip Through The Time Tunnel
Review: This is a must have DVD not only for the Beatles fan, but also for anyone who is a fan of old time TV.
The four Ed Sullivan Shows on this DVD are presented in their entirety on black and white videotape which preserves this historic show without the aged and flat look many filmed TV shows of that era have. That's not to say that there aren't any "video artifacts" on these 40 year old videos, there are. When Ed first presents the Beatles in show one, the video has a fuzzy look not evident before the commercial break. This is probably due to this portion of the video being over played through the years before a safety copy was made. The rest of this show and the others included look very good with generally sharp images and a few "video artifacts" but not enough to bother the average viewer. Just prior to the end of the fourth show Ed makes an announcement that starting 'next week' the show will start broadcasting in color. Now if only the Beatles had appeared that week. The mono soundtrack is good considering the age of the source. Dolby surround is also offered and sounds surprisingly good adding an extra "depth" to the show.
It's fun to look at the commercials and it's surprising to note how few were shown back then during a prime time show as compared to today's barriage.
The other performers on these shows are an interesting mix of comedy, music and stage acts. It's easy to see why this show appealed to all ages, there was something for everyone.
My only disappointment was that at the end of each show there wasn't the well known CBS ID, "This is CBS" and the CBS "eye" so much a part of CBS programming then and now.
I'm glad I have this DVD in my collection. It's historic not only for what it has (the Beatles), but also for what it is, a glimpse into TV's past.
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