Tour of Duty - The Complete First Season

Rating:
Summary: Where's your American Spirit
Review: I have not seen the DVD seasons, although I watched the broadcasts. In regards to the music changes, somebody's missing something when they complain about the music score on the DVD seasons. Jaggar or Hendrix have nothing to do with the morals that the writer is trying to convey to the audience. The music merely adds an emotional element to the film. We can't forget about the horror and ultimate sacrifices that our men and women endured. They are all heros, in my opinion. That is what the writer is trying to show, the facts. A glimps into a small portion of the Vietnam war (police action). The deaf see the real picture and writers try to create a film that communicates to all the veiwers. Was Hendrix or Jaggar in the Vietnam war? The songs they wrote during that era seemed to have insight into the solders experience, but where did they get the knowledge needed to relate to it! Don't get me wrong, I love the music also. Never the less, Tour of Duty is an excellent series.
Sincerely,
Jonathan McConeghy (Morrice Michigan)
A close friend to all Vietnam Vets!

Rating:
Summary: tour of duty season 1 review
Review: The First depiction of the ace's high American soldier in the vietnam war.The first season centeres around a tour in the jungle or vietcong territory for a group of fearless soldiers in a platoon lead by Stephen caffrey and Terrance knox his second in command. The first season focuses on infantry men who represent the different racial backgrounds in America with some story lines devoted to that fact of that era.Although that fact has nothing to do with reason's of the cause of the Vietnam war the episodes are based on Mission's accomplished by the platoon for the benefit of mankind and exclusion of tyrany in a new more fruitful democratic earth.The first season has it's up's and down's although not hugely grapic and not hugely exciting with combat action some huge lesson's can be learnt from this series about justice for the oppressed and respect for the brave women and men that conqured the oppressors in such uncharted territory.The platoon of men bond as a group in the first season which is important as friendships are tested to the limit with survival depending on each others training and determination to live while being pinned down by the enemy.The First season is a worthy buy but i hope that season two can achieve a higher star rating than season one.

Rating:
Summary: Great Show Missing Its Soul
Review: This was a fabulous series, but the missing music really leaves a hole in the experience of watching it. The show was so good that it's still good work without the music, but the music, especially The Stones' "Black" in the intro really got you into the mood. I was shopping with a Christmas gift certificate, saw the first two seasons and grabbed them. It never occurred to me that the music might not be part of the package. What the heck is going on here? It's like Miami Vice would be without the music, still pretty good but not at all the same. I'm sorry I bought the dvd's. Had I known about the music, I'd have waited for a new version and just passed entirely if it never came.

Rating:
Summary: Sorry, it's just not the same w/out the music
Review: I eagerly awaited the delivery of this great series which was aired in Singapore about a year after it came out in the US and wish I had taped it way back then. After getting about half way through the 3rd episode, I had heard enough of the artificial electronic muzak that sounds out-of-place with the era. If you watched this series when it came out and enjoyed the mood it set, this will make you feel that something is now missing. I have ordered Season 2 but it has not arrived and I will throw both out if Season 2 is the same. I hope the DVD producer can work out whatever problem they have with the music or copyright.

Rating:
Summary: At last!!
Review: Tour of Duty - my staple Saturday night viewing in the late 80s when it was shown on TV in the U.K. I absolutely loved this show, which not only boasted some great characters, superb and pretty gritty action sequences, but actually dared to go explore a great many themes of the war in a pretty unbiased way. I've been waiting a long time for a DVD release, and finally it's got one! The main issue here seems to be the fact that the music has been changed, and it has. Yes there's no Paint It Black on the opening credits - but the music is not as 'generic' as people say. It's actually the end theme, and theme that was used throughoput the show that starts it off. The music through the episodes is thematically decent (i.e Hendrix style guitar tracks, and bluesy riffs etc) that don't sound out of place - they're just not instantly recognisable - and it takes NOTHING away from the sheer brilliance of this series. Given the choice - yes I would rather have the original musics, but given the choice between what has been released, and nothing - it's a no contest. If it's a case of a company needing to avoid royalties in order to get me the complete seasons of a great TV series - I'm all for it, and any true fan will tell you the same.

Rating:
Summary: Another DVD mistake...
Review: I loved this series. I saw this at Best Buy and grabbed it immediately. Poped in the first disc and low and behold the Rolling Stones were not there to get me pumped up. So yes I was that poor sap who got taken.
It's very unfortunate that the original music is not there. If I can "steal" all these songs off the net in mp3 format, why the heck can't studios secure the rights for the original music? Seems so backwards to me. A job done poorly.
Season two doesnt have the orignal music either. There are too many of these TV shows on DVD that have not been done correctly. It's really a shame if you ask me.

Rating:
Summary: No extras/no original music? UGH!
Review: I actually cried when this show was cancelled, I loved it so much. I have MOST of Season 1 on VHS and the entire Seasons 2 & 3. Ahhhhh the joy of 'Paint It Black'!! And every rock song that was played! How in the WORLD could they duplicate the episode wherein the platoon is with the 'Vietamese Indians' with the AWOL US soldier and they perform for them using a James Brown tune??? Remember ToD fans? Goldman puts a cape over Taylor and guides him 'offstage'...GREAT episode! Will they just SKIP this episode? Kinda hard for Taylor to lip synch James Brown with muzak playing..Or the episode where they rescue a USO troup and 'We Gotta Get Outta This Place' plays at the end, trailing off into an echo, as the chooper takes off showing the platoon on a hilltop from the air?? It will hardly have the same impact without the song!

And why no extras?? Ive seen web sites all over the web where actors from the series do 'chats', so why would they be opposed to adding their viewpoint, interviews, behind the scenes stuff, etc? I waited so so so long to upgrade my my nearly worn out tapes only to find no extras and NO ORIGINAL music? ACK!

Loss of 2 stars for no extras/no music.

Anyone think Season 2 (released 12/28/04) will have extras OR original music??

Rating:
Summary: The music on the DVD is not the same as the original series.
Review: This is a great series seriously lessened by Sony Pictures neglecting to secure the rights to the original music on the series so instead it replaced the music with much newer and much more inappropriate music. I rented the series and am now sure that I will not buy it, nor will most of my friends and family, it is not the same without the original music.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Top Series of the '80's
Review: It's about time this series made it to DVD. One of the top series of the 1980's (ok - that's my opinion)this was one of 2 series to hit the small screen about the Viet Nam war, the other being China Beach. It came out at about the time it was ok to be nostalgic about a war that seemingly went on forever with a number of big-screen flicks on the war also coming out about the same time. Terence Knox was ideally cast as Sgt. Zeke Anderson, and if you were one of those people unfortunate enough to have been there, or knew someone who was, you know it was really the wizened-battle hardened sergeant who ran the platoon and not the lieutenant who was in charge.
With a cast featuring a number of minorities the show may have been a bit ahead of its time which might explain why it only lasted a few years. One thing to remember about Viet Nam was that it was the minority groups that made up a large percentage of the troops.
Musically, the soundtrack will bring back some memories although some of the tunes on the original series have been replaced due to copyright difficulties. No big deal since its the storylines that make the program and the music- while certainly not a distraction - adds that '60's flavor to it.
If you like a realistic portrayal of the war and a better understanding of the times, you owe it to yourself to pick up this series.