Hunter - Season One

Rating:
Summary: The Theme
Review: I'm happy to see this series get DVD treatment, but it really is a bummer about the original music.. there were some great songs featured during the first season, and it's just not the same to have some generic sounding crap playing during these scenes. However, as much as this sucks, I'm still glad to get the series.
The truth is, I think season one is a decent season, and I always hated the way that everything was toned down so much with seasons two and three, the theme was dulled down, they focused on another side of L.A., and even the Captains became softer, but.. the writing, and acting did improve, and I believe the show peaked with the third season, so I hope to get at least the first three released on DVD.
One final note, if anyone cares, if you notice, during the previews, and closing credits, a slightly different variation of the Hunter theme is played; originally, the first couple of episodes had an opening that matched that music, but oddly, they made the decision to feature the second opening on every episode. Yes, this is a better, harder edged opening, but I thought with DVD/video releases, we were actually supposed to see things exactly as they originally aired.

Rating:
Summary: Talk about 80's flashbacks!!!
Review: "Hunter" is one of those classic over-the-top action cop shows from the 1980's, the days before more toned down dramatic cop shows of the 1990's like "NYPD Blue", "Law and Order", and "Homicide: Life on the Streets". In its debut season, NBC picked up high ratings from the action adventures of LAPD detectives Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) and DeeDee McCall (Stephanie Kramer). The episodes are not overly dramatic, though they are packed with car chases, shootouts, fist fights, etc.

This is a truly great season to watch, since the material is still fresh here. The lead characters are developing a working relationship that quickly evolves into a well-developed friendship. In later seasons, the material became tired, though in the final season, the producers tried to inject new life into the show by giving Hunter two new partners: first Joanne Molenski (Darlanne Fluegel) and later Christine Novak (Lauren Lane).

The extras are slim on this DVD set, though it is interesting to listen to Steven Cannell and Stephanie Kramer recall filming the television series. The real treasure is found in these classic episodes. Sit down, pop in a disc, and enjoy some 1980's nostalgia!

Rating:
Summary: Works for me
Review: First of all I'd like to say that is nice that 80's sitcoms and Tv series are all releasing in Dvd format.

Well,Hunter one of my fav 80's cops Tv shows arrives finally on Dvd by courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment.

It presents the adventures of 2 Sgts. detectives from the Homicide division in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Police.

One is Rick Hunter(Dryer) a tough cop son of a mob lord who has its own rules and has SIMON(a S&W '45 gun).It's partner is Dee Dee McCall(Kramer) a female right and balanced whose father a cop was killed in the line of duty.

Together they solve the most various cases in LA.

The action and stunts used are the same used in The A Team and other Stephen J Cannell prods even the stunt coordinator is the same.Gunfight,fights and car chases are standard and very evident due to poor editing(you can see the driver and fight scenes stunts in every take).

The result is very pleaseant and nice to see.

The only flaw as all Anchor Bay releases is the lack of English subtitles.Yes it's CC(Closed Captioned) but only for NTSC Tv sets.I'm an International customer from Spain and my Tv can't enable that captions.The studio must think in the International customers and all the deaf and hard to hearing people.It's weird that other Anchor Bay releases(features) have subtitles while Tv series sets don't.And the prize is also a bit expensive compared with other studios.

That's why I give 4 stars instead of 5.



Rating:
Summary: Good show, BAD music
Review: Hunter is the epitome of the 80's shoot 'em up cop show and I love it. The episodes are clear and it's great to have the series on DVD. The only thing that bothers me is the change in the music. I was 9 when Hunter came out and I've seen every episode numerous times, and the first thing I noticed with this DVD was the change in the music. The opening theme is right, as far as I remember but other songs are missing. There's a LOT of homemade country music subsituted in for other songs like Hank William's "Your Cheating Heart," and CCRs "Bad Moon Rising." Other than that, it's great to have this series on DVD and if the music isn't there its a small, if annoying, price to pay for an awesome show.

Rating:
Summary: Beware of substitute music
Review: Hunter was one of the first shows besides Miami Vice to feature popular rock songs playing in the background of many scenes. Unfortunately, many of the songs have been edited out and replaced with subsitute music, no doubt due to an unwillingness to pay high royalties. Anyone who's seen the reruns in syndication will instantly spot the changes in the DVD version. The new music ruins the enjoyment of many episodes. Also, the packaging is very poor, with only the vaguest of episode descriptions provided and the biographies of the shows stars presented in a format that is so ridiculous it can hardly be described.

Rating:
Summary: Works for me..
Review: Hunter was probably my favourite cop show growing up in the 80s. It had a much grittier edge than a lot of it's contemporaries, and the interplay between Hunter and McCall was superb. I think it's great that companies are releasing seasons of these old shows, (Knight rider, quantumn leap, Miami Vice etc) and I can't thank Anchor Bay enough for picking this one up. Occasionally looking back on old 80s shows you tend to remember them as being a lot better than they actually are, and can get a bit disappointed when nostalgia induces you to buy an entire season of an old series - but Hunter (along with Tour of Duty, and Miami Vice) is one of those that wil totally live up to how you recall it. I remember havin the wildest crush of Stephanie Kramer too, and sitting through these hugely enjoyable shows again, I totally remembered why.. She's hotter than hot, the action is great, the scripts are fast paced and massively ientertaining. As for the music substitutions (I didn't even know this till I read other reviews), what's to complain about? If companies have to replace some tunes to keep royalties down, then who cares. The main thing is, we get the show - all episodes from the first season - sit back, remenisce, and enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Obvious Music Substitution Kills This Otherwise Great DVD!!
Review: I really like the show. Like the actors and everything, but eventhough it's been years since I've seen the pilot episode, it was blatantly obvious that the opening scene of the episode originally had the song "Bad Moon Rising" playing. When I popped the DVD into my player, this is the first red flag I noticed. I don't remember the music on the other episodes as well, but I can only imagine it has been badly substituted as well. I am VERY DISAPPOINTED in this. Not even a mention/warning of this on the box. I WILL NOT BE BUYING THE REST OF THE SERIES, THAT'S FOR SURE!!!

Rating:
Summary: Yep definitely works for me
Review: I was so happy to hear that Hunter was coming out on DVD, that I bought it the day it came out. I used to love this show and thought that Fred Dryer was the sexiest man alive! Still do! I liked this show not only for the action but that it portrayed Dee Dee McCall as an equal to Hunter, she could handle anything he could and Hunter trusted her. That was something you hadn't seen in a cop show. Plus, the chemistry between them was just sensational. I always admired Hunter's care for McCall, always looking out for her, but all the while, working together with her. I also liked how they always seemed to get in trouble with their captain and always won! The extras on this DVD are lacking though. Some behind the scenes or an interview with Fred would have been nice. And yes I agree with others on the skimpy episode descriptions. As far as the music, I guess I was too young to pay attention to the music back then! The only thing that I notice with this show is that some of the stunt doubles are soooo obvious! Better editing could have helped with that. You can totally notice when it's not Fred or Dee Dee doing some of the fighting or driving scenes. But all in all, a great action show and I will look forward to buying the subsequent seasons on DVD. Can't wait to get MacGyver on DVD now!

Rating:
Summary: Good Times!!!
Review: My favorite tv show of all time!!!
I was in junior high when this show was on. Loved everything about it especially Dee Dee Mcall! Ouch.... Fred Dryer's the man!!!
I'm glad Anchor Bay picked up the rights to the show, hopefully we'll get every single season, including the movies as well...
As far as specs go... Pretty much bare bones, except for an interview with executive producer Stephen Cannell, and Stefanie Kramer. She still looks good for an old broad!
There's only a stereo track here, but the dialogue sounds really crisp and clear. Action effects sound a little muffled but the source was probably mono back in the day... Hell, mono's the only way I watched Hunter back in the day anyway... Mono turned up really loud!
Such a great show! Gotta get Mcguyver next!
Later!

Rating:
Summary: Hunter & McCall - season one
Review: This DVD set showcases the first season of the Show, when Action was more to the forefront than Crime Detection and it's more than obvious that the series came from the same stable as The A-Team (with cars frequently flying through the air, etc.)
What is in place from the get-go, however, is the remarkable on-air chemistry of series stars Dryer & Kramer, as well as a considerable amount of good character writing and clever balanced team-work.
Hunter & McCall are a team. The characters love and respect for one another starts to appear from early on, and the writers and performers cleverly kept this to the forefront as the series progressed.
Yes, there are a few mis-steps. One or two stories portray him as the Hero and her as the Side-kick, and one or two plots(particularly towards the end) are dumb shoot-em-ups with very little to engage the brain.
But overall the quality is really high. The show would get better in later seasons, but this first season is a perfect example of an intelligent Action Cop Show. Most of the stories are told with clever touches here and there, showing that it wasn't being churned out, but that it was actually being put together with care and attention. The cops don't behave like TV Cops. They don't miss obvious clues and annoy the viewer, instead they reason things out and progress through each case in a way that makes sense and is great fun to watch.
Fans of the show will know what to expect. And will love it.
Others out there with more vague memories who are tempted to buy this set should know: Hunter is the best of it's kind. Far superior to other 80s action fare. Very strong male and female leads, with teamwork and mutual respect/affection being the order of the day. This being Season One there are some dumb plots. But every episode is handled and played with considerable flair. And the set contains several genuinely brilliant episodes.