Rating: 
Summary: Agent 41587- daycode- style section-damn good set ---
Review: I bought this set soon after it was released, and I wasn't disappointed.
Wiseguy was one of the best crime dramas of the late eightieas/early nineties with strong lead and supporting characters,great writing, and great guest star casting.
Alot of reviewers seem to have a problem with Studioworks replacing some of the music.
You know what ? Although I prefer that the original music was included,I watched Wiseguy for the stories, not the music(I have cds for that).
Is it a big distraction-I don't think so,because I just glad that this series is on dvd(because it sure ain't in syndication).
Anyway, this series started out with the Steelgrave arc,and sets up the series, by letting Vinnie Terranova out of prison and Vinny working his way into the Steelgrave mob.
Ray Sharkey gives the performance of his carrer in the role of mob leader Sonny Steelgrave, and watch for Annette Benning in one of her early roles.
This set offers commentaries that give you an insight to the series by Steven Canell and Ken Wahl9as well as others).
So if you're a fan of great crime drama, I recommend this set.
Rating:
Summary: A saga that rates with Goodfellas or The Sopranos...
Review: ...And that is not hyperbole.
It might seem strange to say that there are some shows that are just "too good" to survive for long on TV, but Wiseguy was one of them. This was not your standard cop show; for one thing shows were done in arcs; there were stand-alone episodes of Wiseguy but very few. You HAD to follow the show week-to-week, meaning that anyone who came in after the first or second episodes, might have been lost. That right there pretty much guaranteed a short shelf life. But along with that was that every episode came loaded with excellently-acted characters, layered with engrossing subplots and peppered with details that may have seemed small at first, but came to be more realized as the story progressed. The show developed a small, but loyal cult audience, out of pure logic. You couldn't be a "casual viewer." of Wiseguy. You were either in all the way or you weren't.Ken Wahl's character works for the "OCB" (yes the FBI of course) and infiltrates NY mobsters; these are the same guys Vinnie grew up around all his life, guys his dad knew, etc, and he can't help but become empathetic towards Sonny Steelgrave, a cocky, Napoleonic type guy quickly making his way up the ladder. The final ending of the saga is somewhat predictable, but the method and the sweeping dramatics are what will keep you riveted for the final chapter titled "No One Gets Out Alive". Its one of the greatest single shows in TV in my humble opinion. Hopefully, if this sells well, they'll put out the arc featuring Kevin Spacey as a psychotic, paranoid crime kingpin. This is truly something to keep in your collection forever. It's hard to believe this came from Stephen J. Cannell, who was also the producer of "The A-Team" which was on a whole opposite end of the spectrum away from "Wiseguy".
Rating: 
Summary: Not at this price!
Review: As you've already (or will) read from the other reviews, this was quite a powerful and impressive series for TV. However, if you want to buy the entire season the price becomes ridiculously expensive. Knowing that this has been on the shelve for almost 20 years, and hearing they're taking out the original music because it "costs too much?", one just feels gouged for the opportunity to watch a favorite old show. Other episodic shows are available on DVD for half the price for the same content! When the issuers understand the beauty of "margin x turnover = profit" perhaps they'll make more coin selling more units at a fair price while creating a larger customer base which will buy the other story arcs as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Thanks for the warning, Katie from MN - Think I'll wait....
Review: Firstly, I've got to say that WISEGUY was, and still is, THE BEST American series ever produced (pretending the fourth season doesn't exist, natch:). I have been waiting for about 15 years for this to come out on first VHS, then DVD. I was sooooo psyched to hear it would finally come out. This was going to be the thing that finally made me go buy a DVD player. Now, I'm not sure I'll even buy it. I want to thank "Katie from MN," "Wendy A Comeau," and "A Viewer from Dallas" for the heads-up. Until I scanned some of these comments, it never occured to me that the first set would only contain the first ARC, and not the first SEASON. OR that they would throw two episodes on there that were from later in the series. But most disappointing is what I read about them replacing some of the music from the original. "Nights in White Satin" was written as if intended to be used in "No One Gets Out of Here Alive." To this day, I have to fight to keep from crying anytime I happen to hear that song. What on Earth gave the people responsible for the DVD the idea that it wasn't VITAL to keep ALL the elements in tact?! What? They didn't want to spring for the rights?! Between the music and the partial season with eps out of place, what a thorough disappointment! Especially considering the pains that were taken with the continuity of the show. I expected much better. You'd think that they'd give the fans who waited all this time and are willing to put out $$$ for this a bit more respect! And now I have to rescind all the recommendations I made to friends and acquaintances to run out and buy this immediately. I think maybe I'll just save up for a DVD-recorder and then burn my original VHS copies (from the original airing) to DVD. There may not be any extras, but at least all the original stuff was there, and they'll be in order. All in all it sounds like I'd be better off buying myself a season of STARGATE: SG-1 and waiting to see if they get a clue and eventually release a WISEGUY DVD set that gives the series the respect it deserves - not to mention the fans. Dani the Disappointed
Rating:
Summary: At Last-TV's Best Show on DVD!!!
Review: For years, we have been clamoring for "Wiseguy" to be released on DVD...and our pleas have been heard! For everyone who checked the box on Amazon to be notified when/if this would be released, it shows all of us the power of our responses. And, in a masterful stroke, apparently the DVD releases will be broken up into story arcs, which is one of the (many) reasons why this show stood out in it's day. Imagine..."Sonny Steelgrave", "Dead Dog Records", "Mel&Susan Proffit"...each in it's own boxed set. Now the world can once again revisit the show that made more careers in the 1980's than any of it's competitors, while offering some of the greatest episodic television in the medium's history. The Sonny Steelgrave arc, in particular, has retained all of its poignance, and I have practically worn out my original VHS tapes while revisiting what was an amazing portrait of emotions, running from trust to betrayal, a modern day opera set amidst the world of the mob. Sharkey was at his best, as was Wahl, and the dialogue was never more crisp, never more real, than it was during these episodes. It's not just Sharkey's grandoise performance that makes this arc so memorable- all of the supporting players shine, especially Jonathan Banks, and look out for a brief appearance by Annette Benning (although she receives prominent billing in the DVD credits.) Alias: Season One, 24: Season Two, Buffy: Seasons 5-7, Angel: Seasons 2-4 - looking forward to them, one and all. Wiseguy: The Sonny Steelgrave Arc? - I have been counting the days for years- now our patience is rewarded!!!!
Rating:
Summary: This is FABULOUS news!
Review: I absolutely loved this show. Mel Profitt and Sonny Steelgrave were two of my favorite villains of all -time. I used to catch the Wiseguy re-runs on Court TV. This show was so ahead of its time.
Rating:
Summary: One bad decision
Review: I can't believe they omitted Nights in White Satin for the powerhouse finish of the Steelgrave Arc. It easily doubled the impact of an already riveting scene. I'm assuming it's a legal thing, but what a very large loss. I'd almost buy another set if they put it back in.
The rest of the DVD set is wonderful. I hope they do the other seasons. But this was the best one.
Rating:
Summary: What a surprise! I couldn't turn it off.
Review: I don't remember this series on TV. It has the feel of a Canadian series shot in Vancouver as it was. Vancouver is a nice background that apparently gives the impression of being New Jersey, Brooklyn and Atlantic City (with some inserted AC shoreline footage.
I thought it was worth a shot and Wow! was it worth it. While it is only slightly dated, this is one fine dramatic series, especially the Sonny Steelgrave arc. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably influential...
Review: I first watched "Wiseguy" during the Mel Profitt/Kevin Spacey arc, and had never seen these episodes. My impressions back then were that they were awesome.
Fifteen years of build-up, and y'know, they ARE pretty damn good.
Taken as a mini-series, the Steelgrave arc blows most mid-80's TV out of the water. HBO series, like "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under", build their tension and craft their storylines around 12 or 13 episodes "arcs" to this very day.
While the whole Mob "behind-the-scenes" stuff has been done to death by pretty much everybody, nobody has captured a relationship like Sonny and Vinnie on film. You will find sympathy for the murderer, and the betrayer in this case is the "good guy". Your own feelings will be mixed, echoing Vinnie's. Nifty accomplishment for a "crime melodrama TV series", don't ya think? The writing and plotting here is top-notch. Ray Sharkey is justifiably celebrated for his role here, and Ken Wahl clearly is doing the role of his career (as it would prove to be). Jonathan Banks and Ed Byrnes offer flawless support.
Caveats are few. Pretty much every female role is awful, and often embarassing. Every line from "Gina Augustina's" mouth is flat-out terrible, for example. Beginning with her name. And yes, the 80's hairstyles are a hoot. They are the reason widescreen television was invented.
Reading about "Nights In White Satin", I'm saddened that it was not included. I agree, it must have been something to see/hear. It's time for these "music rights" issues to be settled. If a film was butchered and sold without the creator's permission, the performing arts community would be up in arms. Now we must slice up the soundtrack because certain greedy individuals need even more money? Listen, you agreed once to have it in the film. Leaving it in will only sell you MORE records, not less. Enough already. Back to "Wiseguy", yes the price is debatably elevated, but the entertainment value?
No question. Worth every penny.
Rating: 
Summary: Some disappointments with an otherwise good collection...
Review: I have read most of the other comments, and I wanted to mention the three biggest disappointments with this particular set. First, as has been mentioned, is the price/format. The first two DVD's have four hours of shows, the third has three, and it seems like the fourth has even less. THEN they are going to put out the Profitt Arc later on. I think that they could've prepared the whole first season on six DVD's and left it at that. Obviously the technology is there as many other series have condensed a lot more material onto two or three DVD's. Secondly, I was fairly disappointed that there were no captions/subtitles. This is a very basic DVD function that I generally assume will be available. I don't hear as well as I used to, and I usually enjoy a show much more with the captions on. Third, as has been mentioned, is the OBVIOUS omission of the "Nights in White Satin" piece in the No One Gets Out of Here Alive episode. What were they thinking!?! Frankly, I believe that they ruined one of the most powerful and moving scenes ever shown on TV, and clearly several others agree with me. If I was in charge of future DVD productions for Wiseguy, I'd pull my head out of my butt and remaster that episode for inclusion in a future set. I'd also make sure that all of the episodes had captioning. I'm sure that the original TV shows did, so why not the DVD's? Will I buy future sets? Probably, because I really liked the show and I am looking forward to the Music Business Arc. I don't think they can butcher the future shows any worse than they already did by leaving out "Nights". I hope that any future DVD's for Wiseguy and any other TV series will be truer to the original visions than this particular set.
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