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Baretta - Season One

Baretta - Season One

List Price: $39.98
Your Price: $35.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Bring On The Rest!
Review: So far, since purchasing the S1 set, I've watched it a dozen times. Why? Because, back in the day, Baretta was one of my two favorite cop shows (the other being Starsky & Hutch). For a teenager in the 70's, it didn't get any better than these two shows. What's happening with Mr. Blake in present time notwithstanding, I would've purchased this DVD and loved it all the same! Thanks to his performance, this was the hallmark for every loner, tough-cop series that followed. The man held your attention, he got your blood flowing, and you were indignant with righteous anger right alongside Tony Baretta. Tony and his cast of characters (who couldn't love Billy, I ask you) made this show what it was, and it's a testament to how brilliant it was that it stands the test of time nearly 30 years later. There are so many layers to the character of Tony Baretta...a man haunted, perhaps, but willing to do whatever it took to get the bad guys. I love it, during "The 5 1/2 Pound Junkie", when he says to a drug dealer "I'm gonna punch your time. You be looking for me." Classic lines from a terrific actor who knew his business, and IMO, still does. Thank you, Robert Blake, for giving me Tony Baretta. He still 'walks the walk and talks the talk'.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Don't roll dem dice if ya can't pay da price...
Review: Talk about a trip down memory lane... This was my second favorite TV show of the era (the first being Kolchak: The Night Stalker -- please put that collection on DVD, too!!!), mainly because of the true performance of Robert Blake, who was basically playing himself as a cop. There's some really great stuff in this collection, although I would've liked to have seen more of the highly underrated Andrew Prine (Tony's partner Stringbean). Although the show screams 70's, there is an underlying saddness to the character and life of Tony Baretta who, in spite of his sometimes nearly superhuman antics, is just a regular gamoche like the rest of us. He is a prime example of the phrase 'never say die' even when the whole world seems to be on your case. Art imitating life, or the other way around? Highly recommended for fans of this genre, and come on season two!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Solid first season for underrated series
Review: The quality of "Baretta's" early seasons may come as a surprise to people who lump the series in with some of its lesser contemporaries.

The series gets off to a great start with "He'll Never See Daylight." As Baretta goes after the mob boss (Joseph Mascolo) who orders a hit on his girlfriend (played by the sublime Madlyn Rhue), he methodically terrorizes the gangster, using a variety of disguises to get close to him. The direction is inventive, and Blake immediately establishes both the quirky impishness and uncompromising toughness of the title character.

Ann Prentiss is enjoyable as a duplicitous photographer in "The Half-Million Dollar Baby." When she uses a lovestruck Baretta to help her steal $500,000, we're able to feel his pain and yet not want any harm to come to the Prentiss character. The script is tight, and believable enough by most TV standards.

"Walk Like You Talk" is another standout from this 12-episode first season, as Baretta is accused of taking payoffs from drug dealers. In this era when "Serpico" was still fresh in viewer's minds, this episode has some interesting things to say about police corruption, and how it tarnishes even innocent cops.

"The Secret of Terry Lake" features a gorgeous Margot Kidder as a gangster's moll who fingers her lover as the killer of a mob boss.

As television season-length box sets such as this roll out on DVD, there's always a question of whether or not to buy the first season if the show was a midseason replacement, as "Baretta" was. Certainly if you're a fan of later seasons, it pays to give the studio reason to release those sets by buying Season One. But it must be said that this set is overpriced at $39.95 SRP (and even with the Amazon discount), so for some, it will make more sense to get these discs used.

One other note: The show's celebrated theme song did NOT include Sammy Davis Jr.'s vocals in this first season. They were heard at the start of the second season (1975-76). Some people believe the vocals weren't included here because of rights issues; this is not the case. The set was released by Universal, the original rights holder of the series.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A seventies classic!!!
Review: This 3 DVD set Baretta's Season One is awesome!!! You get the entire first season on 3 nice little DVD's!!! Robert Blake at his finest!!! A seventies classic!!! Five stars!!! two thumbs up!!! A+

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Bring On SEASON TWO
Review: This is one of the best Police TV shows ever and the DVD is EXCELLENT. PLEASE REALESE SEASON TWO, why it is taking too long?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Can't wait for SEASON TWO to be released.
Review: This is one of the greatest TV shows I have ever seen. Robert Blake as "Baretta" performance was more that great. You do not feel that he is acting at all. I strongly recommend this TV show.
It is better to buy the hole "SEASON ONE" instead of the "Best OF DVD" due to the fact that if you buy the "Best Of DVD" you will end up buying the hole SEASON ONE and thats because the show is really so great, you will not resist :) A great 70's Cop show.
I CAN NOT WAIT FOR SEASON TWO TO BE RELEASED.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Can't wait for SEASON TWO to be released.
Review: This is one of the greatest TV shows I have ever seen. Robert Blake as "Baretta" performance was more that great. You do not feel that he is acting at all. I strongly recommend this TV show.
It is better to buy the hole "SEASON ONE" instead of the "Best OF DVD" due to the fact that if you buy the "Best Of DVD" you will end up buying the hole SEASON ONE and thats because the show is really so great, you will not resist :) A great 70's Cop show.
I CAN NOT WAIT FOR SEASON TWO TO BE RELEASED.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: COME ON NOW SEASON 2
Review: This just gets me after what 2 years still no season 2 Thats why I find it hard to comit to buying tv on dvd for ya never know if they will follow thrue Just like Mary Tyler Moore after 3 years on that still no season 2 The one that is good about it is MASH every 6months a new season. MORE BARETTA PLEASE

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."
Review: Those words take on a whole new meaning considering Robert Blake's current and still on-going trial. It doesn't seem ironic that this Season 1 DVD set of the 70s cop show that made Blake famous is being released now while he was in the news not to long ago (although media coverage is pretty much non-existent at this point). Regardless of Blake's reality, Baretta should be looked at for what it is, an entertaining and landmark cop show that would set a blueprint for many similar shows and films to come. Baretta ran on ABC from 1975-1978 for four seasons (82 episodes). The show concerns NY Detective Tony Baretta (Blake) and his unusual and rule-breaking ways of catching the bad guys. He lives alone with his pet cockatoo, Fred, and gets help from his "man on the street" - Rooster. The show was created by Stephen J. Cannell who has been involved with popular shows such as Night Rider, A-Team, Adam 12, Hunter, Greatest American Hero, Wiseguy, etc. (the list goes on). It's a safe bet that if you were into most of those shows or just love cop shows then you will probably find something to like or love about Baretta. This 3 DVD set consists of the complete first season (12 episodes). For casual fans, there will also be a single disc "Best of Baretta" released which includes episodes 1, 10, & 11 from this set. Here are the episode titles for season one:

1. He'll Never See Daylight Again
2. The Five and a Half Pound Junkie
3. Woman in the Harbor
4. If You Can't Pay the Price
5. Half a Million Dollar Baby
6. Ragtime Billy Peaches
7. The Coppelli Oath
8. Walk like you talk
9. The Mansion
10. Keep your Eye on the Sparrow
11. The Secret of Terry Lake
12. This ain't my Bag

"and you can take that to the bank." - Baretta

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Bring on Season Two
Review: Very good quality.
A must for all Baretta Fans.
The more fans that purchase season one the faster season two will be released.


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