|
|
DVD : St. Elsewhere - Season 1In association with Amazon.comstarring: Ed Begley Jr., William Daniels, Howie Mandel, David Morse, Christina Pickles directed by: Allan Arkush, Bethany Rooney, Bill Molloy, Bruce Paltrow, Charles Braverman  List Price: $39.98 Amazon.com's Price: $34.99 You Save: $4.99 (12%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT EAN: 0024543260769 Format: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC Label: 20th Century Fox Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Number Of Items: 4 Publisher: 20th Century Fox Region Code: 1 Release Date: November 28, 2006 Running Time: 1081 minutes Studio: 20th Century Fox Theatrical Release Date: October 26, 1982 Sales Rank: 7924 MPN: FOXD2236077D Related Items:
Editorial Review: Description: Over its six-season run, the ground-breaking, critically acclaimed St. Elsewhere was nominated for over 60 Emmy Awards, winning 13 of them! This remarkable series, with its unique blend of intense medical drama, off-beat humor and imaginative storytelling, paved the way for later TV classics such as E.R. and Chicago Hope, while introducing America to future superstars Mark Harmon, Howie Mandel, and Oscar(r)-winner* Denzel Washington. Eccentric, insightful, and intelligent, St. Elsewhere is considered to be one of the best dramas ever to air on broadcast television. Amazon.com: Beginning its six-year run in 1982, St. Elsewhere was neither television's first ensemble medical drama nor, heaven knows, its last. Yet this four-disc set of all 22 episodes from the first season is a reminder that this was, and still is, one of the very best. Even now, when "reality" programming blights the landscape like some biblical plague, doc, cop, and lawyer shows remain staples of the medium, and while the likes of C.S.I., E.R., and Grey's Anatomy have it all over St. Elsewhere in the sizzle department--the production values are much flashier, the content sexier, more graphic, and faster-moving, the technology both in front of and behind the camera light years more sophisticated--the older show, despite its somewhat cheesy '70s vibe, is the hands-down winner when it comes to the actual steak. That's because it does it the old-fashioned way: by relying on good writing, vividly-drawn, identifiable characters, and excellent performances by an eye-opening group of actors. Co-creators Joshua Brand and John Falsey's pilot episode, which establishes the scene at Boston's St. Eligius Hospital (mocked as "St. Elsewhere" due to its rundown facilities and reputation as a "dumping ground" for the poor and disenfranchised), isn't especially promising. While we can see right away that the show sports a lighter, more humorous tone than others of its genre, the direction is static, the acting and dialogue are often stiff, and what passes for "chaos" is pretty tame. But it hits its stride almost immediately thereafter, as the characters (including Howie Mandel's wisecracking Dr. Fiscus, David Morse's driven, committed Dr. Morrison, William Daniels' egotistical, pompous Dr. Craig, and Ed Begley, Jr.'s nerdy Dr. Ehrlich) are more fully realized. The cast, in fact, may be the most impressive ever assembled for a TV program: in the first season alone, the list of actors with regular, recurring, and one-shot appearances includes future movie stars Denzel Washington (a regular, but his role is minor), Tim Robbins, Ally Sheedy, Christopher Guest, Laraine Newman, Ray Liotta, Tom Hulce, Michael Madsen, and Rae Dawn Chong. Sure, some of the multiple storylines are dated: the handling of issues like gun control, immigration, and terrorism seems almost quaint by today's standards, and a running gag concerning ladies man Dr. Samuels' (David Birney) having to inform his many lovers that he has gonorrhea comes off as tasteless and unfunny, notwithstanding that era's low awareness of AIDS and other STDs. But on the whole, this St. Elsewhere set (extras include audio commentary for "Cora and Arnie," plus four featurettes) is a reminder of episodic TV at its best. --Sam Graham Average Rating:
 Rating: - Good TV I had never seen beforeYes, I missed this when it was on TV, and I'd like to know where the rest of the series is. One season is not enough. It's so much fun to watch Denzel, Howie, and the rest in their early days, with those 80s clothes and hair-dos. And this show really tackled some tough material: Down Syndrome, abortion, mental illness, hostage-taking, Munchausen Syndrome, drug addiction, and more. Come on, studios, get the rest of these out on DVD! Rating: - Falters early on, but quickly rises to meet two decades of high praise!Having watched St. Elsewhere when it was originally broadcast, I had been left with memories of a truly high quality series in every regard (acting, writing, and directing). I was extremely happy to see this series finally get a DVD release, but I was also anxious to see if it could actually measure up to my memories... The first episode doesn't disappoint, it's a great debut. But then, the writing stalls a bit. A suggestion for new viewers would be, don't bail out because of the tweety ... Read More Rating: - st.elsewhereAm awaiting further releases of this series.Would purchase all six seasons.The show was phenomenal for it's time and brings back memories.Judy-Michigan Rating: - So Very DissappointedI love this series. Of all the series's I have become attached to (from Hill Street Blues to the current Life) this is the one that has remained in my conscience, the one that my everyday life references more often than I'd like to admit. Why, oh why, haven't more seasons been released on DVD?? I would gladly buy a box set of the entire show. If anyone knows where to get more than Season 1, please let me know. Rating: - This is must DVD watching!!This show is awsome!!! I knew when watching this show that these were excellent actors. The story lines were wonderful and seeing some new faces at the time that were unknown was a breath of fresh air. Browse for similar items by category:
|
||