DVD review by Scott McIntyre

Certain things I've noticed in some episodes. Stock footage shots
from the films tend to be more noticable in these DVDs. The pilot
episode starts out with a particularly grainy shot of the Seaview.
But when we move to the interior, it's clear as glass. Also, the Lost
World footage in Turn Back the Clock is fuzzy, like a soft focus lens
was used. Yet the non-stock is sharp. I'm thinking it's because the
Lost World stuff was shot in color, and the lighting, etc. would be
different. But, for years watching grainy, blurry 16mm prints made
some of this stuff unnoticable.

I'm happy to see the old Fox logo is back where it belongs after the
end credits. I hope the one minute previews from the first three
episodes are included as bonus features on the next set. That would
be nice.

Watching these episodes in this condition is like seeing them for the
first time. It's also evident how much care went into the series at
this point. The plots, even at their worst (Turn Back the Clock, Hail
to the Chief) are carefully constructed. The acting is at it's peak
here, Basehart in particular. He was giving it a lot of effort and
the quality of performance shows. Pay careful attention to The Fear-
Makers. It's a great showcase for him as he plays Nelson tortured by
the loss of Polidor and his potential involvement in the crew's
death. And you can feel his anger then relief when he realizes the
true cause. Or, for a more simple expample, check out the teaser of
Submarine Sunk Here. When Nelson sees a mine dangling too close to
the nose, Basehart's face shows restrained but visible terror. He
whirls, grabs the mic and yells "all stop! all stop!" Fade out. The
first time I saw this episode, I was gripped. Thanks to his work
here, I knew it was going to be a winner.

It takes David Hedison a little longer to get a handle on his
character. But by Mist of Silence, he's holding his own in sterling
company. He became part of a unbeatable team while other actors would
be obscured in Basehart's shadow. Mist, by the way, is Hedison's time
to shine. I love how, after a full episode of mind games and
executions, he confronts the bad guy with a look of grim resolve. The
stunt men handle the majority of the fight, but it's David's acting
which conveys the satisfaction of revenge here.

As much as I love David's work, one thing always bugged me. He was
not as good a "physical" actor. His punches lack power. He'll throw
one and then leave his arm up for a second in the follow-though.
Actually, his arms are the problem. Whenever there's a "rock and
roll" scene, his arms go up in the air ("wooooah!"). I've seen
episodes where he falls over, rolls around and hits a wall, and THEN
his arm goes up. For dramatic scenes, he's great since he excels in
drama. But action (which this show wound up relying on) was not his
forte. Compare his fights with Basehart's. Now HE could throw a punch
or deliver a karate chop with total conviction. But this is a fairly
minor quibble.

All in all, the release of the DVDs breathes new life into old
episodes. Bring on the remaining 8 volumes!

With many thanks to Scott for a great review!