The Big Valley: Season 1 [5 Discs] [DVD]

The first season of The Big Valley has arrived on DVD quite unexpectedly. Although a successful series that ran for four seasons, it wasn't remotely the most popular Western of its period, outdone in longevity by Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, The Virginian, Rawhide, and Have Gun, Will Travel; yet, for reasons best known to their owners and distributors, only that last series has begun showing up yet in complete form (or at all) on DVD. This set consists of six two-sided discs in three slim slipcases, containing all 30 episodes of from the first season of the Western. As with other 20th Century Fox DVD releases, each episode has been given a generous dozen chapters, and is accessible through a cleverly designed and easy-to-use menu. The picture transfers, in full-frame (1.33:1) are very good -- sufficient to reveal some very poor stunt-substitutions in the fight scenes -- and the audio is clean and reasonably bright. Each slipcase contains a good plot summary of each episode, though one wishes that there were mentions made of notable guest stars, as the series was full of them, including Vincent Gardenia (playing a rancher surprisingly well), Katherine Ross, Andrew Duggan, Claude Akins, Charles Bronson, Warren Oates, and Diane Baker.