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ER - The Complete First Season

ER - The Complete First Season

List Price: $59.98
Your Price: $47.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ER Needs To Be on DVD in Complete Season Boxsets
Review: I didn't watch ER in it's early seasons but started watching it in it's 4th season and then watched reruns of the early seasons on TNT and it is now my favorite dramatic show and I have been taping the episodes and I will keep them on tape until every season of ER is released on DVD in complete season boxsets and ER definitely deserves to get the complete season DVD treatment along with extras like commentaries, interviews, trivia, etc! Law and Order which is another good dramatic show has it's first season on DVD so why not ER? To be honest, though I wouldn't mind owning Law and Order on DVD I would rather have ER which is one of the only TV shows that I would have to own every season on DVD and not just a few of it's seasons so please lets get get ER on DVD, it would be so nice to watch the episodes on DVD with wonderful picture and sound quality and no commercials!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Great show, great extras, mediocre picture quality
Review: Two things:

a) ER is an excellent show, and the Season 1 set catches it at its earliest and (perhaps) most brilliant. The ensemble cast gels immediately, the writing is impeccable, the storylines compelling. You really can't do much better.

b) Some of the extras are stupendous. The behind-the-scenes documentaries, while presented in the interrupt-speech-with-video-clip-that-vaguely-relates-to-what-the-person-is-saying format I'm not too fond of, are very, very enlightening. I always wondered how much the instant success of the series impacted how easy it was to film on location, and I got my answer. The blooper reel is an expanded version of what we've seen before, and is very nice.

That said:

ER's first season has, believe it or not, actually been available for quite some time. The caveat: it was only available as an expensive Japanese set, and as our Benevolent Guardians the MPAA would have it, you of course needed an all-region player to play these discs if not in Japan. That said, having seen the first few seasons in that format a few times, I was blown away. The colors were vivid, and while the extras were bare to nonexistent, I was quite pleased with the presentation.

I am not similarly pleased with this domestic set. Firstly, the set is matted into widescreen. We've heard proponents of letterboxing whine (quite justifiably, of course) for absolute years about how pan-and-scan versions of feature films are an absolute abomination. I'd like someone to explain, then, why it's suddenly an acceptable practice to chop the top and bottom off of a TV program to make it look better on widescreen TVs? ERs first few seasons presumably weren't filmed in widescreen, as we're definitely getting less information in certain shots. I'd at least have liked a choice.

Additionally, the picture quality isn't quite up to snuff. In particular, there's TONS of visual garbage in certain scenes (and no, it isn't just my set...I've seen it on other people's). Check "Blizzard" right when Carol is taking the emergency phone in...there's a shot of Haleh which has a hilarious amount of white splotches flickering across it. Other scenes in other episodes are similarly plagued with what could either be dirt on the print or digital glitches, and several scenes seem oddly washed-out. This would be acceptable on a feature film from 30 years ago, but why here? Especially when the Japanese sets generally didn't have these problems? (needless to say, I hope these weren't caused during the matting transfer).

If you've never seen ER before, run run run and get this set. It's far cheaper than most equivalent sets, and well worth the $45 price. If, however, you either own the Japanese set or suspect that better things might come to those who wait...well, you might be better off waiting. I love the episodes, and love the extras, but the suspect picture quality and forced-widescreening (we don't see this being done to the freakin' Simpsons!) take a few points off this set.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Widescreen?
Review: Amazing show. Can't argue with that and there's no point saying more about it. Sets nice, well presented yadayadayada. The only thing I'm bothered about is why is this not a full screen set. Or why isn't there the option to buy a full screen set. This show started in 94 and was not filmed in widescreen (Not as far as I know anyway) so the only thing that that can mean is some idiots just gone and stuck two black lines on the top and bottom of the screen, covering up a percentage of the picture and calling it widescreen. I don't see any other way of doing it.
Anyway aside from that it's still e.r, and when its e.r it doesn't matter if some idiots cut off half the sound and the picture. You still watch it, and if you cant, then you buy it instead.
And thats exactly what I'm gonna do.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Show!
Review: I got the DVDs on chirstmas and I was done watching them all by the time I went back to school (which was a little morethan a week!) I just couldn't stop watching them!!! I can't wait till season two comes to DVD!!!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I'm Happy ER Is Coming on DVD!
Review: ER is finally coming to DVD and I'm so excited about it becasue it's one of my favorite TV shows and I missed the early seasons, well I saw some episodes reruns on TNT but still missed a lot of important episodes. I want all the seasons on DVD and also I can't wait until they get to season 4 when they added terrific actors Paul McCrane and Alex Kingston to the show, I think all of the actors on this show are terrific but I think the characters Romano and Corday added some more spice.

The Price of the ER DVD boxset is very reasonable and I can't believe how good the price is when there are other 1 hour shows on DVD that are super expensive!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best show on TV
Review: This is a completion of the first season of the multiple Emmy winning #1 TV drama "ER". It reminds us how the characters became who they are now, regardless if they're still starring or not. Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Noah Wyle, Sherry Stringfield, and Eriq La Salle starred in season one. It explores many issues besides medicine: depression, suicide, sexual obsession, anxiety, etc. The intensity the writers present keeps the audience's eyes wide open waiting to discover what happens next. Author Michael Crichton, also former surgeon, founded the series and produces it wonderfully. Every actor gives their deepest heart and soul in every episode. The rest of the crew is also incredible. This DVD is recommended for all "ER" fans, new and old...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Previously on ER
Review: Finally, Season One has arrived on DVD! If you are familiar with ER you know all the adjectives used to describe this unique show; Gripping, Stunning, Amazing, etc.

So what does this DVD offer? Well, as the title states, the complete first season. It also includes the 1 1/2 hour pilot. In addition there are behind the scenes, bloopers, the making of, commentaries on three episodes, and more.

As a real fan of ER I have waited for this DVD for some time now. The shows are wonderful to revisit. I am reminded of 'old friends' who have long since left the ER.

I gave up on TV a number of years ago and do not have cable or watch any TV. A family member records the current ER episodes for me and I devour them each time. It is simply outstanding entertainment. The actors, story, music, editing, camera work and sooo much more combine to bring out the very best in entertainment.

The only downside to this DVD comes with the packaging. The DVDs are double sided so you cannot set the DVD down without possibly scratching it. Also, because there is no label on each DVD you need to read the very fine print near the center hole to identify which DVD is # 1, 2, 3, or 4. And the print is even smaller to figure out which side is A/B.

My 5 star rating is based on the quality of the episodes. The extras included with the DVD deserve 4 stars, and the packaging would be only 1 star.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What A Great Show This Is!
Review: Before getting this excellent 4-Disc DVD boxed set, I'd never even seen a single episode of "ER". But after watching just a couple of episodes (including the incredibly-good and superbly-written double-length pilot show), I was officially "hooked" on this TV series.

All of the characters in this program are extremely likeable and a pleasure to watch on screen in each and every frantically-paced scene. The acting is truly inspiring. Just fabulous. By ALL of them.

I'm glad these shows are presented in the Widescreen format on this DVD set. Widescreen suits this series nicely (IMO). And the video quality is very good. As is the sound. I had a minor "glitch"/"freeze-up" problem with one episode on Disc #2, which caused me to skip over a chapter. But other than that snafu (which has been reported by others as well), these discs have performed their duties admirably.

The Special Features are fun here as well. There's an ample amount of stuff to delve into here, including multiple featurettes and audio commentaries, plus additional (unaired) scenes. There's also a very funny outtakes/blooper reel (10 minutes) included. Anthony Edwards' "That explains the hat" ad-libbed remark after blowing a line is a standout from the blooper reel. :-)

Be prepared to become totally immersed in the "ER" experience when you sit down to watch these DVDs. As I watch this group of actors doing their thing in their familiar environs of the Emergency Room, they truly "become" an "ER team" for those 45 minutes. They don't seem like actors at all. They are *really* saving lives in the ER. It's *that* realistic.

Terrific show.
An ideal cast.
Heck of a nice DVD set.

I'm sure the "ER: Season Two" DVD collection will not disappoint either.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You won't be able to stop watching
Review: It took us less than a week to watch the complete first season on DVD. When you sit down to watch an episode, make sure you have plenty of time... you won't be able to stop.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Tiffany's ER review
Review: I am a big fan of ER and plan on buying every season on dvd. It is an exciting series and will continue to watch.


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