LARAMIE ON DVD FEBRUARY 2009!
In time for the 50th anniversary of "Laramie," Timeless Media Group has released some of the episodes on DVD. So far all of Season Three (the first color season) has been produced.
Okay, I watched one and here is my review. I chose the episode "The Fatal Step" because it was one of the four made in color I'd only ever seen in black-and-white. The episode looks as if it was made exactly how it was. What they obviously did was get together as many as possible 16 mm prints of each episode, and simply transfer the least-damaged one to DVD. You are going to have faded or discolored picture lacking the crisp image of a restored print and scratched in places, and the sound will be in similar condition. The disclaimer at the beginning of the DVD says as much. Any skipping of picture or sound is the sort of thing that happens with a film projector--nothing to do with the DVD or digital process, at least not with the episode I saw. If some people are paying $60-$70 for just one season in this shape, the company is asking too much.
It's only been in the last 10-15 years or so that people have become so spoiled by restored prints. I still remember how startled I was (not that long ago) to turn on such stations as Sci Fi and TV Land and see shows 30, 40, 50 years old with clear picture and sound--I was used to them looking and sounding the way this does. I'd LOVE to see "Laramie" fully restored the way "Emergency!" and other shows have been, but you know what? It's still way better even this way than was ever available before! Having been born halfway through the original run of this series which was never rerun in my area, and becoming familiar with Robert Fuller's work through "Emergency!," between the time I learned of the existence of this show and when I actually got to see ANY episode, in ANY condition, by ANY means, was 24 years, and that was five years ago! So don't knock it! Don't miss out on a FABULOUS series with great writing, exceptional acting, and some guest stars who went on to great things!
By the way, mine didn't come with liner notes or anything--just a card showing other shows available. So perhaps there are deluxe and cheap editions, or the notes only come with a later part of the set? The one I got has only discs 1 and 2 of 6 total, so they must be divided into two and three-disc sets for the discount stores. Even if the quality is not perfect, I hope lots of people will buy it so they bring out the rest of the series--BELIEVE ME, nothing better is available out there! I looked for YEARS!