Every Tuesday I take a look at obscure and/or classic television programs, specials, miniseries or made-for-TV movies being released on DVD. For the record I consider anything broadcast prior to 1980 to be classic or else there wouldn’t be much to discuss. The releases referred to in these posts are encoded for Region 1 use in the United States and Canada.
Out today from Warner Archive is a release of interest to both fans of obscure television and Star Trek: Gene Roddenberry’s 1963-1964 NBC drama The Lieutenant. It was the first television series created by Roddenberry and starred Gary Lockwood as the leader of a rifle platoon at Camp Pendleton. Robert Vaughn played his company commander with Oscar Goldman recurring as the battalion commander. Guest stars included Sherry Jackson, Linda Evans, Bill Bixby, Nichelle Nichols, Leonard Nimoy, Edward Esner and Barbara Bain. A total of 29 episode were produced and have been split across two half-season sets:
Also out today, from eOne Entertainment/Entertainment One, is Little Women, the 1978 miniseries that led to a short-lived (just four episodes) weekly series on NBC in early 1979. The two-part miniseries originally aired on Monday, October 2nd and Tuesday, October 3rd. It starred Susan Dey, Eve Plumb, Meredith Baxter-Birney and Ann Dusenberry as the four March sisters, with Greer Garson and William Shatner. This is only the miniseries, not the weekly series, and is a re-release; Koch Vision (which apparently is now eOne Entertainment) originally released the miniseries in October of 2007.
Finally, from BBC Home Entertainment comes another classic Doctor Who serial: “Spearhead From Space: Special Edition” (Story #51, Jon Pertwee as The Doctor, 1970.
