Product Description

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Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 29-OCT-2002
Media Type: DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48669 in DVD
• Brand: BLAKE,ROBERT
• Released on: 2002-10-29
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 3
• Dimensions: .54 pounds
• Running time: 612 minutes

Amazon.com
It is a sordid fact of life that were it not for Robert Blake's newfound infamy as an accused wife murderer, Baretta, which lasted from 1975 to 1978, might have been relegated to late nights in TV land. But as they say in Hollywood, there's no such thing as bad publicity. So here is this three-disc set containing all 12 episodes of the offbeat cop series' first season. Created by Stephen A. Cannell (whose eclectic credits range from The A-Team and The Great American Hero to The Rockford Files and Wiseguy), Baretta was a tailor-made star vehicle for the pugnacious Blake. In light of his later situation, lines such as "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime," "You just pull the trigger and somebody dies," and "Husbands have been known to sometimes kill their wives for money" take on a grimly prophetic resonance. But as these episodes testify, Baretta is more than a newly minted sick joke.

Baretta is an undercover cop in the Serpico mode. Like your standard TV-issue rule-bending loner cop, he butts heads with his excitable superior (veteran character actor Dana Elcar of MacGuyver and Baa Baa Black Sheep fame). He lives in the run-down King Edwards Motel with his scene-stealing pet cockatoo. He adopts a variety of guises (including in one episode, an elderly woman who looks like Tweety's keeper, Granny, and whose voiced was dubbed by Granny herself, June Foray!). But he is much randier than your average Joe Friday. In one episode, he tries to convince his date to go back to his apartment so she can give him his "birthday present." She tells him "that will take until 4 in the morning." With its ersatz funky score, Baretta is time-capsule '70s television. And, as Baretta was fond of saying, you can take that to the bank. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews

The 70s Cop Show at its Best
I've carried fond memories of this show around in my head for the past quarter century and had always been dying to see it again (it was NEVER re-aired here after the initial broadcast seasons, boo hoo).

But I was afraid that like a lot of things, it might not stand the test of time. Well, man am I glad to report there is nooo danger of that here. This show still rules after all these years!

Whatever hot water he may be in today, I have to say that this show would be nothing without the awesome talent and genuine personality of Mr. Robert Blake. As Tony Baretta he had a true charm and warmth that I've really missed on TV over the years. You just gotta love this guy!

And forget about Huggy-bear, kiddies. Ol' jive-talkin' Rooster is THE original streetcorner playa dat all those who've come after have tried to copy. Tom Ewell is great as Baretta's unlikely sidekick Billy too (always thought it was weird he was billed in every episode as a "guest star") and there's some great dialogue between them.

This show is typical 70s cheese, like the episode where Baretta buys a plane ticket to follow some hoods to Mexico with no passport, under an assumed name and in disguise as a stoned hippie -- no questions asked! Let's just see any TV cop of today's post-911 world try and pull off that little trick, heh heh.

But it seemed kind of strange that the famous theme song didn't have any words. Were the words only added in season 2? Speaking of which, WE NEED SEASON 2!!! NOW!!! -- And while you're at it, how about bringing us Cannon, Kolchak the Night Stalker, Hawaii Five-0, Mannix, Banacek and Columbo?

Meanwhile, while those rummies get their act together I think I'm gonna invite me a cousin over for some chili dogs... Tell the bird to grab the phone. ;)

RELEASE THE OTHER SEASONS ALREADY!!!
Right on top of my DVD-wish-list is that they would put out the other seasons of this show (and S.W.A.T. as well, which is only missing one season, anyway). I'm starting to balk at buying box sets from certain companies, because they're not keeping what I see as a commitment with their customers. So, if you guys at Universal are ever checking Amazon to see if there's still an interest in having more seasons of Baretta released, your answer is oh hell YES. I check up every month or so to see if there are new seasons of the shows I buy, and I would buy every season of Baretta if they'd just put them out. You got me hooked with season one and then cut me off... that's not a good way to build brand loyalty, Universal. Please stop disappointing us and release the other seasons. If you'd do that, I would strongly recommend this show, because it's one of the best TV cop shows ever. Thanks.

High Quality Television
BARETTA occupies one of a trilogy of slots for the most enjoyable television dramas of the 1970's (the other two being KUNG FU and KOJAK, with STARKSY AND HUTCH a close runner up). It just doesn't get much better than this. The funky dialogue is what really shines here -that, and the quirky sideshow characters like Rooster (Baretta's mack daddy man on the street) and The Soup Lady (this half-crazy old woman who lives downstairs and is forever fixing Tony and Billy soup). BARETTA epitomizes the tough streetwise guy with the rapid fire tongue and out there sayings that has seen a resurgence most recently in the scripts of Quentin Tarantino. What really struck me was the depth of characterization which I never noticed watching this as a kid. There is a backstory which subtley weaves its way into each episode. From various hints, including the sea paraphenalia on the walls of his apartment and the presence of his lovable cockatoo Fred, we learn Tony was once a merchant marine, and Bill (the old guy - am I getting his name wrong?)was friends with his father. And there is consistency to this universe - the fiance Tony avenges in the pilot episode still remains a ghostly presence in a smiling portrait on a table in his place. There's a host of great episodes here - my particular favorites being He'll Never See The Light Of Day, The Copelli Oath, Walk Like You Talk, and so many others. The weakest entry is the one where Tony has to rub elbows with high society (I think its the last one). He's so out of place and uncomfortable its laughable. Some of Tony's disguises are a little weird, too so be warned. But when he's on the streets in his element, Robert Blake is gold in this show. And check out the cameos from some great 70's personas! The great Moses `Mr. Big' Gunn! Burt `Yo Paulie' Young! The mother from Poltergeist (she's in the first scene of The Mansion)! Good action, awesome dialogue, and some surprisingly hard hitting themes. So cook up some chili dogs and chicken soup, crack open a bottle of that stuff not meant for drinking, and let de good times roll. Great Tv. BRING ON SEASON TWO AND THREE, PARTNER!