Product Description

BIG VALLEY Season 2 Volume 1 continues the adventures of the wealthy and powerful Barkley family in the untamed Old West.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11875 in DVD
• Brand: STANWYCK,BARBARA
• Released on: 2007-01-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Dimensions: .55 pounds
• Running time: 771 minutes

Amazon.com
Eugene Barkley, we hardly knew ye. The youngest of the Barkley sons (quick--who portrayed him? That's right; Charles Briles) is nowhere to be found in The Big Valley's sophomore season. But lawyer Jarrod (Richard Long), hot-headed Nick (Peter Breck), soulful "bastard son" Heath (Lee Majors), and coltish daughter Audra (Linda Evans) get into all the trouble and two-fisted action they can handle. And there's nothing the close-knit Barkleys, headed by matriarch Victoria (regally billed as "Miss Barbara Stanwyck") can't handle, whether it's defending the family name against the false accusations of an unscrupulous, grudge-bearing politician, rescuing Heath from a Mexican prison, or being abandoned in the desert. The drama of Heath's heritage, a focus of season 1, is settled once and for all in the season opener, "The Lost Treasure," in which a con man claims to be Heath's father. By episode's end, even Nick is calling Heath "brother."

Season 2 boasts an impressive roster of character actors, several at the beginning of their careers. Buddy Hackett, sporting a Lucky Charms leprechaun brogue, is the con man in "The Lost Treasure," with Bruce Dern as one of his marks, and Dub Taylor tending a ghost town bar. Colleen Dewhurst guest stars in the episode "A Day of Terror, as outlaw Annie Morton, who holds Victoria and Audra hostage while her injured son recuperates in a church. James Whitmore is the mud-slinging candidate in "Target." Warren Oates heads a band of bumbling brothers trying to open a stubborn railroad station safe in "The Great Safe Robbery." And that's the future Jan Brady, Eve Plumb as a little girl trapped in a well in "Hide the Children," an excellent episode that deals with intolerance as gypsy-hating Nick gets a change of attitude when he accompanies a gypsy bride and her family to her wedding. The Big Valley was never a ratings rival to the venerable Gunsmoke or Bonanza, which still ruled the prime time roost in 1966. But Western buffs will feel right at home with this sprawling family saga and its larger than life characters. Buyers, though, will be paying a higher premium for the Barkley property this time around. Priced the same as the season 1 set, this collection contains only the first 15 episodes of season 2 and no extra features. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews

Still Worth Another Round With the Barkleys!
It is disappointing to see that they have decided to split up Season 2, obviously taking a step out of the pages of the Battlestar Galactica releases. I won't be surprised if more companies begin to follow suit.
However, being a huge Big Valley fan for nearly thirty years, I have still gone ahead and purchased it. There should be 15 episodes in this first volume since each season of the Big Valley had 30 episodes. Fifteen episodes is still a fair amount compared with today's shows that put out 22 per season.

The second season of the Big Valley continues the story of the Barkleys. Season 2 is more solidified than the first season, even though the first season is very good.

It contains the 2-part episode "Legend of a General" where Heath is taken prisoner in Mexico, and only the help of an old Mexican general, can help the Barkleys get him back.

There's also "Caesar's Wife" in which, daring for its time, addresses a step-mother who makes advances toward her husband's son.

"The Velvet Trap" finds unsuspecting Nick falling in love with a woman who is, in fact, the girlfriend of a notorious outlaw and how she attempts to use Nick to get rid of a bounty hunter who is trying to track down the dangerous Jack Floyd.

They also added The Big Valley's first comedic episode in "The Great Safe Robbery" in which three bumbling brothers attempt to steal and rob a safe from a train depot. It's truly hilarious.

There is also the classic Big Valley episode, "Last Stage to Salt Flats" which finds the family (except Nick and Audra) stranded in the middle of the desert after their stagecoach is robbed.

All of the episodes in the season and in this volume are worth watching, especially since they will be unedited, and likely not seen by many viewers since they first aired, due to commercial time.

Nick looks as sharp as ever in his black leather vest, gloves, and large brown hat. He's also as fiesty and tempermental as ever, with plenty of great brawls for him to get into. The episode, "The Iron Box" shows how angry he can get when someone in his family is attacked or threatened. This is evident when Heath is tortured and brutalized by a demented prison warden, and Nick must figure out a way to save his brother when he is placed a sweat box.

Victoria begins having some adventures and getting out of the house as Barbara Stanwyck insisted that Victoria have some stories not centered around wearing dresses and answering the door.

This is a great show and a terrific season, even if you are only getting half, I think it's worth it. They simply don't make westerns or T.V. shows like this with such great adventure stories as this. Enjoy fifteen more episodes with California's favorite matriarchal family.

Five stars for the series--and info on the price
"Big Valley" reruns were my childhood favorite, and after buying this set and season one, I can say the show lives up to my memories. It would be a shame if Fox stopped releasing the DVDs--which brings me to the info:

After searching for a way to complain about the price-gouging on season two, I finally contacted a site that monitors DVD releases. They said sales of season one were poor and that Fox raised the price to recoup their losses. But since this half-set isn't selling well either, they probably won't release the rest.

Maybe if all the people who bought season one decide to buy this set they'll release more. Maybe not. Personally, I think Fox bungled the whole thing. When it comes to short-run series (Big Valley only ran four seasons), it makes more sense to release the complete series (with extras) at a premium price. Most fans would pay more up front to get the whole series and not have to worry about studios dropping the project. As it is, Fox has done nothing but shortchange consumers and undermine its own profits.

Oh my GOD!!!! Double the price as season 1!!!!!
MY MY!! 20th Century Fox is looking a lot like Paramount. GREEDY!!!!!!! This volume 1 for season 2 is the price of the whole season 1. I've also come to the conclusion that I don't have the space anymore for these studios that split up season sets by this volume 1 and volume 2 ploy. I don't understand why these studios don't release these season sets as complete sets "AND" volume 1 & 2 for those who can't afford to purchase the entire set at one time. I really like this series but I have no intention of being ripped off at twice the price as season 1 for the same number of episodes (30 for each season 1 and 30 episodes for season 2). I'll pass. Or I'll wait for the Asian version. I strongly suggest that fans speak there minds by leaving a review about this ridiculous price for half a season.