| | |  | GIFT SETS | Home » » The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.: The Complete Series | | | | | | | Description: | | Harvard Law School graduate Brisco County Jr. searches for the Bly gang who killed his father, accompanied by fellow bounty hunter Lord Bowler and Comet, a highly intelligent horse. Genre: Westerns Rating: NR Release Date: 18-JUL-2006 Media Type: DVD | | | Features: | |
• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• Box set; Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; DVD; Subtitled; NTSC
| | | Product Details: | | | Director:
| James A. Contner | | Format:
| Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Subtitle:
| Spanish, French | | Number of Discs:
| 8 | | Studio:
| Warner Home Video | | Run Time:
| 1385 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| July 18, 2006 | | Average Customer Rating:
| based on 270 reviews |
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301 of 307 found the following review helpful:
Comet Has Been Counting the Days!!!!!!Mar 31, 2006
By E. Hornaday Few DVD releases will generate the excitement among fans that this boxed set will, and for good reason: The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., is arguably one of the best TV shows of ANY genre to have been produced in the past 20 years. (As its tag line promised, "Smile. You're about to meet your new hero.")
Not only does this box set include pristine transfers of the entire series (comprised of 27 episodes which aired on Fox from Aug. 27, 1993-May 20, 1994), it also boasts an in-depth feature interview with star and cultural icon Bruce (Army of Darkness) Campbell, who supported this DVD release in every way.
In addition, the studio has announced these great "extras" include Brisco's Book of Coming Things; A Brisco County Writer's Room, a write-em cowboy reunion; History of Brisco County Documentary; A Reading from the Book of Bruce; and Tools of the Trade, an interactive gadets gallery.
Kudos to Fox Studios for getting it right! (Note: while the individual episodes have been available for sometime on VHS, this is the first time the series has been released on DVD, and the first time the show has been released in a single boxed set in any format.)
While the series is clearly a western, it truly defies classification because it incorporates many different and unexpected elements including science fiction, time travel, ghosts, the supernatural, comedy, amazing gadgetry and core morality issues that make it a truly unique and unforgettable viewing experience.
In the pilot, the saga begins simply enough when, "one of the greatest lawmen the West has ever known," U.S. Marshal Brisco County, Sr., (played by R. Lee Ermey) is on a train with other lawmen transporting outlaw John Bly and his evil Gang of 12, whom he had captured, to face justice. But, the tables are abruptly turned when the prisoners are freed and the Marshal is killed by Bly.
The Marshal's son, Brisco County, Jr., a Harvard graduate who earned a law degree, is hired as an unlikely bounty hunter by the members of San Francisco's Westerfield Club to track the outlaws down. Brisco straps on his father's gunbelt with its famed ivory-handled six-shooter, which he handles better than a western trick star, and never looks back.
Brisco, ably assisted by Comet the Wonder Horse (who has more intelligence than most people), meets a variety of friends and foes as he pursues his goal and also stumbles onto an incredible legend: the tale of a supernatural golden glowing orb that bestows unimaginable powers on the person who possesses it. Brisco soon realizes that Bly will stop at nothing to obtain the orb and wield it for his own diabolical purpose.
Campbell, who is perfectly cast, brought a warm, human depth to the character along with an inside wink to the audience underscoring life's absurdities. He also gave deadpan deliveries of puns laced with sexual and non-sexual overtones.
The primary cast includes Julius J. Carry III as James "Lord Bowler" Lonefeather, a rival bounty hunter packing a sawed-off shotgun strapped to his back who eventually became Brisco's best friend and "side-kick"; Christian Clemnson as Socrates Poole, the straight-laced Westerfield Club attorney befriended by Brisco and Bowler; Kelly Rutherford as Dixie Cousins, dance hall singer and Brisco's love interest; John Pyper-Ferguson as bungling outlaw Pete Hutter, in love with his six-shooter; John (Addams Family) Astin as brilliant, eccentric inventor Professor Albert Wickwire; and Billy Drago as the infamous Bly. There are also great and unexpected guest stars throughout including Terry Bradshaw, Sheena Easton, and Timothy Leary.
In addition to the two-hour pilot, episodes are: The Orb Scholar; No Man's Land; Brisco in Jalisco; Socrates' Sister; Riverboat; Pirates; Senior Spirit; Brisco for the Defense; Showdown; Deep in the Heart of Dixie; Crystal Hawkes; Steel Horses; Mail Order Brides; A.K.A. Kansas; Bounty Hunter's Convention; Fountain of Youth; Hard Rock; Brooklyn Dodgers; 'Bye Bly; Ned Zed; Stagecoach; Wild Card; And Baby Makes Three; Bad Luck Betty; High Treason Part I; and High Treason Part II.
Ironically, while the series was short lived its memorable theme song, composed by Randy Edelman, has been heard on NBC broadcasts of the World Series and the Olympic Games
61 of 64 found the following review helpful:
ITS THE COMING THING...very fancy!May 20, 2006
By Kevin J. Loria The Adventures of Brisco County was one of the most creative productions on television. Each week, Brisco and his friends, the Mae West-like old flame Dixie Cousins (Kelly Rutherford), lawyer/ administrator Socrates Pool, the loyal and mad Prof. Wickwire (the brillant John "Gomez" Astin) and others take on the villains the "Old West" while keeping an eye on the future. The Harvard-educated bounty hunter teams up with his rival Lord Bowler (Julius Carry, Sho `Nuff for THE LAST DRAGON) to capture the Bly gang responsible for his father's death and much more. It is this clever combination of classic action, a touch of sci-fi, and a good dose of humor that make the series unique (example: bad guys who paint tunnels on rocks like a train-robbing coyote). So, take a minute or two and slip back into the wild & weird days of the old west - where riding, shooting, and fighting was the measure of a man - that and a square jaw, a talking wonder horse and outlaws from the future. The series was also loaded the Bruce Campbell's quirky humor and full of great anachronistic goofs on "coming things" loads of modern ideas and concepts quickly dismissed by the cast as impossibly unrealistic for the future (like Drive Thru-dining or hamburgers a.k.a "Cowpies") The series was groundbreaking in a relatively unique TV genre, the "Western-Indiana Jones-style-action-sci-fi-spoof" (there was "Best of the West" an 80's sit-com western and "The Wild, Wild West").
Here's the complete series episode breakdown, with some highlights:
1.)The PILOT
When U.S. Marshal Brisco County, Sr. is murdered by John Bly and his gang, the robber barons of San Francisco's Westerfield Club hire Brisco County, Jr. as a bounty hunter to round them up. Brisco meets a line-up unusual people along the way, including rival bounty hunter Lord Bowler, and the Westerfield Club's stuffy lawyer, Socrates Poole also Prof. Wickwire. He also learns of a mysterious ORB which John Bly (Billy Drago, reoccurring on Charmed) would do anything to possess, for the supernatural power it can give him.
2.) The ORB SCHOLAR
On X-Files, whic happen to run after Brisco, they had Mythos episodes that continue the continuity of the alien-cover-up storyline. In Brisco, episodes would spring up exploring the mystery of the ORB so desired by the murderer of Brisco County Sr. Here we learn more about the ORB, and of Brisco's destiny with it. Very good for such an early episode.
3.) NO MAN'S LAND
This one has little ORB continuity, but it does have a town propulated only by women, the Schwenke Sisters, and Professor Wickwire.
4.) BRISCO in Jalisco
Brisco and Socrates head to Mexico to recover some stolen guns. Brisco is in for a shock when Pete Hutter turns up as the thief, trying to sell them to a crooked General.
5.) SOCRATES' SISTER
`Nuff said. Prof. Wickwire invents his Amazing Innerspace Suit (a diver's suit) too.
6.) RIVERBOAT
Yep, you guessed it a gambling sting on riverboat. The invention of jeans, too.
7.) PIRATES!
Brisco & Bowler try to capture crazy land-pirate Blackbeard LaCutte, a wanted member of the Bly gang, who has stolen all of a town's supplies, including the medicine needed to save a sick boy (awe-say it ain't so).
8.) SENIOR SPIRIT
More Prof. Wickwire and the ghost of Brisco County Sr.
9.) BRISCO FOR THE DEFENSE
Brisco uses those lawyering skills we've heard so little about, to defend an old collage buddy.
10.)Showdown
Brisco & Bowler head to Brisco's hometown, to help an old girlfriend and her sheriff father stop a town takeover.
11.) DEEP in the HEART of DIXIE
Dixie and Brisco are on the run from a hitman and his gang. The superb David Warner makes a guest appearance.
12.) CRYSTAL HAWKS
Every bounty hunter in the West is out for Brisco for a crime he didn't commit, lead by lady bounty hunter Crystal Hawks played by Sheena Easton. Bly is in this one too.
13.) STEEL HORSES
Brisco & Bowler try to capture Bly gang member Juno Dawkins, and recover the prototype motorcycles he's stolen to use to intercept a government wagon transporting the mysterious ORB.
14.) MAIL ORDER BRIDES
The disturbing Swill Bros. have stolen the dowry of 3 mail order brides.
15.) A.K.A. Kansas
Brisco uses the alias of Kansas Wily Stafford, to infiltrate the ranks of an ex-Bly gang member and ex-husband of Dixie, with Dixie's help, ofcourse.
16.) BOUNTY HUNTER's CONVENTION
This is a take off of Agatha Christie's THE TEN LITTLE INDIANS. Its a mystery who-done-it in the classic sense, complete with an old hotel, thunderstorms, and secret passages.
17.) FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Brisco vs. the Best-looking gang he's ever seen, while we learn Bly's true origin and purpose.
18.) HARD ROCK
A great episode! We get to meet Sheriff Aaron Viva (one of the best characters in the series), an Elvis knock off (get it Aaron Viva) that can eat as well as he can "use his stuff" in hand to hand action, this is one of hundreds of pop culture and rock references. Whip Morgan also shows up for the first time.
19.) The Brooklyn DODGERS
Brisco and Bowler help kids get to San Francisco and fight off the Johnnies.
20.) BYE BLY
A woman from the future helps Brisco in his final confrontation with Bly and the origin of the ORBs. Sets of the future of the series giving Brisco and Bowler a mission from the President himself.
21.) NED ZED
A run of the mill story is taking to another level by presenting the episode as a father and son reading a dime novel about Brisco and Bowler! Super! It's also got the old lumberyard gag and the machine gun.
22.) STAGECOACH
Brisco transports a lady spy to Mexico by stagecoach for a prisoner exchange, unaware that an assassin is already among them.
23.) WILD CARD
Brisco , Bowler and Whip Morgan try to help Dixie and her sister Dolly get back a casino which was swindled away from Dolly by a hood's son.
24.) AND BABY MAKES 3
Brisco, Bowler, Whip and Dixie protect the infant future Emperor of China, while foiling Peter Hutter's "diabolical" plans along with the idea for "Air Screw" from Da Vinci.
25.) BAD LUCK BETTY The introduction of another fun character Betty O' Donnell, while Brisco, Bowler and Whip investigate spooky goings-on. Meanwhile, the "rain bath" is invented just in time to spoof Psycho in a very familiar boarding house
Final 2 parter HIGH TREASON
After Brisco and Bowler are asked by the army to put together a team (including the Professor, Whip, Pete and Aaron Viva) to rescue a kidnapped young woman, they find that the situation is not as they were told, and soon find themselves accused of high treason. A crooked Colonel and General do their best to see that Brisco and Bowler are found guilty and executed and that's just the middle!! The second part features Terry Bradshaw leading an army of bounty hunters after Brisco and Bowler. These bounty hunters are played by real Cowboys, the NFL kind. Prof. Wickwire invents a Zeppelin airship, leading to lots more rock references.
15 of 15 found the following review helpful:
BRISCO, LORD BOWLER, SOCRATES, BLY, COMET, AND MISS DIXIE: CAN IT GET ANY BETTER?Jul 14, 2006
By RBSProds
"rbsprods"
Forget 5 Stars!! SIX Stars !!!! This is the DVD release of the year and it gets SIX Stars!!! 27 episodes on 10 DVDs with tons of extras, this is the MOTHERLODE DVD set for this cult classic TV show. Not really a western, although it was cleverly disguised as one, it finally became in the end an incredible "SciFi Western" (really!) with some of the funniest and most adventurous writing and acting of the 90s. A relentless sheriff, a different kind of bounty hunter, a government emissary with a pipeline to the upper reaches of the government, and one really smart horse.
Just when you thought they had run out of ideas, they'd come up with a wild character like the sexy Miss Dixie Cousins (the incredibly beautiful Kelly Rutherford), the amazing Whip Morgan, the Professor (John Astin), Crystal Hawks (Sheena Easton), or a naked female time-traveler (really, no kidding!!) to send the series spinning off in a new direction. And hanging over the entire series was a supremely nasty bad guy named Bly played wonderfully by Billy Drago and a funny metallic object (sorry, this is a spoiler), a wonderfully funny but smart wonder horse named Comet, and always... "The Coming Thing". The adventurous theme music of this show went on to become one of the themes of an Olympic Games telecast. SIX HUGE Stars for this amazing TV series.
(Notes:
* Trivia: Executive producer Carlton Cuse played Owen in the pilot.
*When the greedy Fox TV Network decided they wanted better ratings than Brisco was delivering (which were very decent), they unwittingly created the "Black Hole of Friday Night TV", show after show (and millions of dollars) disappeared into the 'Brisco County Jr Black Hole': remember M.A.N.T.I.S? VR.5? Brimstone? Millennium (moved it to save it)? Strange Luck? John Doe (moved it to save it)? Sliders (3 Fox Seasons, jumping the shark twice)? And more recently in the 21 Century: Doll House and Sarah Connor Chronicles. Yes, that's a good example of shows that crashed and burned usually within a year or two. Over a decade later, they finally replaced Brisco with another SciFi winner called "FireFly", which promptly got the same disgusting treatment from Fox TV and disappeared in less than a complete year, only to re-appear as a successful multi-million dollar theatrical movie called "Serenity" and a 500,000 unit selling "Firefly" DVD set and, thankfully, Fox got not a dime since they stupidly gave the complete rights to Joss Whedon. As of this review, a rerun of "24" occupies the old Brisco time slot.
*Is there any chance Bruce and Co could make a movie of "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr"? Who's up for it? This is so Do-able. I AM!!)
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Saddle up partner! Comet and Brisco are waiting!Jul 15, 2006
By WTDK
"If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.-Albert Einstein"
Finally Brisco rides again! This deluxe DVD set from Warner Brothers has all 27 episodes and a whole lot of very cool extras included. 13 years after it went off the air we have Brisco, Lord Bowler(Julius Carry), Dixie, Professor Wickwire and the evil John Bly back in circulation. Combining sci-fi with a western and comedy is unusual but it works on this marvelous show. The DVDs look and sound terrific overall.
Brisco (Campbell)sets out to round up the 13 criminals his father was after before he was killed including the notorious John Bly. Bly is after the Orb a sphere with seemingly supernatural power. Meanwhile Brisco has to contend with a rival bounty hunter named Lord Bowler in his pursuit of Bly and runs into some remarkable inventions at the turn of the century. Fox does have the episodes out of order on disc one they present the fifth episode as the third but that's a minor quibble.
This is a great set. I've seen some complaints about the price of the set but you're getting what you pay for here. It's a pity that Fox cancelled the show--it had a lot of potential but evidently the network felt that they could do better with other shows (that were less expensive and that Fox owned)in that time slot (they never did--every show AFTER Brisco had lower ratings and the quality of those shows continued to dip even further).
The pilot episode features a very occasionally witty and infromative commentary track by star Campbell and co-producer/co-creator Carlton Cuse. Campbell discusses how much he enjoyed the show but also how much he missed working with the other actors. The show was not renewed in the off season so the cast never got a chance to say goodbye to each other. Cuse discusses the origin of the show how Fox approached him to put together a Indiana Jones-like serial TV show. He noticed that a lot of the serials were westerns and some were science fiction. He decided to combine the two. He and co-creator the late Jeffrey Boam ("Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and "The Phantom")went for a feel that Campbell discribes as "just under over-the-top".
The bulk of the rest of the special features are on the last disc. We get a video representation of "Brisco's Book of Coming Things" where Brisco would often write down and illustrate items that he thought would have a large impact in the future. It's narrated by Bruce Campbell. "The History of Brisco County" features the stars of the show discussing their experience making the series along with Cuse (the other producer/creator on the show Jeffrey Boam died several years ago at the young age of 51. His creativity is sorely missed. Boam wrote "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade", "Lethal Weapon 3", "The Lost Boys", "The Dead Zone" and "Straight Time"). "A Reading from the Book of Bruce" features Campbell reading an amusing story from his book If Chins Could Kill. "A Brisco County Writer's Room" features the staff writers discussing the challenge of doing the show, what they learned in creating one of the most underappreciated hours on television and how the series has impacted their careers. "Tools of the Trade" is a clever section that includes info on what we would have been in season 2, stunts and riding. Finally we get a booklet with notes by the star himself (no, not his horse Comet) Mr. Chin- Bruce Campbell.
It took forever to arrive on a horse drawn carriage but the wait for "Brisco" was worth it. Packed with special features, 27 episodes and a nice transfer "Brisco" is silly, funny and serious adventure all wrapped up in one. In many respects "Brisco" is a descendant of shows like "The Wild Wild West" but with enough unique character to make it stand out. It's a pity that Fox cancelled the series as I'm sure if given the chance the show probably would have caught on just not coupled with "The X-Files".
Highly recommended!
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
The DVD Format Put To Very Good UseFeb 24, 2007
By Stanley Runk
"Runkdapunk"
Brisco County was a wonderful tv show. It was funny, unique, sometimes moving, intelligent and downright fun. This is probably why it was canceled. I hadn't seen these shows since they were on tv, and I was curious as to how they would hold up years later. Not only did they hold up, but I found myself enjoying them more than I had originally. Over the course of only one season you start to look at these characters like old buddies. Bruce Campbell is perfect(as usual), as is John Astin and Julius Carry. And of course who can forget the immortal Billy Drago as the show's main villain, John Bly? Not only was it a cool western, but there's a sci-fi element thrown in for a good half of the show, and it actually works. All the outrageousness works coz the characters are so well drawn out. However, watching this show is a bit depressing coz A) It only lasted one season, and B) it makes you realize just how awful television has got in the years since. I mean, 1993 wasn't THAT long ago, and look how far it's all sunk. The only shows you'll find on tv now are reality shows, lousy sitcoms and eight billion CSI/Law and Order clones. Where the hell did all the good adventure shows go? There just aren't any good serial-type adventures anymore. You think a western series would get made or shown now?(Deadwood doesn't count, and even that got cut down in it's prime) This was an excellent show that really got the green weenie, but now we can finally see it again after all these years. Bless the dvd format. The episodes all look great and the bonus disc gives us some cool retrospective featurettes. It's fun to hear what Campbell has to say about his experience making this show. It's obvious that he had a real good time with this show....and you should too.
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