[.ca] Banacek: The First Season

HE'S SUAVE, SOPHISTICATED ......... HE'S " BANACEK":
George Peppard starring as Thomas Banacek, Boston's finest freelance Insurance investigator is called into action for a price when others can't seem to get the job done. George Peppard was the perfect choice for the role of the Polish-American detective Thomas Banacek. George Peppard had a very charming and charismatic approach to the way he conducted and solved an investigation and made it seem believable. Season one of This classic 70's show contains the first eight action-packed and intriguing episodes that feature guest appearances by Brenda Vaccaro, Penny Marshall, Mike Farrell, Curt Gowdy to name a few. Banacek is sometimes helped out by his wisecracking and street smart chauffeur Jay (Ralph Manza) and British bookstore owner Felix Mullholland (Murray Matheson) and fans will really enjoy these characters as well. Fans of "Banacek" will be upset to learn that the original pilot episode "Detour to Nowhere" is not included in this DVD release and that's a huge disappointment. Bonus features also include a Photo gallery, TV Guide Crossword puzzle and Exclusive access to a Banacek microsite. The video and sound transfer from Hart Sharp Video is decent and just about what I expected for a show of its age. The transfers seem to have been remastered for DVD but still suffer from some grain and age related artifacts. Overall I rate the season one DVD release of "Banacek" four stars because the original pilot episode wasn't included. I definitely rate this great show from the 1970's Five Stars all the way for pure entertainment value. I can't wait for the release of the second and final season of "Banacek" there's more Capers, Cognac and Commission to be had. Unfortunately they don't make TV shows like this anymore. DVD Specs: Number of Discs: 2 Number of Episodes: 8 Running Time: 576 mins Episodes Included: Disc #1 "Let's Hear it for a Living Legend" "Project Phoenix" "No Sign of the Cross" "A Million the Hard Way" Disc #2 "To Steal a King" "Ten Thousand Dollars a Page" "The Greatest Collection of Them All" "The Two Million Clams of Cap'n Jack