'Wanted: Dead Or Alive - Season Two'
(Steve McQueen, et al / 4-Disc DVD / NR / (1958) 2007 / FIRST LOOK PICTURES)
Overview: For the first time on DVD, comes all 32 episodes of the complete second season of the hit TV series, "Wanted: Dead or Alive'. It's the show that launched the career of big-screen legend Steve McQueen as Josh Randall, a not-so-typical tough-hewn bounty hunter of the Old West.
DVD Verdict: One of the most memorable and famous characters of the '50's Western genre was Steve McQueen's "Josh Randall", who spoke softly (with the Southern drawl he cultivated in his early days roaming around the South, particularly Myrtle Beach, S.C.) and carried a Big Gun, the sawed-off Winchester lever-action rifle then known as the "Mare's Laig".
I remember the excitement each week eagerly waiting for each episode of this great Western and now that this second season is finally here on DVD, well, the excitement was well worth the wait!
One of my fondest childhood memories was the weekend I spent with my Dad, helping him to hand make my own custom-made leather belt rig from scratch for my toy "Mare's Laig" in time for use as part of a Halloween costume when the plastic original proved to be a poor replica.
But, I digress ... in truth this second season was the peak in this short lived show. It lasted for only three seasons and 94 episodes. After placing 16th out of the best 30 TV shows in the First Season, the Second season placed even higher when it placed 9th out of the best 30 TV shows during the period from October 1959 until April 1960, having 28.7% of viewers, according to the Nielsen rating.
That all said, I am very happy that we only have the Third season left before we own the whole set! It's a step in the evolution from the Lone Ranger toward more gritty westerns later on, some of which I think went way too far into the realm of mindless nihilism. Between those extremes, Wanted Dead or Alive strikes the perfect balance, providing gravitas to the characters while still making them someone we actually want to root for!
I hope the 3rd season will follow soon after this season. Look at me, I just got this given to me by my Director at the Magazine and I'm already looking forward to the yet-to-be-announced third season! This is a Full Screen Presentation (1.33:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:
Wanted: Dead or Alive Season 2 disc box incudes all 32 fully restored episodes including a special featurette on - "The Women of Wanted: Dead or Alive"
English & French Language Audio Tracks.
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