Essential Ozzie & Harriet

Let me begin this review by saying that this isn't the best looking DVD collection of "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" on the market; that honor goes to The Best of the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet collection from Shout! Factory that was produced in cooperation with surviving members of the Nelson family, and which features the best looking transfers of the series as well as numerous extra features. That said, this set from Mill Creek Entertainment certainly gives you a healthy serving of the series' run (100 episodes of a series total of 435) and represents the largest collection of Ozzie & Harriet episodes available on DVD in a single collection. Incidentally, this is a greatly expanded version of Mill Creek's earlier Ozzie & Harriet Classics (4pc) collection of 38 episodes.

The episodes are not restored and very definitely of the audio/visual quality associated with public domain releases (which this collection is), but I've watched about half of the episodes in this collection and have to say that the vast majority of the episodes are highly watchable. A few of the episodes are syndicated versions running as little as 20 minutes (ironically, the episode titled "Be On Time" has the 20 minute running time), but the majority are full length versions, many of which are complete with original commercials and network IDs and running in excess of 29 minutes. By contrast, all of the episodes in the official collection from Shout! Factory are edited, syndicated versions running, on average, around 22 and a half minutes. Rick Nelson fans will be delighted to know that most musical numbers are included in this set. So in addition to seeing a great family comedy, you get a chance to see the evolution of one of rock & roll's early superstars. It also appears that the episodes are in chronological order, suggesting that Mill Creek actually researched the series for this release (atypical for most companies releasing public domain material).

The episodes are spread across 12 single-sided discs, with each disc containing eight to nine episodes and featuring a simple menu selection that allows you to either play all episodes or select the specific episode that you wish to view. Each disc is housed in its own cardboard folder; in turn, the 12 discs are housed in a laminated cardboard package that has a full listing of the episode titles on the back of the box. There are no DVD extras per se but, as mentioned above, the vast majority of the episodes contain original commercials and/or sponsor tags. It's fun to watch the Nelson family hawk products for Kodak, Quaker Oats and others. If there's a negative to this set, I suppose that it's the Mill Creek logo which appears briefly in the bottom right corner twice in each episode. The good news is that it's relatively unobtrusive and really won't detract much from your viewing experience. Viewers should also be aware that episodes from the show's 14th and final season were originally filmed in color; here they are presented in black & white.

The fact that Mill Creek has been able to assemble 100 episodes of this beloved family comedy series at a very affordable price is commendable. No other company has been able to bring this many episodes to the market in a single package. What makes this set even better is the inclusion of a number of episodes from the show's earlier years. Most of the Ozzie & Harriet collections of public domain episodes focus on the show's years from the 1960s when David and Ricky were in college, married, and later started their careers. There are plenty of those episodes in this set, but the inclusion of so many episodes from the 1950s when the boys were younger really distinguishes this set from the other Ozzie & Harriet collections that are available and, as such, makes this the definitive collection to own . . . . . at least until such time that someone issues something better.

This set is a must for fans of "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" and to those who appreciate warm-hearted family humor from a simpler time. My rating on this is closer to **** & , just missing the full five stars due a few beat-up looking prints included in this set. But, rest assured, you will not be disappointed if you purchase "The Essential Ozzie & Harriet Collection."

Wonderful set!, some episodes are better quality than others, but it's all still very watchable. A few have been edited, but most of them are not. I really like the commercials. Kodak; Quaker Oats, Aunt Jemima, Hot Point, Coke, and even Listerine!, Some of them even have the Nelson family members doing the ads! The Anita Bryant Coca-Cola commercials are a must see! Also, I thought I'd mention that the "Flying Down to Lunch" episode is actually the episode; "The T-Shirts" from Season 8. That said and done; I highly recommend this set to Ozzie & Harriet fans.

I am looking forward to getting this.

Halloween Party
The Ballet
The Tuba Incident
The Traffic Signal
The Bowling Alley
The Orchid and the Violet
The Pancake Mix
The New Chairs
The Boy's Paper Route
David's 17th Birthday
Suggestion Box
The Initiation
Father and Son Tournament
Be On Time
An Evening with Hamlet
The Bird's Nest
The Odd Bolt
The Pajama Game
Music Appreciation
A Ball of Tin Foil
The Car Mix-Up
A Day in Bed
David Picks Up the Tab
Ozzie's Double
A Hairstyle for Harriet
The Duenna
The Reading Room
The Jet Pilot
The Editor
Ricky the Drummer
Ricky's Big Night
Ozzie's Triple Banana Surprise
Tutti-Frutti Ice Cream
The Christmas Tree Lot
Road Race
The Old Band Pavilion
The Top Gun
The Bachelor
The Magic of Three
The Bridge Group
A Cruise for Harriet
Rick's Riding Lesson
The Motorcycle
Rick's Dinner Guests
Jealous Joe Randolph
The Exploding Book
The Little Black Box
The Sea Captain
David the Law Clerk
David the Sleuth
Rick Gets Even
David Goofs Off
No News for Harriet
His Brother's Girl
A Sweater for Rick
David's Almost In-Laws
David Hires a Secretary
The Girl in the Emporium
The Girl Who Loses Things
Safe Husbands
Two Small Boys and a Dog
Dave's Golf Story
The Little House Guest
The Manly Arts
A Question of Suits and Ties
Built-in TV Set
The Dancing Lesson
The Fraternity Rents Out a Room
Dave Goes Back to Work
The Barking Dog
A Lamp for Dave and June
Making Wally Study
Lonesome Parents
Little Handprints in the Sidewalk
Rick and the Maid of Honor
The Tigers Go to a Dance
Rick Sends a Picture
An Old Friend of June's
Decorating Dave's Office
Woman's Club Bazaar
Dave and the Fraternity Lease
Ozzie, Joe and the Fashion Models
A Wife in the Office
A Letter About Harriet
The Ballerina
A Bedtime Story
Kris Plays Cupid
The Petition
Rick's Raise
Breakfast for Harriet
A Painting from the Past
A Rose a Day
Kris and the Queen
The Prowler
A Message from Kris
Flying Down to Lunch
The Ghost Town
Trip Trap
Waiting for Joe
Dave's Other Office