Fan Favorites: The Best of Macgyver

The phenomenon of "fan favorites" always seems a bit dubious to me, just another marketing strategy. But CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount recently conducted a Facebook poll on seven of its popular classic programs (Cheers, Happy Days, Frasier, The Odd Couple, Hogan's Heroes, The Honeymooners, and MacGyver) to determine what would be included on these Fan Favorite DVD releases. These are no-frills editions for only the most casual viewer (each of these shows is readily available in complete seasons and/or series editions), so if you already own the previous, and more complete, releases--this really adds nothing to the discussion. These bargain priced entries, therefore, might appeal to newer viewers who wish to sample a program or to someone who just wants a few episodes of their favorite show for those rainy days with nothing better going on.

However, as the number of episodes and which ones are not being provided (as of 2/28/12), I thought I'd give a rundown to the interested parties about what is included on each DVD set.

MacGyver: In Dolby Digital English Stereo with English SDH subtitles
(1) Phoenix Under Siege (Season Two, Episode 11): On an outing to a hockey game, MacGyver and his grandfather uncover a bombing plot. I hate when that happens!
(2) The Widowmaker (Season Three, Episode 8): A friend's death makes MacGyver vulnerable when his old nemesis shows up for payback.
(3) Legend of the Holy Rose Part 1 and 2 (Season Five, Episodes 1 and 2): An International assignment has MacGyver searching for lost treasure while dealing with deadly rivals.
(4) Halloween Knights (Season Five, Episode 6): MacGyver must infiltrate a Halloween party to save his nemesis' sister from a deadly organization.

I'm not sure that, to my mind, MacGyver qualifies in the same "classic" league as the other titles being released in this format. While amusing, I don't think it has the same replay value as the situational comedies. Are you really going to watch these handful of shows more than once? As a whole, I'd rate MacGyver higher, but this is really too limited a format to generate much enthusiasm. This is a nice way to introduce yourself to the show if you haven't seen it, but it is much better in context and complete. KGHarris, 2/12.

› Go to Amazon.com to see the review  2.0 out of 5 stars