Vegas: The Third Season, Volume 1

I am so glad that the final season of this very entertaining television detective drama is finally being released (Season three VOL. TWO is available for pre-order and will be released on August 14, 2012). This show (featuring Robert Urich as a private detective for hire) is particularly fun to watch as we get to Vegas as most of us baby boomers remember it - lots of wide open space with people coming mostly on the weekends for pleasure and fun (or to elope), not to live. In the series, Tanna lives on the Las Vegas strip next to (what was then Circus Circus) in the theatrical props warehouse which he converted into his living place. The design of Tanna's pad (long before the popularity of loft space) allowed him to park his T- bird in his living room! It's also fun to see Tanna as he occasionally pulls up to the pumps in his '57 thunderbird for gas that was practically (by today's standards) pennies on the dollar!

Special guest stars in this volume are:
Cassie Yates, Noah Berry Jr., Vince Baggetta, Joe Penny, Erin Grey, Morgan Woodward, Patrick McNee, Ruta Lee and more.

The episode list is as follows:

(Disc 1)
ALOHA, YOU'RE DEAD, PART 1 - Dan is kidnapped while jogging and taken to Hawaii, where a crime syndicate orders him to murder Roth.
ALOHA, YOU'RE DEAD, PART 2 - Dan stages Roth's murder with a look-alike, then sets out to hunt down the leader of the conspiracy.
BLACK CAT KILLER - After Be a is shot while in her apartment, Dan links the attack to a killer who has already slain three other people.
SUDDEN DEATH - Dan shoots a burglar in his date's apartment, but later learns the man he killed carried only an air rifle.

(Disc 2)
LOVE AFFAIR - Dan unknowingly falls in love with a prostitute working for a pimp involved in murder.
A DEADLY VICTIM - An alcoholic, former attorney (Eleanor Parker) hires Dan when an assassin kills a derelict who foiled a murder attempt.
DEADLY BLESSINGS - A nun claims the Desert Inn stands on land willed to her by an old man, and is determined to turn the hotel into a convent.
CHRISTMAS STORY - A 9-year-old claiming to be Dan's daughter brings a note saying her mother is ready to commit suicide.

(Disc 3)
ANDREAS ADDICTION - An ex-addict takes revenge on Dan by chaining him in an abandoned casino and injecting him with heroin.
SOURDOUGH SUITE - A prospector rides off with cash and vital papers after a trade of information for money ends with all the participants dead.
MURDER BY MIRRORS - Beatrice witnesses a murder while flying over a luxurious house, but police can later find no evidence of a crime.
BACKLASH - A mother hires Dan to find her teenage daughter, unaware the girl and her friends are working for extortionists.

Virtually no profanity which is refreshing. Although predictable storylines, it was so entertaining, it didn't and still doesn't matter. Very enjoyable and highly recommended!

(Update May 9, 2012: Picture quality is EXCELLENT with Closed Captioning for those of us who are hearing impaired. Special features include episodic promos only.)

Although "Vega$" was another glossy, cookie-cutter detective show from Aaron Spelling it still has its inherent charms, although it would be cancelled at the end its third season when ABC purged itself of its long-time Wednesday night hits including also "Eight is Enough" and "Charlie's Angels".

Thankfully, CBS has managed stick with this show and while the split-seasons at full-cost have remained a point of contention for many, I never thought we'd get this far. "Vega$" must be selling well-enough and I really can't see CBS abandoning it at this point with only a half-season left to go.

Robert Urich WAS the show and carrying it rests squarely on his capable shoulders, but the guest stars were almost as much of the reason for success here as they were on Spelling's anthology series ("Love Boat", "Fantasy Island", "Hotel"). This 1/2 season includes big-screen/small-screen legends such as Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, John Saxon, Julie Adams, Patrick MacNee, June Lockhart, Eleanor Parker, Gary Lockwood, Barbara Parkins, Victor Buono, Dick Sargent, Jill St. John, Don Stroud and Edie Adams. Then-current stars like Jill Whelan, Erin Gray, Lindsay Bloom, Stephen Shortridge also show up as well as some yet-to-be-big actors like Stepfanie Kramer, Priscilla Barnes and Joe Penny.

Not as fresh or enjoyable as Season 1 because smart-mouthed but motherly Naomi Stevens and bodacious Judy Landers are missing in action, but still fluffy, escapist fun. I recommend picking up this one up for a flashback to Sin City at the dawn of the totally awesome '80s.

Four stars.

I have been looking forward to season 3 despite this decadent policy of splitting the seasons vol 1&2. Naturally you can only do so much with a series before it grows tiresome but in the case of Vegas and being an avid fan of the show there were changes to season 3, bad guys got more malevolent and sinister compared to the previous seasons. They definitely provide a challenge for our titular hero Mr Tanna believe me I remember the reruns on wwor TV 9. The Andreas connection is a really good intense episode in which a villain captures Tanna after putting in Valiums in his food and our hero wakes up in a dark room,getting systematically tortured. the two hr special where Tanna is in Honolulu is superb in terms of action and suspense.
I don't totally believe it was coasting the way another reviewer did. Dan Tanna will always be the action hero better then TJ hooker. Fans seem to forget Michael Mann created this great TV show