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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
my fave season on dvd at last!, April 21 2008
Hey everyone!
So, thankfully the wait is over and our Melrose Place Season 4 sets have arrived.
I can't wait to see all of the 34 episodes in this set now that I have started- season 4 was the season I discovered MP on t.v. and it remained my fave one after I caught up on seasons 1-3 and after seeing the rest of the series (seasons 5-7). It's the best season for me because they really pushed the characters to new extremes this time and it is the best season for some of the characters (Jane, Kimberly) before the mass exodus that occurred during and towards the end of the last truly great season (season five).
I agree with what other people have been saying about this release- it is poor indeed this time in many ways (namely poor packaging and no extras) but it doesn't surprise me.
I know everything about this release is cheap and basic but at the end of the day, packaging means little to us. The dvds themselves contain the real content we are buying... and all 34 season 4 episodes are present and i don't have any complaints about the quality of the episodes themselves, sure they are not in mega-pixled blu-ray quality but such technologies weren't around at the time of filming. There is nothing wrong with the quality of the episodes... they are here in the condition they aired on t.v. originally.
Yes, the cover pictures are blurry on the packaging and this is sloppy, careless and avoidable, but it's no big prob, the dvds are just plain grey - not the end of the world and i actually prefer them this time, the episode summaries are gone too- no big issue either for me anyway. As for extras, well there are none this time. But I don't really mind this either, the ones on previous sets were just lame attempts to make you think you were getting something extra, really they were scenes from the season edited into little clip shows with fancy little titles to make it look like something interesting. So no extras this time and I don't care. I don't doubt they could have made some/ found old footage etc. but why would they bother? I figure we should just be grateful we are getting any further releases at all.
I really hope they don't abandon the series- at least not until the last good season (five) is released. But they could easily do so, they aren't releasing anymore already for my region since they stopped after season two (I'm in region 2 for dvds which is a substantial market: taking in Europe, Japan and South Africa and I have been surprised and annoyed that no more Melrose is being made available here) and other late-night soaps (like Knot's Landing) haven't sold well and have been abandoned entirely too.
I mean the last three seasons hardly were bestsellers and I guess CBS DVD like every other big commercial company is just thinking of the bottom line- profit. So, all things considered, I just feel lucky that I am able to get my hands on more episodes/ seasons of the show.
I was so ticked off waiting for season three to be released over here in Ireland and then I realised it was never coming, so I went to the bother of changing my dvd player from a region 2 player to "all regions" or "region free" (a very easy procedure really when you just google "unlock dvd player (specific brand and model)", then I ordered season three from amazon and it worked fine so I have done the same for season four.
I mean, I'm realistic, I know this isn't going to be a best-seller really because old style late-night soaps like Melrose, they just aren't really the kind of show many people will buy on dvd because when they were on air, they were just seen as trashy, lightweight entertainment that people dipped in and out of, the fluctuation in ratings for Melrose during it's seven years showed just how fickle its viewers were too. Dvd's of soaps are for the die-hards and we are relatively few in number. I loved Melrose back in the 90's and have been very keen on getting to relive the show that I loved through the great modern idea that is the boxset but I know I am a minority/ niche market. It's not that I think we deserve such cheap/ basic products because we are a minority, I just accept it's this or nothing because CBS DVD can and will make more profitable sets for other more popular (right now) t.v shows. It isn't worth the effort for CBS DVD to put a lot of effort into elaborate packaging, extra features etc. They know they won't see their time and money back. I hate to be so pessimistic but I am just glad to have watchable dvds of the show.
I just have one suggestion for CBS DVD though. Why not issue the series' future releases in "All region" format so they will play on dvd players worldwide? It would make sense you know.
When I first pre-ordered this set, it was described as for "all regions", I guessed the details were just sketchy so early on and it was most likely going to be for region 1 only. I was right and it's not the end of the world, I have already found a code on the net to change my dvd player from being a region 2. But why don't CBS DVD just release Melrose Place in All region format. After season two, they have stopped producing DVDs of the show for any region other than regions 1 and 4 (u.s and Canada/ Australia and New Zealand only). This is really stupid of them. These dvds of Melrose Place aren't bestsellers in the u.s nor ever will be, so relatively few copies will ever be sold in the u.s or Canada. But Melrose fans all over the world outside the four countries named above now can't enjoy the show now after season 2 because CBS DVD doesn't see it as being worthwhile to bother issuing them to other dvd regions. If these were in All region format, then Melrose fans worldwide could enjoy the show hassle-free (without going to the bother of changing their dvd players from their own specific region) and then more copies of Melrose Place dvds would be sold worldwide without the additional costs that clearly penny-pinching CBS DVD feel separate region releases caused for seasons 1 and 2.
I get why more popular mainstream/ current tv hits like LOST or DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES aren't presented in All region format, it makes more sense to apply region codes to these titles to make piracy harder and to ensure people aren't importing from cheaper countries and damaging dvd sales in their native countries. But it would actually help sales of Melrose Place on Dvd if they were presented in all region format.
I know it can be done to produce All region titles, I have some other tv shows I like on All region format DVDS so come on CBS DVD, wake up and see how dumb it is to narrow the market for Melrose Place dvds to U.S. and Canada, Australia and New Zealand!
As for the show itself, well I like anyone else buying this (I figure) knows already what we are getting- 34 gripping episodes of one of the best 90's t.v. shows. Other reviewers here have excellent season and episode summaries so I won't bother but
My Personal highlights this season-
Kimmy working her way back into everyone's trust by showing her sane side for most the season and then losing it again in true Melrose style by the season finale!,
Alison going for Brooke's daddy!,
Brooke being her usual spiteful and manipulative self until being axed mid season,
Billy changing into a male Brooke after her death,
Jane becoming a stronger and more manipulative force after being duped by so many sleazy guys in the past, she really knew what she want this season and went for it!
Sydney being Sydney! Cunning and devious as always and showing everyone not to write her off as a young wannabe in their world.
Anyways, I hope u all enjoy reliving this season regardless of poor packaging and no extras etc..
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