I had virtually no recollection of Route 66. What I expected from the DVD edition were mostly girls, adventure and fistfights. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to discover this sort of mixture of Jack Kerouack and Tennesse Williams. Tod and Buz (Sal and Dean?) stand as liberators rescuing people driven to various degrees of dysfunctionality by repression and conformism. The parents / children relashionship in particular seems to be one of Sterling Silliphant's favorite themes. This interesting behavioral analysis of early sixties America, combined with on-site filming, gives Route 66 an historical value that is noteworthy.
The first season is the only one in which Tod and Buz are both permanently present, which makes it all the more valuable. It contains a few episodes dealing with unsolved WWII issues - the series debuted only 15 years after the war. The dialogues and the acting performances are top-class and the filming succesfully shows the beauty that B&W can create.
The quality of Infinity Entertainment's digital edition is generally good, though some episodes like The beryllium eater will display considerable granularity in the picture. Anyhow, Route 66 season 1 is a document to be treasured.

There are undefinable bits and cues that make some men singularly fit to wear a uniform. Martin Milner had all of them. The cop-with-the-Buddah-smile returns in season 4 with Milner's great acting skills intact but not always matched by the rest of the acting crew. Intact too is Pete Malloy's enormous "presence" every time Milner hits the screen of A-12.

Season 4 continues to depict the routine of police work as faithfully as it does its dangers. This unique feature of the series contributes to give Adam-12 of 40 years ago an enduring sense of topicality - despite the fact that violence and car chases were portrayed much less graphically in 1971 than they are on today's TV. Which reminds me : yes I admit it, I just LOVE the vintage cars !

The neat presentation and quick access to tracks of seasons 2 and 3 are still there in season 4 but the picture quality appears ever so slightly inferior. Are the editors trying to make a point for an eventual BD release ? And why not all 7 seasons ?

I'd like to add a word about the chinese copies you can purchase on the web at 60 $ for the whole series. The quality of those crude copies of low-speed VHS tapes is horrendous and 1 disc out of 4 just won't play at all. Of course if you HAVE to watch seasons 5, 6 and 7 right now, this may be your sole option but now you're warned.