Hawaii Five-O: Season 3

Hawaii Five-O is one of my five favorite TV dramas of all time, the others being Star Trek the original series(is there any other?), Hill Street Blues, the original Law & Order and Homicide: Life on the Street. Five-O has always been sadly underrated; TV Guide didn't rank it in its top 50 shows of all time(a list that included Friends and The Oprah Winfrey Show, but neglected to include Star Trek or Homicide...either I have no taste or, well...), and some reviewers at other sources describe it as a standard '70's police drama. Five-O was anything but standard, in fact it had its own individual style, a combination of a slambang opening credits sequence(which begins with the visual motif of a threatening tidal wave and is set to the most exciting theme music ever), of gritty performances, outstanding music that was no small factor in setting the mood of the show, exemplary pacing, atmosphere(especially the bona fide Hawaiian scenery, alternating between lush vistas and seedy urban backdrops) and rock solid writing, which included some very ingenious and even bizarre storylines that ran the gamut from pulse-pounding international espionage to moving human drama. Five-O was a very quirky show, featuring a diverse cast of recurring character actors who represented all facets of Hawaiian life, and frequently investing as much time and emotion in the travails of the guest characters as on McGarrett and company. A fine example of this is the episode The Grandstand Play, in which the presentation of Five-O's investigation into the murder of a socialite at a ballpark is continually interrupted in order to focus on the life of the young man who witnessed the crime, a mentally challenged teen and son of a famous ballplayer, thus creating a special kind of empathy with this fully realized character. Another frequent charge against the show, that McGarrett and his detectives were mere automatons, is totally baseless. Jack Lord, in particular, was expert at portraying all kinds of emotion, incredulity, indignation, disgust, anger, contempt, compassion, abject despair, although he was rarely overwrought, usually a strain in his voice or a pained twitch in his features was enough(watch the ending of Trouble in Mind) and in effect he functioned as the show's conscience, its moral barometer. McGarrett was a good cop who made no apologies for this, part idealist, part cynic, concerned about the environment, with a love for the islands and their people, a man who allowed the cases to get to him, but not to the point where they affected how he did his job. Viewers today might find that cheesy, but I think it's refreshing, and there is a huge difference between the straightlaced but very human McGarrett and the by the numbers to the point of being downright stiff Joe Friday. Finally, some people who compare Five-O to modern cop shows decry the lack of elaborate plotting, the "twists" if you will, but Five-O has twists, it just doesn't inundate the viewer with them the way contemporary shows do(my beloved Law & Order included), which makes for a more direct, perhaps more realistic, often more satisfying watching experience. The first two seasons of Hawaii Five-O are excellent and well worth owning, but this is the year where it really comes together. The show is more consistently great this season, with more classic episodes than the previous years and fewer weak ones. My personal favorites include the gut-wrenching Trouble in Mind and To Kill Or Be Killed, the haunting Force of Waves and Paniolo, and the ingenious caper episodes Over Fifty? Steal and Ten Thousand Diamonds and a Heart. This season also includes a couple of great two-part episodes, F.O.B. Honolulu in which foreign agents, including the ubiquitous Wo Fat, bargain for plates that would allow them to create counterfeit twenty dollar bills, and the already mentioned The Grandstand Play, one of Five-O's most unique human dramas. I'm not wild about the episodes The Last Eden, Beautiful Screamer or Dear Enemy, but a mere three episodes out of twenty-four that I would classify as mediocre add up to odds I'll take any day of the week. It's true that the extras are skimpy on these sets, but I'm not much of an extras person, I'm happy just having the episodes, especially when they're remastered to this degree. The picture quality is sharp, fantastic, the scenery is lovelier than ever...for the best evidence of this, check out the episode Paniolo, much of which takes place in the green mountains of Maui. Breathtaking! People new to the series might consider starting with this season since it represents Five-O at its best, then going backwards and watching the first two, but really, all of the seasons so far are worth seeing, as are the next several. They can't release these things fast enough for me.

One of McGarrett's trademark quotes - besides "Book 'em, Danno!" - is "Go over it with a fine tooth comb," in reference to how he wants his crack team of investigators to go to work. Well, the folks at CBS/Paramount really did that with the classic series, producing a compilation that not only looks better than it did almost three decades ago but sounds crystal clear. One can only imagine how brilliant the show would look in high definition 'cause it sparkles in this release of the show's third season. And what a season it is!!! "Hawaii 5-0" had its share of standard cops and robbers episodes but it also had some that were a cut above the norm, making commentary on the environment ("Paniolo" and "The Last Eden"), false imprisonment ("The Double Wall" and "Dear Enemy"), drug addiction ("Trouble in Mind"), and the horrors of war ("Force of Waves" and "To Kill or Be Killed"). Jack Lord continues his fine performance as the always-in-charge Steve McGarrett, even being allowed to show his softer side as the character reminisces about a lovelost with the prime suspect being his ex-girlfriend. Even "Danno" (James MacArthur) has a romantic interest, although it ends tragically ("Beautiful Screamer"). Kam Fong ("Chin Ho") and Zulu ("Kono") are not just "Hawaiian window dressing"; they are integral to each story and are perfect in their supporting roles. The guest star roster reads like a who's who of character actors of the time, many repeat performers. Simon Oakland, Andrew Duggan, Harry Guardino, Ed Flanders, and Albert Paulsen are just a few examples of the fine talent that made its way, more than once, into the exciting stories of this landmark show. Surprisingly, three of the best installments in the compilation feature brilliant performances from artists that rarely do television: Hume Cronyn ("Over Fifty? Steal"), Nancy Wilson, and Frank Silvera (in the aforementioned "Trouble in Mind" and "Paniolo," respectively). Vera Miles, a staple of both movies and television, is remarkable as a troubled wife in "Dear Enemy" and Hope Summers ("Clara" on the classic "Andy Griffith Show") sparkles on "The Bomber and Mrs. Moroney." Viewers were also treated to a preview of actors that had yet to make their mark but would eventually become household names: Martin Sheen, Anne Archer, and Eric Braeden, to cite a few. Great acting, superb storytelling, exciting musical scoring, and beautiful locations are what made the show a twelve-year institution, worthy of revisiting by fans and introducing to a whole new generation.

My son is in the old DVDs and old TV series. Another one of his favorite shows

My puppy got ahold of the original purchase. Really appreciate this copy. The best police drama ever created. Not dated at all. And those great lead actors. Wow!

Loved this classic cop show! Jack Lord was at his best in Hawaii 5-0 and he absolutely OWNS McGarrett! The show came together in Season 3 and the plots, story lines and acting are first rate. The reboot may be nice, but the acting is not the same. While the original uses what limited technology was available, the show always relied on shear brains and the pure instincts of McGarrett to solve the crime. It depicts the undertones of a society that still had moral values of right and wrong and upheld decency. The DVD's are good quality and each contains those coveted promo's with Jack Lord's famous "Be there, Aloha!" If you loved the show in your younger days, you can't be without these DVD's!

Growing up in the 60's and 70's I look back with some nostalgia at the culture,the lingo and the fashions :-) Sometimes when I see a television show from that time I ask myself "wow, how could I have thought that was cool?". Hawaii five-0 is definitely one of the exceptions. From the unforgettable theme song to the individual supporting characters like Danny, Chin Ho and Kono, and the complex bad guy, Wo Fat, it gets your attention and keeps it. You get the suspense you expect and occasional humor that Jack Lord could put into the gritty never-say-die character of Steve McGarrett. When I got the first season, I texted a picture of McGarrett to my daughter who went to the University of Hawaii. She had no idea who it was, but I suggested she watch the show and see if she recognized any of the places. After that first show she was totally hooked! Now we both look forward to each new season and the only challenge is pacing ourselves so we don't watch one show after another :-)

Well done

"Hawaii Five-0 The Third Season" originally aired on CBS during the 1970-71 TV season. This was the season the show firmly established itself as a hit, with millions of viewers tuning in each episode to watch Steve McGarrett and his crack 5-0 team solve the crime of the week against the backdrop of beautiful Hawaiian beaches, forests, estates, and palm trees. The Hawaiian setting helped the show stand out from the typical TV detective fare, usually set in New York or Los Angeles. Perhaps more importantly, it was the use of Hawaii that allowed the show to firmly settle in the American consciousness, and become a pop culture touchstone that endures to this day. When the show went on the air in 1968, Hawaii had only been a state for nine years, and was still a fresh star on the American flag. If, by the late 1960s, the mainland had given up any claim to being a "New Jerusalem," and was a society gone gray and curling up at the edges, the American Dream a victim of assassinations, racial unrest, bitter political divisions, a never--ending highly unpopular war, corruption, and pollution. Viewers could tune in each week to "Hawaii Five-0" and see that the American Eden still existed, way out there in the Pacific, with the incorruptible indefatigable Steve McGarret standing guard at the gate, keeping the snakes and serpents at bay. It also helped, of course, that Hawaii Five-0, as Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Third Season attests, was a well-produced weekly detective series. The acting, for the most part, was not great shakes. By this point the roles were pretty well defined. Jack Lord pretty much ran the show, the way McGarret ran the Five-0 unit, and mostly seemed to use the statue that appeared in the opening credits as his acting model. When he would occasionally crack a smile he seemed to put as much effort into it as Brando did in his scenes with Vivian Leigh in "Glass Menagerie." Still, his performances, an original mixture of high-strung woodiness, did anchor the show and kept viewers tuning in. James MacArthur, as Danny Williams, McGarrett's right-hand man, had adjusted himself to standing in Lord's shadow, and making the most of the scene or two each episode that he got for himself. Kam Fong and Zulu were just along for the ride, their roles pretty much reduced to performing street-level detective work (usually occurring off-screen), or serving as a mostly silent awed audience as McGarrett, usually in the third act, finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together and breaks the case wide-open. The guest actors, for the most part, were standard performers who turned up with great frequency on TV shows in the 60s and 70s, such as Simon Oakland, Lloyd Bochner, Pernell Roberts, and Harry Guardino, who turn in performances like the pros they are. If the acting was mostly typical of network prime time drama, the production values were usually well above what other shows at the time were offering. The producers made full use of the show's Hawaiian location, setting a good portion of most episodes outside the studio walls. As this season attests, at times the show would feature an extended chase or action sequence, such as a posse search on horseback ("Paniolo") or a helicopter assault on a suspected enemy spy hide-out ("F.O.B. Honolulu Part One") that come close to feature film quality. The producers were resourceful and imaginative, making the most of the show's premise of a major crimes unit operating on a strategically important island in the Pacific. This format allowed it to feature episodes that ran the full spectrum of prime time action drama. Episodes in season three include general crime drama -- "The Second Shot," "The Gunrunner," espionage -- "And Time to Die," kidnapping -- "The Ransom," "The Pay-Off," prison riots -- "The Double Wall," psychotic killers -- "Beautiful Screamer," drug smuggling -- "Trouble in MInd," gangsters -- "The Late John Louisiana," "Ten Thousand Diamonds and a Heart," terrorism -- "The Bomber and Mrs. Moroney," straight forward murder mysteries - "Force of Waves" "Time and Memories," "Dear Enemy," human interest stories -- "The Grandstand Play, Parts One and Two," and even the occasional light hearted caper story -- "Over Fifty? Steal?" Several episodes deal with issues of the time, such as environmental activism -- "The Last Eden" and Vietnam draft desertion -- "To Kill or be Killed." Wo Fat, as much a part of the "Hawaii Five-0" mystique as the other characters, turns up in the two-part "F.O.B. Honolulu" There's just one programming note. While Amazon promotes this as "Hawaii Five-0 The Complete Third Season" this DVD package is not the complete third season, which originally aired 25 episodes. This DVD package has 24 season three episodes, omitting episode 16, "Bored, She Hung Herself." This episode featured a key plot point of a counter-culture yoga instructor who's relaxation techniques included an act of non-fatal self-asphyxiation. How some writer came up with this incredibly dumb idea I'll never know, but reportedly after this episode aired in January 1971 a viewer tried to replicate the feat in their home, with predictable catastrophic results. Consequently CBS never aired the episode again in reruns and Paramount never included it for syndication. To be sure, the phrase "Complete Third Season" does not appear anywhere on the actual DVD packaging, so this is not a case of false advertising on the part of CBS Home Video. I'm not sure why Amazon promotes it as such. As is the usual case with these CBS/Paramount DVD releases, the picture and sound quality are fine. And, as usual, there is very little in the way of special features, although, as with other "Hawaii Five-0" releases, episode promos for most of the episodes on these discs are included. About the only real complaint I have is that is that disc one contains close to ten minutes of "previews" for other series now available on home DVD, which I couldn't fast-forward through or "Menu" over. I found this most annoying, especially since I tend to watch episodes one night at a time. I feel like CBS/Paramount home video owes me 40 minutes of my life back. "Hawaii Five-0 Season Three" is highly recommended for Five-0 fans and completists, along with connoisseurs of classic TV crime drama.

The stories keep getting better and better, with each season of this classic series. I'm so glad the complete series is now available on DVD, and at an excellent price, here at Amazon.ca. Jack Lord IS Steve McGarrett, I can't imagine anyone else in this leading role. Add a wonderful supporting cast, a bevy of famous guest stars and beautiful blue Hawaii and how can you lose? I'm off to check out season 4 now. :-)

Cuidado estos DVDs son de otra región que no es Europa por lo que el que no tenga un DVD o Bluray Player Multiregion no podrá verlos en la TV, en el PC como no tengo no lo se si se pueden ver o no pero en Mac si se pueden ver cambiando la región

OTTIMO COFANETTO CONTIENE TUTTI GLI EPISODI DELLA TERZA STAGIONE RIMASTERIZZATI UNICA PECCA C'è SOLO L'AUDIO IN INGLESE E NON CI SONO I SOTTOTITOLI IN ITALIANO CONSIGLIATO PER GLI APPASSIONATI DELLE AVVENTURE DI MCGARRETT!

The original Hawaii Five-O series was screened on British TV between 1968 - 1980. A total of 284 x 60 minute episodes were made, all made on location in Hawaii. Other popular detective series made in Hawaii include Hawaiian Eye (1959 - 1963: 134 x 60min episodes), Magnum P.I. (1980 - 1988: 164 x 48min episodes). The original series has been remade (as Hawaii Five-O) and screened from 2010 onwards. There have been 118 x42min new episodes up until 2015. James MacArthur, who played ‘Danno” Danny Williams, Steve McGarrett’s second in command, made a cameo appearance in the Hawaii Five-O TV movie as Governor Dan Williams, the roll previously played by Richard Denning. These TV detective series span almost 60 years but the series I remember most of all is the original Hawaii Five-O with Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett, head of Five-O. I recall the ingenious plots and the fact that all the Five-O team wore suits and were immaculately dressed most of the time despite the hot and humid tropical environment of Hawaii. The remade series is probably more true to life in terms of dress sense but what the original series had was style, and style by the bucketful. Try as I may, I cannot get the original cast out of my mind when watching the remake series. Worse still are the new plots which seem to me too ‘generic’ for my taste. I mean by this that I have seen similar plots in other cop shows. Perhaps the writers of Hawaii Five-O have run out of ideas and look for interesting storylines elsewhere. Whether the remake series will be as memorable or as enduring as the original series is open to debate but at the time of this review the original series has notched up more than double the number of episodes of the remake. I remember the original Five-O with fondness and it is my intention to collect the entire series on DVD. I only need series 4 to complete my collection.

I really enjoyed this series when I was younger and decided to buy all 12 series which have all been great to watch. I have had to buy them from different suppliers bur got the FSK version which has both English subtitles and German subtitles for those who wish to watch it in German. All the suppliers have been prompt with delivery and all the products were as described. A must for those who enjoyed the original Jack Lord version.