8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A spoof of traditional police dramas, this original slapstick series from the Zucker brothers is bursting with non sequiturs and sight gags that parody the labored lives of law enforcement. Leslie Nielsen stars as the foolish flatfoot Detective Frank Drebin, whose literal quips and absurd antics disentangle each misdemeanor and perpetuate each laugh-out-loud moment in this classic show.
Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Alan North, Peter Lupus, Ed Williams (II), William DuellComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (192 kbps)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
When one considers the words "The Complete Series" in conjunction with "television," it's not unreasonable to think of at least a dozen or so episodes and, usually, several or more seasons. That's not the case with Police Squad!. The complete series -- all six episodes -- aired on ABC in 1982. Audiences will quickly recall that the series lived on via the big screen years later with the hilarious The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, followed by two sequels. Six episodes, three movies. That's got to be some sort of big screen spinoff record, but no matter the numbers: the show is a riot, as were the movies to follow it. Talk about taken out of commission before its time.
Police Squad!: The Complete Series rolls onto Blu-ray with an impressive 1080p transfer. The show maintains its original 4x3 broadcast aspect ratio, presenting with vertical "black bars" on either side of the 1.78:1 display. With episode one, the picture is littered with frequent, but not often intrusive, speckles, splotches, vertical lines, and the occasional bouts of flickering, but these issues clear up in episode two. Not entirely, but substantially to the point that they're largely absent in later episodes. Grain remains but has a noisy look to it, again in those first couple of episodes but transitioning to a beautiful, filmic appearance in later episodes. The "Johnny" shoeshine scene in episode four is about the best the show looks, followed by episode five, which approaches filmic perfection. At its best, details are razor sharp, clarity is excellent, and scene depth is tangible. Colors are favorable with no loss to fade and no overly pumped contrast. Tonal neutrality is the order of the day. Flesh tones are dialed in but black levels sometimes struggle to find the depth one would expect of a presentation that is otherwise very good in the aggregate.
Police Squad!: The Complete Series blares onto Blu-ray with an agreeable, all-around solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The opening title music presents with substantial engagement. It is loud, well detailed, wide, and somewhat immersive. Presentation balance, or prioritization, is a highlight, especially when several elements -- music, dialogue, action, atmosphere -- compete in the same shot. Some effects are a bit crunchy and unkempt, like when Frank runs over a trash can with his car early in episode one. Gunfire struggles early -- listen to the climactic shootout to end the first episode which sounds more like pop guns firing off rather than .38 slugs -- but are acceptable in context. Fortunately, there's a bit more oomph in the shootout toward the end of the third episode on the disc, ditto some mafia machine gun fire in episode five. Episode two's open features some boisterous surround activity at the boxing match, with crowd din enveloping the listener to very good effect, representing the most substantial and sustained atmosphere across the six episodes. A few positive discrete effects are in play too, such as when a plane takes off (off-screen) in episode four. Dialogue is clear and center positioned.
Police Squad!: The Complete Series does include a fair number of extras, including select episode commentaries which are found under the
"Episodes" tab, not the "Special Features" tab. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with
a slipcover.
Police Squad! found more success on the big screen than it did on the small. But the material works well in both formats, whether in 90-some minute features or more compact 25 minute TV shows. Deadpan humor drives it to success, and Nielsen proves himself a master of the style and the perfect fit to lead the franchise. The show was cancelled far too early, but six episodes are better than none and Parmaount has done a great job bringing them to Blu-ray. Good video to start eventually transitions to great, the 5.1 audio is steady, and a healthy dollop of extra material is included. Police Squad!: The Complete Series comes very highly recommended.
35th Anniversary
1988
2012
1997
1984
Theatrical & Extended Cuts
1998
1942
2015
1968
1983
Remastered
1980
2008
1976
25th Anniversary Edition
1994
Holy Schnike Edition
1995
Theatrical & Extended
2008
Retro VHS Collection
1989
1978
1986
2018
1991