Product Description

See the shows that were cancelled before their time with four gripping crime drama episodes in the Brilliant But Cancelled collection. From the producers who would go on to make the television sensations Hill Street Blues, Columbo and Law & Order come these intelligent series that span over forty years of television. Johnny Staccato - "Tempted" Independent film pioneer John Cassavetes starred from 1959 to 1960 in this hip drama about a jazz pianist who moonlights as a private detective. Set in New York's ultra-cool Greenwich Village, this detective series was filmed in black and white and features smooth musical numbers to accentuate its smoky, sultry narrative tone. Delvecchio - "Licensed to Kill" From legendary producer Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue), Delvecchio aired from 1976 to 1977 and starred Emmy winner Judd Hirsch as Dominick Delvecchio, an honest and courageous LAPD detective who is studying to pass the legal bar exam. Assisted by his tough-as-nails boss and his wisecracking partner, Delvecchio finds himself torn between a life of action and danger and his dreams of a prestigious career in law. Gideon Oliver - "Sleep Well, Professor Oliver" A brilliant Columbia University professor of anthropology (Louis Gossett, Jr., Stargate SG-1) finds that his unparalleled knowledge of human behavior is applicable in some of the world's most puzzling crimes. Produced in 1989 by Wolf Films, the award-winning development team behind the highly successful Law & Order franchise. Touching Evil - "K" Touching Evil originally aired in 2004 and followed the exploits of the FBI's Organized and Serial Crime (OSC) Unit, a rapid-response, elite crime squad. The OSC brings back renegade agent David Creengan (Jeffrey Donovan), who pushes the law to the limit to track the criminals no one else can find.

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On Universal's Brilliant But Cancelled: Crime Dramas, whodunit fans get a chance to relive classic episodes of four critically acclaimed but short-lived series: Johnny Staccato, Delvecchio, Gideon Oliver, and Touching Evil. Spanning decades of television, the DVD's highlight is Johnny Staccato. Starring John Cassavetes in the title role, the episode (ca. 1959) stands up surprisingly well in modern times. Cassavetes is so suave and cool that no one would doubt his ability to play a jazz musician who happens to solve crimes at night. Each of the episodes has its own merits--Judd Hirsch is appropriately intense in Steven Bochco's Delvecchio, Louis Gossett Jr. is charmingly brilliant as an anthropology professor/sleuth in Gideon Oliver, and the elite crime fighters in Touching Evil could give anyone on Law & Order a run for their money. But the problem with this concept is that aside from the crime-solving element, the shows don't flow well from one to the next and ultimately leaves the viewer wanting to see more than just one episode from each show. --Jae-Ha Kim

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 inches; 0.01 ounces
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, NTSC, Full Screen, Subtitled, DVD, Color
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 3 hours and 29 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ May 23, 2006
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Judd Hirsch, Jeffrey Donovan, John Cassavetes, Louis 'Lou' Gossett, Jr.
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Studios Home Entertainment
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1