Combat - Season 1, Campaign 1
Hailed as one of the best episodic television series about World War II, ABC'sCombat!arrives on DVD with its first 16 episodes in a heavily annotated four-disc set that's sure to please its longtime fans. The men of King Company's second platoon (a.k.a. King Two) are the focus of this gritty and realistic series; led by Lt. Gil Hanley (Rick Jason) and Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow in an Emmy-nominated performance), King Two fought its way across France for five seasons, beginning in 1962 with the 16 episodes gathered here. The storyline kicks off shortly after D-Day and carries the platoon up to the liberation of Paris, which concluded the season (the second half of season 1 is featured in aseparate four-disc set). Cast members rotated in and out of service (Tom Lowell's Pvt. Billy Nelson is apparently killed in "The Celebrity," yet returns to the platoon shortly thereafter), but viewers could count on each episode to deliver both solid action and dramatic direction from the likes of Robert Altman and Burt Kennedy, as well as excellent turns by guest actors as Tom Skerritt and Harry Dean Stanton.Image'sCombat! Season One: Campaign Oneestablishes a watermark for other studios and distributors to follow with their own vintage television DVD sets. Commentary tracks by Robert Altman, first assistant director Michael Caffey, and actor Tom Lowell are featured on three episodes, while several other key participants, including actor Pierre Jalbert (Caje), directors Richard Donner and Ted Post, andCombat!episode guide author Jo Davidmeyer are featured in interviews for the featurette "Memories ofCombat!." Davidmeyer also provides interesting factoids about each episode in the scene selection menus. A gallery of production photos rounds out the uniformly excellent supplemental features. Image's comprehensive boxed set is a must-have for devotees of the series and WWII drama in general.--Paul Gaita