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The Movie: "Baywatch" started in 1989 and make a remarkable impact, providing the power of "jiggle TV". The series officially came to a close in 2001 (the last two seasons saw the show move to Hawaii), but the series still remains on TV in areas of the world today (it's one of the most watched shows worldwide ever, at one point being licensed to nearly every continent.) The plot of the series was simple: the show followed a set of lifeguards (the line-up changed over the years), lead by Mitch (David Hasselhoff, who stayed with the series throughout nearly its entire run), as they solved crimes (catching a violent surf gang, pirates, jewel thieves, drug rings, waste dumpers and more) or rescued folks on the beach. So, viewers got a combination of women in skimpy outfits and action sequences. It was definitely junk food TV that didn't take itself seriously, but viewers found it tasty. The performances weren't going to win any awards, but the series was cast well (Pamela Anderson joined the series in the third season, which is the second season set on DVD; the show's first and second seasons offered up Erika Eleniak in the main "blonde babe" role) for the material and the material itself managed to come up with enough variation for the beach adventures of the cast that viewers kept coming back. "Baywatch" is still corny after all these years, but it's still a fun show that one can find themselves hooked on all over again. Notes: The first and second seasons are available separately. What is listed as the first season set is actually the first season of syndicated episodes. The series aired on NBC for one season before moving to syndication. No word on when the original season of the show on NBC will become available. Would it be very nice to have the actual first season first? Sure. Does one really need to watch the first season to catch up with "Baywatch"? Nope. Episodes Included: Season 1 Set: 24. 2- 1 5 Oct 91 The One That Got Away 25. 2- 2 12 Oct 91 Money, Honey 26. 2- 3 19 Oct 91 The Fabulous Buchannon Boys 27. 2- 4 26 Oct 91 Point of Attack 28. 2- 5 2 Nov 91 Sandcastles 29. 2- 6 9 Nov 91 Thin or Die 30. 2- 7 16 Nov 91 The Trophy (1) 31. 2- 8 23 Nov 91 The Trophy (2) 32. 2- 9 30 Nov 91 If Looks Could Kill 33. 2-10 7 Dec 91 Nightmare Bay (1) 34. 2-11 14 Dec 91 Nightmare Bay (2) 35. 2-12 1 Feb 92 Reunion 36. 2-13 8 Feb 92 War of Nerves 37. 2-14 15 Feb 92 Big Monday 38. 2-15 22 Feb 92 Sea of Flames 39. 2-16 29 Feb 92 Now Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale 40. 2-17 7 Mar 92 The Chamber 41. 2-18 25 Apr 92 Shark's Cove 42. 2-19 2 May 92 The Lost Treasure of Tower 12 43. 2-20 9 May 92 The Big Spill 44. 2-21 16 May 92 Game of Chance 45. 2-22 23 May 92 Summer of '85 46. 3- 1 20 Sep 92 River of No Return (1) 47. 3- 2 20 Sep 92 River of No Return (2) Season 2: 48. 3- 3 27 Sep 92 Tequila Bay 49. 3- 4 4 Oct 92 Rookie of the Year 50. 3- 5 11 Oct 92 Pier Pressure 51. 3- 6 18 Oct 92 Showdown at Malibu Beach High 52. 3- 7 25 Oct 92 Point Doom 53. 3- 8 1 Nov 92 Princess of Tides 54. 3- 9 8 Nov 92 Masquerade 55. 3-10 15 Nov 92 Lifeguards Can't Jump 56. 3-11 22 Nov 92 Dead of Summer 57. 3-12 10 Jan 93 A Matter of Life and Death 58. 3-13 17 Jan 93 Island of Romance 59. 3-14 24 Jan 93 Strangers Among Us 60. 3-15 31 Jan 93 Vacation (1) 61. 3-16 7 Feb 93 Vacation (2) 62. 3-17 14 Feb 93 The Tower 63. 3-18 21 Feb 93 Stakeout at Surfrider Beach 64. 3-19 25 Apr 93 Shattered (1) 65. 3-20 2 May 93 Shattered (2) 66. 3-21 9 May 93 Kicks 67. 3-22 16 May 93 Fatal Exchange The DVD VIDEO: "Baywatch" is presented by First Look Media in the show's original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The series generally looks about the same here as it did during syndication. Sharpness and detail are generally average, as while some scenes look crisper than others, the presentations as a whole look a bit on the soft side. The presentation did show some minor specks and marks on the elements used on occasion and a few instances of slight artifacting. However, the majority of the episodes looked clean and clear. Colors remained natural and nicely saturated, with no smearing or other issues. While the image quality wasn't anything to write home about, it was perfectly satisfactory, considering the material. SOUND: The show is presented here in remastered Dolby Digital 5.1. The show's repurposed audio here doesn't provide much in the way of activity, mainly using the surrounds to offer some ambience and reinforcement of the music. Still, it's certainly more immersive than the original stereo presentation would be. EXTRAS: Each set offers a photo gallery and promo featurette. Final Thoughts: "Baywatch" is still corny fun years later, and the show's worldwide fanbase will likely be pleased to finally have it available on DVD - and at a very reasonable price, as most stores are selling the sets under $20. Recommended for fans. |