Actors: Robert Culp, Bill Cosby
Number of discs: 18
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Shout! Factory / Timeless Media
DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014
Run Time: 4100 minutes
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
It pains me to say that when I first think about “I Spy” today, the terrible 2002 film starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson comes to my mind first. The better version of “I Spy” is no question the 1965 television series starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. For the first time ever, Shout! Factory and Timeless Media are releasing the complete series on DVD. All 82 episodes are here spread out over 18 discs for the award-winning series. These two secret agent intelligence operatives Kelly Robinson (Robert Culp) and Alexander Scott (Bill Cosby) are still just as sly and funny as ever. This show has not lost it’s class at all and was a blast to revisit with the complete series on DVD.
This show originally aired on NBC from 1965 to 1968. It was not only popular but also critically acclaimed, winning numerous awards including 1967 Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Series, three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor for Bill Cosby and the Primetime Emmy® for Outstanding Musical Composition for Earle Hagen. “I Spy” also included some very memorable guest-star performances from Gene Hackman, Jim Backus, Ron Howard, Boris Karloff, Martin Landau, George Takei, Don Rickles and Eartha Kitt, who was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her role.”
“I Spy” was a great blend of comedy and drama. The chemistry between Culp and Cosby was great. The show also aired at the peak of secret agent genre, mid 60’s, following on the heels of the hugely successful James Bond films. At the time every studio was trying to deliver their own brand of secret agent TV shows, films etc. Luckily, this show was one of the ones that stood out. Also I learned some interesting information about this show that it was banned from certain in the South due having an African-American (Bill Cosby) in a leading role. This was an interesting time in TV but it was also a very entertaining time.
Each episode is presented with its original full frame 4×3 Broadcast ratio. All 4,100 minutes or over 68 hours of television. They also each come with a Dolby 2.0 track, which delivers for the show. The episodes aren’t perfect but they are decent. If you were looking for a complete 4K restore, you will be disappointed but the episodes are still looking good for a show that premiered almost 50 years ago. There are no additional special features included here, which personally is a bit of a let down because I am sure they could have scrounged up some old featurettes or commentary tracks from previous releases.