Release Date: 10/16/07

The Show

I never heard Ironside prior to my viewing of Season 1 on DVD. To be quite honest, I didn’t even notice the silhouette of the man in the wheelchair on the cover of the box set. So when I popped in that first episode and saw that the main character of the series was wheelchair-bound, I was completely floored. In this day and age, a premise like this would be so radical that it would be laughed at before it even made it into the developmental meetings. That said, it’s a complete testament to the work of Raymond Burr to take the role and absolutely run with it, making it his own, leading to 8 years of great television. Now available on DVD, Season 2 continues the series full of compelling stories.

Former Chief of Detectives Robert T. Ironside (Burr) becomes the head of his own special police unit. Left in a wheelchair by the bullet of a sniper, Ironside is a surly old man with a quick temper that uses his wit and intelligence to fight crime. Leading his crack team that includes Sgt. Ed Brown (Don Galloway), ex-con-turned-assistant Mark Sanger (Don Mitchell), and beautiful policewoman Barbara Anderson (Eve Whitefield), Ironside brings a mix of action and crime drama that could only be pulled off by great chemistry between the cast members. Episodes take place during the tumultuous 1960’s and topics include civil rights, drugs, terror, and abortion. Guest stars include the likes of Milton Berle, Bill Bixby, Ed Asner, and Ricardo Montalban.

The 8-disc set includes all 26 episodes from the second season including a Play All option on each disc.
Disc 1
1. Shell Game
2. Split Second to a Epitaph Part 1
3. Split Second to a Epitaph Part 2
4. The Saccrifice
Disc 2
1. Robert Phillips vs. The Man
2. Desperate Encounter
3. I, The People
4. Price Tag: Death
Disc 3
1. An Obvious Case of Guilt
2. Reprise
3. The Macabre Mr. Micawber
4. Side Pocket
Disc 4
1. Sergeant Mike
2. In Search of an Artist
3. Up, Down, and Even
4. Why the Tuesday Afternoon Bride Club Met on Thursday
Disc 5
1. Rundown on a Bum Rap
2. The Prophecy
3. A World of Jackals
4. And Be My Love
Disc 6
1. Moonlight Means Money
2. A Drug on the Market
3. Puzzlelock
Disc 7
1. The Tormentor
2. A Matter of Love and Death
3. Not With a Whimper, But a Bang

The DVD

The main menu comes with a static background and music. There are no submenus as the only options are the episode titles that lead directly into the show.

The video transfer is offered in 1.33:1 Fullscreen Format. There are moments of grain and flaws, however, the picture looks pretty good all things considered. I’m shocked as the quality of the picture really holds up well here with a decent level of detail and colors looking as vibrant as the day they aired.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital Mono. I guess there is only so much that you can do with the audio from an older series. With this set, it’s no different as the Mono track does what it can to keep things audible and clear. It’s not great, but it’ll do the job just fine. There are no subtitles available.

The Extras

The 7-disc set comes in 4 slimline cases with 2 DVDs in each case, all encased within a cardboard box. Each case includes episode descriptions and original airdates. Unfortunately, aside from the space saving set up, there are no bonus options.

Final Thoughts

I found myself surprisingly impressed by Ironside – Season 2. The lack of bonus options hurts the set, but I have a feeling that fans have been waiting long enough to not care about that. This is a good purchase for fans of cop dramas and fine television series.

- Morris Tang