Matlock – The Fifth Season (1990 – 1991/CBS DVD Set)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: D Episodes: C-
Shocking
as it is, Matlock ran for nine
seasons as a hit for CBS, which is like Mama’s
Family running in syndication forever and becoming filler of the goofiest
kind. In both cases, the Hee Haw audience had not disappeared
and without their lead stars, neither show would have made it past their first
few episodes. In the case of Matlock, the appeal and talent of Andy
Griffith is inarguable, but the show is not about solving mysteries or the deep
inner-workings of the U.S.
justice system, but how funny Griffith
can be.
The Fifth Season is the show in the middle of its
unlikely run, but Griffith
showed his appeal and popularity three decades after his classic sitcom (also
for CBS) made him a household name. He
is obviously having fun here, but I never did and the result is a show that
once again added to CBS becoming the “fuddy duddy network” for a very long time
starting in the early 1980s. There are
21 hour-long shows over 6 DVDs and they have not aged well one bit, but at
least fans will be happy.
The 1.33
X 1 image is shot in 35mm film, but finished on analog videotape for its
credits and for broadcast and these copies are particularly aliasing-ridden and
harsh throughout. The Dolby Digital 2.0
Mono is also down a few generations and also a bit harsh, so the combination is
annoying. There are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
