Booker – Collector’s Edition (1989 – 1990) + Wiseguy – The Complete First Season (1987 – 1988/Mill Creek DVDs)
Picture:
C+/C Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: C-
Two of
the worst shows of the late 1980s that spilled into the 1990s are coming onto
DVD. The one that was bad and
self-amused being so only ran a season, while the other is being reissued on
DVD and was a mild hit that is lucky it ran as long as it did.
A
spin-off from 21 Jump Street
(reviewed elsewhere on this site), Booker
took Richard Grieco’s offer from that show and spun him off in what was thought
to be a good bet and belief that he would be the next big star. Of course, the next big star did come from
Street, but it was Johnny Depp. This Collector’s
Edition set is 2 episodes short of the 22-episode season for whatever
reason, but shows us more than enough of just how bad the show really was.
Smug,
tired, self-amused and putting way too much money and emphasis on Grieco, the
show is one of the worst spin-offs ever made and was just another processed
hack job from Stephen J. Cannell. Grieco
can play the male bimbo role very well, but it far outpaces any resemblance to
anyone playing any kind of police officer.
If Street had writing issues, you can imagine the scripts here are very,
very weak and are more interested in being hip than being about something. The comedy is dumb and the show reminds us
why the 1980s didn’t work.
On the
other hand, Wiseguy actually had
some writing ambition, but the storylines were from the other bad side of
Cannell production, people talking at each other in what was supposed to be
“realistic” acting and situations, but they just landed up being clichés done
without any camp moments. Ken Wahl
played an undercover cop who had infiltrated what was the last of the old wave
of organized crime, usually involving Italians.
Still
silly in its own right, Wahl became a star, but off-screen circumstances ruined
his health and career. However, he was
an interesting enough actor and the newness of that is the top reason the show
lasted four seasons. Of the 22 episodes
here, they are divided into two story acts like a soap opera. It is not as melodramatic as I expected, but
flatter than I remembered. I never cared
if he got caught because I never believed any of this in the first place. It is a curio now because of anything in the
gangster genre and because of the Sopranos
phenomenon, but it was never that good and even some interested guest stars and
cats members cannot overcome the dull writing.
However, it is at least a cult item, but don’t think the four seasons
happened because it was some big hit.
The 1.33
X 1 image on Booker looks fairly
good, but nothing to write home about, while Wiseguy looks to offer a series of older transfers that may recycle
the previous DVD sets. The Dolby Digital
2.0 Mono on both are also aged, but are as good as expected for old shows of
their kind; good, but not great. There
are no extras on either set.
- Nicholas Sheffo