FEATURES – A

Brisco County was a short-lived, genre-spanning, half-hour show that aired Friday nights on Fox as the lead in to Fox’s other new show, the X-Files. Combining westerns, science fiction, slapstick comedy as well as romance, Brisco became an instant cult classic.

The show chronicles the adventures of Brisco County Jr. (Bruce Campbell), a former Harvard educated lawyer turned bounty hunter, tracking down the Bly gang who killed his father (R. Lee Emery). Along the way, Brisco teams up with a rival bounty hunter (Julius Carry), a Mae West-ish seductress (Kelly Rutherford) and crazy inventor (John Astin) to put the gang behind bars and finish his father’s work.

Complicating matters is the arrival of a mysterious object potentially from the future called The Orb. The orb grants its possessor enhanced strength and can heal others, and becomes sought after by the Bly gang. As both sides race to take possession of the orb, the fate of the world hands possibly hangs in the balance.

Brisco County Jr. holds a special place in the hearts of many DVD aficionados. In many ways, it was the unrealized dream; the box set that you always wanted, but never thought you’d see due to its cult classic roots. After numerous false starts, many fans began to lose hope that the project would see the light of day, and everyone could share in the genius of the series. At the very least, you could prove that the show DID exist, and you hadn’t imagined the whole thing.

For me, Brisco was a briliant experiment, like many of Fox’s other “failed” launches. From Firefly to Wonderfalls to Family Guy and every series in between, Fox pushed into new territory and Brisco was there at the start of it all. As mentioned elsewhere, Brisco had the distinguished honor of serving as the lead into Fox’s other fan favorite series, the X-Files.

Thematically, the two shared many similarities. From a charismatic cast to the quirky settings and plots, they explored new territory for Fox each week with their flair for the cinematic. Alas, the 8pm Friday slot has proven time and time again to be the death knell for television series, and Brisco was no exception.

Genre television always faces an uphill battle to begin with, so naturally Brisco faced twice as much opposition given the genre spanning nature of the show. Yet, even in the face of all this, Brisco managed to find a faithful, dedicated fanbase, much like the X-Files.

PRESENTATION – C

Now, onto the box set’s overall presentation.

The outer packaging consists of a cardboard gatefold layout that fits snugly into the Campbell laden slipcase. The images chosen give the box set a nice “western” feel, and great shelf presence when stacked amongst your other television collections.

8 discs total are held in sturdy, stackable hubs graced with a picture of one of the show’s main characters, from Brisco to Comet the horse. When the discs are removed, a larger image of the main cast is revealed from underneath. Each gatefold has its own full color photograph of the cast, and complements the outer packaging well.

Finally, the 30-page booklet fits nicely into its own pocket and doesn’t slip out keeping the liner notes crease free. Despite the thickness, the booklet doesn’t impede with how the gatefold collapses.

Now, onto the DVD menu layout. This is one of the places where I’m most disappointed. Each menu consists of the same static photograph, the same theme song, blah blah blah… In other words, there’s absolutely nothing to distinguish each disc from the others. Where are the animated menus and alternate music tracks? At the very least, I would have preferred to see some different photographs or a number indicating which disc was currently playing. Finally, while I loved the theme, the one-minute loop can get tiresome by the time you get to the seventh disc.

AUDIO / VIDEO – B

The only possible fault with this box set stems largely from the Dolby Stereo 2.0 audio track. With a show as epic as Brisco, it’s disappointing not to hear sound effects panning between speakers. To make matters worse, there’s a surprising lack of English subtitles that could have made it easier to understand some of the dialogue on screen.

Originally produced in 4:3, the transfer maintains the full frame aspect ratio (1:33:1). Through no fault of the transfer, the production values of the era show, despite the lack of scratches, dirt or specks. The color values for the most part are vibrant, and special effects, such as the orb stand out as intended. All in all, it’s an excellent transfer, despite the limitations placed on technology at the time the show was created.

EXTRAS – B

For those deciding whether or not this is worth a blind purchase, I have the following advice to offer:

If you’re a Bruce Campbell fan, you will absolutely love this box set. Much like BUBBA HO TEP, fans get Campbell acting in character on the extra “Brisco’s Book of Coming Things”. And as an extra bonus, it vaguely resembles Campbell’s narration in Evil Dead when describing the Book of the Death. Campbell’s charisma and humor shines through with each description of what he sees as the future, from cars to sushi.

Next up is “A Reading From the Book of Bruce”. Chances are, if you’re a big Campbell fan, you’ve already read IF CHINS COULD KILL or bought the audiobook, so, you might be a bit let down by the inclusion of this feature. At seven minutes, it’s amusing if you haven’t read the chapter, or heard Campbell narrate it. Only one commentary track to speak of on the entire set and that’s in the pilot. Fans looking forward to Campbell’s always informative and hilarious commentary tracks might be disappointed.

The extra that makes the set truly worth purchasing is the feature entitled “A Brisco County Writer’s Room” wherein the series creators provide a detailed retrospective autopsy on the series. Weighing in at 43 minutes, you get a thorough look at the minds that created the series and the difficulties in bringing their vision to the small screen.

What would I have liked to see more of? It would have to be additional commentary tracks, by far. More information about the orb and where they planned on go with future seasons. Amusing and informative anecdotes we’ve gone to expect from Campbell’s theatrical releases.

OVERALL – B+

For 13 years, Brisco has reigned as one of the most requested television box sets and with this release it comes as no surprise why that’s the case. The series has something for everyone and is very appropriate for all age groups. Its appeal stems largely from the chemistry among the cast and the show’s rich setting. Add in clever writing, and brilliant performances and you have a recipe for a successful series.

Had Brisco made its debut ten years later, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that it’d thrive in today’s television market. In many ways, the show should appeal to fans of shows like ABC’s LOST. With it’s overall story arc, unique characters, and constantly off beat and unique plot, it’s no wonder why many fans, including myself see Brisco as truly being ahead of it’s time.