The Paper Chase: Season One
Starring: John Houseman, James Stephens, Tom Fitzsimmons, James KeaneDirector: Ralph Senensky
Studio: Shout Factory
MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Running Time: 1080 minutes
DVD Release: April 7th 2009
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DVD Review
The Paper Chase was a one hour dramatic series premiering on CBS in 1978 that won great critical praise, garnering the Emmy for Outstanding New Series. Based on the movie and novel, rural Minnesotan James T. Hart (James Stephens) is unprepared for the life of a first year law student at an Ivy League law school. In his first class, he elicits the ire of revered and feared contracts professor Charles W. Kingsfield(played by the brilliant John Houseman reprising his Academy Award winning movie role). But Hart is committed. And smart. And so is The Paper Chase. In order to keep up with the never-ending workload, Hart joins a study group for support. Each episode explores the trials and tribulations, the successes and failures, the competition and camaraderie that each student faces.
User Reviews
Great TV Show - Rating: 5/5
Since this DVD set is a pre-release, obviously this is a review for the series, not this particular DVD edition. That said, I am rejoicing about the DVD release of the "Paper Chase" TV series. I agree with the other reviewers that the long wait is over! Hallelujah!
Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Rating: 5/5
This is great news! I watched every episode, including the ones on Showtime.
THe show was just a work of art!
Laverne and Shirley was one of the reasons it was cancelled by CBS.
HOO-RAY!!! THE LONG WAIT IS OVER!! - Rating: 5/5
This has to be one of the most eagerly anticipated debuts to DVD set for those who were devotees of the 1978 CBS-TV show, "The Paper Chase". I have one show that I taped on VHS back in 1979, which I had been watching, hoping and praying for the DVD set to be released. And now it has!! This is simply television at its best, the ensemble, headed by John Houseman, in the role of the fascinatingly brilliant curmudgeon Kingsfield, who both teaches and torments his students to become the best that they can be, is a tour de force acting triumph. His Academy Award was well deserved. His presence in the series gives a bit more humor and interest as the episodes progress, than that of the motion picture. James Stephens, in my opinion, is the quintessential Hart, giving more sensitivity and naivete than the portrayal by Bottoms. The rest of the students in the study group are also much more effective and likeable than those in the motion picture. I felt the motion picture study group was very one dimensional, we only saw arrogant Harvard kids. But the television series study group was a bit more diverse, allowed to develop intto interesting personalities we grew to love, with lots of humor and pathos, especially the character of the luckless Willis Bell --remember "Liberty" Bell?. I can't wait to purchase this set, it is well worth the money. Not hard to understand why this program was voted Outstanding New Series. Of course one knew that it would be cancelled by the network, it was way before its time. Now, it can be appreciated and revered by a whole new set of fans. Kingsfield would be pleased INDEED.
Finally, the wait is over! - Rating: 5/5
The Paper Chase: Season One
Finally, our wait is over!! I enjoyed this show when it was on originally and am glad to see that somebody has had the good sense to release it on DVD. I hope that everyone will support this one so that the distributors will be encouraged to release all the episodes, even those from Showtime. All of the characters and the interactions with Professor Kingsfield are worth every moment of your time spent watching. Hooray for those who appreciate the television shows of the past! Hooray for Professor Kingsfield! I can't wait to see him again!!!!
FINALLY - Hurrah, Hurrah, hurrah!!! - Rating: 5/5
Finally the best show ever cancelled comes to DVD. Let's hope the Showtime seasons will also show up. I signed up to Showtime just for this show (and have stayed there ever since.) The whole cast for this season and all the following were excellent! I can finally dump all those VHS tapes that I have saved and watched over and over and that bootleg set (which was worse than my own VHS tapes).
