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Posted: |
Dec 29, 2013 - 1:44 PM
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By: |
Control
(Member)
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This is my first post on this board; I discovered this thread because I couldn't find any other place online that discussed The Equalizer in-depth. This is definitely the best discussion board on this show, and I commend everyone who was involved with creating this thread and keeping it alive.
As a kid, I caught a handful of episodes on network TV back in the day & was impressed by what I saw, but never got into it that much at that time (possibly it was on too late and I had school the next day, etc.)
I recently got re-interested in the series, and ended up watching all four seasons back-to-back. Wow....This show is simply superb! I watch a lot of TV, and I would have to say that this is not only one of the top ten TV shows I've ever seen, but is definitely the BEST T.V. series of the '80's. The show is so good, it's hard to believe it was a network T.V. show.
First, the theme music by SC is sublime; amazing use of synthesizer(s) - though the sound is very '80's, it's also very unusual & interesting as well. The music in the show itself was also excellent.....It helps that I was (and still am) a huge fan of the rock/pop group The Police....
Ed Woodward was incredible in this series; though some actors merely portray characters, Woodward WAS the Equalizer.
I liked how the show went back and forth between stories involving McCall helping those in need, to episodes involving his past coming back to haunt him, to episodes with (at the time) topical cold war themes.
Great supporting cast as well, including Mickey Kostmeyer, McCall's son Scott, Jimmy, Chad Redding, Control, Harley Gage, and others.
I was also very impressed with the show's themes of redemption/making up for past mistakes.
As others have said, the show really captures the NYC of the '80's perfectly; watching the series is like going back in time, and it's nice that it was (or at least seemed to be) filmed on location in the city.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the copious amount of well-known guest stars on the show, including John Goodman, Stanley Tucci, E.G. Marshall, etc. Many of these became big later, but you also had appearances by Telly Savalas & Robert Mitchum, who were big names by the mid-late 1980's....
Though the first two seasons were great, IMHO Seasons 3 & 4 were incredible. There were so many stand-out episodes I can't list them all, but some of my favorite include the following - note this is by no means a comprehensive list:
Breakpoint (Season 1): IMHO, this was the best episode in the first season. Impressive acting here by Tony Shalhoub, whom I almost didn't recognize as the actor who became famous much later playing the detective Adrian Monk (Monk is also one of my favorite shows...)
Memories of Manon, Parts 1 & 2 (Season 2): Excellent.
Beyond Control (Season 2)
Blood and Wine, Parts 1 & 2 (Season 3): Incredible opening episode, and IMHO definitely one of the top five episodes of the series. Telly Savalas was truly incredible in this, playing a completely different role from the past. The theme(s) of redemption were very pronounced here.
Mission: McCall Parts 1 & 2 (Season 3): I consider this to have the quality of a small film; great appearance by Robert Mitchum.
The Mystery of Manon, Parts 1 & 2 (Season 3)
Christmas Presence (Season 3): Amazing; very moving & poignant. Possibly the best stand-alone episode of the entire series.
The Last Campaign (Season 4): Excellent opening episode, and really set the tone for this superior final season...
Endgame (Season 4): Very disturbing & well-done; kept you guessing until the end.
Splinters (Season 4)
Silent Fury (Season 4): Extremely impressive. C.N. was amazing.
Too bad the show didn't last longer; however, maybe it's best it ended in '89. In late '89 the Berlin Wall had fallen, and I'm not sure the cold war themes that were so central to the show would have been as relevant from 1990-on. Plus, by having the show go from '85-'89, it was a purely '80's show. And, four seasons is a very respectable length of time for a TV drama to last; in fact, the show was of such good quality that I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did (it seems that some of the best TV shows get cancelled after 1-2 seasons...)
I also have no interest in seeing an Equalizer film, no matter who stars. For me, Ed Woodward will always be the Equalizer, and it will always be a show filmed & set in 1980's NYC...
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Well i thought it was a pretty well done show, however i am not in the mood these days looking at the big apple in the 80's because it may very well be a back to the future type of scenario .For the decent people in the big apple it was fun while it lasted and sadly sometimes good things have to come to an end.
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Hey, as long as we're mentioning prior Woodward roles . . .
Sorry if this has been touched on elsewhere in the thread, but the above photos of Amanda Plummer and her parents reminded me of my coincidental admiration for Woodward's contribution to one of the cuter '60s Broadway cast albums in my CD collection, "High Spirits."
"Equalizer" fans might be interested to hear how Woodward, formidable though he was as McCall,
could also do "musical com" with a suitably light touch, and a very pleasant singing voice.
In this London and Broadway musical version of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit," Woodward took over the role of the haunted husband played by Rex Harrison in the 1945 David Lean film of the play, with Tammy Grimes as the irrepressible ghost of his recently departed wife, Elvira, played by Kay Hammond in the film.
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Posted: |
Mar 26, 2014 - 4:47 PM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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Maybe they're testing the waters?
The Equalizer - VEI's First DVD Release of the Classic Action Show is Scheduled
The '80s program starring Edward Woodward gets a 'Best Of' disc this summer
Posted by David Lambert
3/25/2014
Season 1 came to DVD in early 2008, back when it looked like the motion picture remake was just a year away from hitting theaters. That film got delayed a good long time, and that probably is why Universal didn't continue with DVDs of the classic TV show starring Edward Woodward. Now that new film is looking like it will grace the cinema screens this fall, starring Denzel Washington (Training Day, Glory, St. Elsewhere) and Chloë Grace Moretz ("Hit-Girl" in Kick Ass, "Carolyn Stoddard" in the 2012 film Dark Shadows). With that in mind, our friends at VEI (Visual Entertainment Inc.) of Canada would have been very pleased last year to get the rights to release the original show on DVD.
VEI hasn't formally announced their plans yet, but based on their previous licenses (Mod Squad, Diagnosis: Murder, In Search Of..., Cagney & Lacey, and others) we usually see them release low-end "Best-Of" titles, middle-tier Season sets (or half-season sets, if appropriate), and high-end Complete Series packages. Right now the assumption is that we'll see the same three-levels of releases for The Equalizer...but again, the studio hasn't made it official yet.
In the meantime, though, the first DVD title from them for this show is up for pre-order at Amazon.com right now, through VEI's distributor in the United States, Millennium Media Services. This June 3rd release is The Equalizer - The Best Of, and it clocks in at 188 minutes, and goes for $9.99 SRP. Box art isn't available there, nor is there any cover art yet. Still, it's a start! Stay tuned, of course, and we'll have more for you, as further developments occur.
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Equalizer-The-Best-Of/19610
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Posted: |
Apr 13, 2014 - 6:15 PM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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Season two- August 26, 2014...'bout friggin' time.
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The Equalizer - At Last! 'The Complete Season 2' is Scheduled for DVD
Amazon's pre-order listing shows that this long-awaited title is targeted for late August
Posted by David Lambert
Two-and-a-half weeks ago we reported that the first VEI (Visual Entertainment Inc.) release of The Equalizer on DVD would be a "best of" single-disc title, due to be available on June 3rd. But honestly, fans aren't thrilled about something like that...they're looking for a continuation of the season sets which began with Universal's Season 1 release way back in 2008. Now fans will be thrilled to know that they'll get their chance late this summer!
VEI's distributor in the United States, Millennium Media Services, has informed Amazon.com that The Equalizer - The Complete Season 2 is going to be available on DVD beginning August 26th. Amazon's pre-order entry for the title shows a $29.99 SRP list price, but no other information is available there yet about the release. Nor is box cover art provided yet, either.
This second season (out of four in all) ran for 22 episodes, and included guest stars such as Lori Loughlin, James Rebhorn, Kelly Lynch, Jessica Harper, Jennifer Grey, Tammy Grimes, Christian Slater, William Sadler, Olympia Dukakis, Frances Fisher, Paul Gleason, Melissa Sue Anderson, Kevin Spacey, Charles Keating, William H. Macy, Stewart Copeland, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi. We'll update you more about this release, as further developments occur. Stay tuned!
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Equalizer-Season-2/19691
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