You may be wondering why I’ve been highlighting TV series
being released on disc lately. The fact is that CBS has been releasing a large
number of complete series at affordable prices, even though that $100 or more
price tag seems high. When purchased as individual seasons most series can get
pretty expensive and take up a lot of room on your shelf. So these new editions
are a welcome treat for collectors and fans of those series. This week…VEGA$.
VEGA$ was on TV fewer years than I remembered. In fact it
only lasted three seasons. It was one of the many Aaron Spelling productions
filled with great looking people, more often than not women, snazzy locations
and filled with wealthy people. The situations found in this series didn’t
revolve around the mom and pops on vacation in Las Vegas but around the high
rollers and celebrities there.
Robert Urich starred as the good looking private detective
Dan Tanna. Employed by hotel magnate Phillip Roth (Tony Curtis) his job was to
do anything Roth required of him. In return he was allowed to remodel a
warehouse owned by Roth’s Desert Inn Hotel to use as his apartment, complete
with a garage that was in his living room. Driving a red ’57 convertible Ford
Thunderbird, Tanna looked cool, acted cool and took on any and all bad guys.
And when there wasn’t a job for Roth to be done, he took on other clients as
well.
While Curtis only appeared in a few episodes at first and
fewer later, there were plenty of guest stars on hand in this series. Each week
another one had some problem for Tanna to take care of as well as several other
guest stars either playing side characters or themselves as performers in town.
The series also featured regulars in supporting roles including Phyllis Davis
as an ex-showgirl and Tanna’s right hand woman Beatrice, Judy Landers as a
bubblehead second assistant and Bart Braverman as Binzer, a protégé of sorts
for Tanna. On the police force Tanna counted on Bella Archer (Naomi Stevens)
when he needed information and Lt. David Nelson (Greg Morris) when he needed
bigger help.
So what made the show special? Mostly the locations and the
gorgeous people on display here. Urich was a handsome man and destined for
leading man status. Davis and Landers were easy on the eyes. The scantily clad
showgirls were on display long before the movie SHOWGIRL and with more on than
that movie offered.
The neon signs and flickering lights of Vegas began each
episode. This was the sin city every mother warned her son about and every son
flocked to. We never saw the underside of the town or where the normal folks
like blackjack dealers or waitresses lived, those would be on display in
episodes of COPS years later. No here we got to see the good looking side of
Vegas where the high rollers swept in to be courted and played losing money in
the process.
Looking back what is truly interesting is the fact that the
series captured Vegas as it was at the time. Having been there a few year after
the show had been canceled it had changed in only a short period of time. And
if you were to go there today it would look nothing like it did at either of
those times. Vegas is a non-stop changing town.
There was never anything too serious about the series, no
life shattering world in danger type story. These were stories we’d grown used
to and found comfort in when it came to mysteries and crime stories. They were
stories that could be handled by a private eye and a few friends instead of the
entire police force or military. Better than anything else is they were entertaining.
It was the right combination of action, adventure, mystery and humor and it
kept us coming back week after week but only for those three short years.
If you were a fan of the show you’ll be glad to find this
box set available. The entire series, including the pilot which I was told was
not available in the separate first season box, is on hand and for less than
$50. So if this was one you loved then make sure you pick up this set, you’ll
be happy to find it fits easily on your shelf.
Click here to order.
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