DVD Reviews

Diagnosis Murder: The Complete Series
Visual Entertainment, Inc.
On DVD: 11.12.13

Television has come a long way in the crime mystery genre since Diagnosis Murder. New crime mysteries are gruesome, gory, yucky and over the top. Diagnosis Murder, which aired from 1993-2001, takes me back to a simpler time, when it seemed fun and easy to solve mysteries from home and not feel bombarded with syndicated reruns of the same disgusting cases. The show stars Dick Van Dyke and his real-life son Barry Van Dyke as a father-son duo, working together to solve crimes. Dick Van Dyke is the chief of medicine at Community General Hospital in Los Angeles and his son Barry plays a homicide detective. Together, no mystery can go unsolved! Episodes are fairly easy to solve, but nostalgically pleasant to the senses. Perhaps I’m spoiled with the intricacies of 2013 CSI/NCIS/SVU type shows. Even House seems magical at times. Maybe I am too young to fully appreciate the blend of Dick Van Dyke humor, ’90s television, and implied murder seriousness. However, I will say that Diagnosis Murder is a nice retreat from the complicated shows of today and a nice reminder that classic humor never goes out of style. –Rebecca Frost

The Mod Squad: The Complete Collection
Visual Entertainment, Inc.
On DVD: 11.19.13

I have a certain fondness for shows that aired during the ’60s and ’70s. They are unknowingly clever and so retro—both of which are incredibly appealing to me. The Mod Squad delivers when it comes to entertaining, if you choose not to take it seriously (which I can’t imagine it asks why you would). It is a show about three troubled youths who work with the police department to solve crimes, The Mod Squad is an epitome of ’70s culture and “cool youths”. It pushed limits of television at the time, covering topics like war, racial tension and hippies. Upon first viewing, I literally said to my TV, “Wow. Dat fro,” when I first saw Linc (played by Clarence Williams III) on screen. The main characters are cool. Not just cool, but hip and with it. Julie and Linc seem to fit with Mod description better than Pete, who seems to be the first in a long line of 30-year-olds playing teens, but they work so well together that you forget they’re supposed to be “troubled youths.” The show seems to focus more on style than, you know, murder. It shouldn’t even be “ironic” to own the show on DVD. It’s a legitimately clever show that deserves a second look. It’s 2013 reboot material, much like 21 Jump Street. –Rebecca Frost