Glamorous murder (Hart to Hart - Season One (DVD))

Member Name: sunmeilan

Product:	Hart to Hart - Season One (DVD)
Date:	13/10/09 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Entertaining, escapism

Disadvantages: Corny, just two episodes and the pilot

Jonathan Hart is a millionaire businessman with an unusual interest...murder and big-time crime. Along with his beautiful wife Jennifer, they often investigate crimes together, frequently getting in above their heads. Their butler come minder Max tries to keep them out of trouble, but usually to no avail. Cases on this DVD that they investigate include the suicide of an old friend of Jonathan's, that he believes is really murder; the appearance of someone claiming to be Jennifer's cousin, but seems intent on killing her and the framing of Jonathan and Jennifer while they are abroad, forcing them to become fugitives. All of the cases involve murder and incredibly dangerous situations - can the couple solve the crimes without getting themselves killed in the process?

Hart to Hart was a successful TV show that aired in the late seventies and early eighties for a total of five seasons. The show was revamped into a series of feature length episodes in the nineties. This DVD contains just the pilot episode and the first two episodes of the first series, which is slightly strange, because there are a total of twenty episodes (plus the pilot) in the first series, yet it doesn't seem to be possible to purchase the other episodes separately - just as a complete collection of the first series. Nevertheless, the episodes are long enough for the DVD to be worthwhile viewing, and it may give a taster to potential viewers.

Robert Wagner, famous actor and widowed husband of Natalie Wood, plays the part of Jonathan Hart. Jonathan is an ethical man, despite his marvellous wealth, but is used to getting what he wants when he wants - except for any women outside of his wife, which I must admit makes a refreshing change. Wagner is entirely natural in the role - it seems as though it is made for him and quite possibly it was. Yet somehow, it is difficult to feel a great deal of affinity for him - he is slightly arrogant and I found everyone's desire to agree to his every demand a bit annoying. Still, that is quite probably exactly what the creator of the series was aiming for, so I can't really blame Wagner for that. He looks fairly dated now, but at the time, he was considered a great heart-throb - I know that my mother thought he was wonderful!

Stefanie Powers plays Jennifer Hart, and is marvellous in the role. Much of her attraction is linked to her looks - she is a gorgeous redhead with a perfect body - but I think she gives a great performance anyway. She does defer slightly to Jonathan, but it is only slightly noticeable and, bearing in mind the time the show was aired, is to be expected. Apart from that, Jennifer is feisty, responsible and determined, all brilliantly portrayed by Stefanie Powers with a hint of exaggeration that was so loved during that time period - think Dallas and Dynasty and you'll know what I mean. She makes the show for me - without her, I don't think I would have enjoyed it anywhere near as much. Her chemistry with Robert Wagner is fantastic - just as well as they are forced to do an awful lot of kissing!

Another excellent character is Max, played by Lionel Stander, who brings a lot of comedy to the show. He is an older man with a gravelly voice and complete loyalty towards his bosses, often putting himself in danger to ensure their safety. He doesn't appear in the show anywhere near as much as the golden couple, but he does give a great introduction at the beginning of each episode, explaining who the Harts are and what their hobby (murder) is. It is easy to like Max, even though we find out little about his background - he is so obviously loyal that it is touching. Stander, wisely, doesn't make the role too serious and heavy, but doesn't make the comedy too obvious either.

The stories are generally good, but not particularly memorable. I found the pilot way too long and complicated - I had to watch it three times before I really understood the plot and think it was simply the chemistry between the two main characters that got it through. Apparently, it was shown in two parts, which makes sense - it is perhaps too long to process all in one go. The first and second episodes, however, are much better - at just 47 minutes, the stories are much simpler and more action-packed, making them far more watchable. I particularly enjoyed the first episode, where Jennifer's apparent cousin is hired as a hitman to kill her - the plot is fast-paced and always entertaining. On the whole though, I can imagine that after a few episodes, all would begin to merge together - it is hard to make every episode original when there are so many to watch, and can honestly say that, despite having watched many of the episodes over the years, none of the plot-lines stands out.

The show is highly glamourous and involves Jennifer wearing any number of beautiful dresses. The Harts dine in expensive restaurants, have a marvellous house in California and a plane to take them to wherever their hearts desire. This gives the whole show a feeling of decadence and escapism - it would be so lovely to have all their money and possessions. In this day and age, it seems as though crime dramas are very gritty and involving the lower echelons of society, which is fine in its own place, but it is fun to be able to escape into another world every now and again. Perhaps because these episodes were aired in 1979, the fashions don't seem too out of date - cycles in fashion seem to come around again and Jennifer always looks wonderful.

The show was created by Sidney Sheldon, which, if you know anything about his movie scripts and novels, will come as no great surprise. Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg were the producers. Each episode was then directed and written by a team of people, although Tom Mankiewicz, a Bond script-writer, is one of the recurring ones. I wouldn't say that the writing is the strongest part of the series though, simply because it relies an awful lot on action scenes - these are done well, particularly for the time. On the whole, I think the writing does its job, injecting drama and comedy into the show as necessary, but it isn't really outstanding. And much of the comedy relies on Lionel Stander and Robert Wagner rather than the script itself.

I suppose the main criticism of the episodes on this disc is that they are quite corny and everything is so terribly perfect - Jennifer's hair, for example, never loses its bounce. I think at the time that the series was made, it was exactly what the public wanted - glamour, action and the odd laugh - and the corniness was part and parcel of all that. I'm not sure it would really appeal to a younger audience. However, those that remember it from the old days will probably look upon it with some fondness, while recognising its faults. It is basically glamourous fluff, with the odd murder thrown in for good measure.

There are a couple of special features. The first is an audio commentary with the pilot episode, in which Robert Wagner, Stefanie Powers and Tom Mankiewicz are featured. Then there are a selection of trailers for other shows such as I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, Dawson's Creek and The Nanny (an American show).

On the whole, I enjoyed watching this DVD and I don't regret buying it, but it will probably remain on my DVD shelf only to be re-watched when there really isn't anything else to watch. It is entertaining enough, but just isn't that memorable. If you remember Hart to Hart from its old days and/or are fond of shows like Dallas and Dynasty and other 'rich people' shows from that era, then it is worth a watch - however, it is perhaps worth looking up a second-hand copy or going the whole hog and buying the entire series on DVD. Three stars out of five.

The DVD is available from play.com for £3.99. I bought my copy from Somerfield for just £2.99, so it is worth looking out for a bargain.

Classification: PG

Running time: 3 hours, 7 minutes

Summary: A good introduction to the hit series