Mister Ed: The Complete Series

This nonsensical sitcom stars Alan Young as Wilbur Post, an architect who along with his wife, Carol (Connie Hines), moves to a new home with a barn in the backyard that houses Mister Ed, a talking horse (voiced by an uncredited Allan Lane). Of course, the horse will only talk to Wilbur (Ed's signature line is “Hey, Wiiiiiiilllbur!”), leading to totally predictable confusion and complications. Producer and frequent director Arthur Lubin, who helmed the Francis the Talking Mule films of the 1950s, puts his experience to good use here, but at heart this is a buddy comedy between a man and his animal (who is not above hurling insults and smart remarks at his owner). The show, which ran for six seasons, built episodes around guest stars including Clint Eastwood, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Mae West, George Burns, baseball greats Leo Durocher and Sandy Koufax, and Abigail Van Buren (aka Dear Abby). But while there may be nostalgic interest in the series, this is unlikely to appeal to contemporary audiences. Although the first five seasons were previously released separately on DVD, all are now out of print. Compiling all 143 episodes from 1961 to 1966, DVD extras include audio commentary by Young and Hines on the pilot, as well as audio interviews with both. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)