The Big Valley: Season Two, Volume One

California's San Joaquin Valley is once again the primary setting for the action in this much-beloved Western TV series, but the second season features numerous episodes that take place outside the fabled Barkley Ranch and its immediate surroundings. For example, the tense two-parter “Legend of a General” unfolds largely south of the border, where Heath (Lee Majors) is held hostage in exchange for a recently escaped Mexican general (played by prolific TV character actor Nehemiah Persoff) who's an old friend of the Barkley family. “The Iron Box” finds Heath and stepbrother Nick (Peter Breck) sentenced to work on a road gang after being framed for stealing a bull. And “Pursuit,” a showcase for series star and legendary actress Barbara Stanwyck, is a tour de force involving Victoria's trek through the desert in search of a desperately ill Indian whom she hopes to stop from infecting his entire village. This boxed set contains the first half of the 30-episode 1966-67 season, which sees Majors—the show's breakout star—assuming more prominence, mostly at the expense of costar Richard Long's character Jarrod Barkley. Of course, this is somewhat offset by The Big Valley's other “discovery,” Linda Evans, who has many opportunities here to sashay around in sexy frontier garb. Although the series maintained a consistently high level of quality throughout, the second season is considered by many to be the best, making this boxed set an essential watch for buffs. Recommended. (E. Hulse)