How does a cheesy, short-lived TV series rate a DVD release? Elementary, my dear reader: it's The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries! This irresistible piece of late-1970s nostalgia inspired by the perennial favorite children's novels by Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene is for those who grew up enthralled by Tiger Beat cover boys Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy and Pamela Sue Martin. This extra-less two-disc set contains all 14 first season episodes, but unlike the series, which alternated the teen sleuths' adventures, all the Hardy Boys episodes are contained on one disc, with the Nancy Drew episodes on the other. Cult movie and TV aficionados will get a particular kick out of the Nancy Drew episodes, which feature an eclectic roster of future stars (Jamie Lee Curtis and Robert Englund in "The Mystery of the Fallen Angels," Mark Harmon in "Mystery of the Solid Gold Kicker"); venerable character actors (William Schallert, Marjorie Lord, the infamous Bob Crane); and, among those behind the camera, B-movie icon Jack Arnold (Creature from the Black Lagoon). The Hardy episodes are, with apologies to the boys' hairstyles, quite shagedelic, despite the rather suspect acting and the obviously studio-bound sets. Who needs the Scooby gang when you've got all-American boys Frank and Joe Hardy creeping through fog-shrouded cemeteries, dangling from cliffs, or foiling a plot on guest star Ricky Nelson. "The Mystery of the Flying Courier" contains a pop culture milestone: Cassidy singing "Da Doo Ron Ron," launching his meteoric music career. An optional purchase, at best. (D. Liebenson)
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: Season One
Universal, 2 discs, 682 min., not rated, DVD: $39.98 Volume 20, Issue 3
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: Season One
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