The first thing you notice about the 21 episodes from the 1987-1988 debut season of Tour of Duty collected in this otherwise extra-less five-disc boxed set is that they seem a little different from the original broadcasts. Turns out it's the music--or more specifically the absence of the series' original classic rock soundtrack (including the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" over the opening credits)--that's changed. Granted, the generic, tuneless replacements take some getting used to, but it's not long before the series' commitment to presenting a gritty approximation (including clips of actual wartime footage) of Vietnam battlefields overwhelms all other concerns. Tour of Duty, which ran for three seasons to critical acclaim, offered ongoing character-driven stories revolving around the soldiers of Company B, a platoon led by go-getter Sgt. Zeke Anderson (Terence Knox), an “in country” veteran on his third 12-month tour in the war-torn Southeast Asian nation. Heading up a reformed beleaguered Company B full of new recruits, including a would-be conscientious objector, Anderson and his team face a variety of internal and external pressures (related to women, family, fear, and anger) as well as the daily terrors of war (capture by the enemy, the death of buddies). Falling somewhere between the old Combat series and HBO's Band of Brothers in terms of quality and relevance, Tour of Duty is recommended. (T. Keogh)
Tour of Duty: The Complete First Season
Columbia TriStar, 5 discs, 1,003 min., not rated, DVD: $49.95 Volume 19, Issue 4
Tour of Duty: The Complete First Season
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