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The Equalizer of 80s TV fame is really a whole other experience from the Denzel Washington movies loosely based on it. Robert McCall is a British expatriate, now a US citizen who has illegally resigned from his contracted position with an American intelligence agency (the CIA seems to be indicated, but never outright named as such). He is disillusioned with the Agency’s tactics and now uses his expertise and clout to help the common, everyday person with problems the police are unable to help them with. He rarely charges for his services, apparently independently wealthy as a result of his moonlighting his services during his employment, as he only briefly related to son, Scott (The Karate Kid’s William Zabka), in season 2’s opening episode. Between jobs, he otherwise lives a quiet life, enjoying fine food, drink and music, and is always impeccably dressed. While he occasionally must use lethal force to defend his clients from harm, he doesn’t prefer to, more-often using clever, Mission Impossible-like trickery to undermine their efforts. He utilizes a small group of oddballs and misfits, both independent contractors and Agency operatives, who are still friendly to him to help him out on his humanitarian missions, many of whom are recurring characters with well-developed personalities and quirks; these are nearly as entertaining as McCall himself, and really enhance the show. Often, too, he not only helps his clients with the problems they call him for, but also has sage advice regarding their personal difficulties, providing a “moral to the story”, yet without this ever overshadowing the main thrust of the episode— so it never comes across as corny. But this McCall, for all his steely secret agent attitude and British sophistication, is a big-hearted, very human character who is easy to love and admire. The cinematography is groundbreaking here, not so polished and sunny like the Magnum P.I.-type shows of the time, but more closely resembling the “put you there” type production of today’s crime dramas, for a grittier realism— but still less-depressing. It’s from a time when escapism was just that- a way to forget about the despair that’s really out there, not immerse yourself in it. The packaging (see my pics) is a tad silly. You would expect a fat, DVD-proportioned box to contain plastic tray/leaves with the discs on them. But on opening, you’ll find a hollowed out little square with a flimsy booklet containing the discs. Seems somehow wasteful, but the case is at least sturdy and for a little over $30 for all four seasons and a documentary bonus, this is still a great value to own one of TVs most iconic series.Read full review
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It's a reasonable value, but it has one major flaw. ONLY the first season has subtitles for those of us (myself included) with hearing problems. The first season has them. Not putting them in for all the other seasons is brutally cruel, and cuts heavily into my enjoyment of the series when I can't figure out what the devil major characters may be saying.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
From the first disc, the first notes of the opening music, the opening credits, the Equalizer was back! A refreshing visit, and a welcome one, from an old friend! You could really enjoy this man's wit and wisdom as well as his charm and his Jaguar!. Denzel was a vigilante, more than an Equalizer. Queen Latifah strikes down evil doers, usually govt related, and generally wrapped up baddies w some political claptrap. Edward Woodward's Equalizer was not about outgunning the bad guys, but by out-thinking them, and helping those who are being preyed upon, be part of the effort to play the bad guys into the hands of law enforcement. The more the bad guys struggled, the tighter their web became. People overcame their problems, w a little help from the Equalizer. They weren't just victims that needed to be saved. They were people overcoming problems w a little help from a friend. That was the secret of the Woodward Equalizer. A pleasure to watch. The stories were well written, well thought out, and well played. Robert Lansing's Control plays much better than what they have done to Chris Noth as Control. Woodward's Equalizer is a 5. Queen Latifah's Equalizer is a 2. As much as I like her, Queen's Equalizer, as written, is just too hard to watch. While she does have her moments, there is something big missing from the story-telling of that show. Edward Woodward's Equalizer is the real deal! Sit back and enjoy!Read full review
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I loved this original TV series when it came out. After a few seasons, it sort of fizzled, like most shows. This package gets 4 stars only because of the way the DVD's are placed in sleeves in the case. One must be extra careful.
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I never watched this show when it was in Primetime, and am so glad my husband recommended it. This is a great series, and is a time capsule of the 1980s. I love to see the bad hair, and hear the crazy music. This is a blast from the past, with an intriguing storyline about a retired "agent" who just wants to help those that are in a position of not getting the justice they need. Robert McCall has some colorful friends that help him, but mostly he does it on his own. I recommend this series, plus you may see some "new" actor or actress when they were just starting acting.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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