Listen, my children:
Once, there was a golden time in the infancy of television, when there were just three channels. And even though there was a lot of dreck on the air even back then, occasionally a great piece of art would find its way onto the airwaves - TV programs as good as some of the best classic movies. Millions of Americans saw them together, and together were moved.
Okay, those days are gone, but Criterion is putting out a collection of some of those legendary teleplays, with terrific writers, superb casts and great direction. Rod Steiger in Paddy Chaefsky's Marty, Andy Griffith in No Time for Sergeants, Rod Serling's groundbreaking Patterns, Mickey Rooney as the utterly despicable Comedian, and more.
The old kinoscopes don't have the fidelity of film, but I'm sure the wizards at Criterion have made them as crisp and clean as possible.
TV has been good since, but never better.
DVD cover for 'Requiem for a Heavyweight,' also in the collection
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