Simon & Simon: Season 3

"Simon & Simon" was such a spectacular, unique, humorous and fun detective television series.Jameson Parker was perfect in the role of private investigator A.J. Simon.Gerald McRaney was perfect in the role of private investigator Rick Simon.Tim Reid and his real-life wife Daphne Maxwell-Reid both made their "Simon & Simon" debuts in the third season.They would both appear in seasons three, four, five and six.The third season of "Simon & Simon" originally aired on CBS from September 29, 1983 until March 29, 1984.Here are the exact running times for all 23 episodes from "Simon & Simon: Season Three" on this Shout! Factory DVD release.Disc 1:Grand Illusion - 49:07DJ D.O.A - 49:10I Heard It Was Murder - 49:11Bail Out - 49:14Disc 2:Fly the Alibi Skies - 49:10Shadow of Sam Penny - 49:09Caught Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - 49:10The Bare Facts - 49:13Disc 3:Too Much of a Good Thing - 49:09Betty Grable Flies Again - 49:11Bon Voyage Alonso - 49:09All Your Favorite Games - 49:10Disc 4:John Doe - 49:04Dear Lovesick - 49:07Bloodlines - 49:10Heels and Toes - 49:11Disc 5:The Wrong Stuff - 49:04Double Play - 49:10Under the Knife - 49:13Harm's Way - 49:08Disc 6:The Dillinger Print - 49:05Corpus Delecti - 49:06The Disappearance of Harry the Hat - 49:06All 23 of these episodes are presented in uncut form on this Shout! Factory 6-disc set.The picture quality and audio quality on this DVD set are both good.The packaging that Shout! Factory used for "Simon & Simon: Season Three" is perfect.There is a cardboard slip-cover case that holds three different slim plastic DVD cases inside.All three of the slim plastic DVD cases hold two discs each.Notable guest stars from the third season of "Simon & Simon" were Alex Henteloff, Andrea Elson, Anne Francis, Barry Livingston,Belinda Montgomery, Bert Rosario, Brandon Call, Cathryn Damon, Christopher Stone, Dane Clark, Daphne Maxwell-Reid,David Kaufman, Dick York, Donald O'Connor, Don Grady, Doug McClure, Edd Byrnes, Fionnula Flanagan, Gary Lockwood,Glenn Corbett, G.W. Bailey, Harold J. Stone, James Avery, James Sutorius, Jeannie Wilson, John Walsh, Jonathan Banks,Kay Lenz, Louise Sorel, Mario Lopez, Matthew Labyorteaux, Michael Callan, Michael Constantine, Mills Watson, Molly Cheek,Pat Hingle, Peter Brown, Richard Sanders, Richard Yniguez, Robert Lansing, Scott Brady, Tim Reid, Tom Simcox,William Lucking, William Smith and William Windom.

There is something nearly magical about being 'on top of your game', and "Simon & Simon: Season Three" was truly at it's peak. Not only were stars Jameson Parker (as sweet-tempered, preppy A.J.) and Gerald McRaney (as gonzo Vietnam vet, Rick), superb, and Mary Carver, as their long-suffering but loving mom, Cecilia, given real opportunities to shine (and let's not forget Marlowe, Rick's scene-stealing big ol' mutt), but the arrival of Tim Reid, as funny, street-savvy Det. 'Downtown' Brown, provided the missing element the show needed; a likable authority figure to tell the boys their clients are guilty and their theories, crazy, then join in the adventures to catch the real villains ('deputizing' them, regularly!). While he doesn't arrive until the seventh episode, the chemistry is spontaneous, and by the end of the first appearance, he's 'family'!For those who followed the series faithfully, some slight but noticeable 'tweaking' is evident; Rick's 'Nam backstory is beefed up, providing more dramatic opportunities (if making some of his first season silliness a bit out-of-character); the stakes are raised (with the brothers occasionally in REAL hot water with the police on both sides of the border); and the clients and fees are a bit higher-class (although the guys still have problems collecting!)Some stand-out episodes: "Shadow of Sam Penny", a nifty Film Noir detective movie homage, with film legends Scott Brady, Dane Clark, Joan Leslie, Anne Francis, Elisha Cook, Jr., and TV's best 1960s leading man, Robert Lansing, as Penny; "The Bare Facts", with the brothers 'under cover' at a nudist colony (no easy feat on G-rated network TV!); "Betty Grable Flies Again", with Pat Hingle as a disgraced WWII AAF pilot trying to find his old plane (a beautiful, vintage bomber); "The Wrong Stuff", with Gary ("2001: A Space Odyssey") Lockwood again an astronaut, if an alcoholic, washed-up one; "Double Play", where the boys are framed, arrested in Mexico, and lose their license, with Mary Carver giving a moving speech on her unhappiness at their careers; and "The Dillinger Print", a potentially farfetched tale of gangster John Dillinger still being alive, lifted by one of Parker's finest porformances of the entire series, and cameos by veteran 'tough guys' Harold J. Stone and "The Untouchables" Bruce ('Frank Nitti') Gordon.This is THE season, the real start of the best seasons of the series, and if you love "Simon & Simon" (or would like to see why the show was so popular and ran so long), this is a great place to find out!

Although I'm a little young to be able to say that I watched this when it aired on television, I DID watch reruns when I was in my late teens. I fell in love with this show and at one point in time had every episode taped from television... yes, on VHS. Obviously the quality of those and the fact that I haven't owned a VCR for over 5 years made for a great reason to purchase this series on DVD. The ONLY problem that I have with this series is that I can't afford $50 per season. So, I only own up to season 4 and that's because I was able to find some of the seasons cheaper through another store. Although most of the seasons are probably worth the money, I just can't justify spending that much on an older show even if it was terrific and still is!Overall, the Simon brothers are terrific characters and I have loved Gerald McRaney in so many other things since this show ended. Jameson Parker is also terrific in other things that I have seen him in and I don't know if they could have cast two people better. Having siblings, I realize the connection that siblings can have and it is not easy for two people that are not related to portray this connection in a show... but these two do it beautifully. This is also a show that my husband loves and he usually hates watching the older tv shows that I love. You know all those shows that are being remade these days.... how about do this one again but bring the two of them back. I bet they could still pull it off!

Bought this to go along with season one to and four

Always liked the show when originally aired. The relationship between the two brothers, opposite but compliment each other.

I really like the shows that mirror famous 40s bogart and grandpa's war flying days. The second season has a bonus with an old car and antiques.