This may seem very strange, even impossible to modern kids but once upon a time watching television was a family activity. Every member of the family did not retreat into their own rooms to watch a personal TV set. There was one rather large, wooden television prominently displayed against a center wall of the living room. After dinner the whole family would sit on the couch, sometimes the kids on the floor, and watch the same program. The black and white images, this was long before color, would flicker as dad would get up and make the necessary adjustments and play with the rabbit ear antenna to get the best possible picture. This was over fifty years ago but for those of us in the baby boomer generation this was the way of our childhood. With the advent of DVD as a popular format one distributor, Shout Factory, realizes that we boomers are not dead yet and we do have modern home theaters. So, for us they have been releasing television series we loved during the time we grew up. One of the latest collections to be released is ‘The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet: Best Of Ricky And Dave’. Everyone in my generation has grown up watch Ozzie & Harriet. This was a standard for families on Friday nights. Our families would gather in front of the set to watch another family and in many ways the one we were watching were not all that different from ours. Although the term ‘adventures’ was in the title this was misleading. There were no special effects, no car chases or fights each episode was very docile. These adventures were from a kinder, gentler time and relative to that era. It has been five decades sine many of us have watched an episode of this series. We have become accustomed to faster pacing and more daring plots. Although these shows may seem tame there is something very reassuring about going back in time for a little while to recapture a piece of our childhood. Younger members of your family may not appreciate this so let the wait for the fiftieth anniversary edition of ‘The O.C.’. It is certain that their kids then will have the same reaction.

Like many of the very early television shows of the fifties this one started out as a radio series. Ozzie and Harriet Nelson were had been popular for years as a singing duo on such shows as ‘Red Skelton’. Considering its popularity on radio it was only natural for the new TV executives to transform the series into a weekly television sit-com. The fifties was the age of the nuclear family consisting of a working dad, mom at home and a few kids. After World War II many veterans were able to buy their own homes and start families like this. This series was familiar and comfortable for the households that tuned in every week. The problems they faced, usually do to mischief with the kids, were much like the ones the audience encountered in their lives. During the radio days professional child actors were used to voice the two sons, David and Ricky. Once they move to the visual format of TV the actual sons of Ozzie and Harriet were used. They also shot the exterior scenes of the house using the actual Nelson home. The show was created and produced by Ozzie so he wanted to make sure that his real family was properly portrayed. This was the first family to in fact grow up on television. When the boys got married the new wives were brought in to the show. This was a staple of most American homes between 1952 and 1966, an unheard of accomplishment today. Looking back one unintentional running gag was what Ozzie did for a living. Since this is from the perspective of the home he would go off to work and come back. What happened while he was away was somewhat of a mystery.

The focus of this DVD box set is the boys, Ricky and his older bother David. Each episode presented here showcases their comic talents and how they fit in to the family oriented high jinx. During the run of the series Ricky started to become interested in music. This should come to no surprise considering the talent of the parents. Since he was a teen when this phase of his career started it was only natural that his musical focus would be that new form of musical expression Rock & Roll. Initially there was a backlash since many adults considered this to be the devil’s music but Ozzie had faith in his son and more importantly in how their brought him up. Slowly musical numbers were permitted in the series and Ricky Nelson became a top selling musician. Unfortunately his career was cut tragically short when he died in a plan crash. These numbers make this DVD set doubly special to those of us who remember watching it. It not only brings back the style of television we remember but some of the first rock songs we ever loved.

There are twenty four episodes presented here. There are in chronological order and have examples from most of the first nine seasons the show ran. You can literally watch as the boys grow up. The first episode of the set comes from the first season in 1952. It demonstrates just how mundane the family problems were. Here, the parents have to decide whether or not to give David his own set of house keys. This may seem strange now with many families having both parents working and the kids usually given keys while still in single digit ages. Back then this was one of the milestones for a teen; to be trusted with a set of keys giving him a degree of independence from the parents. Other problems that arise are like when Ricky enters high school and gets a girlfriend or David goes off to college. There is even a special episode celebrating Ricky’s twenty first birthday. Staring around season six Ricky was working on his musical career and there were a song or two included in the story line. What is amazing is how familiar these songs still are to us boomers watching.

This is a gentle series that gives a great glimpse back in time to when families were a lot different from today. Sure it is tame and often seems like nothing really happened but this was a completely different era. This is a piece of Americana that now is sure to live on thanks to DVD. Shout Factory has always appreciated this and provides us with a tangible connection to our past. The black and white video has generally held up very well. There are artifacts and some specks throughout but overall the video is acceptable. The Dolby mono audio is understandably somewhat flat but gets the job done. Typical of Shout Factory there are plenty of extras provided. Each disc has episodes that feature Ricky Nelson singing. Each of the songs is available separately in the disc’s special feature area. Each disc also contains a full episode of the radio show. This is nostalgia pure and simple but well worth adding to your collection.

Featured Songs

Fools Rush In
Hello Mary Lou
Young Emotions
That's All
Stood Up
Right By My Side
Just Because
Waiting In School
I'm Confessin'
Boppin' The Blues
Fire Breathing Dragon
You'll Never Know What You're Missing