The Judy Garland Show Collection [1963] (NTSC) - Region 0 DVD

Here, after all, is a mature performer at the peak of her song-styling craft, and The Judy Garland Show Collection gathers many of her finest performances. Side One of Disc One is "Just Judy"--28 songs that demonstrate Judy's amazing range and her penchant for melancholy, introspective tunes of loneliness and sorrow, brilliantly combined with such trademark showstoppers as "When You're Smiling" and "Keep Your Sunny Side Up." Elsewhere in the set, Judy shares the stage with such luminaries as Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Count Basie, Lena Horne, Mickey Rooney, and many others, including her 17-year-old daughter Liza Minnelli, who was then on the cusp of her own stardom.

This was not the most stable time in Judy Garland's life, and she makes mistakes here and there--a show-biz great who'd falter occasionally, only to recover in grand style. But what's most evident is the sheer power of Judy Garland's talent, showcased by the finest musical and backstage talent that TV had to offer (including director Norman Jewison prior to his move to feature films). Watching this 15-hour compilation is a joyous reminder that a TV variety show, in the right hands, was the premier source of mainstream American entertainment. The Judy Garland Show had to struggle for ratings (it competed in the same time slot as NBC's popular series Bonanza), but this boxed set restores its timeless value. Pioneer has done a superlative job in presenting what is certainly one of the most impressive DVD packages ever produced. --Jeff Shannon

This 4 DVD collection contains a staggering 14 episodes - that's over half of the 26 programs taped in the golden age of variety shows. Guests include: Liza Minnelli, Lena Horne, Ethel Merman, Martha Raye, Peggy Lee, Diahann Carrol, Tony Bennet, Count Basie, Mickey Rooney, Vic Damone, Peter Lawford, Terry Thomas, Steve Lawrence, Ray Bolger, Jack Jones, Ken Murray, Jerry Van Dyke and Mel Torme among others. Special features include: 14 episodes including two concert shows, "Just Judy:" over an hour of Judy singing her best solo songs taken from the "Judy Garland Show," digitally remastered and restored, newly created 5.1 surround sound track, original mono track, over 15 never-broadcasted outtakes from all of the shows in this set, paperback edition of "Rainbow's End: The Judy Garland Show" by Coyne Steven Sanders, complete index of the shows in the 1963-64 season as well as an alphabetical song listing for all songs in the box set, photogallery of behind-the-scenes, press and glamour shots from the show, and an audio commentary with people involved in the original broadcast of the series.