The Good

More CHiPs Erik Estrada!

The Bad

I think Estrada and Wilcox needed to do episode commentary tracks.CHiPs: The Complete Second Season brings us all 22 episodes of this show's sophomore year. Ponch (Erik Estrada) and Jon (Larry Wilcox) make their respected rounds as they do their best to protect the citizens of this great state. Some of the episodes featured on this release are "The Volunteers" which has our two heroes trying to safely bring a convoy containing a "volatile chlorine gas" to its destination. "High Flyer" sees Ponch getting caught up in an auto-theft ring, while Jon has things to deal with in his own personal life. Lastly, "Repo Man" sees Jon and Ponch stopping a repo scam but not necessarily being prepared for everything that that entails.

CHiPs is the kind of show that has become quite iconic over the years. It is filled with solid stories, plenty of action and the kind of mood that makes this show from the 1970s memorable.

Features

The Real CHiPs with Erik Estrada

Erik Estrada takes us through a tour of the California Highway Patrol. He talks about how he originally wanted to be a police officer in New York, acting came along, and suddenly his life changed. However, he has become a reserve officer and will soon be a Sheriff somewhere in Virginia. The CHP, with the help of Estrada, break down their respective jobs and all in all I found this featurette rather informative.

The Greatest Adventures of CHiPs

Video

Standard Version. Presented in a format preserving the aspect ratio of its original television exhibition. I must admit, I think when it comes to TV on DVD Warner Bros. does the best job of cleaning up their discs. There is a richness to the picture that makes the images seem like they have been remastered. I didn't notice any dust or any specs at all, and when you consider that some of these episodes are 30 years old that should be considered an achievement.

Audio

Dolby Digital. English: Mono. Spanish: Mono. Portuguese: Mono. The audio on this release was pretty solid. I am not saying that one would put it in a Blu-ray player and blow out their speakers, but I think that on a standard system it more than gets the job done. There isn't too much being done with the sound here but it is well put together in most ways.

Package

This green, slipcase cover features Ponch and Jon in their CHP duds and a motorcycle between them. The back features Ponch and Jon as well as a picture of the full CHiPs team. The back gives us a description of this show, a Special Features listing, a cast list, and technical specs. All 4 discs are stored in 2 slim cases, both of which contain more artwork from the show, as well as episode listings, descriptions and airdates.

Final Word

I think we have taken Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox for granted. All too often when I hear people talk about this show, it's as if they are making some sort of pop culture joke. Sure, Estrada is funny in his own little way, but CHiPs is really a great show. It is filled with solid acting, strong characterizations, and it makes every effort to take itself seriously. What more can one ask for? Now, is the acting at the level of high art? No. Compared to today's procedural shows does it really hold up? I wouldn't say that. However, this show is filled with heart and moxie and that is why we still love it after all these years.

If you like this show, I would highly suggest getting CHiPs: The Complete Second Season on DVD.