The Good

This show mixes comedy and intrigue very, very well.

The Bad

If Doris Roberts can do a commentary track why can't 007?

Laura (Stephanie Zimbalist), Remington (Pierce Brosnan) and Mildred (Doris Roberts) are back in Remington Steele: Season 3. Whether they are getting in hot water in the French Riviera, searching for someone in Malta, or simply uncovering a blackmail scheme of some sort, you always know that the action is going to be hot and the banter witty for everyone concerned. What makes Remington Steele so much fun to watch is how it deals so easily with all the situations it puts it's characters in. Also, the sexual tension between Remington and Laura seems to have reached a fever pitch in this wildly entertaining third season.

Features

Steele Trio

Michael Gleason, the co-creator of this show talks about the chemistry between Pierce Brosnan, Doris Roberts and Stephanie Zimbalist. We also hear from the show's writers about what they were trying to accomplish with every episode. It really seems like this is a show that just worked because the right elements had been put in place to make it successful.

The Baking of Steele In The Chips

A very well done featurette that examines this episode. What makes it so special is the fact Stephanie Zimbalist co-wrote it. Basically, she took the downtime when the show was done for the season and used it to pen this script about a no calorie cookie. As someone who likes to write, I found this featurette to be very beneficial to watch.

Steele Michael

This featurette examines "the nucleus of the writer's room." Also, it appears that Remington Steele altar-ego of show co-creator Michael Gleason. While I think this featurette might be a tad redundant, overall it does the job in getting the point across about where this show came from.

Commentary Tracks

There are commentary tracks for the following episodes. "Diced Steele" with Michael Gleason, Doris Roberts and writer Jeff Melvoin. "Now You Steele It, Now You Don't" with Michael Gleason, and writers John Wirth, Brad Kern and Jeff Melvoin. Lastly, we have a commentary track on "Steele In the Chips" with Gleason and co-writer/co-star Stephanie Zimbalist. I chose to listen to the last commentary track because I found it interesting that Zimbalist went from acting to writing an episode for herself. While this covers much of the same ground as the similarly titled featurette, I really liked hearing how the actress came up with the idea for the show.

Video

Full Frame - 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio. These episodes being from the mid-1980s don't look dated so much as they look a little bit older. What I like about this show is that it is fresh. Not that shows that look dated aren't, but there is a vitality to this show which I think comes about because of the subject matter. These characters are always up to something and that intrinsically creates the feeling that things are happening (even, if nothing really is).

Audio

Dolby Digital. English - Mono. Subtitled in English and Spanish. Close Captioned. Normally, the suave accent that Pierce Brosnan employs might bug me. However, the dialogue for this show is so rich and quick that I think Brosnan's speech patterns are more than necessary. Overall, I didn't have to turn my set up that loud and considering how dialogue laden this show is, I feel I got everything that I was intended to get.

Package

Remington stands in the forefront of this DVD cover with Mildred and Laura standing happily behind him. As usual, Remington dons his famous tux. That back features a positive/negative shot of the same front cover photo. Laid over this is a quote from Laura Holt, a description of the show, a special features listing and some technical specs. All four discs are housed in two, slim cases and have the same front cover as the box which stores them. The backs give us various pictures from the show, a listing of the episodes as well as descriptions of each one as well.

Final Word

With all the success that Pierce Brosnan has in other shows, I love that he hasn't really distanced himself from Remington Steele. Of the DVDs for this show that I have reviewed, Brosnan has been involved in all of the special features. When you consider how far past this show he has gone, especially with the James Bond movies, it is really nice to see him back here talking about this show in a serious, thoughtful way.

Fans of great 1980s TV can rejoice in yet another solid release from the Fox Home Video vaults.