Naked City: The Complete Series

In 1948, "The Naked City" premiered, with its star-studded opening, on March 4, 1948, at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. It was also released, nation-wide, to great acclaim. The movie won two Oscars: one for Best Cinematography, and the other for Best Editing. It was also a huge hit at the box office. In 2007, "The Naked City" was chosen for film preservation. For those who have not seen the original movie, don't worry. No spoilers will be found here. However, despite some big-named actors/actresses of the period, THE star of "The Naked City" was New York City, itself! With the exception of some precinct "inside" sets filmed at Biograph Studios in the Bronx (where the TV show, "Naked City," would have their precinct interiors filmed) all scenes were shot on the streets and in the actual buildings of the City That Never Sleeps. "The Naked City" (1948) is, literally, a snapshot of what New York City looked like in 1947 (when filmed). Although much has changed since then, there are still many recognizable filming locations intact - even in 1958, when the ABC-TV series, "Naked City" began its first broadcast season. Although different actors were used in the TV series, the names of the movie characters continued to be used throughout the 1958-1959 season. Again, with the exception of some "inside" precinct shots filmed at the Bronx Biograph Studios (where, from 1961-1963, "Car 54 Where Are You" was also being filmed using Biograph Studios as both police precinct interior and exterior), the streets of New York City were the actual stars of the show. Without giving too much away on this 1958-1959 series (assuming you haven't seen it, yet), there is one transitional character in "Naked City," who survived through to the show's re-boot in 1960. In the new hour-long 1960-1963 version of "Naked City," none of the regular characters (except for the transitional character from the first year's episodes) carried their role names from the original 1948 movie. Only one original character from the 1958-1959 series (not the "transitional character") remained with "Naked City" throughout its remaining 1960-1963 run. This Detective was not in the 1948 movie, but was an add-on on to the TV series from the first season (1958). So...If "Naked City" was so good, why was it cancelled in 1959? During that time in TV History, sponsors ruled the airwaves - not the networks. The 1958-1959 "Naked City" episodes had a few problems: first being that such complicated crimes were solved so quickly. After all, during this time, "Naked City" was only 30 minutes long! Not much time for character development and plot lines. It was pretty much a "kill 'em (victim), chase 'em (criminal) and catch 'em" formula. With the hour-long series, there was much more room for expansion of plot lines, character development/connection (especially when it came to the criminal), and, yes, much more chasing, shooting and capturing/killing of the bad guy. Despite all this drama, suspense, intrigue and great acting, the stars of the show were, once again, the Streets of New York City. Thanks to the sponsors, who truly supported and had high hopes for the show, "Naked City" took a year off to re-tool and improve on those "eight million stories" the "new" series had yet to tell. And they did it like gangbusters!!! During the 1958-1959 series, not all of the actors were New York residents. Back then, it was a real pain to travel from Los Angeles to New York on a weekly basis. The Jet Age didn't arrive until after "Naked City" began production. With the 1960 re-boot, all of "Naked City's" actors were New York/Metropolitan residents. Guest stars worked on and off Broadway shows, plus did some live TV drama work. They were known, collectively, as "New York Actors." These were young men and women who were still trying to make a name for themselves in the business. Picking up some TV work was part of that process, and TV, itself, was starving for new talent. New York was still the TV capital of the world, with so many live and (from 1958 on) videotaped productions by the three networks of that time (NBC, ABC & CBS). They were, literally, grabbing anyone, with some degree of acting chops, to be in these shows. The 1960-1963 re-boot of "Naked City" will surprise you, endlessly, as the guest stars will be people you know of, very well, and have seen in many movies in TV shows, at a much later time. You will, however, be shocked to see how young they once were, as their careers were just beginning to flourish. That, in itself, is worth the price of this boxed set! Speaking of the "Naked City" box set: Image Entertainment put out the initial "dribble" of assortment "Naked City" shows, but only from the 1960-1963 seasons. I bought them up as they were released. Some were single DVDs with 4 episodes, while others had 3 DVDs with 12 episodes. Let the binge-watching begin!!! The quality was exceptional. The last time I saw these shows, before buying the DVDs, was on a 10 year-old RCA black & white set in my Brooklyn apartment. I was 6 at that time, and knew nothing about picture quality. If I could watch it, that was good enough! Now, I work in Television, and I'm telling you that these "original negative-sourced" reproductions from Image Entertainment are fantastic! The individual DVD sets also included show bumpers and commercials, where as the box set has dropped most of those delightful extras. The single most important thing about the "Naked City" box set, is that EVERY episode, beginning in September, 1958, and ending in September, 1963, are all there!!! We have MeTV to thank for that, as they began airing the 1958-1959 season quite a few years back. True, there were other "retro" cable TV outlets airing the older "Naked City" episodes, but I have to cite the largest and most watched (and available) one of all, MeTV. THANK YOU!!! My one complaint about the box set is the inconsistency of the image quality, in terms of brightness and contrast. Some episodes are darker, while some are much brighter than they should be. Because I work in Television, this bothers me far more than it would the average viewer. That said, I'm not going to take away a star, just because I'm picky. The fact that Image Entertainment produced the complete "Naked City" TV series is worth twice the price, and an additional five stars (**********)!!! Finally..."Naked City" is a scrapbook of New York, from 1958, through 1963: One of the greatest losses to New York City was the demolition of the original Pennsylvania Station (1910-1963). Thankfully, there are many documentaries about the grandest railroad terminal in the world. These can be found on YouTube. In "Naked City," several episodes were filmed there, and at different locations inside the terminal. Sadly, demolition of Penn Station began just two months after the final season of "Naked City" ended in September, 1963. So many things that once were, are no more in New York City. So, whenever you watch "Naked City," you go back to a time where New York City was a dirty, grimy place to live. It was riddled with crime. Our subways were still running with the original 1904 train cars that were first used when the subway opened. However, it was OUR city, and we loved watching it being broadcast to the world, every Tuesday night at 10pm on ABC-TV. Trivia Quiz: What show replaced "Naked City" in September, 1963 on ABC-TV? It had to do with a certain doctor, who was falsely accused of killing his wife; his search for a one-armed man he saw leaving the scene of the crime; and a police lieutenant obsessed with his capture (the guest stars on tonight's episode). Please!!! Go buy this "Naked City" box set. Sure, the stories may be a bit outdated, but there is so much to see and learn about what New York was like during that period. Just remember: There are eight million stories in the Naked City. Now, you'll get to watch many of them!

Finally,the entire series is released on this DVD collection instead of a few chosen episodes over the four-year run. I could not find anything much wrong with the picture quality. A few grainy episodes but nothing to complain about. This was an excellent series.Probably, the first of it's kind to be shot on location on the streets of New York instead of in the studio. The first season are the 30 minute episodes before they took it to the hour -long format in season 2. The first season starred John McIntire from "Wagon Train" and "The Virginian". James Franciscus from "Longstreet" the TV series where he played a blind Private Eye, plays the young sidekick and Harry Bellaver plays Detective Arcaro which he would play throughout the entire series.John McIntire and James Franciscus would not continue their roles with McIntire's character being killed off halfway through season one.Maybe the first time that a main character on a series would be killed off. The second season would see Horace MacMahon as Lt Parker and Paul Burke as Adam Flint joining the show for the rest of it's run. High production values with intriguing story lines and a cast of well known names as well as new ones that became household names like Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall would appear. There are some kooky episodes where you wonder what the writers were thinking when they wrote them but the majority are brilliant.Even the shows that are not that great will hold your attention with the guest stars.One episode has William Shatner from "Star Trek" playing a burmese sailor.His accent has to be heard to be believed or maybe not. Below follows some of the episodes that are my personal favourites: Season Two DOWN THE LONG NIGHT Leslie Nielson [The Naked Gun] plays a man hounded by another man who blames him for the death of his family.But did he do it and why? LANDSCAPE WITH DEAD FIGURES Artwork of a man who was presumed dead for 20 years is up for auction.But the man is still alive and has just escaped from an asylum. A HOLE IN THE CITY Robert Duvall, on the last day of his life hides out at his aunt's place with two cellmates taking people hostage.The aunt is played by Sylvia Sidney a movie star from the 1930's last seen in "Damien Omen 2" A MEMORY OF CRYING A sad story of a man who does not know how to feel until his young wife dies in childbirth and now who refuses to accept her death. Marvellous performance by Luther Adler NEW YORK TO L.A. Adam Flint and another detective played by Ed Asner [Lou Grant"] travel to L.A. to bring back two killers to stand trial in New York.But things don't go to plan as Asner is shot in the neck anf Flint has to track down the brother who survived the shoot out and is on the run.The brothers are played by Robert Blake ["Baretta'] and Frank Sutton [ Gomer Pyle"] MAKE BELIEVE MAN A vagrant who disappeared 19 years ago is kidnapped and used as an American Colonel who helped with a revolution years earlier as he bears a striking resemblance to the Colonel. But will he make it out alive now he has returned to the land of the living.Chester Morris who was a star of the 1930's plays the vagrant. TAKE AND PUT A funny episode to end season two. A story of a once well to do family who have fallen on hard times and their maid who steals for them. Horace MacMahon gives a splendid performance as the slow burning Lt Parker whose two detectives, Flint and Arcaro, like and feel sorry for the family but who Parker describes as a bunch of Peter Pan's. Season Three THE CORPSE RAN DOWN MULBERRY STREET A hearse carrying a corpse all the way from Italy is hit by a truck.The driver,Al Lewis [Grandpa Munster] from "The Munsters" is killed instantly but the corpse jumps out of the coffin and runs down the street.Played by Sorrell Booke [Boss Hogg] from "The Dukes of Hazzard". ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEN IN THE WHOLE WORLD. Richard Conte plays a gangster who's 12 year-old son has received a below passing grade in school.The relatives of the boy want him taken away from his father as they consider him a bad influence. What will the gangster do. Will he entice ,bribe or threaten the teacher to change the grade to an A. Will the teacher stand up for his beliefs and conscience or will he succumb to the pressure put upon him.And what of the boy? A CASE STUDY OF TWO SAVAGES Arcaro is wounded in a senseless shooting.While he lies critical in hospital the two Bonnie and Clyde newlyweds who shot him played by Rip Torn and Tuesday Weld ,continue their rampage across the city. THE TRAGIC SUCCESS OF ALFRED TILOFF Alfred Tiloff, played by Jack Klugman ["Quincy", "The Odd Couple"], has been a loser all his life.But, now thanks to his wife, Alfy is a success. Successfully kidnapping a little girl and holding her for $25,000 ransom. But can Alfy allow the little girl to be killed or will he sacrifice himself to save her. THE FINGERS OF HENRI TOURELLE Luther Adler plays a man found murdered in his office.But who killed him and why and where is the murder weapon and a missing piece of a puzzle? Is he laughing at them from beyond the grave? THE MAN WHO KILLS THE ANTS IS COMING TODAY A sad tale of a patrolman who is on the breadline see's his whole family life unravelling around him and cracks under the pressure's of life taking the whole of the 65th precinct hostage including Lt Parker. THE ONE MARKED HOT GIVES COLD A young boy named L. Childe, the L stands for Love, is put in an orphanage by his father.The mother is deceased. Years later the boy now a man played by Robert Duvall returns, having grown to mistrust the world, he is prone to violence and has committed murder. He breaks into the orphanage to look for his files and to find his father. For what purpose?. To seek vengeance or to seek the love he has gone without for so long. He is now also falsely charged with child molestation by a jealous landlady who he rebukes but who knows that his only friend is a 12 year old girl who only see's good in him AND IF ANY ARE FROZEN, WARM THEM. A light-hearted episode about three elderly Romanian gentleman who hatch a plan to rob a bank. Lt Parker puts his two officers, Flint and Arcaro, on duty to cover the Romanian wedding of the leader of the group.It happens that Romanian wedding celebrations last three days and nights. Funny scene when Lt Parker goes to see how his men are getting on and finds Flint swigging from a jug of wine and Arcaro dancing with a fat Romanian woman. When spotted Arcaro escapes to the banquet table while Flint tries to explain to Lt Parker that it would have been rude to refuse to drink as it is customary.When Arcaro says that the dancing woman would not let go of him,Lt Parker replies "Of course not.Where else would she find a prize like you" THE KING OF VENUS WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU Jack Warden ["Crazy like a Fox"] plays a murderer on the run.He hides out in an abandoned water tower where he comes across an 11- year old boy who calls himself "The king of Venus". The man needs the boy's help to escape over the rooftops to safety.The lonely boy begins to see the man as some sort of father figure.Will he help the man escape? Season four KILL ME WHILE I'M YOUNG SO I CAN DIE HAPPY This episode involves Arcaro,[ Harry Bellaver]. When a man of Frank's years falls in love will it end happily or will it end tragically. When a jumper, played by Maureen Stapleton, is saved from committing suicide Arcaro begins to feel something for her.But why was she trying to kill herself? A HORSE HAS A BIG HEAD.LET HIM WORRY A story of courage and determination. A small boy,registered as legally blind, gets cut off from his school group on the streets of New York. He now tries to make it home from Manhattan to Brooklyn by himself.But is he able to achieve this all alone. N.B one of the boys with a patch over a lens on his glasses [Tommy Norden] and another boy seen later on in a gang [Luke Halpin] would two years later act together as brothers in a series of their own as Sandy and Bud Ricks on the TV series "Flipper" MAN WITHOUT A SKIN George Segal plays a hot-shot detective who put's his life as well as his partner's in danger, see's his partner killed in the line of duty.Transferred over to the 65th he now put's Lt Parker and his team in danger.Getting himself slain in a shoot-out with Lt Parker wounded,Parker takes responsibility and decides to retire.

There are 8 million stories...At long last...NAKED CITY is going to be released COMPLETELY on November 5th of this year (2013)...with ALL 39 half hour episodes from 1958 and ALL 99 hour long episodes from 1960 - 1963....CHECK OUT THE FABULOUS ART WORK !!!! Naked City...New York City...the place where a landmark police TV series (based on the 1949 film The Naked City) was produced by Herbert B. Leonard. The series with so many great guest stars...Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, Carroll O'Connor, William Shatner, Burgess Meredith, Robert Duvall, Ed Asner, Suzanne Pleshette, Eddie Albert, Robert Culp, Steven Hill, David Janssen, Rip Torn, Eli Wallach, Peter Falk, Claude Rains, Telly Savalas, Leslie Nielsen, Nehemiah Persoff, Jack Lord, Walter Matthau, Malachi Throne, Dick York, Alfred Ryder, Mitchell Ryan, Jack Klugman, Keenan Wynn, Dennis Hopper, Barry Morse, Brett Somers, Roddy McDowall, Martin Balsam, Frank Sutton, Hume Cronyn, Lee J. Cobb, Logan Ramsey, Jack Warden, Mickey Rooney, Martin Sheen, Peter Fonda, Orson Bean, George C. Scott, Jean Stapleton, David Wayne, Richard Basehart, Jesse White, Bradford Dillman, Frank Gorshin, Dana Elcar, Jon Voight, Michael Strong, Anthony Zerbe, Al Lewis, John Karlen, George Maharis, Vic Morrow, Henry Hull, Michael Conrad, Ross Martin, Richard Jaeckel, Simon Oakland, Luthor Adler, Chris Walken, Geraldine Brooks, Lois Nettleton, Keir Dullea, Myron McCormick, Louis Antonio, Susan Oliver, Phillip Abbott, Robert Blake, Woodrow Parfrey, Russell Collins, Robert Morse, Roger C. Carmel, Jeremy Slate, Sorrell Brooke, Joe De Santis, Nina Foch, Robert Loggia, Murray Hamilton, Johnny Seven, Jay Novello, Kim Hunter, James Shigeta, Abraham Sofaer, Richard Conte, Tuesday Weld, Joanne Linville, Michael Constantine, Edward Andrews, Neville Brand, Lonny Chapman, Paul Richards, Michael Tolan, Carol Rossen, Herschel Bernardi, Eileen Heckart, Dan Duryea, Joseph Campanella, Ed Begley. and...of course...the greatest and weekly guest star...New York City. The 1958 episodes star John McIntire as Lt. Dan Muldoon and James Franciscus as Detective Jimmy Halloran (shown on extreme bottom left looking at DVD package front side) while the 1960-1963 episodes star Horace McMahon as Lt. Mike Parker, Paul Burke as Detective Adam Flint and Harry Bellaver as Detective Frank Arcaro (shown on extreme bottom middle looking at DVD package front side). Really giddy for this set now that the release date and Art Work are now available. Not only does the beauty of late 50s early 60s New York City appeal to viewers...not just the many great guest stars appeal to viewers...but the hard hitting stories from the mind of Stirling Silliphant and his many varied talented writers yield many different stories about people in the Naked City from all walks in life. From the rich and famous to the ordinary every day Joe on the street...eccentrics...business men...syndicate members....business owners...those that struggle to make ends meet...tourists...immigrants...cops...politicians...poets...sailors...painters...professional sports figures...engineers...military veterans...professional hit men...men on death row...you name it...find their way into the drama that is...NAKED CITY. Some of the absolute best hourly episodes not previously released will come with this set such as "The Deadly Guinea Pig", "Killer With A Kiss", "Without Sword and Stick", "Bridge Party" and "A Corpse Ran Down Mulberry Street". Don't let this set pass you by. Lawrence Dobkin's narration of the hourly shows is superb and sets the proper mood for the hourly drama. Nelson Riddle's "Naked City" theme (for the hourly show)..is outstanding. The show, theme and narration for Naked City are five stars and then some.

I grew up with this show and saw some of them back when it originally ran. Years later I found on DVD some of the shows on several collections then had the one of 40 episodes gathered together. Now I have started watching from the first season and love it so much more. What prompted me to get it recently was I have a Roko device that runs the shows on several of the channels. Problem is they break in the middle of a sentence for commercials so I decided to get the complete boxed set and it is well worth it to have. First off after the Roko experience that kept it in the old style instead of filling the entire screen like now. Then the picture quality is as good as anything today while the sound is 2.0. The writing, acting and feel of the episodes is so good and not dated at all like some series sometimes are. This is a great series that is so much more spectacular with all the techno wizardry that has been done that makes it such a much more pleasurable experience. I have already watched 6 shows and its later that it began to have great well known guest stars that enhanced the series even more and its great to see people who got bigger but at the time of the show they were struggling actors like Dustin Hoffman or Eli Wallach. With the choices today that are nowhere as good its nice to see a show like Naked City that you can see why its a classic appealing to all kinds of new audiences. I am having so much fun watching them in order and having a binge watching and will have a marathon weekend

The series debuted in 1958 when I was 7 years old. I was not allowed to stay up and watch it. It came on Tuesday nights at 9:30 p.m.; however, after the Rifleman at 9:00 p.m., it was off bed for this second grader. When it returned to television in 1960, I was 9 years old and allowed to stay up until 10:00 p.m. Unfortunately, Naked City returned as an hour program starting at 10:00 p.m. on a school night, still after my bedtime. So, I only caught an episode here and there when school was out. The word on the playground and from my brother, who was 5 years older and got to watch it on occasion, was that it was realistic, gritty, and adult. I pre-ordered the complete series here on Amazon and have now had a chance to open it, examine the packaging, check the discs, and play a couple from the first (30 min) and second (1 hr) seasons. Here are my impressions: DISCS AND PACKAGING: The discs are singled sided, that's a big plus with me right off the bat. Each season is in a plastic case, and all four cases are in a cardboard box. For some reason, cases holding seasons one and four snap shut nicely, but seasons two and three don't snap shut worth a darn, annoying but not a big deal. The cases and discs holders work pretty well to keep the discs protected. I put 7 discs from seasons one and two in my Sony DVD player and all loaded properly and played when selected. The menus on the discs are simple, but got the job done. VIDEO AND AUDIO QUALITY: As noted in other reviews, season one episodes (30 minutes) lack the quality of later seasons. The video and audio quality of the episodes, both 1/2 hr and 1hr, vary quite a bit. Some are very good (pretty close to excellent) and others are not. They appear not to have been remastered, thus it seems to depend on how well the print of the episode was stored and has held up. None were what I would call poor, but one or two were good minus. But, considering that when the series was originally aired, we had a 13" Hoffman B&W television with a roof antenna, they're probably better than what I would have seen in the early 1960s. I pre-ordered a set on October 19th at the $99 price. I don't know what happen, but sometime around October 27, I noticed the price on my pre-order had gone down to $25.48, WOW! I immediately ordered another set as a Christmas gift. So, I got two for $25.48 each. At that price, the set, even though not remastered, is a screaming deal. Because of the hit or miss quality of the episodes, had I paid a hundred dollars for the set I would have considered returning it for a refund. I'm not sure I would have actually returned it, but I would have "considered" it. Nonetheless, at $25.48, it's more than worth it. QUALITY OF THE SHOW ITSELF: From the episodes I viewed, this was a great show . . . and still appears to be so. I will enjoy watching it over the next couple of years (one or two episodes a week) during my retirement. And for me, they'll be FIRST RUN! Cool. *** ADDED January 27, 2014 *** I've now viewed half of season one. I'm moving my rating to four and a half stars. This is simply great television. The video is not that bad at all. Besides, if it was too good, I might forget it's 55 years old. Not only is it better than most of the series offered on network televion today, you get a full 25 minutes instead of the 22 currently offered. I'm looking forward to season two where I'll get 50 minutes instead of 44.

I shelled out the money to buy the entire Naked City Box set because 1) I remembered the show as a small child (but was too young to understand or appreciate it), 2) watched a few episodes on late night television (1:00 am) while in college which kept my interest enough at that hour to keep me from falling asleep and the episodes I saw were quite memorable from what I remember 3) I explored the show more recently in the last ten years via its availability on DVD rentals and really enjoyed what I saw. 4) residing near the NYC area and working there for a few years can really make you appreciate the program. Therefore, when I found out the entire series would be released in a box set, it was a no brainer because I was anxious to see episodes I have not seen yet. Plus, I never saw any of the half hour episodes ! I wasn't disappointed in buying this. Print is quite clear for a show that is 50+ years old and enough episodes I have not seen yet to warrant the purchase. Story lines in the show are ageless themes. Some of the episodes I remember as being so good, I actually watched over again before moving on the ones I have not seen. Nothing comes close to this on television now. if you have never seen this program before, episodes I recommend you save for last because they are unforgettable: "NY to LA", "C3H5 (NO3)3, "The Wednesday Night Story", "Which is Joseph Creeley", Case Study of Two Savages", "Lament for Dead Indian" , "The Rydeker Case", "Daughter, Am I in My Father's House, "Kill me While I'm Young so I can Die happy", "A Horse has a Big Head, let Him Worry", " Bringing Far Places Together", "Barefoot on a Hotbed of Coals". This is just an excellent sampling of the 1 hour shows and I have not seen the half hour episodes yet. The box set is a must purchase if you appreciate television classics from the 50s and 60s and if you have ever lived or worked in NYC (or have an appreciation of old Pontiacs !)

Everything wonderful about this series has already been said. But if you are new to it -- you are in for a seriously good ride. It explores 50s NYC like no other television show, besides "Man With a Camera." The city is the main character here, it lives and breathes way beyond the story lines. I'm not of this era but my folks are and when they come over they have pin pointed places that they've been and I'm all sorts of fascinated. Also, I love seeing old cars, gadgets and signs (the last disc of this series, and the only extras are a few commercials from this era). But enough about how great this show is (I know, I know, I said nothing else needed to be said about it, and I gave an entire paragraph devoted to its awesomeness), let's talk about the quality of the discs. The show looks OK. They haven't been remastered and the first season looks subpar. It is still highly watchable, but if there is a night scene, forget about seeing anything that remotely resembles details or distance. The second through last season discs look great. Like the loser I am, I ran through all the discs to make sure. Nothing majorly obtrusive, but again, the image could be cleaned up and they would really sparkle. The Naked City is a great TV show. It is up there in my top five, nestled between The Rockford Files and The Twilight Zone. A great series and it is a joy to finally have the complete set.

For those unaware, Naked City is a police drama series which aired on ABC from 1958 to 1963. In all there were 39 half hour episodes and 99 hour long episodes. It boasts a cast which, over the years, featured James Franciscus, John McIntire, Paul Burke, Horace McMahon, and Harry Bellaver as police detectives in the NYPD’s 65th Precinct, This anthology series from Stirling Silliphant, who went on to great fame with the series ROUTE 66 and the film IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, was groundbreaking. Not totally corny, as you would possibly expect a television show that ended over 50 years ago, the acting is great and the stories are compelling. As most of the shows of this era, it boasts a stunning array of then little known or unknown talent who show up throughout the run. Included in that last are such luminaries as Gene Hackman, Rod Steiger, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Duvall, Peter Fonda, Alan Alda, Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, James Caan, Robert Redford, Jack Lord, Ed Asner, Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, Martin Balsam, Telly Savalas, Christopher Walken, Robert Blake, Bruce Dern, Peter Falk, Jack Klugman, Suzanne Pleshette, William Shatner and so many more. And the list of established stars also reads like a who's who, with everyone from Eddie Albert to Keenan Wynn and much of the alphabet in between making appearances. The transfer is good and now that the price has dropped under a C-Note, I jumped at the chance to add it to my library, where it sits proudly next to ROUTE 66. By the way: the episode "Four Sweet Corners" served as a sort of pilot for what became ROUTE 66.

One of the most worthwhile purchases I've ever made on here. I had almost bought the 4 3DVD sets then saw this. I'm glad to have the whole thing. Excellent story-telling, and considering the age of the source, the quality as extremely good. There is also a plethora of guest stars (some in their first ever credited role, and gone on to greatness). My favourite episode is Season 2, Episode 4 (Down the Long Night) featuring Leslie Nielsen and the amazing (and seemingly ubiquitous, he's in no less than six episodes as six different characters) Nehemiah Persoff (who, incidentally, also had an uncredited role in the original movie). But with William Shatner, Carroll O'Connor, Barry Morse and scores of other guest stars, there are many other episodes that number among my favourites. Fans of the film-noir will no doubt enjoy this.

Classic 50s 60s TV cop show good stories good stars good series

I am disappointed it doesn't have subtitles nor to have captions for the deaf.

Best TV series ever ... period!!!

I loved every minute of Naked City. I enjoyed watching the background, the way the stories were recorded, i.e. no music. I enjoyed seeing big stars in their early years. I love the time period, and the atmosphere of that era. I recommend this video to anyone who likes police films, or time periods.