Movie:
Created and produced by Blake Edwards, Peter Gunn ran on TV from 1958-61. Edwards, Robert Altman, and Alan Crosland Jr. directed. Starring in the series are Craig Stevens (Peter Gunn), Lola Albright (Edie Hart), and Herschel Bernardi (Lt. Jacoby). Each episode in the series runs twenty-five minutes, with each season consisting of thirty-eight episodes. Set One contains the first sixteen episodes of Season 1, while Set Two contains the next sixteen. Henry Mancini provided the theme song, which won a Grammy in 1958.

Peter Gunn is a suave private detective in Los Angeles who is calm, cool, and collected at all times. With the help of various contacts, including police Lieutenant Jacoby and nightclub owner Mother, Gunn investigates crime, murder, and the mob and still has time for girlfriend, Edie Hart, who sings in Mother's club.

The sixteen episodes in this collection are: The Kill, Streetcar Jones, The Vicious Dog, The Blind Pianist, The Frog, The Chinese Hangman, Lynn's Blues, Rough Buck, Images of Sally, The Man with the Scar, Death House Testament, The Torch, The Jockey, Sisters of the Friendless, The Leaper, and The Fuse.

Before viewing this collection, I had limited knowledge of Peter Gunn, having been born quite awhile after it debuted on TV. While the series is a bit dated and somewhat repetitious, I enjoyed watching the adventures of Peter Gunn. Since each episode has only twenty-five minutes to work with, they all move at a fairly brisk pace, though some could have been slightly longer.

Picture:
Peter Gunn is presented in 4:3 full frame, as it originally appeared on TV. The episodes look decent, considering their age, but display an almost constant array of flaws. These include scratches, marks, specks, lines, and spots. Much of the time, the image is sharp and clear, though does occasionally flicker or soften.

Sound:
Peter Gunn is presented in Dolby 2.0 Mono in English. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand, with only some slight distortion. The music sounds great throughout. There are no optional subtitles.

Extras:
An interactive trivia game, which asks questions based on several episodes, is the only extra.

Summary:
Peter Gunn: Set 1 is a moderately entertaining, if dated, viewing experience for those who missed his original exploits during the late 50s. Longtime fans of the series should definitely consider a purchase, as A&E has provided the series with a decent presentation, considering its age. Newcomers might want to give it a rent first, however.