Movie:
Created and produced by Blake Edwards, Peter Gunn ran on TV for three seasons from 1958-61, for a total of 114 episodes. 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, 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: Let's Kill Timothy, The Missing Night Watchman, Murder on the Midway, Pecos Pete, SCUBA, Edie Finds a Corpse, The Dirty Word, The Ugly Frame, The Lederer Story, Keep Smiling, Breakout, Pay Now, Kill Later, Skin Deep, February Girl, Love me to Death, and The Family Affair.

Having enjoyed many of the episodes on Set One, I eagerly awaited this new collection. Many of my criticisms of Set One still apply here – the series is a bit dated, especially in regards to gender relationships, and many of the episodes use the same set-ups, which results in some being a bit too repetitious. Still, I had a good time with Peter Gunn, and look forward to watching more.

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 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 should start with Set One, though I recommend a rental over a blind purchase. Rent it.