Written by: Chuck at 10:07 am
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Erik Estrada, Robert Pine, Larry Wilcox, Paul Linke, Brodie Greer, Randi Oakes, Lew Saunders
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Bros.
Release Date: June 3, 2008
I remember watching CHiPs when I was younger. Didn’t everyone watch CHiPs when it was on television? I used to sit in front of the television, just thinking about the day when I could get on my own cool motorcycle and trek across the lands bringing peace to the people whenever possible. Eventually I learned that I wasn’t the real life CHiPs type. As hard as I tried I ended up more like Larry the Cable Guy (no jokes, I’m smarter) and less like Eric Estrada.
That might have been one of the coolest things about having to watch CHiPs. It brought me back to those days when life was less complex and nothing mattered more than a simple storyline and a few laughs. It also says a lot about television at the time when CHiPs was popular. I have to wonder whether it would be popular at all if it were on today. I think the answer might be that it wouldn’t be. The main draw for people was Eric Estrada. Once you got to the show, you found it wasn’t half bad, but without that Estrada leader I doubt many would have bothered to check it out at all.
Release Information:
CHiPs borrows its name from the California Highway Patrol (CHP). There were some obvious differences between the show and the real CHP, but knowing that the show attempted to make light of it, they explained things like why Ponch and Baker rode together when the motorcycle officers usually do not ride in pairs. Ponch being on probationary status helped take this issue away, though as the seasons wore on, it was just better to see them together than it would have been having them apart.
The first season of CHiPs was released onto DVD by Warner Home Video nearly one year to almost the day that the Complete Second Season was released. This second season hit DVD shelves on June 3, 2008 (the first season came out June 5, 2007). This second season includes all 22 episodes and some special features to round things out. You can pick up CHiPs: The Complete Second Season at Walmart for $29.86 or you can head over to Amazon where CHiPs
The CHiPs: The Complete Second Season Plot
This is one of those pieces of television history that everyone likes to make fun of whether they once watched it or not. It’s a cult classic in its own way and its one that manages to stay interesting as the years go by. I honestly thought that I would put this in my player and laugh at the absurdity of me wanting to be a cop because of this show. Instead, it made me all nostalgic. I laughed harder than I think I used to when I would sit around the old console television watching it the first time. It felt good to watch this again. CHiPs might be worth laughing at occasionally, but when you watch this you might end up laughing with them a little, too.
CHiPs is just one of those shows that offers that “cool” pseudo-pimp kind of feel. Ponch was workin’ it in season two. He has a hot apartment (with a spicy blonde neighbor), a good job, a hot car (Trans Ams were always so cool), and a waterbed (you know what that’s for). It’s only natural that Ponch was a hit with the ladies with all that he had going for him.
In all fairness though, CHiPs was about much more than just Ponch. He was just the main ingredient to this successful show. The fact that the two leads seem to be exact opposites just brought a sense of beauty and harmony to the show. Estrada is such the bad boy with his dark looks and his stud persona and Wilcox is the quintessential California component with blonde hair, a suntan, and his collected attitude in the face of pressure and stud-dom.
Granted, you aren’t going to give these guys the Academy Award, ever, but the show is entertaining, and since it is television, the standards are pointedly lower. Shows like this don’t exist anymore, and miss them like I do, these sets seem to keep my hankering for truly guilty pleasures in television at bay.
Some of my favorite episodes in this season include Ponch entering a disco contest, a news crew causing trouble for the guys, a Halloween night at work, a visit from Ponch’s mom, and Jon becoming somewhat of a celebrity overnight. Granted, these weren’t the only ones I had a good time watching. They were just some favorites that came to mind.
Season two of CHiPs includes 22 episodes that last for one hour a pop. The episodes have been placed in a three-disc set that utilizes both sides of the disc.
Disc One – A
Peaks and Valleys
The Volunteers
Family Crisis
Disaster Squad
Disc One – B
Neighborhood Watch
Trick or Treat
High Flyer
The Grudge
Disc Two – A
The Sheik
Return of the Turks
Supercycle
High Explosive
Disc Two – B
Down Time
Repo Man
Mait Team
Pressure Point
Disc Three – A
The Matchmakers
Rally ‘Round the Bank
Bio-Rhythms
Quarantine
Disc Three – B
CHP BMX
Ride the Whirlwind
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
CHiPs: The Complete Second Season is presented in a full-screen format at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. One thing I noticed about this set is that the quality really does vary quite a bit. The quality here is going to depend on which episode you’re watching at any given time. More often than not, the colors are unpredictable, but the video is sharp in most episodes. There are not too many compression problems though at times some of the episodes look a little ragged and worn. You will notice some dirt specks and scratches from time to time, too. This isn’t a huge problem, but it does happen enough to make note of it here.
When it comes to the audio, CHiPs: The Complete Second Season offers three separate Dolby Digital mono options. You can choose between English, Spanish, and Portugese sound. The dialogue is clear and easy to understand. There are some minor sound issues like little hissing type sounds that can occasionally be heard, but it’s nothing too distracting. There are some English subtitles also available in this set. Other languages with subtitles include French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Visual: 
Audio:
Bonus Features:
The fourth disc in this box set is dedicated to the special features. Despite having a whole disc there are only two features that are available here. The first is The Real CHiPs. This special lasts for close to 16 minutes and talks about the actual CHP officers. The feature is nicely done and shows a great respect by Estrada who hosts this selection. The second feature is over an hour long. The Greatest Adventures of CHiPs includes a look at the various adventures that Jon and Ponch had together. This originally aired on television without the help of Wilcox or Estrada. It makes for a nice addition to this set and the series as a whole.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
CHiPs: The Complete Second Season is definitely worth checking out. Old fans of the show will absolutely love this set because it puts you right back in the old days where this show was one of the best out there. People new to the show might want to rent it first because it’s certainly not like the television of today. It’s an awesome show no doubt, but it’s a product of the time when it was created. This makes it a great piece of classic television, but something that may be scoffed at by younger viewers. It’s certainly no Hannah Montana, but that’s the thing that I like about it most of all!
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, Box Set, Classic Television, TV on DVD, CHiPs, California Highway Patrol, Erik Estrada, Ponch, WB
---------------------
Written by Chuck - Visit Website
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am a Southerner, proud and true. At 37 years old, I've learned enough of life's lessons to know that nothing is as it seems in the beginning. I live in South Carolina with my dog, Big Blue and my son, Hunter. I enjoy watching NASCAR, writing short stories, riding on my ATV, and a drinking a cold beer with friends in front of the television.
