Design: The Boomtown DVD set comes in a neatly packed tri-fold cardboard case. The DVD set contains five discs, each with their own plastic casing. The cover features all seven main characters from the Boomtown TV show. The front inside cover lists episode descriptions with the remaining information continued on the opposite end. The second interior cover of this Boomtown DVD features a still photograph of main characters in different clothing.
The photo is surrounded by press excerpts from TV Guide and People Magazine. The entire Boomtown DVD set is accented with highlights of city-like graphics. The back of this DVD lists a synopsis, special features, credits and company information. Each Boomtown DVD disc features a photo of separate characters from the TV show. There is not much that makes this DVD set stand out when it comes to the design. It is very plain in nature, but the “Boomtown” show title is very noticeable.
Quality: Since the TV show was canceled, I purchased a Boomtown DVD set to watch old episodes. The package includes all episodes that aired on TV during season one, including the pilot episode. The simplistic packaging is very efficient for a set with five discs. There are eighteen episodes total in the Boomtown DVD set. The menu is easy to navigate, but does not have additional chapter points for each episode. I was also disappointed in the fact that there are no episode descriptions anywhere on the menu. That requires users to have to constantly reference the DVD case to find information about each storyline.
Special Features are located on disc five and include two “Featurette” listings on the Boomtown TV show. The special features also include fix audio commentaries from ten people involved in this TV show. The fourth disc appears to be faulty, making it difficult to watch the entire first season of Boomtown. One of the last episodes on this disc freezes up, even after numerous attempts at trying to replay the disc. The Boomtown DVD is listed as having 2.0 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. It makes me wish that I had a large home theater to see if that makes a difference in watching the Boomtown DVD set. I have played this TV show product on various DVD players and televisions. It always has less than desirable sound quality no matter where it is played. This requires that I turn the volume all the way up just to get an average audio level.
Price: A Boomtown DVD set does not cost more than $15 at many retail stores. That is a great deal, compared to the average price of $35 or more for TV shows on DVD. I purchased a Boomtown DVD set because it was an inexpensive product that might be hard to find in the future. A $15 price tag is the norm for used DVD sets. That price cannot be beat when it comes to Boomtown, especially for a brand new set of five discs.
Content: The Boomtown DVD set would have been fine without the special features. Both the “Building Boomtown” and “The Boomtown Shuffle” Featurette chapters were not entertaining at all. There is more talking than action, which made me want to skip these special features. While viewers do get to check out what goes on behind-the-scenes, those particular sections are still limited. The audio commentaries can be just as bland unless they feature one of your favorite actors from the TV show. The entire season of Boomtown makes up for what the special features sections lacks in entertainment.
Each episode is filled with an even amount of drama, action and a small amount of humor. Gary Basaraba plays Officer Ray Hechler, who brings lighthearted relief to tense scenes with his flippant personality. Boomtown may get annoying if you do not like to start from the beginning of a scene more than once. Since it shows a crime from four different points of view, each scene is relived through another character in all episodes. Viewers get to watch how a crime occurs and is solved from the angles of a journalist, police, prosecutor and medical examiner.
Verdict: The Boomtown DVD set can be a very entertaining experience. That is, until you reach the final disc and get to a boring set of special features. Having to turn the TV volume all the way up is not enjoyable. It adds another task of having to remember to turn it back down to a normal level when taking Boomtown out of a DVD player. Considering that this was a good show that is no longer on air, the Boomtown DVD set may be a worthwhile purchase.
