REVIEW: Maverick: The Complete Series

I was just a little too young to catch Maverick when it first aired between 1957 and 1962, but over time, I kept coming across it among the list of best westerns and best television series from the 1950s. It came up when Roger Moore was discussed and, of course, when James Garner took his charming persona and transplanted it from the West to Jim Rockford.

Oddly, I missed the reruns in syndication and only caught a scene here or there. But I did make time to see the entertaining Mel Gibson remake feature film. My friend Howie kept extolling its virtues through the years, and yet it proved elusive.

Until now. Warner Archives has released The Maverick: The Complete Series as a Blu-ray box set. All five seasons and all 125 episodes can be found across 32 discs, each season in its own clamshell plastic container.

What set this series apart from its many rivals was its smart, funny writing, thanks to series creator Roy Huggins. He took the era’s clichés and flipped them, so everything felt fresh and different. His protagonist, Bret Maverick (Garner) was not a gunslinger, but an inveterate gambler, who claimed to be a coward to avoid drawing his six-gun.

Beneath the surface, though, was a kind-hearted soul who came to the aid of those truly deserving of help. Cheaters got their comeuppance, much to the audience’s delight. About a quarter of the way through the first season, Jack Kelly was introduced as his older brother, Bart. They played off one another very well, but more often than not, they alternated episodes throughout the next 2 3/4 seasons. When Garner quit, Beau Maverick was introduced as a cousin and played by Roger Moore.

Finally, Huggins and Garner were gone, ratings were declining, and Moore quit after 14 episodes, complaining the script quality had dropped. Warners insisted on recycling their Western scripts with minimal changes, which they presumed no one would notice. So, in stepped Robert Colbert as Brent, a third brother.

The show limped to a 13-episode final season with just Kelly as the sole Maverick.

The series, at its peak, seemed clever and was filled with good story adaptations from other sources, filled its guest roles with fine stars of the day, and gave a young Robert Redford his first screen credit. Several characters recurred throughout, giving it a fuller world than other series of the day. Here, Efram Zimbalist Jr. made five appearances as dapper James Aloysius “Dandy Jim” Buckley. He made such an impression, he was moved ot his own series, 77 Sunset Strip, which has also just been released a complete series from Warner Archive.

While the DVD set was welcome years ago, these are new 1080p HD masters in 1.33:1, with pristine black-and-white. The scans deliver impressive clarity, letting you see details likely missed on CRT screens of a bygone era. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono tracks are just fine, letting you hear the hoofbeats, pistol shots, and cards being shuffled without a problem.

A nice touch is that throughout the seasons, select episodes come complete with their contemporary advertisements, notably including eight Jeep commercials featuring Buster Keaton. Alas, that’s it for special features.

If you’re curious, as I was, or a longtime fan of the actor or genre, then this is well worth a look. Tell Santa I sent you.