Raven TV Series 1992

[greenguy]

Never ever did I think I would ever see the CBS series Raven released.

http://www.amazon.com/Raven-Complet....keywords=raven

GULP...it's high priced, and MOD. I already dubbed the CBS run from my original recordings over to disc, plus have the extended cut from pay TV, but I must spring for it.

Still, I HATE the fact that MOD sets are sooo expensive.

[Evil]

The link seems to be broken:
http://www.amazon.com/Raven-Complete...dp/B01CYYFY96/

Very cool though. Thanks for the info.

[Wezzo]

$33.19 at ImportCDs. Still expensive, though. Of all distributors, Sony seem to charge the most for MOD DVDs.

[Dalekbuster523Bluray]

When I saw this I thought it meant the CBBC series from my childhood:



And then I noticed it said 1992, which was before I was born (1995).

[greenguy]

Here's the Amazon link again, hopefully this one works.

http://www.amazon.com/Raven-Complete...tv+series+1992

Here's the link for the lower price at Import CDs

http://www.importcds.com/raven-compl...2/043396476653

[OceanBlue]

Have a question about another MOD DVD release by CBS Home Entertainment. Recently, TVShowsOnDVD posted about an MOD DVD release of the first season of the two season-only US drama series Hack. It's available to buy on Amazon.com.

I'm assuming the discs in the sets Amazon.com manufacture, are purple-sided discs and are not pressed/replicated discs?

[greenguy]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

Have a question about another MOD DVD release by CBS Home Entertainment. Recently, TVShowsOnDVD posted about an MOD DVD release of the first season of the two season-only US drama series Hack. It's available to buy on Amazon.com.

I'm assuming the discs in the sets Amazon.com manufacture, are purple-sided discs and are not pressed/replicated discs?

I don't have Hack, but as far as I know all discs from Amazon CreateSpace are not pressed.

[Thomas Crown]

Wow never expected this show to be released on DVD. Despite the price and import fees, I went ahead and ordered the set.

I remember really enjoying the show. Shame that it never last more than 20 episodes or never got a proper closure.

[greenguy]

Originally Posted by Thomas Crown

Shame that it never last more than 20 episodes or never got a proper closure.

I agree. If I remember correctly, CBS put Walker, Texas Ranger on in Raven's timeslot, it took off and that sealed Raven's fate.

My set arrived today, for anyone interested, the pilot is the shorter version that aired on CBS. It runs 1 hour and 9 minutes. So anyone with the longer version (1 hour and 29 minutes) that used to air on Encore Action years ago hang onto it. This was one of my favorite series of the 90's, glad to see it released.

[chanbara]

I finished watching my set yesterday. It's cool that this finally got a DVD release, but it's a shame they didn't include the full-length pilot. Other than that this is a great MOD release.

[Thomas Crown]

Originally Posted by greenguy

I agree. If I remember correctly, CBS put Walker, Texas Ranger on in Raven's timeslot, it took off and that sealed Raven's fate.

My set arrived today, for anyone interested, the pilot is the shorter version that aired on CBS. It runs 1 hour and 9 minutes. So anyone with the longer version (1 hour and 29 minutes) that used to air on Encore Action years ago hang onto it. This was one of my favorite series of the 90's, glad to see it released.

Bump.

I finally started watching some of the episodes on the DVD set and I'm really enjoying relieving this show. Raven has some decent martial arts choreography for it's time and Jeffrey Meek handles himself well in the fight scenes. Add the gorgeous setting in Hawaii, a nice Ninja storyline arc, and you could have had a series that lasted a few more seasons. Just curious, what's the additional 20 minutes of footage about in the Pilot ? For a TV episode, 20 minutes is a lot of additional footage.

Since it was cancelled way to early, I've always wanted to see the reboot of Hawaii 5-0 do an episode that wrapped the Raven storyline where he finally meets his son. Anyone know any of the writers on Hawaii 5-0?

[chanbara]

Originally Posted by Thomas Crown

Just curious, what's the additional 20 minutes of footage about in the Pilot ? For a TV episode, 20 minutes is a lot of additional footage.

The full original 20 minute longer pilot featured the following:

- a separate storyline with Raven’s real estate agent girlfriend who ends up killed by the Black Dragons

- a voice-over memory from Sensei Masahiro

- an extended fight in the parking lot

- an extended flashback that shows the entire Black Dragon initiation/revenge scene (that we only get in pieces in later episodes).

- 2 INCREDIBLE flashback scenes with Aki (who's called Tamiko in the original pilot) including one with a Black Dragon attack which finally explains where that scene with Jonathan cutting down 2 ninja that's featured in the opening theme came from! I always felt that they dropped the ball not showing Aki in flashbacks during the series. Turns out they did in the pilot and cut all of the scenes. I can't understand why (other than for time), or why in the hell they didn't then use the scenes in subsequent episodes.

- and last, but certainly not least, there are 3 extra scenes with the magnificent Tamlyn Tomita.

Originally Posted by Thomas Crown

Since it was cancelled way to early, I've always wanted to see the reboot of Hawaii 5-0 do an episode that wrapped the Raven storyline where he finally meets his son. Anyone know any of the writers on Hawaii 5-0?

That would be cool. His son would be almost 40 now though.

[Thomas Crown]

Originally Posted by chanbara

The full original 20 minute longer pilot featured the following:

- a separate storyline with Raven’s real estate agent girlfriend who ends up killed by the Black Dragons

- a voice-over memory from Sensei Masahiro

- an extended fight in the parking lot

- an extended flashback that shows the entire Black Dragon initiation/revenge scene (that we only get in pieces in later episodes).

- 2 INCREDIBLE flashback scenes with Aki (who's called Tamiko in the original pilot) including one with a Black Dragon attack which finally explains where that scene with Jonathan cutting down 2 ninja that's featured in the opening theme came from! I always felt that they dropped the ball not showing Aki in flashbacks during the series. Turns out they did in the pilot and cut all of the scenes. I can't understand why (other than for time), or why in the hell they didn't then use the scenes in subsequent episodes.

- and last, but certainly not least, there are 3 extra scenes with the magnificent Tamlyn Tomita.

Thanks for posting the above Chanbara.

Those extra scenes really add to the plot and I wish they were included on the DVD set. I think I can answer as to why those Aki scenes that you described were never included in future episodes of the show. I remember reading on a Raven fan page in the early 2000s an interview with Jeffrey Meek who mentioned that CBS didn't want the show to explore any of the background mythology of Raven in Japan. They wanted they show to be a "Magnum P.I." type clone in Hawaii with weekly standalone adventures. Which is why from memory there was little mention of the Black Dragons or Raven's background in season 2. Shame that CBS went that route and didn't explore Raven's background.

Originally Posted by chanbara

That would be cool. His son would be almost 40 now though.

Yikes 40. Wow it really has been a long time (25 years) since the show aired. I feel old now. Still it would be fun to have one final action adventure in Hawaii wrapping up the storyline. Based on the amount of posts in this thread not many people remember the show. For any fans of Raven, I also recommend in addition to the DVD set picking up the soundtrack by composer Christopher Franke of Tangerine Dream fame. It's been available on CD for many years now and it's actually quite good for a TV soundtrack.

[Agent Bond]

I thought this was about the Highlander spinoff, lol.