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Features: DVD
Creator Ron Koslow''s updated version of the fairytale has a double focus: the relationship between Vincent (a mythic, noble man-beast) and his Catherine (a savvy assistant DA in New York); and a secret Utopian community of social outcasts living in a wondrous world beneath the city, a sanctuary where Vincent is protected and loved. Through an emotional bond connecting Vincent to Catherine, he is able to sense the dangers her job brings her, and he comes to be her protector as well as the man she loves beyond all measure. The series follows the developing relationship between these two and the underground world of labyrinth tunnels, mystical waterfalls and people who have come together to form a loving and nurturing family. In a twist from the original tale, however, this "beast" does not transform into society''s idea of beauty after gaining the love of Catherine. Rather, Vincent''s inner beauty is allowed to remain the focus of who he is and it is Catherine''s former "shallow" self that is the ugliness transformed by their love of each other.
Editor's Note
A time-tested fairytale received a modern-day update--and made an unlikely sex symbol of bearish actor Ron Perlman--in the late-1980s television drama BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Created by Ron Koslow (BIRDS OF PREY), the series centered on the love between New York district attorney Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton, THE TERMINATOR) and a deformed but chivalric man-beast named Vincent (Perlman, CITY OF LOST CHILDREN), who lived in the city's labyrinthine underground passageways along with an entire community of fellow outcasts. As Catherine's crime-fighting duties frequently placed her in mortal danger, Vincent was there to save her from harm and share a star-crossed love that could never be consummated, providing the series with much of its achingly romantic appeal. Fueled by equal parts mystery, romance, and fantasy, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is resurrected in this collection that presents the series' debut season in its entirety.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital Mono | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Paramount |
| Release Date: 2/5/2008 |
| Running Time: 1020 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1987 | | Catalog ID: 038204 | | UPC: 00097360382044 | | Number of Discs: 6 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Standard 1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Winner (1990) | | | Emmy, Don Davis, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) | |
Winner (1989) | | | Emmy, Lee Holdridge, Melanie, Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics | | | Emmy, Judy Evans, Outstanding Costume Design for a Series | | | Golden Globe, Ron Perlman, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama | |
Winner (1988) | | | Emmy, Lee Holdridge, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) | | | Emmy, John B. Mansbridge, Charles Korian, Outstanding Art Direction for a Series | | | Emmy, Roy H. Wagner, Outstanding Cinematography for a Series | |
Nominee (1988) | | | Golden Globe, Beauty and The Beast, Best TV-Series - Drama |
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| | Professional Reviews | Ultimate DVD
4 stars out of 5 -- "It's thoughtful, poetic, intelligent, and, while not avoiding the unpleasant side of life, heart-warming." 03/01/2007 p.117The Aisle Seat 7 of 10
For all 22 first season episodes, the series charts the gradually developing relationship between Hamilton's Catherine and the Beast, named Vincent, which ultimately would come to a tragic end in Season 2 once Hamilton decided she wanted to leave the series...Though the series never really took off in the ratings, "Beauty and the Beast" was in some ways the '80s version of "Star Trek": while the program didn't stay on the air long, what audience it did attract were hard-core, devoted viewers who gobbled up any and all merchandise from the series (including a CD of poetry and Lee Holdridge's lush original score). - Andy Dursin
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