CPO Sharkey - 'Season 2,' 'Best of Season 1' and 'Mr. Warmth: The Ultimate Don Rickles TV Collection'

This past May, Time Life released The Complete Season 1 DVDs of this classic sitcom, starring the legendary Don Rickles. And it's a very inexpensive 3-disc set, but if you're looking for an even less expensive way to check out this great show from the mid-'70s, or just want to give a single-disc version of the program as a stocking stuffer, then Time Life will have you covered this holiday season:
CPO Sharkey - The Best of Season 1 (Dec. 8, $12.95 SRP, 1 disc):
The single unit DVD features six great episodes: "Oh Captain! My Captain," "The Dear John Letter," "Goodbye Dolly," "Sunday in Tijuana," "Sharkey Boogie on Down" and "Sharkey's Secret Life."
On the other hand, if you have the entire first season already, and can't wait for new episodes, then Time Life can't wait that long to bring it to you! In a little over 3 weeks from now, the studio will release the show's second and final season, completing the program's run on DVD:
CPO Sharkey - The Complete Season 2 (Sept. 22, $29.95 SRP, 3 discs):
For two seasons (1976-1978) and 37 episodes,Don Rickles brought his distinctive brand of comedy to NBC television as the star of CPO Sharkey. As a 24-year naval veteran, Chief Petty Officer Otto Sharkey had seen and heard it all. He was politically incorrect before the term existed, and the recruits he whipped into shape at the San Diego naval training center received most of his shards of wisdom. They may have been hockey pucks, but they were his hockey pucks - ready, willing, and able to endure one verbal Shark attack after another.

Season 2 finds Sharkey trying to cope with two new characters. Raw recruit Apodaca likes to "tawk" and Sharkey can't find the off button, but it's new commanding officer Captain Buckner who makes his life a living hell. They get plenty of in-your-face time during a submarine mission in San Francisco. Buckner cringes at the thought of Sharkey hosting a Japanese CPO, and almost blows a gasket when a child is born in the barracks while crusading Congresswoman Bagley inspects the base. Sharkey is under constant pressure. His girlfriend gives him an ultimatum. He deals with a bout of Russian flu. He trains Rocky-style for a boxing match with a rival Marine lunkhead. Sharkey gleefully bails out his guys by foiling a crooked used-car salesman. He's earned his gotcha moment. It sure beats squirming all day.
Can't get enough of the great Don Rickles? Okay, one of the all-time best comedians made a number of TV specials, too, and you'll get a pair of them this fall on DVD in the first stand-alone volume from Time Life:
The Don Rickles TV Specials: Volume 1 (Oct. 6, $12.95 SRP, 1 disc):
If you've never seen the Don Rickles specials, you don't know Jack about Don. Credit the CBS and ABC networks for offering him the chance to stretch out in the '70s. He jokes, sings, dances, acts, and expands the comedy horizons of the typical variety show format. He wears many hats and some rather interesting hairpieces. Don's not afraid to laugh at himself or squirm a little. Celebrities love entering Rickles' world. His good friends lend a hand-stars who can dish out as well as take the jabs. Rickles, though, is always in charge. For him, it is better to give than to receive.

The DVD features 2 uncut specials, as they originally aired on TV: "The Many Side of Don Rickles" and "Don Rickles: Alive and Kicking," along with new intros from Don. Guest stars include Don Adams, Anne Meara, Johnny Carson, Harvey Korman, Bob Newhart, Carroll O'Connor, Juliet Prowse and Robert Goulet, among others.
...and down the road you can expect TL to release a second volume with two more hour-long TV specials. What do those specials have to do with the main CPO Sharkey series? On their own, not much...other than the man himself, Don Rickles, of course. But for Don's biggest fans, Time Life is taking "all of the above" and putting them together into one nice deluxe gift set! This will certainly be the one to watch:
Mr. Warmth: The Ultimate Don Rickles TV Collection (Oct. 20, $69.95 SRP, 8 discs):
Contains four classic one-hour network television specials from the 1970s featuring Mr. Warmth with an impressive list of guest stars specials include the hilarious shows Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Special and Don Rickles: Alive and Kicking. In addition to the specials this set includes the complete series of his beloved show CPO Sharkey. For two seasons (1976 1978) and 37 episodes, Don Rickles brought his distinctive brand of comedy as the star of CPO Sharkey. Includes Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jack Klugman, Bob Newhart, John Wayne, Helen Reddy, Loretta Swift, Rip Taylor, Don Adams, James Caan, Michael Caine, Jose Ferrer, Arthur Godfrey, Elliott Gould, Michele Lee, Larry Linville, Jack Palance, Otto Preminger, Bobby Riggs and Loretta Swift.
Early next week we'll bring you a complete press release with all the details, including bonus material, for Mr. Warmth: The Ultimate Don Rickles 8-DVD set from Time Life. For now, though, here's the cover art for all 4 titles, and a single www.odvdo.com pre-order button link that lets you lock in your copy(s) of whichever items you would like: