I’ve whined and cried about Paramount’s decision to split TV-on-DVD season releases of hour-long vintage programming into two-volume editions (and will no doubt continue to do so). While it’s a pain in the neck with every Paramount title, in the case of a show like Jake and the Fatman, it’s nothing short of a death knoll. Basically, this second-volume release of the series is lost at sea.

There’s simply little identity to glean from Jake and the Fatman without the context of the first half of the season. Yeah, yeah, I know I reviewed the show’s first volume on DVD a few months ago, but I’m sure my fellow TV-on-DVD nerds would concur that there’s something complete about diving into a full-season box set. A four-month break between releases of the same season is ridiculous.

That being said, I doubt that I’d warm up to Jake and the Fatman much more if I soaked the show’s debut season up as one cumulative collection. While William Conrad’s presence as the eponymous Fatman is decidedly full of gravitas and dramatic heft, the show is a low-rent crime drama at its most mundane. This writer is a grade-A sucker for a good crime show (even one that does pretty much the same thing in every episode), but even with Conrad’s scenery-chewing, I have yet to warm up to Jake and the Fatman.

Since these episodes directly follow those in the show’s first season volume one box set, the dramatic shape of the series is the same as it ever was. Conrad plays L.A. District Attorney James McShane, a gruff and unlikable curmudgeon who does whatever it takes to get the job done. Every once in a while we see the adorable soft side of his cranky demeanor, but for the most part, he’s a crime-fighter through and through, one who would steal an old lady’s cane if it meant solving the case. He is balanced by the studly Jake Styles (Joe Penney), the straight-man of the pair who counters McShane’s standoffishness with a steady dose of Los Angelino razzmatazz (hot cars, hotter women, etc.).

And what does this crime-solving duo do in this second half of the first season? Well, not surprisingly, it’s business as usual. This set’s first episode, After You’ve Gone, features Jake following around a hit man that he spots at the airport. But Not For Me centers on a mobster who is murdered at a famous newscaster’s house. Lady, Be Good showcases a good old- fashioned life insurance scam featuring a dear friend of the Fatman’s. These are cookie-cutter crime drama plots that neither engage nor provide enjoyable narrative escape.

As all crime-TV fans know, a show doesn’t have to be unique to be engaging. The same old scenario can play out each week for twenty-odd seasons and still give viewers what they want (Law & Order, anyone?). But the thing about these episodes is that even though Conrad gets the occasional chance to sink his teeth into a particular plot point, the show shows little muscle.

I’d like to think that there’s a chance the show’s second season might show a marked improvement, but with this whole volume one and volume two business, it’s gonna be an uphill climb.

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

These 1.33:1 transfers are nothing special. The show is presented with little upgrade or restoration. There’s softness in nearly every frame, but certain elements have been preserved nicely. Black levels are consistent, and color accuracy is pretty much spot-on, even if things get a little thin in the flesh tone department. I doubt that the show’s fans expect reference-quality transfers, but even if these presentations are acceptable, more could have been done to spruce them up.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The mono tracks are business-as-usual. Dialogue sounds all right, and music and sound effects comes through appropriately, with understandable mediocrity. But I’ve definitely heard more compromised TV-on-DVD tracks. Not much more to say.

English Closed Captions are included.

The Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

The only goodies are episode promos.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?

There are no DVD-ROM features on this DVD.