From the moment that Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn (Jane Seymour) first stepped from the stagecoach into the mud of Colorado Springs, TV audiences had a new destination on Saturday nights. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman won popular... more » and critical acclaim--including five Emmy® awards--with its tales of courage, conviction and romance on the American frontier. When the show was cancelled after six seasons, it sparked one of the largest viewer protests in TV history. This comprehensive collector's set gathers all 17 episodes from the groundbreaking first season--plus a host of exclusive extras--on 5 DVDs. Old fans will delight in revisiting favorite moments, like Dr. Mike's first kiss from Sully (Joe Lando) and General Custer's visit to town, while newcomers will be captivated by the gripping, family-friendly stories and painstaking authenticity. Return to Colorado Springs for the unforgettable first season of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, available for the first time on DVD!« less
Solid family entertainment with the old west. A must watch for western fans!
Tina H. from COLORADO SPGS, CO Reviewed on 4/1/2010...
I enjoyed this innocent family entertainment even with it's inconsistencies about what the west was REALLY like.
0 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
An Open Letter to A&E...
L. Shirley | fountain valley, ca United States | 11/08/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Dear A&E...
Well, now you've really gone and done it this time. You've got me addicted, make that readdicted, to this wonderful series. I really tried to limit myself to only one episode a day, but found that impossible. I found myself once again involved in the lives of the townsfolk of 19th century Colorado Springs. Dr. Mike, Matthew, Colleen, little Brian, Loren, Myra, Horrace, Hank, Jake, Robert E., Grace, Cloud Dancing, Black Kettle, Miss Olive, The Reverend, and Sully(ahhhh... Sully), have all touched me in some way. After each episode I am left with a tear running down my cheek or a lump in my throat, but most often with a smile, that may now need to be surgically removed!
The stories are so well written and heartwarming. There are very few TV series today that even come close. I've had to sit and watch, as week by week, the townspeople slowly warm to a lady Doctor treating their ailments(sometimes adding great tension to the story), as friendships and bonds develop, the love between Dr. Mike and her new family grows, and of course as her friendship with Sully(ahhhh... Sully), turns to romance. Each episode has something new to offer. Some are full of danger and adventure, others touched my heart, some made me laugh, and I even recieved a bit of a history lesson in each epsiode.
The weekly cast including Jane Seymour, Joe Lando(ahhhh... Sully), Orson Bean, Gail Strickland, Chad Allen and Larry Sellers held me captive with their outstanding work on the series, and on top of that I was subjected to performances from legendary guest stars such as Jane Wyman, Johnny Cash, Diane Ladd, Kenny Rogers, and Robert Culp. Add to that the fabulous music of William Olvis, the beautiful cinematography, great direction, and marvelous period costumes and well..I'm hooked!
Now about these DVDs...You have released them in a beautifully packaged set. The entire first season, including the feature length pilot on five discs, all in their own keep cases, look and sound terrific. The picture is clear with vibrant and lush colors. The Dolby Digital Sound is excellent, and you managed to include ALL the credits. While waiting for my recently ordered Season 2 to arrive, I have been enjoying the bonus features including the A&E epsiode of "Biography" featuring Jane Seymour,the photo gallery and the tour of Colorado Springs. Each disc has it's own interactive menu for epsiodes and scene access as well.
For a total of 14 hours(not counting the extras), I was taken away to another time and place and didn't want to come back!(and did I mention Sully?) You may want to consider adding one of those " Caution...Contains lots of love..May Be Addicting" warning labels to the buying info.
A&E..I have two words for you...THANK YOU!
If you just want a sample of this great series check out:Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman: For Better Or Worse
Laurie
P.S. I wish I could have gone 5 stars for this excellent DVD package, but without subtitles or captions they cannot be enjoyed by all...please think about this in future releases."
One of the finest shows ever....
L. Young | Georgia | 02/18/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dr. Quinn is one of the finest shows ever produced. For six seasons, this show took us back to the period just after the end of the Civil War when the West was still wild, beautiful and dangerous. Jane Seymour is unforgettable as Dr. Michaela Quinn who leaves Boston high society to begin a medical practice in Colorado Springs. The history of medicine unravels before our eyes, along with the history of the West, the injustices carried out against Native Americans, the birth of the railroad, etc. Dr. Quinn also tells one of the greatest love stories ever written for television. The chemistry between Jane Seymour and Joe Lando was truly amazing.There was good reason for the uproar unleashed when CBS canceled this show before its time was done. It was a terrible mistake in judgment. It is a decision that continues to haunt the President of CBS, Leslie Moonves, who recently admitted that he still receives (more than 7 years after Dr. Quinn's cancellation) over 100 protest letters and e-mails a month.If you have never seen this show -- watch it now (commericial-free!!!) and enjoy one hell of a ride."
Love the show but DVD's to pricey!
L. Foster | 08/27/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I became addicted to Dr. Quinn after seeing it on the hallmark channel. I really would like the whole series on dvd, I bought season 1 through a seller at a reasonable price, but the rest of the series are so much more expensive I think for now Im going to do the old fashioned way of video taping them. Hopefully the price will come down if A&E will learn how to package them so they don't have to charge so much. I have the Little House series and they were low $30's. Thats what these should be! 3 stars because of the price!"
One of the few series for ALL ages
L. Foster | 03/22/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I first heard about the concept of the show in 1992, I was already convinced that I just HAD to see the very first episode (pilot). And gosh I am glad I did, I have been watching breathlessly for six years! The first season in my opinion is the best, because it illustrates how hard it was for women to earn respect in a men's world. Dr. Quinn (Jane Seymour) is one of the first woman doctors and when she moves to Colorado Springs, a woman on her own, not married, she has to convince the townspeople that she is very capable as a doctor. Then, when she gets the care of three children, she's also a single mother. GREAT stuff!! Besides that the life and culture of the Cheyenne people, are beautifully brought out. Dr. Quinn, gets her indian name 'medicine woman' from chief Black Kettle as she saves his life.Beth Sullivan has created a masterpiece, a series for prime time to watch with the whole family. Jane Seymour is lead actress and we finally see that she can do more than acting in mini-series. Joe Lando (Sully), Chad Allen (Matthew), Erika Flores (Colleen) and Shawn Toovey (Brian) show us great acting as well!"
Feminism as a Family Value
Nenah Sylver | sunny Arizona | 07/03/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Ditching my TV in the mid 1980s made me happy. There was not much worth watching. When I acquired a secondhand TV ten years later, it was for video movies only (and then DVDs, when they became popular). But I was running out of movies. I was sick of all the gratuitous sex and violence--and the depiction of women as vapid sex kittens, their value in meeting Mr. Right, and men as James Bond clones.
Then I met Dr. Quinn.
The glowing Amazon reviews inspired me to start renting. What I was not prepared for was how feminism suffuses this series. What are "family values," exactly? Not the insipid standards from sit-com land, where humor consists of putting someone down at the expense of another. These "family values" are kindness, reverence for nature, respect of people regardless of race or gender...in short, the golden rule to treat others as one would want to be treated. A TV show that includes respect for women as independent, intelligent people is a rare find. But one might expect this in a series that a woman conceived, women produced, and where the majority of episodes were written by women as well.
The feminism in Dr. Quinn is not devoid of art. It's not a political statement smacking you in the face. It's an organic part of the story. The story is always first, which is what makes this show so great. We sympathize with Dr. Quinn as she struggles against the sexism and patronizing attitudes of the townspeople, trying to set down roots as the "lady doctor."
Racism takes its rightful place alongside feminism. We are rightfully horrified by the white people's mistreatment of the sensitively portrayed Cheyenne Indians (of particular note is the wonderful wise character of Cloud Dancing). And we see how the town's hatred and mistreatment of black people poisons, especially the ones who hate. The writers achieve a nice balance between depicting the world as it was, while simultaneously showing that the "world as it was" was sometimes very misguided.
For the first half dozen episodes, Jane Seymour does not seem to have settled into her character. It takes almost the entire first season to sense her as a rounded person. But if the characters are not quite developed, they are not caricatured either. The acting is superb, making one want to know more about these people whose lives are already so intertwined and promise to be more so in future seasons. It's unusual to have such a large cast; but every person stands out as an individual with something to offer the plot.
As Jane Seymour states in one of the special features, she did considerable research to make sure that the medicine of that time period was accurately portrayed. The thousand of little details, from costumes to sets (and horseback riding skills) all add to the authenticity of the episodes.
Season One, which provides the foundation for subsequent seasons, left me with an urgent desire to see more. Highly recommended. I'm giving this 4 stars because most of the other seasons are even better."