I am terribly disappointed that Amazon has only the first season of Hercules the Legendary Journeys! I remember watching this series when I was younger, and I really liked it. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the first season again. It took me back to that much simpler time in my life. Now I want to see more. And I really don’t mind purchasing the whole seasons, but Amazon has to offer them first.

I was very disappointed that this did not have the tv movies with it. That makes this an incredibly short season. Had I known, I wouldn't have bought this. Universal goofed big time by not including, in my opinion, the entire first season. The other seasons are five discs, wheras this is only three. That doesn't seem right. They didn't even release the movies as a separate set. You cannot get them. This series essentially starts after many characters have already been introduced and developed. Then, they neglect to release the sixth season? Wtf?! Not cool.

I hadn't watched this when it first came out. It was the golden age of syndicated television, and would set the stage for the coming fantasy genre revolution. In fact, many of the people who worked on Hercules would go on to work on Lord of the Rings, Narnia, then back to television with Legend of the Seeker.

Hercules, even in its day, was a throwback to fun, weekly adventures. A bit campy, and not always concerned with continuous or serious storylines, yet it was an enjoyable escape. In our era, where every show doesn't know how to be anything but dark, dreary and overly mature, it is no wonder people are still watching Hercules nearly thirty years after it premiered.

Keep an eye out for early appearances of now familiar stars, or the habit of recasting the same actors in different roles. You'll see the introduction of Xena in three episodes in the first season, though not in great detail (her character wasn't originally meant to survive). She would get her own show in the same universe, though all her circus flipping through the air and other stuff made things too silly at times.

Sure, the special effects sometimes show their age, but they managed to accomplish a lot on a tv budget (and these are the people who would eventually do the f/x for Lord of the Rings). The set designers and costumers built a convincing world (though many interesting costume choices). Features a culturally diverse cast that was certainly not historic for ancient Greece, yet felt organic and not forced (and they did it long before anyone else).

It's funny how many adults say they watched this when they were kids. Not really for young kids, yet it didn't go overboard with adult references. It certainly wasn't afraid to highlight its beautiful women either. So if you want fun tv again, check out Hercules (and see if you can find the hard-to-find tv movies).

I thought it would save money to purchase an entire season rather than episode by episode - all it meant was that I was ripped off for $10 instead of $2. The quality is so poor as to render it unwatchable; I find it hard to believe this was a legal purchase - could the owners of the show possibly have let something this bad go out for purchase?
I remember how, years ago, if one copied a videotape and then lent it out and someone copied the copy etc. after a while the images were so blurry that if the voices didn't help determine which character it was, one couldn't really tell. That's what this was like. Yet I see no immediate recourse either for getting a watchable copy or for getting my money back. DON'T BE SUCKERED INTO BUYING THIS, IT'S FIT ONLY FOR THE GARBAGE - CANNOT BE WATCHED!
(I gave it a single star only because 0 was not an option) **Edit - Amazon canceled the video and says they will refund my money. It seems per Amazon that my internet/tv setup does not translate SD well, so I should stick with HD. Ultimately satisfied with transaction**

I bought this boxed set after purchasing the re-release of the series. I highly recommend this version if you want to hear commentaries by Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst(Iolaus). The packaging is a big bulkier than the 5 disk set but it is beautifully presented and the dvd’s are more protected, in my opinion. This set also includes the 5 movies that came out before the series. For that reason alone it’s worth purchasing but you also get season 1. I loved watching the show in the 90’s. It was so fun, even ridiculous at times but always entertaining. If you are looking for some good old fashioned fun look no further.

Let me start by saying this show deserves a 5 star review in my opinion. It is very entertaining, and even though it can be cheesy it is very self aware. I can't suggest the product enough. Amazon's delivery was unfortunately very unacceptable. I had to have this set replaced twice because every copy they sent me came with scratched discs and smashed cases. I eventually just bought my own replacement case and stopped dealing with Amazon. Seasons 2 and 3 came in and the cases weren't quite as bad, so maybe it is just a Season 1 issue. But I would be cautious about Amazon's quality until they get it under control.

I was pleased to see the re-releases of Season One of Hercules & Xena, and I've added them both to my collection.

However, in the case of Season 1 of Hercules, there are some elements to consider in making the purchase of this re-release.

Pros: The episodes of Season 1 are in great shape, and well presented. Plus, these DVDs also have captioning for the hard of hearing. This feature was absent in the original Anchor Bay release. Plus, the packaging is also a lot smaller than the Anchor Bay release - a standard size DVD case, with multiple discs inside.

Cons: Unfortunately, this Season 1 release contains only the 13 episodes of Season 1, and none of the 5 movies which preceded them as part of Season 1.

The other cons, although this is more due to Universal/Anchor Bay (whichever), there is no separate product of the five movies. There is a DVD with just the first two movies, and the Hercules action pack only has the first two movies, along with the three episodes from Season 1 which introduced Xena, the animated Hercules & Xena film, and the Young Hercules movie.

A plea to Universal: Release the five films in a separate product if necessary, but please re-release them. And release the full Young Hercules series. It's a great series that deserves equal exposure to Hercules and Xena.

I really like Kevin Sorbo and thin he makes a great Hercules. I've seen many of these episodes in my younger days and am glad to own all but the last season. Don't know why it's not remade and available like these the first five seasons. I think the picture quality is just ok, nothing impressive. Sound is good. Story lines are great. You can really get into this show and it's packaged well and not just stacked discs. I recommend this to anyone looking for some wholesome action adventure.