The Alaskans- The Complete Series Blu-ray Review
“The Alaskans” is a curious classic TV series that doesn’t always work.
Before he became a household name as James Bond, Roger Moore starred in the 1959 ABC western series “The Alaskans” which took place in Skagway, Alaska in the year 1898 during the gold rush. The series revolved around 3 characters named Silky, Reno, and Rocky (a saloon singer) who band together to essentially act as entrepreneurs looking to earn a living. Throughout the 36 episode single season, storylines involved buried gold sled, dynamite transport, bad weather, outlaws and criminals, a baby, typhoid fever, bad news and tall tales, Reno’s brother, gold mines, a mail-order bride, false murder accusations, and Silky debts. There are more than a few recurring characters as well such as Pierre Duran and con artist Nifty Cronin.
Western series were a dime a dozen during the 50’s, but “The Alaskans” attempted to explore something a bit different with the gold rush backdrop and the Alaska location. Filmed on the WB lot, one might think the snowy setting would be hard to replicate, but the production crew does a commendable job here. Of course, stock footage also helped quite a bit in this case.
Story wise, there are recycled plots to be sure. It’s even been said that “Maverick” scripts were actually reworked and repurposed for the series. Sometimes, the writing comes off a bit stiff and the tone of the series is a bit all over the place in terms of the drama and comedy. Personally speaking, the more lighthearted elements tended to work better as it benefited the performances of Roger Moore and especially Dorothy Provine (who is the real MVP of this series). The more dramatic episodes tended to feel a bit dry and overly familiar when compared to other series of the time period.
In typical classic TV fashion, there are guest stars aplenty here with the likes of Lee Van Cleef, James Coburn, Julie Adams, Alan Hale, Jr., Dick Sargent, and so many more. It’s always fun to see who pops up in a show like this. A single guest star can elevate an episode entirely.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.33:1 1080p. How does it look? The episode prints contain 4K scans of the original camera negative and the result is another stunning restoration from Warner Archive. You’d never know this B&W series was 65 years because it looks so crystal clear.
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Viewers can expect a nice clean 2.0 track.
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