Police Woman Season 2

Police Woman was one of the hottest action shows on in the mid-'70s; it was also historic. Angie Dickinson (as Sgt. Pepper Anderson) proved that a woman could carry an American prime-time series, which would open the door to Charlie's Angels and Wonder Woman, inspiring many females to join the police force. Even more surprising, Dickinson was 44 when season two aired in 1975, making her the first mature sex symbol to hit the airwaves, a full quarter-century before "MILF" entered the English language. All 24 hour-long episodes of season two are crammed into six DVDs, yet neatly housed in a single DVD case. The transfers from film to DVD are razor-sharp. Colours and definition leap off the screen, so the episodes look like they were shot yesterday. Season two is stronger than season one, which was released six years ago on DVD (why the delay?). The stories, directing and acting are more assured and serious, with an increased number of scenes taking place outdoors, opening up the show to more elaborate cinematic shots and stunts. Much of the fun is seeing Dickinson and her fellow cops go undercover in virtually every episode, from cocktail parties in Beverly Hills to Vegas casinos in search of con artists, murderers and other bad guys. The settings change, but Anderson remains a sexy, yet dignified presence throughout, thanks to Dickinson, who advances the feminist cause without ever uttering the "f" word. Come to think of it, the show never delves into Anderson's personal life (unlike the cop shows of today), as if to say, "Who cares if she's a single career woman?" Police Woman wasn't high drama, but an entertaining action show that never dumbed itself down for the viewer. It's fun to discover guest stars that later made it big, like a very young Sam Elliott and a vampy Joan Collins, in season highlight "The Pawn Shop." Sadly, there are no extras of any sort. Dickinson and co-star Earl Holliman are still with us and their reminiscing would have enhanced this set.