Disney Treasures Wave IX: Zorro Seasons 1 and 2

The Disney Treasures series occupies a huge chunk of my DVD shelves. I try to collect all the animation-related waves, but have never watched any of the live action sets until now. Today Disney released Zorro Seasons One and Two, in special edition black tins and cases.

I remember watching this show in reruns on the Disney Channel with my Dad, and I’m excited to watch them with him again. All 78 episodes have been restored and are spread across 12 discs on two sets. The show aired from 1957 to 1959, and was one of the most successful shows of its time. There have been a few different home video releases of Zorro, but the Disney Treasures sets are definitely the definitive versions.

Each individually numbered set includes a collectible pin, an authenticity certificate, an exclusive lithograph, and comes in a unique black Disney Treasures tin. To my knowledge, the only other special colored DT tin has been the gold Oswald the Lucky Rabbit set (which is awesome).

Season One

The Zorro Season One set includes 39 episodes on six discs, and 2 hour-long specials:

• Zorro: El Bandido – Part 1 of a 2-part story shown as a 1-hour-special on the Disneyland television show (original air date: October 30, 1960)
• Zorro: Adios El Cuchillo – Part 2 of a 2-part story shown as a 1-hour-special on the Disneyland television show (original air date: November 6, 1960)

Season Two

The second season contains another 39 episodes on six more discs, as well as 2 more hour-long specials:

• Zorro: The Postponed Wedding – A 1-hour special that originally aired on the Disneyland television show (original air date: January 1, 1961)
• Zorro: Auld Acquaintance – A 1-hour special that originally aired on the Disneyland television show (original air date: April 2, 1961)

The video quality is pretty awesome for a show as old as this one. It’s presented in the original aspect ratio it was filmed in, and even looks pretty good upscaled to high definition. The audio sounded great through my TV, although I’ve had the theme song stuck in my head for a few days now, so be warned.

The actual DVD cases in this wave have slimmed down quite a bit compared to other Disney Treasures waves. It’s surprising how they have managed to get six discs held together so well in such a slim case. I usually stash the tins in a box somewhere and put the cases on my shelf, but these black tins look pretty sharp. Below you can check out a couple of clips from the series to wet your whistle.

Both seasons are available to buy as of November 3rd, 2009.