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List Price: $24.98 | | Label: Time Life Records
Salesrank: 25866
Released: May 1, 2007 |
| Our Price: $14.28 |
| Used Price: $16.70 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Beginning in 1980, over 40 million viewers tuned in each week as Barbara, Louise, and Irlene sang, danced and joked their way to TV stardom on this Top 10-rated series. It's packed with over 40 guest musical perfomances including Country superstars Johnny Cash, Alabama, Marty Robbins, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, The Statler Brothers, Ray Charles, John Schneider, Glen Campbell, and many more as well as comedy legends Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller and Andy Kaufman.
Description of Best of the Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters Show:
Best of Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters Show is a two-disc set emphasizing performance highlights from six episodes of the NBC "country music-variety" show that hit the air in 1980. That’s the same year Barbara Mandrell won the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award, and it’s a pleasure to look back on how well she took to being such a charismatic, warm, and fun host as well as a dynamic vocalist. Appearing with her are sisters Louise and Irlene, the former a good singer in her own right while Irlene is essentially a personality. Each of the truncated shows here begins with the trio bantering at the top of an episode, generally targeting poor Barbara for being the shortest, the oldest, or not much good at dancing. The first show here, from November of 1980, finds Dolly Parton singing "9 to 5" while also participating in a gospel medley with John Schneider and the Mandrells. (Each show in the series seems to have ended with a gospel medley as a signature piece, involving all the musical talent available on any given night.) This episode is also the only place that one really gets a sense of what the comedy was like on this series, in a passable bit in which one sees how only child Barbara’s happiness was destroyed by the announcement that her mother was pregnant with Louise. Another show from that same time period ushers in Kenny Rogers as a special guest, though his fine solo contributions and collaborations with the sisters isn’t nearly as interesting as Barbara and Louise’s Patsy Cline medley and tribute.
Things really pick up with a 1982 episode starring Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, who share a lot of enjoyable, old memories with Barbara and embark on a short tour of their musical legacy. Johnny sings a spare "I Walk the Line," and he joins his wife and the Mandrells on a final medley that includes "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." A 1981 appearance by Bob Hope is a treat, especially a duet with Barbara on "Buttons and Bows." (There’s also a reminiscence by Barbara about appearing in a skimpy outfit for one of Hope’s TV specials years before.) Another ’81 installment featuring Alabama and Glen Campbell proves okay, but the final show here stars Ray Charles in excellent form on "You Don’t Know Me" and a bluesy, understated "Old Time Religion." --Tom Keogh
Best of the Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters Show Reviews:
CREAM OF THE CRAP 
2009-08-01 - I have been seeing the girls on YouTube. I expected to see the good shows but was very disappointed with these shows (a waste of money)
I also know that Amazon is not at fault.
I was wondering if the "Best of Carol Burnett" or "The Best of Donnie and Marie" or "The Best of Tom Jones" are in the same category. I will not buy any more "The Best Of" series ever again.
What Price Publishing Rights...
2009-02-19 - The cheap butchers at Time Life are too cheap to pay publishing rights for the use of songs, SO they chop it out. Chop chop chop. No class, no integrity, just gotta get that extra buck.
Very Disappointed About Inferior Product 
2009-02-18 - I have already read the disappointing reviews about the Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters DVD set. I was so glad to check it out for free from the local library.
It was bittersweet watching this show. I enjoyed very much watching a show I haven't seen in over twenty years, and the edits really hampered the production of this DVD set.
Time-Life should be very ashamed for releasing such a diced up product. I don't know if the Mandrells ( I love all three!) had any say in the making of this set, but I think many fans must have felt very cheated if they purchased this. I hate to see anyone profit from such a mess. In these days during a messy recession one must be very wise and choosy about what they buy their with their hard earned precious cash.
If the season sets were released unedited I would buy them right away and all would be gladly forgiven. I don't know if Time Life holds the permanent rights to the show or not. Maybe a company like Shout! or Rhino could released the show in it's original form.
Excellent DVD set 
2009-01-28 - I purchased this DVD set a few weeks ago and I am glad that I did. There wasn't one episode on this DVD set that I didn't enjoy watching. I recommend this DVD set to any Barbara Mandrell fan.
At last - superb Barbara
2007-09-05 - Yes they are edited to 29 minutes a show and yes they concentrate on the guests - BUT it is fantastic to see the great Barbara Mandrell at last. I really never thought this would happen. This set is superb, a great reminder of a superb talent - we in the UK took the shows and they were edited by the BBC - thank you -at last I can see the greatest female US country star of all time!!! PS: I seem to have pressed the wrong button - this is 5 stars!!!!!!!
