The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries

I have really enjoyed reliving my early and mid teen years through this wonderful show.I had forgotten what a crush that I had/have on Parker Stevenson!! I'm so glad that it has been released on DVD and hope that the other two seasons won't be far behind. It's great for teens to have a chance to watch some of the great programs that we grew up with, especially with the shows that they have to watch today. If you haven't bought the first season DVD yet, I strongly recommend it. If you have kids they will love it, if not and you grew up in the 70's it's great to watch and go back just for a while. Not that we're old by any means, we just had good taste !!! Also, it couldn't hurt to let Universal know how much you would like to see the other seasons. Lisa

When I was eleven or twelve, I fell madly in love with The Hardy Boys! I was an avid fan of the television series starring Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy. Recently, I have been able to enjoy the series again on American video.

The series was based on the 'Hardy Boys' books by Franklin W. Dixon, although was largely updated for the 1970s. Frank and Joe Hardy were the eighteen- and seventeen-year-old sons of Detective Fenton Hardy (Edmund Gilbert). They lived in the fictional coastal town of Bayport in Massachusetts. Although both their parents featured in the books, in the t.v. series they had no mother and were cared for by their stern but loving Aunt Gertrude (Edith Atwater), their father's sister. In the first season of the series, the boys were still at school and most of the action took place in Bayport.(Also, their hair was shortest in this series and suited them best!) In the second season, the mysteries took them to more exotic locations such as Hong Kong, Acapulco and Africa. By the third series, the boys were in their early twenties and working for the F.B.I. They were joined on some mysteries by girl detective Nancy Drew (almost certainly the future Mrs. Frank Hardy), played first by Pamela Sue Martin, then by Janet Louise Johnson (whom I preferred).

The casting of Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy as Frank and Joe was near-perfect as they complemented each other handsomely (pun certainly intended!) Parker Stevenson as blue-eyed Frank was very much the leader, taking the initiative and making the decisions most of the time. He tended to be headstrong but was more reserved emotionally than his younger brother. Shaun Cassidy played Joe as tending to be in his elder brother's shadow and adopting a rather cynical view of matters. Although Joe generally conceded to Frank, he was more than capable of taking initiative and working independently (one example being his selfless rescue of a little girl from a fire in 'Arson and Old Lace'). He showed emotion more readily than Frank (such as in 'Dracula' when their father was seriously injured).

Edmund Gilbert's role as Fenton Hardy tends to be overlooked although he was a real sweetie. He was dedicated to his work but always found time for his sons. Firm but benevolent, he admonished Frank and Joe when necessary but was equally ready to console them. The Hardy men made a very close family unit and I think this is what I liked most about the series. Most of the adventures featured Frank and Joe becoming involved in one of their father's cases. The Hardys were intensely loyal and were always there for each other. This was perhaps best shown by their mutual devastation and subsequent joy in the episode 'Sole Survivor' from the second season. (It made me cry. Watch it to find out what happened!)

After 'The Hardy Boys', Edmund Gilbert tended to be heard rather than seen in his acting career. During the 1980s and 1990s, he voiced dozens of films and t.v. programmes. He died from lung cancer in May 1999 aged sixty-seven. Parker Stevenson has continued to appear in films and t.v. series, including as Craig Pomeroy in 'Baywatch'. He was married to Kirstie Alley and they had two children. Shaun Cassidy acted and sang for a while before turning to producing and writing. He has married three times and has four children.

Although it looks rather dated now, 'The Hardy Boys' is still a most enjoyable adventure series to watch. The plots were well thought out, combining action, mystery, emotion, a little romance, good supporting roles and, often, twists at the end. And - Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy had such lovely smiles and were just so CUTE!

It is difficult to introduce the concepts of mystery and investigation to a youngster through television today. Most current detective shows offer up unnecessarily gruesome storylines to paint a bleak portrait of the lives of cops chasing criminals. That is where 'The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries' proves to be so different- as do other detective shows of that era, like 'Murder, She Wrote', - except that THB/NDM was tailored to appeal to teenaged audiences. Every episode presents an intriguing, yet innocent mystery that is solved by the respective young detective (or 'part-time investigator') using logical deduction and the occassional gut feeling. The sequence of investigation depicted is exactly as described in the books, thus making it the perfect show for Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys fans. The actors play the eternally-beloved title characters well, and there are only a few fairly negligible departures from the original storylines that in my opinion, only increase the viewers' enjoyment. There is also a certain quality to the writing of the dialogues that can induce a wave of nostalgia in anyone familiar with the books. Every episode in the entire series focuses mainly on the case at hand, and never dwells too long on the characters' personal lives. Their eccentricities and quirks come out while they work, therefore making them all the more real and relatable.

I remember seeing this on TV in the early 90`s. This is a great show. In the beginning they where just hobby detectives, but in the last season they worked full time as detectives. I love the stories, the clothes and hair, and most of all the title theme. This show should be made into a complete dvd collection! One of the best shows of the 70`s! I give this 9 out of 10!

I loved the show as a child. I purchased season one as soon as it came out on DVD. I want to know when seasons two and three will be out on DVD. I can't wait to purchase them. This show hasn't been available on any of our TV stations for years and years.If your interested in mysteries then this is the show for you. This show is safe for your children to watch with you. You'll love the way they dressed. They always seemed to be getting into some sort of trouble. It's a family show that still interests me today. Some of the episodes even started out a little on the scary side. I look at it as an early version of the X-files but they always had logical reasons for everything by the end. I can't say it any simpler. The show is fun. Give it a try.