NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Imprint Blu-ray (September 2025): Imprint have transferred the entire First Season of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour to Blu-ray. It is cited as "1080P High-definition presentation of all 32 episodes from Season One from NEW 2K scans of the original 35mm negatives by Imprint". I've been binge-watching and the quality seems consistent through the entire set. We are reviewing only the first of the eight Blu-ray discs in the hardbox packaging. There are four 30 minutes episodes per Blu-ray disc and all Season One 32 episodes spread over the 8 dual-layered discs. The overall look of the series was gritty and noir-inspired, with practical sets that felt lived-in and authentic, avoiding the glossiness of later color TV; this aesthetic amplified themes of moral ambiguity and human frailty, as seen in the stark courtroom visuals of Hitchcock's own directed episode, "I Saw the Whole Thing" with John Forsythe, Kent Smith, John Fiedler, and Philip Ober. Cinematographers, though not individually credited per episode in broad sources, contributed to a consistent style of fluid camera movements and editing that prioritized suspense, such as slow zooms on faces during revelations or Dutch angles to convey unease. The Imprint Films Blu-ray release of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Season One delivers a strong visual upgrade sourced from new 2K scans of the original 35mm negatives. This results in a detailed black-and-white image that far surpasses previous DVD editions, with enhanced contrast, deeper blacks, and depth that preserve the film's noir-leaning aesthetic. Shadows and highlights are rendered with impressive nuance, bringing out the atmospheric tension in episodes like "Don't Look Behind You," - with Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, and Dick Sargent - where low-light scenes benefit from improved clarity and depth. While minor imperfections from the source material occasionally appear (a couple of minutes in "I Saw the Whole Thing",) such as slight vertical scratches or speckles, the overall transfer maintains the era's vintage charm.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Imprint use linear PCM dual-mono tracks (24-bit) that are clean, faithfully reproducing the original broadcast sound with clear dialogue, subtle ambient effects, and Bernard Herrmann's (All That Money Can Buy, Vertigo, Blue Denim, Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, Cape Fear, Taxi Driver, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Wrong Man, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Mysterious Island, Jason and the Argonauts, Obsession, Hangover Square, etc. etc.) evocative scores. The mix avoids modern embellishments, ensuring Hitchcock's wry narrations and the series' tense musical cues - like the rearranged "Funeral March of a Marionette" theme - come through with balanced fidelity and minimal distortion. While not as dynamic as contemporary surround mixes, the audio excels in authenticity, capturing the nuances of 1960s television production without hiss or dropout issues, though bass response is understandably limited by the source. Episodes such as "Captive Audience" highlight the track's strength in handling layered sound design, making it a solid, if unflashy, auditory experience that complements the visuals perfectly. Though some stock music was reused to control costs, the auditory elements effectively created an unsettling symphony, as in the dissonant motifs during chase scenes or revelations, reinforcing the series' legacy as a bridge between silent-era visual language and modern thriller soundscapes. Imprint do NOT offer subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-rays.

The Imprint Blu-ray extras package is a highlight for collectors, featuring an array of new audio commentaries (11) across multiple episodes, including Gary Gerani (Fantastic Television) on "A Piece of the Action," "I Saw the Whole Thing," and "Captive Audience"; Constantine Nasr (Roger Corman: Interviews - Conversations with Filmmakers Series) on "The Black Curtain"; Reba Wissner (A Dimension of Sound: Music in the Twilight Zone) on "Ride the Nightmare" and "The Thirty-First of February"; Steve Mitchell on "Diagnosis: Danger" and "Death of a Cop"; and Jonathan Rigby (English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema, Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema) with Kevin Lyons (editor of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television,) on "The Star Juror," "The Long Silence," and "Dear Uncle George." These provide insightful historical context, production and performance anecdotes, and thematic analysis from film historians. Complementing this is a 130-page hardcover booklet with original story information for every episode, offering a deep dive into scripts and adaptations. Housed in limited edition hardbox packaging (only 1500 copies), the set feels premium, though it lacks additional featurettes or trailers, focusing instead on scholarly supplements that enrich the viewing experience for dedicated fans. It not only gives value but make the set a true keepsake.

First Season of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour to Blu-ray puts the series hour-long format - which provided room for deeper psychological depth and plot complexity compared to the original series', Alfred Hitchcock Presents, punchier episodes, enabling sustained tension and moral ambiguities. Each standalone episode maintained the anthology structure, often concluding with Hitchcock's ironic coda assuring justice. The storytelling leaned into genres like mystery, thriller, and horror, incorporating elements of fantasy and sci-fi influenced by shows like The Twilight Zone, while emphasizing implication over explicit violence in line with Hitchcock's cinematic style. Season One produced 32 episodes, blending crime dramas with psychological suspense. Style-wise, the season emphasized atmospheric tension through music and visuals, echoing Hitchcock's films like Psycho, with twists that critiqued societal norms and inner darkness. Notable stars appearing in the first season were Robert Redford, James Mason, Vera Miles, Angie Dickinson, Gig Young, Jeffrey Hunter, Brian Keith, John Forsythe, Carol Lynley, Tony Randall, Jayne Mansfield, Joan Fontaine, Peter Falk, Peter Graves, Kent Smith, Gena Rowlands, Anne Francis, Inger Stevens, Dean Jagger, Macdonald Carey and Robert Sterling. The video upgrade, lossless audio, and commentary tracks elevate this anthology series to new heights, making the 32 episodes' tales of mystery and suspense more engaging than ever. The Imprint Blu-ray set is a worthwhile, digital library, investment for those seeking high-quality preservation of classic TV - we can hope the rest of the series is coming soon. An absolute keeper for moi. An easy recommendation. 

Gary Tooze