<p> “The Untouchables,” the popular series that ran from 1959-63, traded on the idea (once prevalent in pop culture) that federal agents represented an incorruptible (and irresistible) force. Set in Chicago during Prohibition, “The Untouchables” was loosely based on the memoir of an agent from the Treasury's Bureau of Prohibition (think of it as the forerunner of the DEA), Eliott Ness, a lawman dedicated to enforcing the hopelessly unenforceable laws against alcohol. On TV at least, Ness never saw a keg of beer he wouldn't smash with an ax and pour down the drain. </p> <p>The final fourth season (1962-63) has been released on DVD in two volumes, the total running time of 1500 minutes a reminder that weekly television series were once as reliable as the calendar. None of this five episodes, then off for eight months as the creatives liaison with the suits to reboot, retool or otherwise reconfigure an idea that didn't achieve instant success, however measured. “The Untouchables” starred no-nonsense Robert Stack as Ness, a man who never broke a smile and was capable of playing rough, although his ream of sidekicks brought a lighter touch for contrast. The supporting cast of tough-talking dames and cocky racketeers was usually quite good and included some names that would soon become familiar, including Robert Redford and Mike Connors. </p> <p>Pundit Walter Winchell provided the rat-a-tat, tilted-fedora narration that must have lent the show an appropriately retro tone as the '60s dawned. </p>
