As studios rush to put everything out on DVD so they can turn around and sell it to you again on HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray (that’s their plan anyway), we rush to try and tell you about what’s out: the good, the bad, and the just plain “eh.” So here you go.
MI-5, Vol. 3. Boy howdy, do we love this series. Did I just say “Bow howdy?” Dear God. Anyway, this BBC series (airing across the pond as Spooks) is positively badass. Ever since I wandered into a viewing of what can be known as the “VX episode,” I’ve been positively addicted. And listen, even if you’ve seen the show stateside, you need this disc–because they cut the hell out of these things to make them fit to American time slots. You get ten episodes, commentaries, interviews, deleted scenes, featurettes and the whole nine. You really need to watch this. (Buy it)
[ad#longpost]Hetty Wainthropp Investigates: The Complete Third Series. Hey, LOTR and Lost junkies! Look over here! Dominic Monaghan! That’ll get them running. Anyway, Acorn Media presents another set of Brit goodness, with nine episodes, about the housewife who took up detective work with the aid of her assistant (played by the aforementioned Monaghan). And she’s pretty damn good at what she does. If you’re tired of watching the same Poirot episodes on the Biography Channel but need a sleuth fix, grab this. (Buy it)
Lois and Clark: The Complete Second Season. Well, it’s no Smallville, that’s for certain. But considering when it came out and the audience it was aiming for, what were you expecting? Regardless, depending on how the new movie turns out, we may all be running back this way soon enough. Anyway, this second season from WB comes with all twenty-two episodes across six discs, plus a Dean Cain commentary on one episode, a fan featurette and more. At least the colors of the costume are right…Bryan. (Buy it)
Beast Machines: The Complete Series. Well, here’s an interesting one…I was long gone from the Transformers mythos by the time you got to this series, the follow-up to Beast Wars. When they introduced the toy that was the robot that changed into a kitchen blender, I think I had had enough. But regardless, a new generation of Maximals are facing off against the Vehicons. It’s kind of like a Hatfield/Autobot vs. McCoy/Decepticon thing they’ve got going with Megatron still in the evil driver’s seat. Fans will want to check this Rhino release out: all twenty-six episodes on four discs, plus interviews with the voice of Megatron, some members of the creative staff, plus three episodes come with commentary. (Buy it)
The A-Team: Season Three. Give this show credit for taking a gimmick and just running with it. And running with it. And running with it. And did you ever notice how the A-Team guys attended the same marksmanship classes as the dudes from G.I. Joe? Anyway, Universal provides twenty-five episodes across three discs for the fan of the show. It was only later that the four members of A-Team would merge to form Mecha-MacGyver. So catch that spinoff later. (Buy it)
The Golden Girls: The Complete Fourth Season. Give this show credit for finding something that worked and then just running with it–because if you liked what came before, don’t expect any heart-wrenching changes to upset the boat. Instead, this Touchstone release features all twenty-four episodes, and no real bonus features to speak of, but you do get guest appearances by Bob Hope, Richard Mulligan, and…Julio Iglesias. Yes. (Buy it)
Moonlighting: Season 3. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I, like most humans alive at the time, loved this show. Then, like most humans alive at the time, I scratched my head as the thing nosedived out of the freakin’ sky with The Episode at the end of this season. But the good news is the rock to suck ratio is definitely in your favor. This Lions Gate release comes with a nice array of features: a producer commentary, a commentary with Mark Harmon, a commentary with fans, and a commentary with Willis and Shepherd together again. It’s even on the Shakespeare episode. Nice. Plus more. (Buy it)
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Season One, Vol. 1 Okay, it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Irwin Allen. I grew up watching this crazy, low budget stuff that looked ridiculous, but hey, we only had three channels and it was the late 70s and [insert I’m-so-old rant here]. How can this stuff possibly age badly when it was fairly badly aged when it aired? I love it! God bless Fox for throwing this onto DVD, along with the pilot episode, some home movie footage, a promo reel and more. (Buy it)
Grounded For Life: Season One. Don’t hate me, but every time I think of Donal Logue as the dad in a sitcom, my brain goes, “Wait, wasn’t he the faceless vampire in Blade?” This is my life. Anyway, yes, he’s the head of the household in this version of “Stick three generations of a family into a story and let hijinks ensue.” It’s dysfunctional family lite comedy, but it has plenty of followers. They’re sated–for the time being–now that Anchor Bay has released the first twenty episodes, and dressed it up with a bunch of interviews plus a blooper reel. (Buy it)
Emergency: Season Two. I think I might have watched this show when I was knee-high to a fetus, but it’s hard to say. This brought real! life! stories! of fire and medical workers to the homes of the 70s, and while some pieces of it aged well, the nostalgic fan is going to want to snag this Universal set, even with no features. What you do get are twenty-one episodes spread across three discs, plus guest stars like Dick Van Patten, Melissa Gilbert, and John Travolta. (Buy it)
Significant Others: The Complete Series. The only thing depressing about this Shout! Factory release is “The Complete Series” on the cover. Dammit, I wanted more. Three (and then four) couples find themselves in therapy, and over the course of a twenty-one minute episode, somehow we watch them dysfunction their way through individual hilarious situations. The thing that blows my mind watching this is that the scenes are largely improvised. Very impressive. And fysterical. Comes with commentary from the creators on select episodes, which are just as frenetic as you might expect. (Buy it)
Blue Collar TV: Season 1, Vol. 2. Never let it be said that the humor in this set was anything highbrow…or even middlebrow, really. It’s childish, lowbrow comedy but, of course, without being incredibly too terribly crude or offensive (I’m sure somebody’s gotten pissed off, but oh well). Personally, I figure if you can take a comedy routine, turn it into a tour, then turn that into a film, then turn that into a sketch comedy show…well, nice work if you can get it. This WB set comes with eighteen episodes across three discs, some bonus skits and a blooper/outtake reel. (Buy it)
as a friend of “come to find out…” i wanted to congradulate you on your bloggie!! all of you best kept secrets are exactaly that, only now i hope you’re not such a secret :) keep up the good work!
Amy: Many thanks…I think the secret’s out. Now people are going to show up, you know, expecting things.
Dear God, what have we done? :)