Kids DVD of the Week: Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?. Well, this Shout Factory release is a little confusing, because it’s the complete first season even though the box itself doesn’t state that. Still, from game to quiz show to animated series, now the dastardly Sandiego (voiced by Rita Moreno) is going up against a brother and sister team, who will chase her to the ends of the earth and whatnot. This three disc set comes with art galleries, a storyboard to screen comparison for one episode, plus the opening title sequence in eight languages. (Buy it)
Animation DVD of the Week: Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist: Season One. The line between therapy and comedy has never been thinner than in this, the first six episodes of this classic series, brought to DVD by the fine folks at Paramount and Comedy Central. Among the patients whose minds are explored: Ray Romano, Dom Irrera and Dave Atell. There’s a Katz bio, commentaries by some of the comedians involved, short films and another Squigglevision short, if you simply couldn’t get enough. (Buy it)
Space DVD of the Week: Exploring Space: The Quest for Life. What timing: just recently didn’t we hear Stephen Hawking making the case–again–for us getting off this rock for the safety of all mankind? And isn’t that just an echo of what Clarke has said: dinosaurs went extinct because they had no space program? This two-hour PBS special talks about looking for something else out there, and hopefully if nothing else one day it will be us. (Buy it)
Brit DVD of the Week: Monarch Of The Glen: Series 4. Archie returns home to become the lord of the estate and must then go from dealing with running a restaurant to suddenly dealing with gobs of acres of land (huge tracts, in fact), gobs of debt, and a potential love interest there when he’s already got one back in London. Now, after the loss of his father, he’s got this wild idea to turn the estate into a center for wolves. And of course, there’s all the drama of who loves who and why going on. Comes with all ten episodes, plus a wildlife special. This hits from BBC Home Video. (Buy it)
Romantic Comedy DVD of the Week: Imagine Me & You. There’s nothing worse than finding somebody you’re crazy about on your wedding day. I mean, you know, when it’s not the person you’re there to get hitched to. That’s what happens in this romantic comedy from Fox, in which Piper Perabo’s character meets Lena Headey’s character on the Big Day and things just get more complicated from there. There’s a decent amount of bonus bits as well, with a commentary by the director/writer, deleted and extended scenes also with commentary, a Q&A with the director and the cast, and more. (Buy it)
Cop Show DVD of the Week: Hill Street Blues: The Complete Second Season. Believe it or not, there was a time in my life where I actually watched television. And this was one of the first dramas I remember watching on an ongoing basis, learning a lot about dealing with multiple characters in an intense setting. Pretty much every cop show that’s come around since owes something to this. Here, the second season appears thanks to Fox, coming with a handful of featurettes and a couple of commentaries as well. (Buy it)
