King of Queens: 8th Season – Let’s start with this one, since the show just went off the air this week. As with its previous season sets, it remains disappointing that we’re not getting any special features whatsoever, especially since its cousin, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” is also on its eighth season on DVD and it’s filled with audio commentaries and deleted scenes. The comedic trifecta of Kevin James, Jerry Stiller, and Patton Oswalt certainly makes the show worth watching, but with no special features, the temptation to stick with the syndicated reruns is pretty high.
Wings: Season Four – And, hey, speaking of sets with no extras, welcome back to “Wings”! I’m going out on a limb and guessing that you probably don’t remember how the third season ended, but the gang – Joe, Brian, Helen, Roy, Fay, and Lowell – were on a plane, preparing to crash. Well, not to give anything away, but they all survived. “Wings” is one of those sitcoms that’s just…okay. There’s nothing wrong with it, and you’re always guaranteed to laugh several times during an episode, but it’s pretty much a mainstream affair, i.e. always safe, never edgy. Worth noting: Kirstie Alley appears in one episode as her “Cheers” character, Rebecca Howe. No special features. Again.
Martin: The Complete Second Season – Martin Lawrence can be a very funny man, and, as a result, his sitcom could be a very funny affair at times…but, almost without fail, the funniest moments are almost never when he’s trying to play characters other than himself. Maybe it’s just the painful memories of the “Big Momma’s House” movies, but Lawrence always seems like he’s trying too hard when he’s portraying Sheneneh Jenkins, Jerome the Pimp, or whichever alter ego he’s stepping into. “Martin” is invariably at its best when it’s just Lawrence and his ensemble cast: Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II, Thomas Mikal Ford, and Tichina Arnold. Plus, “SNL” alum Garrett Morris was still kicking around the show at this point, playing the owner of WZUP, where Martin worked. Too bad there are…everybody now!…no special features.
A must-watch for anyone from the Nintendo Generation, “Captain N” followed everyday teenager Kevin Keane on his journey into Videoland to help the N-Team (consisting of Simon Belmont, Kid Icarus and Mega Man) fend off the sinister Mother Brain and her gang of hapless goons. Watching the series more than ten years after the fact exposes some serious inaccuracies in the main characters; ones we probably never noticed as kids. For instance, Simon Belmont looks nothing like this video game counterpart, Mega Man has been transformed into some robotic midget, and Pit has been given the name of his video game (“Kid Icarus”) so as to not cause any confusion. Furthermore, Mother Brain sounds more like the plant from “Little Shop of Horrors” than a legitimate threat. What’s even worse, while the four-disc box set boasts the inclusion of the entire series, only the first two seasons of the show appear, with the incomplete (and lesser quality) third season completely left out.
Based on Sega’s most famous video game character and voiced by Jaleel White (“Family Matters”), the “Sonic the Hedgehog” cartoon series first premiered in 1993 only to be cancelled after two seasons. I was only 13-years-old when the show left the air, but I still remember why the show never succeeded. Two reasons, actually. First off, the animation sucked, and it only got worse as the series progressed. This must have had something to do with its production company (DIC), since many of the studio’s cartoon series progressively got worse around the same time. Secondly, it’s main competition during its Saturday morning time block was “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” and well, back in the day, no show had a chance against that particular fad. Regardless, the show managed to secure a decent cult following, and that’s about the only good thing about its DVD release. Though not confirmed, it looks as if the slim case and DVD cover art has been supplied by the fans themselves. If true (and I’d have to believe so, since the styles are so different across the board), then kudos to Shout! for giving something back to the fans.
