Category: TV (Page 481 of 595)

Perry Mason: Season 1, Volume 2 – If you’re thinking about bitching because CBS split this first season of “Perry Mason” into two volumes, consider that this second part of the season includes 20 episodes…and the first part contained 19! Holy crap, 39 episodes in one season…? When people talk about how today’s work ethic is shit compared to what it used to be, they aren’t kidding! Of course, you won’t be surprised to hear that Mr. Mason’s record is 39-0 by season’s send, but you will be depressed to find out that there aren’t any special features.

7th Heaven: The Complete Third Season – As family dramas go, “7th Heaven” is pretty solid – Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks make plausible parents, and on the kid front, there’s the always-hot Jessica Biel to look at – but let’s talk about the set and its packaging. In a nutshell, both suck. There are no special features, which is pretty much inexcusable, given that the show is still on the air and the cast is decidedly accessible, but even after saving money by not paying anyone to do commentary, CBS / Paramount additionally stuffed six discs into a standard-sized DVD case. Lazy and cheap.

Survivor: Vanuatu – There’s a reason you don’t see very many competition-based reality shows released as full-season sets on DVD: they don’t tend to have much in the way of replay interest. I mean, once you know who’s won, what’s the point, right? Well, in the case of “Survivor,” it’s clearly more than just the competition; in addition to the interviews with the contestants and the camaraderie between them, the show ends up being worth watching over and over again just because the scenery is so beautiful. CBS offers up commentary for this set as well as four featurettes and the reunion special. Believe it or not, I’d never watched a complete episode of the show before checking out this set, but it’s clear why “Survivor” continues to be a ratings monster; it’s a lot of fun.

Thundercats: Season Two, Volume 2 – Well, you have to give Warner Brothers credit: they’re so certain that “Thundercats” fans are going to buy both halves of this second-season set that they’ve continued the numbering of the discs from Volume 1 and labeled these as Discs 7 – 12. I can’t speak to the quality of the show itself – it premiered right about the time I stopped watching cartoons regularly – but, at the very least, I’m comfortable in saying that the character designs remain some of the best of the ‘80s. The only special feature, though, is the Thundercats Ultimate Adventure Challenge. Yawn.

Touched By An Angel: The Third Season, Volume 2 – Okay, so I only watched one episode from this devoid-of-special-features set…but that episode (“Inherit the Wind”) sure had some kick-ass guest-stars. It opened with Keb’ Mo’ as an Angel of Music, and it also featured Bill Cosby as the Angel of Reconciliation (named Phil), as well as appearances from Charlie Schlatter (he played Ferris Bueller on the short-lived TV version of the flick), Ian Abercrombie (Mr. Pitt from “Seinfeld”), Cloris Leachman, and the great Paul Winfield. The older you get, the more you’ll like this series…but if you’re under 40, you’ll probably find more inspiration from “Joan of Arcadia.”

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Season Two, Volume 1 – As the series moves into color for the first time, so does it become harder for viewers to suspend their disbelief during the episodes with the more bizarre premises. How bizarre are we talking here? Try this synopsis on for size: “A cyborg double of Admiral Nelson boards the Seaview as part of a sinister plan to launch missiles at China, Russia, and the U.S..” There’s also an episode where a scientist is turned into a giant, as well as the obligatory discovery of aliens in another episode. Given the limited special effects of the era, the show was generally at its best when sticking with some semblance of reality.