Release of the Week
Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2 (Blu-ray)
These classic Trek seasons on Blu-ray are reasons to own the player in and of themselves. The remarkable picture quality from the first season set is also present here, as is the multi-angle option allowing you to toggle between the original effects shots and the "remastered" ones. Some of my favorite episodes are in here, including "The Apple", "The Doomsday Machine", "By Any Other Name", and "The Ultimate Computer".
These sets are like Warner's Blade Runner Blu-ray release in that I can't really fathom why I'd ever have to buy it again in some new format. CBS has already shown a good deal of dedication to actually using BD-Live as incentive, unlike other outfits that aren't even trying. Others and I heap all kinds of hate on BD-Live's slowness and uselessness, but on these Trek titles, I don't really mind the wait because the content's worth it. New to this release compared to the other is the Mobile Blu feature, which lets you use your iPhone or iPod Touch as a remote and download exclusive content to it. I haven't tried it, but I haven't seen any complaints thus far, so I assume it's a-ok.
The entirety of Disc 4 is dedicated to the episode "The Trouble with Tribbles," and it includes both the Animated Series and Deep Space Nine episodes that involve the furry little buggers. It's a well-produced disc all on its own, but it just made me yearn all the more for DS9 on Blu-ray with new featurettes. Speaking of, featurettes are semi-sparse on the first few discs, but Disc 7 is pretty supplemental heavy, so it evens out. On top of that, it turns out CBS/Paramount has hidden twelve featurettes across the set, and I don't mind spoiling how to find it all since the vast majority of these aren't things you'd stumble across by chance. Here are the keys to the kingdom, as provided to The Digital Bits by the studio:
All 12 are brief interview featurettes (short, but well worth finding). For the Easter eggs that require you to enter a code, simply go to the disc's main menu screen and enter the numbers with your remote.
Disc 1
#1 - (Enter 4-digit number) - The year Star Trek first aired on TV.
Disc 2
#2 - (enter 4-digit number) - The first year of the Enterprise's five-year mission.
#3 - (navigate right from Communication)
Disc 3
#4 - (enter 4-digit number) - Spock's Birth Year
#5 - (navigate right from Communication)
Disc 4
#6 - (enter 4-digit number) - Original air date (month/day) of "The Trouble With Tribbles"
Disc 5
#7 - (enter 4-digit number) - Registry number of the Enterprise
#8 - (navigate right from Communication)
Disc 6
#9 - (enter 4-digit number) - The year Shakespeare died (from "By Any Other Name")
#10 - (navigate right from Communication)
Disc 7
#11 - (enter 4-digit number) - The year the crew returns to in "Assignment Earth"
#12 - (navigate right from Communication)"
The thing that drove me mad more than anything was that I was in the thick of Fantastic Fest when the review copy of this set arrived and as a result didn't really have a chance to dig in to it until I fell ill just following the festival. Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2 is not only the top TV release of the week of 9.22, it's one of the best releases of the year.
New Release
The Mentalist Season 1 (DVD only)
Unaired Scenes on 3 episodes, Gag Reel
Featurettes: Evidence of a Hit Series, Cracking the Crystal Ball: Mentalist vs. Psychic
This show is in ink at the top of my "I should get into that show before it's cancelled after two seasons for no good reason" list. I'll have something more than a witty one-liner by the end of the week now that I have it in my hands.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Season 2 (Blu-ray & DVD)
Commentaries on 4 Episodes (including finale) with Exec. Producer Josh Friedman and Cast & Crew, Unaired Scenes, Gag Reel
Featurettes: The Continuing Chronicles: Terminator 8-part featurette gallery, The Storyboard Process, Cameron vs. Rosie Fight Rehearsal
Blu-ray Exclusive: Collision with the Future: Deconstructing the Hunter Killer Attack
I hope the reference to "cancelled after two seasons for no good reason" above relating to this title isn't too glaringly obvious or looks like a slam. I never kept up with this show during its run, and I'd feel guilty about that if there weren't seventeen other shows from the last few years that I've defended until after they're dead. It's a shame there's one less capably-produced science fiction show on TV. I need some more time to get to this one too, so check back at the end of the week.
30 Rock Season 3 (Blu-ray & DVD)
1-900-OKFACE commercial, Audio Commentary on select episodes, Deleted Scenes, Behind-The-Scenes With The Muppets, The Making of "He Needs a Kidney", Table Read of the Season Finale, Photo Gallery
I went over this one here yesterday. It's infinitely re-watchable for me, at least.
Brotherhood The Final Season (3) (DVD only)
This good side/bad side family drama started with a bang in the ratings and all but disappeared without a trace by the end, with people jumping on other bandwagons. This final season DVD set has no extras on it, but it's got the final 8 episodes of the show on it, so you can safely line up the whole show in a Netflix queue now.
Mitch Fatel is Magical (DVD only)
Interviews with Fans, Special Mitch Animation, Outtakes, Photo Shoot
Mitch Fatel was co-headlining a college tour with Mitch Hedberg shortly before Hedberg died (many conveniently forget, of an overdose). That tour swung through Tallahassee, where I lived at the time, and the universal consensus was that Hedberg was ok, but that Fatel was actually a great deal funnier. I've never really warmed to his stuff, most of which is about his penis and things that happen during events that involve his penis. His fans love him for being "the perverted guy who talks about it and isn't ashamed."
Castle Season 1 (DVD only)
Bloopers & Outtakes, Audio Commentaries
Featurettes: Whodunit: The Genesis of Castle, Write-Along With Nathan Fillion
I hope that anything with Nathan Fillion in it succeeds on principle. That said, I think I need more time to warm to Castle. In it, Fillion plays a crime novelist whose books are being used as source material by a copycat killer. The NYPD pair him with an all-business real-life cop to try to prevent the crimes before they happen. They fight crime. Repeat. I'm in a detective story mood of late, so I'll give this show another shot when I can.
The Ghost Whisperer Season 4 (DVD only)
The Other Side III Webseries
Featurettes: Season 4: Love Never Dies, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Scoring the Spirit World
Interactive Features: Haunted Dollhouse puzzle game, Grave Mistakes game, Fashion Style Guide
Now part of the Paranormal Phenomena Friday block on ABC that I will likely find myself far too often accidentally watching, Ghost Whisperer is a somewhat rare breed: it's a show about the paranormal that I really can't get into. The reason for this is probably the same as why Twilight makes me sigh and and check my watch: I just don't have the patience for this volume of longing stares and lovelorn protagonists. I do particularly admire the Other Side III webseries, which leverages webisode format programs as universe extension rather than cutting room floor gags or advertising like many other shows do. This is the third year they've been doing it, and I'm more interested in Other Side than Ghost Whisperer. Jamie Kennedy joined the cast and Jennifer Love Hewitt's real life love life this season, for better or worse on both fronts. And yes, the Fashion Style Guide interactive feature has to do with all the pretty clothes the people in the show wear.
Law and Order SVU Season 10 (DVD only)
I think they intentionally keep the price of these sets so high that I can't afford them to make sure I watch all the repeats that come on. SVU keeps me hooked, even ten years later.
Ugly Betty Season 3 (DVD only)
Look Who Keeps Popping Up pop-up video commentary
Featurette: Coming Home to New York City
MODE After Hours Webisodes, Betty Bloops (Gag Reel), Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentary
Ugly Betty has long since departed from the original Betty La Fea it's based on. They're alternate realities of one another rather than one acting as an adaptation of the other, really. The third season saw the show transplanted from L.A. to NYC, and as a result, this is actually a good jumping-on point for new viewers.
Catalog
Friday the 13th The Series The Final Season (DVD only)
My mother did not let me watch shows like this when I was in the first grade, so this is my first exposure to Friday the 13th: The Series. As indifferent as I am to the Friday movies, the show is interesting to me since it's really just a creepy things and fighting evil show that's "F13" in name only. The show primarily concerns itself with the main characters locking away cursed items that will bring about untold evil.
Taxi Season 4 (DVD only)
I miss this show being in syndicated rotation. I could always switch it on and say to myself, "life could be a lot more boring with a much worse day job," and in the same breath remind myself, "and there's no way it'd be as interesting of a terrible job as the guys driving taxis in this show have." Compared to much of what has ever been on TV in the 70's and early 80's, I don't think a show ever quite nailed casting the way Taxi did.
Reissue/Repackage
The Judy Garland Show Volume 2 (DVD only)
Outtakes
I'm positive this must have been released previously. When I worked at Barnes & Noble, Teddy the newsstand manager came over to ask me about The Judy Garland Show arriving on DD what seemed like every other day. This second of thirteen volumes features two 50-minute episodes that feature guests like Ray Bolger, Ethel Merman, and The Smothers Brothers.
TV on Disc is generally posted a few days after the corresponding week's Disc Roundup (Movies) and covers the week's TV releases on DVD & Blu-ray. With the exception of Law and Order SVU Season 10, screener copies of titles reviewed were provided by the respective studio.
If you think I've missed something, feel free to send me an email.