TV on DVD Buzz

Here is this week’s edition for TV on DVD Releases in the science fiction category.

The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation - This release is a simple one disc release with four episodes of the show. Certainly not something I notice much outside of kids television releases, but I guess it could serve as a cheaper way to introduce to the series than buying a whole season set. The included episodes are “Best of Both Worlds Part 1,” “Best of Both Worlds Part 2,” “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” and “The Measure of A Man.”

The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series - This is another one disc set with only four episodes of Star Trek. These episodes are from the original series. The included episodes are “City on the Edge of Forever,” “Trouble with Tribbles,” “Balance of Terror,” and “Amok Time.”

Here is this week’s edition for TV on DVD Releases in the animated category.

Shin Chan: Season Two Part Two - This release is a two disc set of 13 episodes.

Skunk Fu! The Art of Kung Fruit - I think this release has four episodes of the show.

Speed Racer: The Next Generation Comet Run - This one disc release comes with a Mach 3 car.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 7 Part 1 The Leonardo Slice - This release contains six episodes, one special feature, and a mini Leonardo figurine toy.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 7 Part 2 The Michelangelo Slice - This release contains seven episodes, one special feature, and a mini Michelangelo figurine toy.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 7 Part 3 The Donatello Slice - This release contains seven episodes, one special feature, and a mini Donatello figurine toy.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 7 Part 4 The Raphael Slice - This release contains seven episodes, one special feature, and a mini Raphael figurine toy.

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: Wubbzy’s Big Movie - I think this release has four episodes of the show.

This week’s TV on DVD Season I am going through and doing wrap ups of is the four disc The Closer Season 2 set. I will be posting about one disc each day until this Thursday. This wrap up is of disc 1.

“Blue Blood” - A detective’s body is found and there is an uproar about them having to wait for Brenda to arrive and allow for the body to be moved. The detective is found next to the criminal that they think killed the detective at the same time the detective killed him. Brenda finds it fishy because the detective was off duty and only got one shot off when they are trained to shoot in bursts. Provenza is scolded for having chocolate because Brenda cannot deal with the temptation of sugar, which she has given up. Tao uses a digital recreation to show that there had to have been a third person involved in the shooting. Brenda interrogates the detective’s partner. Fritz talks to Brenda about possibly moving back East, but Brenda does not want him to go although she is not ready to commit to moving in together. Fritz tells her that Pope recently got served divorce papers. When she confronts him she learns that it is because his wife found another man and does not want the kids she had with Pope. In the case everything seems to keep leading back to an informant named Ari, whose name is supposed to be a secret, but obviously is not. Brenda wants to charge another detective with the murder. Provenza and Flynn go to Las Vegas to bring Ari back to L.A. Brenda figures out how the detective killed the other detective and man using the detective’s fun by easily convincing Fritz give her his gun. It turns out the detective’s partner was mad because he found out that his son, who is sick with bone cancer, was actually the son of his partner. Pope asks Brenda out for a drink or dinner, but she declines because she and Fritz are getting ready to move in together.

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Here is this week’s edition for TV on DVD Releases in the drama category.

Hatching Pete & Dadnapped: Double Feature - This release includes two recent Disney Channel Movies. Dadnapped is not too bad, but Hatching Pete is pretty poor in my opinion.

Kingdom - This release is a three disc set.

Lovejoy: The Complete Season Five - This release is four disc set of the show with the crime solving antiques dealer.

Pie in the Sky: Series 1 - This release is a three disc set with 10 episodes. The special features include interview with star Maggie Steed, production notes, and biography of Richard Griffiths.

Taking Chance - This movie is about the military rituals related to honoring fallen soldiers as relating to a Marine that died in Iraq.

A Village Affair - This movie is based on the novel by Joanna Trollope. The special features include cast filmographies and Joanna Trollope biography.

Here is this week’s edition for TV on DVD Releases in the comedy category.

The Dana Carvey Show - This show only lasted 8 episodes (one never aired). This release has all 8 episodes along with some deleted scenes.

French & Saunders: Live - This release is of their live show from their 1990 tour.

The Jeff Foxworthy Show: The Complete Second Season - This releases is a two disc set.

Penn & Teller Bullsh*t: Complete Sixth Season - This release is a two disc set.

Red Green Is Special - This release is a four disc set with four specials. The specials are “Red Green’s We Can’t Help It–We’re Men,” “Red Green D.V.D., Duct Tape Virtuoso Deluxe,” “Red Green’s Hindsight Is 20/20,” and “The Red Green Story: We’re All in This Together.”

Two and a Half Men: The Complete Fifth Season - This release is a three disc set. The special features are expected to include a featurette on the show’s 100th episode, The Lore of Chuck Lorre: Must Pause TV (a featurette about his vanity cards at the end of each episode), Dying Is Easy, Comedy Is Hard (featurette about the writing teams crossover between Two and a Half Men and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and the CSI episode “Two and a Half Deaths.”

Part 4 of the Season 7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD release is called The Rafael Slice. The cover art features Rafael and a mini Rafael figurine toy comes with Part 4. This one disc part has seven episodes from the animated show’s seventh season. I prefer the European Vacation side season that the episodes in Part 1 and Part 2 are part of, but the rest of the season is still action packed turtle fun and I still find these original version of the turtles much better than the newer series.

Below is a brief synopsis of the episodes and the special feature on this release, which releases to the public on May 12, 2009.

“Night of the Rogues” - Shredder teams up with Leatherhead, Tempestra, Scumbug, Chrome Dome, Antrax, The Rat King and Slash to try and defeat the turtles.

“Revenge of the Fly” - Baxter Stockman turns humans into mutant insects and arachnids and the turtles must turn them back to humans.

“Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter!” - Dirk Savage rounds up some of New York’s mutants including two of the turtles to become part of a mutant slug’s army.

“Combat Land” - The turtles try out the new attractions at a theme park, but it leads to trouble when the park’s robots attack.

“Atlantis Awakes” - The turtles discover a modern day Atlantis and help the true king regain his thrown.

“Invasion of the Krangazoids” - Krang creates six clones of himself and defeat the turtles, but the clones begin to act on their own and it is up to the turtles to save the city.

“Shredder Triumphant” - The turtles become trapped in Dimension X by Shredder and Krang while the two try to take over the Earth world.

Special Features: A Shellabration of a Fan Nomenon Sensation Devoted and Die-Hard TMNT Fans Speak! - This is probably the best special feature in the season 7 sets, although all of the special features are at least decent. This is mostly an interview with a man that grew up enjoying the show and later got back into collecting the toys and reading the comics. Another interview is with a woman that feels the turtles related to her life.

Part 3 of the Season 7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD release is called The Donatello Slice. The cover art features Donatello and a mini Donatello figurine toy comes with Part 3. This one disc part has seven episodes from the animated show’s seventh season. I definitely like the European Vacation side season that the episodes in Part 1 and Part 2 are part of, but the rest of the season is still action packed turtle fun and I still find these original version of the turtles much better than the newer series.

Below is a brief synopsis of the episodes and the special feature on this release, which releases to the public on May 12, 2009.

“Convicts from Dimension X” - In this episode the turtles accidentally bring over two convicts from Dimension X and transport Vernon and Irma to Dimension X.

“The Starchild” - An alien crash lands on Earth and the turtles must figure out how to get him home and save Earth from being destroyed.

“The Legend of Koji” - Shredder goes back in time to the 1500s to destroy the founder of the foot clan and thus cause Splinter and the turtles to not exist, which leads the turtles and Splinter to also back in time to Ancient Japan to ensure their future existence.

“Night of the Dark Turtle” - Donatello is hit by a laser beam and transformed into the Dark Turtle, whose dangerous mission is to seek out and destroy Shredder.

“White Belt, Black Heart” - During a visit of Splinter’s sensei the turtles deal with a gang trying to steal the plans to nuclear missile sites.

“Attack of the Neutrinos” - The neutrinos return to help the turtles keep a new invention out of the hands of Krang.

“Escape from the Planet Turtleoids” - Kurma the space turtle helps the turtles with the city’s defense robots while also dealing with Groundchuck and Dirtbag trying to destroy the city.

Special Feature: A Shellabration of the TV Sensation New Interviews with the Hit Show’s Creative Team - This special feature is interviews with the creative team talking about taking the turtles from the comic to the cartoon show.

Part 2 of the Season 7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD release is called The Michelangelo Slice. The cover art features Michelangelo and a mini Michelangelo figurine toy comes with Part 2. This one disc part has seven episodes from the animated show’s seventh season. Like Part 1 the episodes on this disc take place as part of the side season plot line of the turtles being on a European vacation. I really like this side season episodes. I especially like the Viking villains that are in the episode based in Norway, which is the second to last episode on this disc. This part also has a special feature with interviews with the TMNT creators. Below is a brief synopsis of the episodes and the special feature on this release, which releases to the public on May 12, 2009.

“The Irish Jig is Up” - In this episode the turtles are in Dublin, Ireland. While there they deal with Shredder turning the cute animals into mutant beasts.

“Shredder’s New Sword” - Shredder gets a hold of the Excalibur sword and the Modern World begins to turn back to Medieval Times.

“Ring of Fire” - In this episode the turtles are in Lisbon, Portugal during the Running of the Bulls and they have to save the city from being turned to ash by the heat ray magnifier.

“Turtles on the Orient Express” - While riding the Orient Express the turtles must stop Shredder from turning the train into a fast missile that he wants to launch into the world’s largest oil field.

“April Gets in Dutch” - In Amsterdam the turtles try to stop Shredder from stealing the famous Duchess Diamond.

“Northern Lights Out” - The turtles are in Oslo, Norway, in this episode and they encounter a modern day Viking crew that steals a professor’s scientific notes on alternative energy.

“Elementary, My Dear Turtle” - The turtles are in London in this episode and end up going back in time to the time of Sherlock Holmes. They return to their time, but it is not right and they set out to get back to the correct modern time.

Special Feature: A Shellabration of the Turtles Creation: New Interviews with TMNT Creators - This is an interesting featurette with the TMNT creators talking about the creation of the turtles.

Part 1 of the Season 7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD release is called The Leonardo Slice. The cover art features Leonardo and a mini Leonardo figurine toy comes with Part 1. This one disc part has the first six episodes of the animated show’s seventh season. The episodes are interesting to me because they all take place in Europe as part of a half season theme (often considered a side season because it actually takes place between two episodes from Season 4) of the turtles being on a European vacation. I just like how the plot lines play out along with them being tourists and the bringing in of some information about some European cities, especially the art that relates to the turtles names.

“Tower of Power” - In this first episode the turtles win a trip to Europe. After facing seasickness on their little boat to Europe, the turtles encounter strange happenings in Paris involving metal objects being pulled towards the Eiffel Tower.

“Rust Never Sleeps” - This second episode also takes place in Paris. They visit the Louvre and save the Mona Lisa, but the real adventure plot is about them saving the world’s monuments from being rusted.

“A Real Snow Job” - The turtles head off to Switzerland in this episode where they investigate the mysterious sudden melting of glaciers.

“Venice on the Half Shell” - The turtles are finally in the country of their favorite food, pizza. They are in Venice during the Mardi Gras festival and end up having to save the city from being flooded.

“Artless” - This episode starts by being based in Florence, but it also includes some scenes of Rome. In this episode they try to save art pieces made by the artists they are named after, as aliens are stealing them.

“The Lost Queen of Atlantis” - In this episode the turtles are in Greece. April receives an amulet and is slowly being transformed into the queen of Atlantis and the turtles must save April, as Krang and Shredder try to get the powerful necklace turning her into the queen.

This disc also has a special feature featurette called “A Shellabration with Points of Articulation: A Look Back at the Most Turtletastic Toys.” I kind of thought this would be a cool featurette, but I was kind of disappointed in it being pretty short.

Here is this week’s edition for TV on DVD Releases in the animated category.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog: Freedom Fighters UNITE! - This release includes four episodes of the show. The episodes include “Sonic Conversion,” “Dulcy,” “The Void,” and “Spyhog.”

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic the Hero - This release includes four episodes of the show. The episodes include “Over the Hill Hero,” “Mass Transit Trouble,” “Robolympics,” and “Mobius 5000.”

The Adventures of Super Mario Brothers 3: Koopas Rock! - This release includes six episodes of the show. The episodes include “Oh Brother!,” “Misadventures of Mighty Plumber,” “Do the Koopa,” “Kootie Pie Rocks,” “Up, Up and A Koopa,” and “7 Continents for 7 Koopas.”

Best of Elmo’s World Volume 2 - This release is a three disc set. The included discs are Families, Mail and Bathtime; Food, Water & Exercise; and Reach For The Sky!

Heathcliff: The Very Best of Heathcliff - This release includes 8 episodes of the show.

Hermie and Friends: Stanley the Stinkbug Goes to Camp - This release teaches about friendship and comes with a bug box.

Imagination Movers: Warehouse Mouse Edition - This release contains four episodes of the Playhouse Disney show. The special features include a bonus episode of the latest Playhouse Disney Show Secret Agent Oso.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Big Splash - I believe this release has four episodes of the show. The special features include the “Donald’s Ducks” episode as a bonus episode and Mickey’s Luau Game.

Scooby Doo, Where Are You?: Season One Volume 2 Bump in the Night - I believe this release has four episodes of the show.

The Super Mario Bros Super Show: Showdown in Brooklyn: This release includes five episodes of the show. The episodes include “Brooklyn Bound,” “Flatbush Koopa,” “Plumbers Academy,” “Koopa Klaus,” and “Escape from Koopatraz.”

WordWorld: Happy Birthday WordFriends! - This release contains three episodes of the show. The episodes are “Happy Birthday DOG!,” “PIG’s Present,” and “Bit By Bit.”

In honor of this year being the 25th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles season 7 of the show is being released in four parts. The four parts are each being individually released on May 12, 2009. Normally I am not into seasons being released in parts, but I know to expect that from kids television shows. It still seems like a rip off way of doing it, but at least this time I feel it was tastefully done with the whole season being released on the same day and each part having a special feature.

What really makes it being a four part set acceptable for this release is that they have made it so when you line the four up it creates a roof top season with the four turtles and each part comes with a small action figure of the turtle on that part’s package. This makes it a fun collectible set while also satisfying those that buy shows just to rewatch favorite shows and get some bonus footage. Best part is that they are not too highly priced per part like some partial season releases are. They are marked as $14.99 each on Amazon with a current sale price of $9.99 each, which makes it as a whole not much different than a single complete season release.

The four parts are Part 1: The Leonardo Slice with 6 episodes, Part 2: The Michelangelo Slice with 7 episodes, Part 3: The Donatello Slice with 7 episodes, and Part 4: The Rafael Slice with 7 episodes. The extra for Part 1 is A Shellebration with Points of Articulation: A Look Back at the Most Turtletastic Toys. The extra for Part 2 is A Shellebration of the Turtles Creation: New Interviews with TMNT Creators. The extra for Part 3 is A Shellebration of the TV Sensation: New Interviews with the Hit Show’s Creative Team. The extra for Part 4 is A Shellebration of a Fan-Nomenon Sensation: Devoted and Die-Hard TMNT Fans Speak.

Come back each day for the next four days to learn more about each part, as I will be reviewing one part a day starting tomorrow. Also check out the DVDs official site here to play with a fun widget that says some of the trademark phrases from the show.

Here is this week’s edition for TV on DVD Releases in the science fiction categories.

Doctor Who: Battlefield - This release is of episode 156 of the show. This is a two disc set. The special features include a featurette, interviews, and a photo gallery.

Doctor Who: The E-Space Trilogy Full Circle/State of Decay/Warriors’ Gate - This release is episodes 112-114 in the Doctor Who series. This release is a three disc set. The special features include Audio Commentary, Deleted Scenes, a Featurette, Interviews, Production Notes, and more.

Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict Season 1 - This release is a five disc set. This is an interesting release in that the shows third and fourth seasons are already out. It seems the first two seasons were held up in a rights war between two studios over who owned the the rights to those seasons, while the other two seasons were clearly owned by the one studio.

Here is this week’s edition for TV on DVD Releases in the documentary and reality categories.

60 Minutes The DEKA Arm - This is a segment from the April 12, 2009 episode about a new high tech prosthetic.

60 Minutes Gun Rush - This is a segment from the April 12, 2009 episode about gun sales being on the rise.

60 Minutes Steve Wynn - This is a segment from the April 12, 2009 episode about Steve Wynn making Las Vegas a destination for more than just gamblers.

A Baby Story: First Time Parents - This release contains 10 episodes of the show. This set of episodes focuses on ones with first time parents.

Chris & John’s ROAD TRIP! - This release includes six episodes. The special features include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, interview with The Joys, Queer Fright Night Marathon, and Photo Gallery.

Creations Creatures: Season 1 - This release is a two disc set.

Jon and Kate Plus Ei8ht: Season 4 The Wedding, Volume 1 - This release is a three disc set with 20 episodes from the season.

Mythbusters: Collection 4 - This release is a two disc set with 12 episodes from the fifth and sixth seasons of the show.

NBC News Presents: Yes We Can! The Barack Obama Story - This release is a documentary about an hour long. The release also includes over 3 hours of bonus features including key speeches by Obama and Brian Williams interviewing Barack and Michelle Obama.

Here is this week’s edition for TV on DVD Releases in the drama categories.

Adventures of Black Beauty: Season 1 - This release is a three disc set with 26 episodes.

Bleak House (Special Edition) - This release is a 3 disc set.

Boston Legal: Season Five - This release is a four disc set.

The Charles Dickens Masterworks Collection - This release contains the following movies based on Charles Dickens books: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, and Great Expectations.

Crusoe: The Complete Series - This release is a three disc set of all the episodes in this series.

Flirting With Forty - This release is a television movie about a woman falling in love with a surf instructor while vacationing in Hawaii.

Florence Nightingale - This drama is about Florence Nightingale.

Gavin and Stacey: Season One - This release is a one disc set of the show’s first season.

Lipstick Jungle: Season Two - This release is a three disc set of the series second season.

A Little Princess - This release is of a television movie based on a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Living Proof - This release is of a Lifetime channel movie.

Love Takes Wing - This is a Christian made for television movie based on one of the books in a series written by Janette Oke. Supposedly this one varies a lot from the book.

McLeod’s Daughters: The Complete Eighth Season - This releases is a six disc set of the final season of this series. This release has 22 episodes. The special featurs include “McLeod’s Memories” with series creator Posie Graeme-Evans, “Top Four McLeod’s Moments” with Posie Graeme-Evans, and “Fond Farewell from McLeod’s Stars.”

The Note II: Taking a Chance on Love - This release is of a made for television movie.

October Road The Complete Second Season - This releases is a three disc set. The special features include “Road’s End: The Final Chapter” that wraps up the series (I guess it was unexpectedly ended???), Bumps in the Road (blooper real), and The Scenic Routh: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour.

The Old Curiosity Shop - This release is a movie based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name.

Saddle Club The Complete Second Season - This release is a three disc set.

Here is this week’s edition for TV on DVD Releases in the comedy category.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin: The Complete Series: This release is a four disc set. It includes all 21 episodes of the show’s three seasons. The special features include “The Very Best of Leonard Rossiter” and “Reginald Perrin Christmas Special Sketch.”

Jake & The Fatman: Second Season - This release is a three disc set of the second season of this crime drama. It contains 10 episodes.

That Girl: Season Five - This release is a four disc set of the show’s fifth and final season. The special features include audio commentaries.

Will & Grace: Best of Friends & Foes - This release is a two disc set

Will & Grace: Best of Love & Marriage - This release is a two disc set with 16 episodes of the show focusing on memorable relationship mishaps and make ups.