TV on DVD Buzz

You can pretty much find every Christmas movie and special on DVD now, so there’s no need to check the TV schedule to figure out when you can watch. They seem to show them all in November anyway, and I’m just not ready then! So I say just buy the DVD and enjoy it anytime. You may decide you have the Christmas spirit in the middle of August, right?

Here are some of my favorites. Share some of yours!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Of all the Christmas specials this was my favorite growing up. It’s hard to imagine Christmas without Rudolph! And he’s really relatively new to the Christmas scene. Did you know Rudolph didn’t really even exist in Christmas lore until 1964?

The Year Without a Santa Claus

Remember the Heat Miser? What a great villain he was. This Rankin-Bass special came out in 1974 and I’m sure I’ve seen it every year since then. But it’s got to me one of my all-time faves!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

This is where we learn that Santa had red hair before he went gray and that he sounds remarkably like Mickey Rooney when he speaks. My son, who is a redhead, is particularly fond of this one which came out in 1970.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Who doesn’t love Charlie Brown? This special from 1965 is a staple in our household. I love to watch the transformation of Charlie Brown’s lonely little Christmas tree every year.

Many of the Rankin-Bass favorites are available on DVD collections now, as Susan at RetroTV mentioned. This is the most affordable way to get all the favorites on DVD. Make sure to look for them at Amazon.com or your favorite retailer.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Those little blue annoyances known as the ‘Smurfs’ are coming to DVD…just in time for Christmas. I’m not a fan, but I know there are lots of Smurf lovers out there. I’m not saying I didn’t watch the show when I was a kid, but I didn’t have cable so my choices were limited. I couldn’t stand Jokey Smurf and Smurfette’s voice grated on my nerves. Even as a young kid, I thought the show was inane and much preferred a good episode of Scooby-Doo. But I digress… (more…)

New on DVD this week is the Super Friends: Legendary Super Powers Show from the mid-80’s. I must admit I am a total Superman freak and the Superfriends and Justice League were some of my favorite cartoons growing up.

Joining Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and your usual Justice League friends in this incarnation of the show is Firestorm the Nuclear Man. The major villain in this series is Darkseid.

The DVD includes all 16 episodes, each about 10 minutes long.  Special features include ”Evolution: New Heroes, Viler Villains, and Ethnic Additions”, a featurette about the impact of the Super Friends on cultural diversity in animation; “The Super Powers Collection”, a featurette about the Super Friends and the toy industry; and commentary on several episodes.

If you grew up in the 80’s and loved the Super Friends, this is a must-have. It may not be state-of-the-art animation like you see today, but it is great ‘good vs. evil’ superhero fun.

If you’re a fan of animated series, here’s your chance to build your collection. 

Some of the shows featured are Dragonball Z, Speed Racer (I used to have such a crush on Speed) and Astro Boy.

You can also save big on Superhero movie favorites like X-Men and Fantastic Four. View all the titles at Amazon.com.

TV on DVD, Sale, Amazon, Dragonball Z, Speed Racer, Astro Boy, X-Men, Fantastic Four

“Futurama” is coming back with a direct-to-DVD release entitled “Futurama: Bender’s Big Score.” 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will officially announce the first original “Futurama” production since 2003 at Comic-Con International.

The DVD will released on November 27. Three more films will be released individually through 2008, all will include the original creative team and voice cast. According to the Hollywood Reporter, guest stars on ”Bender’s Big Score” will include Al Gore, Coolio and Sarah Silverman.

“Futurama” will also return to TV next year with at least 13 new episodes on Comedy Central.

TV on DVD, Futurama, Bender’s Big Score, direct-to-DVD movie, Comic-Con, Hollywood Reporter, Al Gore, Coolio, Sarah Silverman, Comedy Central

 From You Tube, here’s the Warner Bros. promo for Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series, which hit shelves on Tuesday. 

The retro hit Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series soars through space and time to deliver justice! First, intergalactic policeman Space Ghost navigates the cosmos in his tricked-out spaceship, The Phantom Cruiser, battling villains like Brak and Zorak with his legendary suit and powerful wristbands. Then, Dino Boy teams with caveman Ugh and dinosaur Bronty to go primeval on the ancient menaces of their primitive home. And finally, Space Ghost flies again with more extraterrestrial adventures and thrilling takedowns. This dynamite compilation also features the dynamic six-part Space Ghost episode, The Council of Doom. It’s cosmic entertainment for all!

TV on DVD, Space Ghost and Dino Boy, Space Ghost, Warner Bros, Promo