TV on DVD Buzz

Horton Hears a Who! comes out in theater today! This is definitely one I want to see, but it won’t be happening this week, but I’d love to hear your take on it.

Horton Hears a Who! is from the old story from Dr.Seuss, Horton the elephant finds a a small flower with a speck of dust on it. Luckily for the people of Whoville he doesn’t just blow it off, instead of just being a speck of dust it is an entire community of little people living on it. Horton develops a friendship with the Who people and realizes he must keep the flower safe in order to save them.

Jim Carrey plays the voice of Horton.

“There is a man that has 96 daughters and 1 son and all share a bathroom. EEEKkkk!”

Horton Hears a Whoo, Horton, Whoville, movies, theaters, Dr. Seuss, Jim Carrey

It’s a new year but it’s also a holiday, so we don’t get very many new releases today. Only two TV titles hit shelves today:

   SeaQuest DSV - Season 2
   Weird Science - Seasons 1 and 2

That may be a little disappointing so I’ll give you a preview of what you can expect in the weeks to come to give you a little hope on this first day of 2008:

January 2
The Tudors - The Complete 1st Season

January 8
All-Star Family Feud starring Richard Dawson
Two and a Half Men - The Complete 2nd Season

January 15
The New Adventures of Old Christine - The Complete 1st Season
The Royle Family - The Complete 2nd Season
Thunderbirds - 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition Megaset

January 22
ER - The Complete 8th Season
Torchwood - The Complete 1st Season

January 29
Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete 6th Season
Emergency! - Season 4

OK, I bet you thought Fun Friday would feature Twin Peaks didn’t you? Well I fooled you. Instead I am featuring Seinfeld: The Complete Series which releases next Tuesday, November 6.

Fans everywhere are buzzing about this set.  The show, billed as the “show about nothing”, ran on NBC from July 5, 1989 to May 14, 1998 as part of the heralded “Must See TV” lineup. It’s catchphrases became part of pop culture and even now, nearly 10 years later, you will still hear people talk about the “soup nazi” or being “master of their domain.”

Seinfeld: The Complete Series set is packaged in a beautiful collectors case and includes all 180 episodes on 32 (or some sources say 33) DVDs. Special features include:

• More than 104 hours of amazing extras
• The Official Coffee Table Book: a 226-page bound anthology filled with photos, quotes, and trivia from every episode
• Bonus disc featuring the reunion of the cast plus Larry David on the ninth anniversary of the series finale
• Documentaries for all nine seasons
• Inside looks
• Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That (bloopers)
• In the vault (deleted scenes)
• Yada Yada Yada (commentaries)
• “Sein-Imation”
• Notes about nothing

Here’s a look at one of the hilarious blooper scenes featuring Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George (Jason Alexander) and George’s dad, Frank (Jerry Stiller):

This set has a suggested retail price of about $280 but it is available for pre-order at Amazon right now for only $212.99.

Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1 is coming exclusively to HD DVD in a 10 disc set, releasing on November 20th. The Star Trek set is unique in that fans will not only be able to experience Star Trek: The Original Series in full high definition for the first time, but will also be able to view the same discs in standard DVD players. The Star Trek Combo HD DVDs will feature HD DVD on one side of the disc and standard DVD on the other.

Toshiba and CBS Entertainment announced yesterday that fans who purchase both the boxed set and any Toshiba HD DVD player will receive an exclusive, limited edition Star Trek Phaser remote control that will operate Toshiba’s HD DVD players.

The set has been remastered from the original camera negative specifically for this high-definition release and some new visual effects have been added to give new depth and atmosphere to various elements including the main title sequence, the galaxy shots frequently seen from the Enterprise’s bridge, the battle scenes, planets and alien ships, some of the matte paintings used as backdrops for new worlds, as well as the Enterprise and other Starships, which have been replaced with state-of-the-art CGI-created ships.

Some of the HD-DVD bonus features include:

• Starfleet Access - On-screen graphical interface allows viewers to access Picture in Picture video commentaries, comparisons of re-mastered vs. original effects, encyclopedic information (science, life forms, technology), episode trivia and more on the following episodes:
• Where No Man Has Gone Before
• The Menagerie, Part 1
• The Menagerie, Part 2
• Balance of Terror
• The Galileo Seven
• Space Seed
• Errand of Mercy
• Spacelift: Transporting Trek into the 21st Century - a documentary chronicaling the remastering of the classic Star Trek episodes.
• Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories
  Join crew member and “extra-extraordinaire” Billy Blackburn as he shares his own behind-the-scenes home movie footage of life on the set of Star Trek.
• Interactive Enterprise Tour
  Viewers will explore the Enterprise interior and exterior in detail as they pilot their own shuttlecraft in this spectacular 3D simulated feature.
• Perpetual Entertainment’s “Star Trek Online” MMO Game Preview

The standard side of the DVD will also include bonus features:

• Spacelift: Transporting Trek into the 21st Century
• The Birth of a Timeless Legacy
• Reflections on Spock
• Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner
• To Boldly Go…Season One
• Sci-Fi Visionaries
• Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories
• Kiss & Tell: Romance in the 24th Century
• Trek Connections
• Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier
• Episode Preview Trailers
• Perpetual Entertainment’s “Star Trek Online” MMO Game Preview

The set has a suggested retail price of $217.99 but is available as a pre-order on Amazon.com right now for only $138.95.

Desperate Housewives: The Complete Third Season, The Dirty Laundry Edition releases next Tuesday, September 4. It includes all 23 one-hour episodes on six-discs. Special features include: 

BONUS FEATURES:
• “Here Comes the Bride”  
A behind-the-scenes look at the season three finale
• “Amas de Casa Desesperadas”
Meet the lovely Latinas of Wisteria Lane
• “Cherry Picked”
Creator Marc Cherry’s favorite scenes
• Deleted Scenes
• Bloopers/Outtakes
• Spanish Audio Track

This show came on strong in the first season, but got a little off track in season 2. I quit watching after the disappointment of season 2, but as I understand it, season 3 saw the show get back to the humor and great stories that we saw when it was brand new. I’ll be renting this one to catch up for season 4. Let’s hope it’s a good one! 

TV on DVD, Desperate Housewives, Season 3

The cast of Friday Night Lights at the NBC Upfronts in May

Yep, NBC is so sure you’ll love Friday Night Lights, which releases next Tuesday, August 28, that they are offering a money back guarantee. Here’s the info from http://www.fnlguarantee.com/:

Critics love it and you will too! Friday Night Lights has won critical praise and viewer devotion for its outstanding production values, insightful writing and compelling characters. According to Time Magazine, it was “The fall’s best new series” and in the opinion of Adam Buckman of the New York Post, it is “The best live-action show about contemporary life in America that is currently on the air.”

We’re so sure you’ll love Friday Night Lights on DVD, we’ll give you your money back for the DVD purchase price, if you aren’t completely hooked.

To qualify you must 1) purchase the DVD during the specified dates, 2) hate the show, 3) fill out the form (found at www.fnlguarantee.com), 3) send in your receipt. You can’t beat a deal like that!

And while we’re talking about Friday Night Lights, NBC is also having a House Party to celebrate the DVD Release of Season 1 and the premiere of Season 2.

Host a Friday Night Lights House Party and you’ll get the ultimate party package, including a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the opening episode of Season 2, weeks before it premieres on-air. If you’re selected as a House Party host, you will receive:

• A custom DVD with Producer’s Choice Episode from Season 1, greetings from the cast and an exclusive sneak peek of the first episode of Season 2

• A bonus DVD, with the first 4 episodes of Season 1 plus a sneak peak of the new NBC show, Bionic Woman

• Great collectibles for you and your guests, including rally towels, stadium seat cushions, stadium cups, megaphones, beverage koozies… even FNL microwave popcorn!

You can apply to be a House Party host at http://www.houseparty.com/fridaynightlights

TV on DVD, NBC, Friday Night Lights, Season 1 DVD, Money Back Guarantee, House Party

Season 9 of Seinfeld will release on November 6 and along with it a Complete Series set. Seinfeld, The Complete Series set will contain a new round-table discussion with stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards and creator Larry David, with Jerry Seinfeld as the moderator. Also included will be a 226-page Official Coffee Table Book, which was originally a gift to the cast and crew. It was recreated exclusively for the DVD release and is packed with photos and other materials about the show.

It’s no coincidence that the November 6 street date coincides with Jerry Seinfeld’s new animated feature, Bee Movie. 

Source

TV on DVD, Seinfeld, Complete Series, Bee Movie, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards

With the new fall season fast approaching, TV on DVD releases are heating up. This week Ugly Betty led the pack but the next few weeks are full of TV favorites. Here’s a list of some of the major releases coming up:

August 28
Heroes
Friday Night Lights

September 4
30 Rock
Desperate Housewives
Nip/Tuck
The Office
Prison Break
Rules of Engagement (more…)

It’s almost time for the 3rd Season DVD Release of Grey’s Anatomy and I’m ready! The release date is set for September 11, but you can pre-order it now. The best prices I have found online are FYE - $29.99 after a $10 rebate, Amazon.com - $38.99 and it’s $38.91 (plus $2.95 shipping) from Overstock.com. (Make sure to look for coupon codes from places like BargainHuntingMoms.com or HappyCodes.com to save even more!)

Here’s the Press Release from Buena Vista Home Entertainment:

Grey’s Anatomy’s Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey), Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd), Katherine Heigl (Izzie Stevens), Sandra Oh (Cristina Yang), T.R. Knight (George O’Malley) and Isaiah Washington (Preston Burke) work overtime to keep the romance, drama and, of course, the patients, alive at Seattle Grace Hospital.

Critical conditions are plentiful in the not-to-be-missed Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Third Season - Seriously Extended. They are doctors, lovers and friends. Join the staff of Seattle Grace Hospital as they learn there are no easy cures for life’s challenges and that each choice comes in shades of grey.

Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Third Season - Seriously Extended includes 25 one-hour episodes on 7-disc DVD plus hours of exclusive bonus features including four extended episodes exclusive to the DVD and “Making Rounds with Patrick Dempsey”, in which viewers join Dempsey on the race track. Cast and crew members share their favorite scenes in “Good Medicine” and “Prescription for Success” introduces how a new character is created and integrated into the show.

Created by Shonda Rhimes (”Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”), Grey’s Anatomy won a Golden Globe® this year for best TV drama and a 2006 Emmy® for outstanding casting.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Four Un-cut, Extended Episodes Exclusive to the DVD
• “Making Rounds with Patrick Dempsey”Join McDreamy on the race track for his favorite hobby
• “Good Medicine”Cast and crew share their favorite scenes
• “Prescription for Success”A look at how a new character is created
• Audio Commentaries

TV on DVD, Grey’s Anatomy Season 3 DVD, Seriously Extended, Best Price on Grey’s Anatomy DVD, FYE, Amazon, Overstock, Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Sandra Oh, TR Knight, Isaiah Washington, Shonda Rimes

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…)

John Ritter. Just saying his name makes me a little sad. 

I was thrilled when he came back to TV with 8 Simple Rules… in 2002. That year, my best friend was going through a divorce and having a tough time. She and her daughter would come over every week and watch the show with us. We would cook tacos or some other “health food” and sit around the TV to watch. We called it “family night.” Great comedy and touching family moments were plentiful during that first season of 8 Simple Rules…. (more…)

The original cast including Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins and Peter Woodward return for a new direct-to-DVD movie “Babylon 5: The Lost Tales“. The movie will be set 10 years after Sheridan became President of the Interstellar Alliance.

The DVD will also include special features such as interviews with the stars and memorials for Andreas Katsulis and Richard Biggs.  Also included are the Straczynski Diaries - chronicling the project from concept to execution and Fireside Chats - profiling the people of the B5 universe.

A “Lost Tales” MySpace page has been launched and features some exclusive wallpapers and a MySpace layout. The official website can be found at www.babylon5.warnerbros.com and includes some clips.

The DVD will release next Tuesday, July 31.

TV on DVD, Babylon 5, Lost Tales, Movie, Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins, Peter Woodward, Andreas Katsulis, Richard Biggs, Straczynski Diaries, MySpace

“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

The new release of the final season of Stargate SG-1 includes an insert for the highly anticipated direct-to-DVD movie, The Ark of Truth. The movie will wrap up the “Ori” storyline.  It comes out in 2008. 

According to TV Shows on DVD, there will also be another Stargate SG-1 direct-to-DVD release later in 2008.  It will be called Continuum. The main cast will return for both The Ark of Truth and Continuum.

To view the insert and get all the details, visit TV Shows on DVD.

If you’re a Stargate fan, make sure you check out the new Watching Stargate blog for all the latest news!

TV on DVD, Stargate SG-1, Ark of Truth, Continuum, direct-to-DVD

The official Heroes MySpace page now has a special “flip book” which gives you a preview of the DVD booklet for the upcoming Season 1 DVD.  Take a look:  Heroes MySpace Page 

TV on DVD, Heroes, Season 1, DVD, Booklet, Sneak Peak, Preview, MySpace