Mini-DVD Review: JAG Season Four (Aug. 21)

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Welcome to a special Sunday edition of mini-DVD reviews! Today we have we take a look at CBS DVD's Fourth Season of JAG. JAG was a huge hit for CBS. If you are a fan of Navy NCIS, you know that NCIS is a spin-off of JAG. See Seth Thrasher's mini-DVD review of JAG - The Complete Fourth Season:

JAG - The Complete Fourth Season (CBS, $64.99) is now on DVD. Catch the long running Donald Bellisario classic series, on DVD from CBS DVD! Another season of another show I remember fondly, and another JAG DVD set with an absurd MSRP. $64.99 is just absurd. That said, this is a good season. The show starts off strong, with the episode "Gypsy Eyes," a continuation of the finale from last season. Harm and Mac are found after being shot down. The Russians are reporting they're dead, but Admiral Chegwidden doesn't buy it. In "People vs. Mac," Mac is arrested and placed on trial for a felony, along with her former commanding officer. Harm volunteers to defend her, but this efforts are thwarted. Nonetheless, he's determined to figure out just what's going on. Near the end of the season, Harm gets his night blindness fixed, and turns in his request to fly again to the admiral. The concern over Harm's future at JAG would span through the final two shows, "Yeah Baby" and "Goodbyes." Obviously we all know how this turns out now, but it's still quality television nonetheless.
The actual set itself could still use work. The packaging is the TV DVD standard-issue outer box with inner slimcases. The cover art is similar to the previous sets, with in this instance Harm and Mac standing in front of a background with the US flag and gavel below them. For season 4, the predominant color in the packaging is teal. The menu features an image in a faux-letterbox style, with the American Flag serving in place of the black bars on top and bottom. In the center is a photo. Show logo and season 4 appear in top left, with episode titles appearing as text links on the left side. Another plain-Jane CBS DVD menu. To my absolute shock, there IS a special feature. On Disc 6 we get a Gag Reel that runs 4:08. I'm shocked, and extremely pleased, at this feature's presence. For $65 MSRP, I'd certainly like to see more though. Video quality is exceptional, I freely admit. No flaws, with perfect color balance, no noticeable compression issues. For standard-definition video that's almost ten years old, this is extremely good. Closed- Captioning is available. Chapter Stops appear at each commercial break plus before and after the opening titles. Runtimes hover in the mid-40 minute range – acceptable for a late 90s TV show.
I really think CBS DVD/Paramount is slowly starting to "get it," this set features nearly flawless video – as far as I could tell anyway – high quality audio, and actually has a bonus feature. Now just work on *more* features and a lower MSRP, and I'll certainly be a happy man. I think if you're a fan of the show you'll be happy too.

-- Reviewed by Seth Thrasher

(4/5 stars)

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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, October 29

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "The Devil’s Interval and a British Stripper" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie and Mandy are caught in the crossfire between their moms over CeeCee’s Halloween costume, and Missy (Raegan Revord) and Mary (Zoe Perry) clash over her Halloween plans.

Eternally Yours - "Halloween" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Up for a promotion at her teaching job, Liz invites her boss and his wife over for drinks on Halloween, when they arrive dressed in stereotypical vampire costumes, much to Charles’ annoyance. Also, the coven fears Max has placed them in danger of a werewolf attack when he inadvertently uses an ancient protective relic as a candy bowl for trick-or-treaters and it goes missing.

Ghosts - "Halloween 6: The Mirror – Part One" / "Halloween 6: The Mirror - Part Two" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
A couple of months after Pete’s disappearance, while Sam is in Australia on the set of her new film, Polar Opposites, Kyle (new series regular Ben Feldman) steps up to help baby-sit the ghosts. Also, Hetty is unexpectedly reunited with her estranged sister, Margaret (guest star Maria Thayer), and Bela throws an unconventional Halloween bash at Woodstone.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 26)

Thursday, October 29

Christopher Lloyd (Taxi/Stacked) - Catch Christopher on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Veronika Slowikowska (Tires/Davey & Jonesie's Locker/What We Do in the Shadows) - Veronika appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Rose Byrne (Platonic/Physical) - Rose is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons), Sean Hayes (Will & Grace/The Millers/Sean Saves the World) and Will Arnett (Murderville/Arrested Development/Flaked/The Millers/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Jason, Sean and Will talk about the "Smartless" podcast on NBC's today sometime between 7-9am.
David Alan Grier (St. Denis Medical/Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - NBC's Today catches up with David in the 9am hour.
Meagan Good (Cousin Skeeter/Raising Dad) - Meagan talks about Reasonable Doubt on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Sophia Bush (Partners) - Sophia talks about And I Will Tell You Mine: Notes from a Life in Progress with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Zazie Beetz (Atlanta) - Zazie talks about Nocture on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Joe Manganiello (Mythic Quest/How I Met Your Mother) - Joe opens up about his seven-year health battle, his new memoir, Bloodlines, and the family secrets he uncovered while searching for answers on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - It's a special food news with Valerie Bertinelli on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Plus, Val is joining Drew in the kitchen to make zucchini chips.