Blog DVD Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Complete Season 8

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Blog DVD Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Complete Season 8

We are preempting the weekly Summer ratings for today because final numbers for Wednesday and Thursday were not available to us yet, so we bring you a special edition of the blog DVD reviews on this special Labor Day weekend!
Today we take a look at Lionsgate's Season 8 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Ninja Turtles is of course the hit animated series that caused kids and teens to go crazy for in the late '80s and early '90s. See my Blog DVD Review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Complete Season 8:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The Complete Season 8 (Lionsgate, $14.98) brings all 8 episodes from the series' eighth season on DVD. Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, Raphael, Splinter, April are all back to battle Shredder, Krang and other villains! It's a heart-pounding, pizza-munching, right-outta-the-sewer ninja action on this eighth season that even has a new theme song!

Starting with season four we started getting season releases. Season 4 set had 39 episodes and season 5 had 18 episodes. Season six had a total of 16 episodes on its set. And season seven had 27 episodes in four collectible "slices." Prior to that we were getting volume releases. Here is a recap: Volume 6 had the last 11 episodes from season three, plus the first episode of season four. The third season had a total of 47 episodes, so they decided to split up that season into volumes, so volumes 3, 4, 5, and 6 covered season three. For season 2 there were just 13 episodes, so Lionsgate released that for volume two...so yes, technically the first two volumes were season sets. Season one had only 5 episodes, so that was on Volume 1, with four bonus episodes from season ten actually. So do you have all of these? Hope you do dudes!

The packaging has an outer box that holds a keepcase inside. It is very simple since it is a one-disc set that has just eight episodes. The cover art has the Turtles in battle mode with Leonardo featured and Michaelangelo, Donatello and Raphael in the background. The color scheme is blue. The show logo is on the top, with "The Complete Season 8" logo on the bottom right and the "produced by Fred Wolf Films" on the bottom. The back of the box has info on the series and set, with a yellow box listing all eight episode titles. Radical! We also have three small episodic photos, along with a nice shot of Leonardo. The cover and back of the case is exactly the same as the outer box. When we open the case, we have the disc on the right panel. There is no artwork or anything on the panels itself, it is just a plain black background. The disc art has Leonardo (same as the cover art), with a blue background. Bodacious!

The menu screen is similar to season six. First, we get autotrailers before the main menu appears with trailers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men Wolverine, Super Capers movie, and more. Then after that is done, we come to the main menu screen. The theme song is playing in the background, and it does loop, and the photo is similar to the box art with each turtle. The theme song is actually the more popular older theme song rather than the new theme song that starts this season. The menu options are: Play All Episodes, Episode Selection, Trailers. Episode Selection takes us to a submenu with episode #, title, and a screenshot from the episode. Gnarly!

The video is on par with the other volumes, with dust and debris here and there and on par with previous recent seasons. The audio is also on par with the previous releases, not bad...and listenable. It's not remastered, but this is the best we have and it beats our taped VHS versions. The episodes are around 23:30. We get 5 chapter stops per episode again. Sensei Master Splinter likes!

Seasons four and five had extras, but then season six had absolutely nothing! Then for the 25th anniversary set, we had a lot of extras for season seven. We get nada here. This is the point in time when the Turtles episodes start getting a bit weird, so I guess we should not expect any more extras from here on out. Look out for the "Red Sky" in each episode!

I still urge fans to buy this set even though there are no special features. There are only eight episodes, so you could finish this set in a day and if you have all seven seasons, then you need this to continue your collection. Only Seasons 9 and 10 remain to be released. Seasons eight through ten have 8 episodes each, so expect one-disc sets from here on out, just like this season eight set. Four of the eight episodes of season ten was released on the Volume 1 DVD, the very first DVD...but I'm sure they will release all eight of those will be released when that set comes out.
Anyway, the tone of the show became darker, the art style changed significantly...but it's still our Turtles and you need to get this set dudes! Cowabunga!

-- Reviewed by Pavan

(4/5 stars)

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Official Website

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 6

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Gemma Johnson's Day Off" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Gemma reaches her limit at work, and when a car issue forces her to slow down, an unexpected break helps her rethink what she really wants next. Meanwhile, Marty and Malcolm’s plans are thrown off course when unexpected opportunities arise, and Dave embraces a new career path.

The Neighorhood - "A Farewell Special" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
CBS presents The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special, an Entertainment Tonight production, airing Monday, April 6 (8:30-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+. Hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier and filmed on location on The Neighborhood's stages, the special celebrates the acclaimed CBS comedy's final season, honoring eight seasons, 156 episodes, and eight unforgettable years of laughter, heart and community, leading up to the series finale on May 11.

This celebratory event features exclusive new interviews with the cast reflecting on their journey, revisiting early days on set, and looking back at the show's evolution and cultural impact. From its heartfelt exploration of friendship and family to its comedic take on life in a changing community, The Neighborhood has become a beloved part of CBS' comedy legacy.

The special includes never-before-seen footage and archival interviews from the ET Vault, offering fans a nostalgic look at the series' most iconic moments and the relationships built along the way. Viewers will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the emotional final days of production, including the cast and crew's last table read, intimate moments from the final tapings, and heartfelt goodbyes.

Additionally, The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special brings audiences inside the cast's final wrap party, capturing the laughter, speeches, memories, and surprises that marked the end of an era. To cap off the evening, fans will get an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming series finale, with the cast and producers sharing what viewers can expect as the Butlers and Johnsons say farewell to the neighborhood they've called home for nearly a decade.

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to New Horizons" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Dave’s silent auction wins lead to a classical concert outing with Gemma and the Butlers that quickly goes off the rails. Meanwhile, Malcolm’s ghostwriting gig takes a surprising turn when Tina encourages him to dive into reality TV for inspiration – sparking an unexpected obsession.

St. Denis Medical - "We Make Time" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When a doctor becomes a patient, his co-workers rally around him, whether he likes it or not; Matt and Serena need to talk.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "The Loyalty Swamp" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Tobin's past comes back to haunt him; Reggie and Brina struggle to set a wedding date.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 6)

Monday, April 6

Jason Segel (Shrinking/How I Met Your Mother/Undeclared) - Watch Jason on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Keanu Reaves (Swedish Dicks) - Keanu is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Outcome on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - ABC's Good Morning America has George Stephanopoulos' exclusive interview with Melissa sometime between 7-9am.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie talks about Big Mistakes on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Mindy Kaling (Running Point/The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy talks about Mindy's Book Studio on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry and Rebecca King-Crews make an exclusive announcement on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. Terry will also be on in the 9am hour.
Sterling K. Brown (Starved) and Ryan Michelle Bathe (First Wives Club/Retired at 35) - Sterling and his wife Ryan Michelle tell Sherri about the highly anticipated new season of Paradise now streaming on Hulu & Disney+ on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda talks season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors and her new film Fantasy Life on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.