Saturday, June 26, 2010

Digital Digest: Entourage - The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray Review

Welcome to another edition of Digital Digest! Our normal Digital Digest blogger (skees53) will be gone and missed for the next few months, if you didn't know yet. We have the latest news, upcoming releases for Tuesday, and our Blu-ray review of HBO's Entourage - The Complete Sixth Season. There's quite a bit of news to report this week, so open up a cold beverage and enjoy this edition. Boy the way, Glenn Miller played. There's your hint.


DIGITAL NEWS

On Thursday we told you Shout! Factory has licensed the DVD rights for All in the Family from Sony Pictures. This means the last two seasons will FINALLY be released at last! We have now have an official release date as well for the seventh season! Shout! Factory has set a October 5 release date. The three-disc DVD ($29.93 MSRP) is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com. Package art is also available but no info on if there are special features yet. Hopefully Shout! acquires more titles from Sony that seem to have been abandonned like The Jeffersons, Archie Bunker's Place, Diff'rent Strokes, Maude, and so many more. Warner Home Video has changed the date for The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Third Season to Sept. 14. It will be released on both DVD ($ MSRP)and Blu-ray ($ MSRP). Package art is not availble yet. Pre-order today!

Drama wise, we got dates for rookies NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife. CBS Paramount has announced a Sept. 14 release date for The Good Wife and an Aug. 31 release date for NCIS: Los Angeles. The Good Wife - The First Season is priced at $62.99 MSRP, while NCIS: Los Angeles - The First Season is also priced at $62.99 MSRP. Package art is available! CBS DVD has also announced Criminal Minds - Season 5 for Sept. 7 with an MSRP of $62.99 also.

To take advantage of Simon Baker on the hit series The Mentalist, CBS DVD will release the second season of Baker's previous show, The Guardian. Warner Home Video is releasing The Mentalist on Sept. 21, as we already know, but now CBS DVD will release The Guardian - The Second Season on Sept. 7. MSRP is slated for $49.98. The first season was released last fall.

Meanwhile, Warner Home Video will delay He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown by two weeks and will now release it on Sept. 21. The DVD will retail at $19.98 MSRP. Pre-order today!

For more information on titles that we won't cover with full or blog DVD reviews, you can head on over to the news section of TVShowsOnDVD.com for all of the latest details.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (June 29) will only have a couple of sitcoms in store. Shout! Factory will release the complete series of Leave it to Beaver! Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series is out on June 29 with every single season of the Cleaver clan. Look for our review soon, as we still need the complete set but we have the bonus features disc and it is outstanding. Also out on Tuesday is Shout! Factory's Mad About You with The Complete Fourth Season. We have reviewed it already. Read our review for more details. And there is a season four DVD of The Real McCoys coming from Infinity Entertainment.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

It's time for a special Blu-ray review of Entourage: The Complete Sixth Season! This is our second Blu-ray review ever, so it is pretty special. For Vince, Eric, Drama and Turtle, life in Hollywood's fast lanecan be an intoxicating roller-coaster of a ride. After hitting some speed bumps the last couple of years, Vince's career is in high gear after his role in a new Martin Scorsese film. But now that Vince is back on top, is it finally time for the entourage to step out of his shadow? See our review of this Blu-ray release below!

Blu-ray Review: Entourage - The Complete Sixth Season
by Seth

Entourage: The Complete Sixth Season (HBO, $49.98 Blu-ray/$39.98 DVD) is now on Blu-ray and DVD! This review will focus on the Blu-ray edition. As I'm in a household that doesn't subscribe to any of the so-called "premium" channels at the present moment, this Blu-ray set marks my first exposure to the series (and our normal Entourage reviewer, skees53, is unavailable at the moment).

If you're like me and either new to the show through exposure by this review -- essentially the show is a comedic drama focused around Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) and the various people involved with his career -- his entourage. The series follows the lives of the whole group, usually as first triggered by events in the career of Vince. If any long-term fans feel I've missed the point, I apologize, but I'm brand new to this series and so the intricacies of the plot are something I haven't had the opportunity to experience in full.

By this sixth season, Vince's career is back on the upswing, leading to quite a few interesting events in the lives of those around him. I'm not going to spoil anything -- many of you already know full well what occurs over the course of the season, while new fans who may be checking this out for the first time? Well, I don't want to ruin your surprise. Many shows have difficulty captivating new viewers by their sixth season, but this show does a surprisingly good job of hooking me in despite my previous unawareness of the series.

A show focused on celebrity is going to feature people in guest starring capacities that's quite authentic. For example, Jay Leno appears in the season premiere when Vince goes on the pre-Conan Tonight Show to promote his new project. The season's second episode features actress Jami Gertz, recognizable to sitcom fan from her work on shows like Still Standing, Square Pegs, and even The Facts of Life. The third episode features an appearance by rapper 50 Cent. David Schwimmer, still beloved from his tenure on Friends, appears in the season's fourth episode. Elsewhere this season you'll find appearances by: Mark Wahlberg, Bob Saget, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Jeffrey Tambor, NBA players LeBron James and Steve Nash, Zac Efron, Malcolm McDowell, ex-Superman Dean Cain, Married... with Children-alum David Faustino, Matt Damon, and U2 front-man Bono. That's really just a sample -- if you pay close attention you're sure to notice even more guest spots. In a series driven by celebrity, there's going to be more cameos, guest star spots, and the occasional "I need work" bits than you'd find in 120 episodes of a normal series.

Now, you may be asking yourself, "Self - all that's nice, but is everything intact in the set?" To that enriching little piece of internal dialog, I can only say "I don't know." Remember when I said I've NEVER seen this show prior to this review? I don't have the FIRST clue what's supposed to be here. I did take a look at the runtimes: While they're wickedly all over the place, given the network it airs on and the relative creative freedom it allows its programs, I wouldn't be surprised if these ARE the proper runtimes. Nonetheless, for your convenience:

Disc 1:
Drive: 27:18
Amongst Friends: 26:25
One Car, Two Car, Red Car, Blue Car: 25:03
Runnin' on E: 29:14

Disc 2:
Fore: 22:31
Murphy's Lie: 28:09
No More Drama: 25:12
The Sorkin Notes: 244:37

Disc 3:
Security Briefs: 24:07
Berried Alive: 27:44
Scared Straight: 28:41
Give a Little Bit: 37:48

Despite dealing with the newest and, let's face it, greatest technology available in Blu-ray Disc, the packaging itself is actually a bit of a throwback nowadays. Aside from the shorter box height (to achieve consistency with normal Blu-ray packaging), the Blu-ray set is otherwise a plain, ordinary Digipak. It seems like it's been forever since I've seen one of these. I missed you, old friend. Artwork is extremely well done, with the primary cast seated at a table all enjoying some fine drinks. One thing I've always despised is cover art where the cast was spliced together with individual photos, so to see cover art where they were clearly in the same place at the same time is quite nice.

I've never used the forthcoming adjective before, so first a set-up. The only other Blu-ray I've watched start to finish is the film Independence Day. As my Blu-ray player is first and foremost for me a video game console that tends to be what it's primarily used for. So to see a TELEVISION series on Blu-ray for the first time: The video is nearly pants-wettingly good. The location and exterior shoots look absolutely stunning, and even the indoor stuff appears quite good. Audio is also quite nice. One of the neat things about Blu-ray I'm still adjusting to? The ability to pop-up a mini menu at any time during an episode without having to actually exit the episode itself. Audio is available in English and French DTS 5.1, while Spanish is a slightly more limited 2-channel track. Subtitles, available either through your subtitles button or through any of the menus (including the pop-up one) include: French, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, and English SDH. Video is available in full 1080p for those whose sets and players support it, otherwise it'll down-convert to whatever resolution your screen best supports. Chapter stops are available at the conclusion of each act.

Then you have the bonus features. Not only is there a full feature detailing the full production process for the sixth season called "Life at the Top," but you also get to watch the cast race a bunch of Ferraris (woo!), get to listen to three commentary tracks (keep an ear out for Bob Saget...), plus a set of fake outtakes for a PSA for ONEXONE, all of which play a role in the season's final episode.

This is the first TV show on Blu-ray I've gotten to review, and, quite simply, I'm blown away. The video and audio are absolutely mind-blowing, and the technological advances over a standard definition DVD are simply staggering. There's plenty enough special features to be of interest, however, the set doesn't come close to overkill in that regard. Overkill IS something nice to have in the Features department, so that might well be one area to consider improvement. Otherwise, this set is visually stunning and really makes me A.) look forward to more TV on Blu-ray, and B.) look forward to the seventh season premiere - airing on HBO tomorrow, Sunday June 27. For those of you questioning the merit of this set? STRONGLY recommended. It's 12 episodes of quality entertainment and the price isn't significantly more than what you'd pay for a single movie with a fourth of the content.

(4.5/5 stars)

To purchase this Blu-ray, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

To purchase the DVD version, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Entourage TV.com Page


LOOKING AHEAD

Come on back right here next week for more news and reviews. You'll have to come on back next week to see what the review here will be! And don't forget to read our full DVD reviews, as we will put up reviews for American Dad! and Family Guy. Until next time, keep it digital pardner! Yeeha!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, March 30

Young Sheldon - "A Stolen Truck and Going on the Lam" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Missy steals her dad’s truck and hits the road with her friend Paige (Mckenna Grace).

Ghosts - "Alberta's Descendant" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Alberta is thrilled when a living relative, Alicia (Ashley D. Kelley), visits Woodstone to learn more about her, but things take a turn when she hits it off with Todd (Rodrigo Fernandez Stoll), Sam’s podcast co-host. Also, Nigel uses his knowledge of Trevor and Hetty’s secret tryst to try to blackmail Hetty.

Animal Control - "Peacocks and Pumas" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank and Victoria stake out a squawking peacock; Emily and Patel attend to Shred.

Call Me Kat - "Call Me Not Okurrr" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
In the heat of the moment, Zoey kisses Kat at karaoke night; when Randi discovers a secret hideaway in the condo, she hides it from Carter and makes it a place for her to unwind.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 27)

Thursday, March 30

  • Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) - Catch Brett on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Fred Armisen (Los Espookys/Forever/Final Space) - Fred sits-in with the 8G Band​ on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Kyra Sedgwick (Call Your Mother) - Kyra and Kevin Bacon are guests on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS. Kyra will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan (check your local listings) and chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John guest hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Animal Practice/Better with You/Reba) and Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - JoAnna and Morris guest co-host The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Katie Lowes (How We Roll) - Katie guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
  • Ike Barinholtz (History of the World, Part II/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project) - Ike appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
  • Julie Bowen (Modern Family/Ed) - Julie is a guest on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
  • Method Man (Method & Red) - Method Man will be on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
  • Larenz Tate (South Central/The Royal Family) - Larenz appears on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (November-March)

Frasier - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Ghosts - Season One Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Ten Growing Pains - The Complete Series

11/08 - Frasier - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/08 - Young Rock - Season Two (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/15 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Seven / The Complete Season Eight
11/22 - That '70s Show - The Complete Series (Mill Creek)
11/29 - Ghosts - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/06 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - 70th Anniversary Ultimate Christmas Collection
12/13 - And Just Like That... - The Complete First Season
12/13 - Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/03 - Andy Richter Controls the Universe - The Complete Series (2023 Release)
01/27 - Master of None - Season Three / The Complete Series
02/21 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Nine / The Complete Season Ten
02/28 - Growing Pains - The Complete Series
03/28 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

03/29 - Adult Swim Orders Season 2 of Royal Crackers; Game Show Network 2023 Upfront
03/28 - Platonic Gets Premiere Date on Apple TV+; SNL April Guest Hosts and Music Guests
03/27 - ABC Summer 2023 Schedule, Includes Return of The Wonder Years; HBO Max's Clone High Details
03/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 27, 2023)
03/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Arrested Development Staying on Netflix (and Leaving Hulu); Grey's Anatomy Gets Season 20 Renewal
03/24 - Rewind TV Celebrates Mork & Mindy's 45th Anniversary on Earth Day; Disney's 6th Season of Raven's Home on April 9
03/23 - Antenna TV's Earth Day My Favorite Martian Marathon; Neil Patrick Harris Returns on How I Met Your Father
03/22 - Game Show Network Orders Tom Cavanagh Hosted Game Show; A Black Lady Sketch Show Returns for Season 4
03/21 - All That Stars to Reunite for Good Burger 2; Jim Belushi Returns For Another Season of Growing Belushi
03/20 - 2023 90s Con Recap in Hartford; Bel-Air Gets Season 3 on Peacock
03/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 20, 2023)
03/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: New Sitcoms for Terry Crews and Wendi McLendon-Covey; Zachary Levi Holding Out Hope for Chuck Movie
03/17 - AXS TV Acquires The Monkees for Retro Night Block; HBO Max's The Other Two Returns in May
03/16 - Monk Returns with One Final Case on Peacock; John Mulaney Gets 3rd Netflix Comedy Special
03/15 - Apple TV+ Orders Comedy with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey; CBS 2023 Season Finale Dates
03/14 - Disney+ Comedy American Born Chinese Premieres May 24; Tim Robinson Comedy to Return May 30 on Netflix
03/13 - New Girl Coming to Hulu and Peacock; Apple TV+ Renews Shrinking for Season 2
03/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 13, 2023)
03/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Beavis and Butt-Head Gets Second Season Renewal; Roles Cast in Bedrock Series
03/10 - Act Your Age Opens as Biggest Launch in Bounce History; Starz Comedy Blindspotting Returns April 14
03/09 - Mary Tyler Moore Film Premieres This May on HBO; Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head Returns for Season 2
03/08 - HBO's Barry Returns April 16; Schmigadoon! Trailer for Season 2
03/07 - American Dad! Season 18 Premieres March 27; Hulu's Tiny Beautiful Things Launches April 7
03/06 - Antenna TV Spring 2023 Schedule; Rewind TV Spring 2023 Schedule
03/05 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 6, 2023)
03/04 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Rachael Ray to End After 17 Seasons; Fox Renews Krapopolis for Third Season
03/03 - The Thundermans Return; TMZ's New Game Show
03/02 - Fox Renews Krapopolis for Season 3; Disney Channel's New Comedy Saturdays
03/01 - HBO Max Chuck Lorre Comedy Sets Production; New Shonda Rhimes White House Series