Saturday, September 25, 2010
Digital Digest: C.S.I. - The Tenth Season DVD Review; EXCLUSIVE "Community 101 Pop Quiz"
DIGITAL NEWS
As we mentioned a few months ago, MPI is planning a release of The Honeymooners Christmas Special, and now it is on the schedule for December 14. It will come at a $14.98 MSRP and will include an exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette. On an unrelated sidenote, MPI is releasing the fourth season of the British comedy hit that almost made it to America on NBC (but didn't), The IT Crowd, on the same day at a $24.98 MSRP.
Going outside of the sitcom realm, we have some news about the classic TV series Ironside. According to their weekly newsletter, Shout! Factory is preparing season 4 as a Shout! Select title with a date to be determined. It is good to see that this show hasn't been abandoned as many fans believed it was!
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (September 28) brings us the final chapter for Scrubs, with both Scrubs - The Complete Ninth Season and Scrubs - The Complete Series on DVD. Unfortunately, the ninth season isn't being released on Blu-ray yet, so hopefully a release of that is forthcoming so that both of the seasons that aired in high-definition will be on Blu-ray.
Fox will be releasing The Cleveland Show - Season One on Tuesday, as well a separate single episode Family Guy release of the banned-from-air episode "Partial Terms of Endearment." Also on the animation front, we have Comedy Central DVD's South Park - A Little Box of Butters, featuring 13 of the best episodes of one of the funniest characters on the series.
Finally, Shout! Factory is releasing single disc "best-of" releases of Rhoda and Designing Women. If you already own the season sets of either of these shows, then you probably won't be interested in these releases, but if you are a casual fan and want just a few episodes, then these releases are perfect for you.
Unfortunately, we don't have reviews of any of these yet (the studios have been slacking on getting releases to us on time lately), but when we do, they will be on Digital Digest or on our reviews page!
COMMUNITY 101 POP QUIZ CONTEST
As we mentioned earlier in today's Digital Digest, we have a special contest this week! We have five multiple choice questions for you about Community, and if you get all of the answers correct, then you could win your own copy of Community - The Complete First Season, now available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment!
All you have to do to enter is to email us at communitydvd@sitcomsonline.com with the letters that correspond to the correct answer (no Scantron forms!) by midnight on September 27, 2010. You must have all answers correct in order to have a chance to win. Be sure to check out our complete rules at the end of the quiz.
Oh, and before we get started on the quiz, we want this to feel like a real community college quiz, so we're even going to give you a free cheat sheet to help you with this quiz, so that you can cheat your way through college just like Jeff Winger! Here we go with the quiz!
1. In "Spanish 101," which classmate does Jeff get paired with for the Spanish project?
a. Britta
b. Shirley
c. Pierce
d. Annie
2. What is the name of Troy's comic book?
a. Kickpuncher
b. Britta the Warrior
c. Justice Fighter
d. Women of Troy
3. Which food item was there a shortage of at Greendale Community College?
a. pizza
b. chicken fingers
c. hot dogs
d. tacos
4. What subject did the instructor who was found to not have his college degree teach?
a. religious studies
b. statistics
c. Spanish
d. home economics
5. Which of the following is a real member of the study group?
a. Monique
b. Abed
c. Amanda
d. Cara
Contest Rules:
- Limit only "one" entry per e-mail address and household. All entries must be submitted to communitydvd@sitcomsonline.com.
- US and Canadian residents only.
- The contest begins Saturday, September 25th and ends at 12:00 AM EDT on Monday, September 27th (Sunday night/Monday morning).
- No purchase necessary.
- One entry will be selected at random and the entrant will be notified by e-mail if they have answered the questions correctly; otherwise another entry will be selected at random until an entry with all correct answers has been chosen. Winners must respond within 48 hours of being notified with their mailing address or another winner will be contacted. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.
- Employees of SitcomsOnline.com (that includes the DVD Review Team - Moderators can enter the contest), its parents, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotional agencies and the immediate family members of said employees are not eligible.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
DVD Review: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Tenth Season (CBS DVD/Paramount Home Video, $79.99)
by Todd Fuller
In CSI's exciting, must-own Season 10, Dr. Ray Langston (Tony winner, Emmy winner and Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne) uncovers clues in a conspiracy so vast, it takes him to New York. This segment of the CSI Trilogy crossover event is just one reason to savor this superb collection, which features new episodes guest-starring Jorja Fox as Sara Sidle. The team, which also stars Emmy winner Marg Helgenberger and George Eads, digs into the seamy underbelly of Las Vegas to solve murders of a rising ingenue and two beautiful scam artists. Meanwhile, a menacing new serial killer known only as Dr. Jekyll shows his sadistic side, while the specter of the team's old nemesis, Paul Millander, arises anew. In this landmark tenth season of the Emmy and People's Choice Award-winning series, the legendary forensics unit proves once again that there's no shortage of sin in Sin City.
This 7-disc set contains all 23 episodes (plus 2 crossover CSI: Miami and CSI: NY episodes) from the tenth (2009-10) season of the long-running crime drama. The episodes are presented in anamorphic widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Stereo audio (Spanish Stereo is also available). It has a total running time of approximately 16 hours, 47 minutes. The attractive packaging has photos of Marg Helgenberger, Laurence Fishburne and George Eads on the front cover, with the Las Vegas skyline in the background. There is an embossed CSI: Crime Scene Investigation logo at the top of the box. After using Digipak packaging for the previous seasons, they've switched to a cardboard box that holds a snapcase. Marg Helgenberger, George Eads, Eric Szmanda, Laurence Fisburne, Robert David Hall and Paul Guilfoyle are pictured on the back of the box. A short synopsis of the set, a listing of the special features and the DVD specs are given. There is a clear plastic snapcase that slides out from the right of the outer cardboard box. The snapcase has the same cover art, photos and information as the cardboard box. Opening up the snapcase, there is a content locator which lists the episodes and the special features on the inside cover. Discs 1-6 are held back-to-back in plastic trays, while Disc 7 is an embedded holder in the back of the case. The discs have a portion of a casino sign and list the episodes and special features. Unfortunately, they didn't include the Crime Scene: Do Not Cross tape around the packaging this time around.
The menus are stylish and easy to navigate. There is a series of previews for some other CBS DVD/Paramount TV DVD releases and the CSI: Fatal Conspiracy game which you can play or skip. The main menu opens with some aerial views of Las Vegas that lead to a montage of video clips from the show. A great instrumental cue by composer John M. Keane plays in the background and then the sequence loops. Options are available for Episode Selection, Set Up, Previews (only on Disc 1) and the various special features by disc. You can choose either English 5.1 Surround or
EspaƱol audio on the Set Up Menu. Closed captioning is available for all of the episodes, but some of the special features are not rated any may not be closed captioned. As you would expect from such a recent show, the video and audio quality is outstanding. They do a lot of nighttime shooting and make the show look dark and like a theatrical film. There is no disclaimer on the back of the box about any of the episodes possibly being edited. Episodes are presented in their original broadcast order and numbered by the production number, which was the same order for this season. Running times are between 42-44 minutes in length. It doesn't appear that they are releasing the tenth season on Blu-ray at this time.
Here is the episode breakdown by disc, including the runtimes:
Disc 1
Episode 1001 "Family Affair" (44:22)
Episode 1002 "Ghost Town" (44:13)
Episode 1003 "Working Stiffs" (44:13)
Disc 2
Episode 1004 "Coupe De Grace" (43:52)
Episode 1005 "Bloodsport" (44:12)
Episode 1006 "Death and the Maiden" (43:53)
Disc 3
CSI: Miami 807 "Bone Voyage" (43:51)
CSI: NY 607 "Hammer Down" (41:44)
Episode 1008 "The Lost Girls" (44:13)
Episode 1007 "Lover's Lane" (44:03)
Disc 4
Episode 1009 "Appendictement" (44:22)
Episode 1010 "Better Off Dead" (42:02)
Episode 1011 "Sin City Blue" (44:13)
Episode 1012 "Long Ball" (43:12)
Disc 5
Episode 1013 "Internal Combustion" (42:43)
Episode 1014 "Unshockable" (44:23)
Episode 1015 "Neverland" (43:02)
Episode 1016 "The Panty Sniffer" (44:22)
Disc 6
Episode 1017 "Irradiator" (44:22)
Episode 1018 "Field Mice" (44:22)
Episode 1019 "World's End" (43:51)
Episode 1020 "Take My Life, Please!" (43:52)
Disc 7
Episode 1021 "Lost & Found" (42:32)
Episode 1022 "Doctor Who" (42:21)
Episode 1023 "Meat Jekyll" (44:01)
A decent number of special features are spread out over the 7 discs. Once again, there are only 2 audio commentaries on this set like last season. They have really cut back on the number of them from previous seasons for all of the CSI franchise shows. No deleted scenes are included on this release. The 5 features run about 90 minutes total in length. Here is the breakdown by disc:
Disc 1
Frozen in Time: CSI's Season Opener (12:21) - This featurette includes interviews with Executive Producer Carol Mendelsohn, Executive Producer Naren Shankar, Director/Supervising Producer Kenneth Fink, Co-Producer Brad Tannebaum, Jorja Fox, Robert David Hall, Director of Photography Christian Sebaldt, Visual Effects Supervisor/Zoic Studios Rik Shorten,
They discuss in detail the motion control shooting and the digital effects for the season premiere. It took them 2 months to complete the scene.
Disc 3
Leaving Las Vegas: Langston Heads East (23:28) - This featurette details the triple crossover event. It started out in Miami, moved to New York and finished in Las Vegas. Inteviews include Executive Producer Carol Mendelsohn, Executive Producer Naren Shankar, Executive Producer (CSI: NY) Peter M. Lenkov, Laurence Fishburne, Co-Executive Producer (CSI: Miami) Mark Dube, Director/Producer (CSI: Miami) Sam Hill, David Caruso, Omar Benson Miller, Executive Producer (CSI: Miami) Barry O'Brien, Christian Clemenson, Emily Procter, Executive Producer (CSI: NY) Pam Veasey, Melina Kanakaredes and Gary Sinise.
Disc 4
Audio Commentary by George Eads, Eric Szmanda, Wallace Langham & Jon Wellner on "Appendicitement"
Disc 5
Audio Commentary Rascal Flatts (Jay DeMarcus, JoeDon Rooney and Gary LeVox) , Writer Michael Frost Beckner and Executive Producer/Director Kenneth Fink
Disc 6
Lab Rats: The Saga Continues (15:31) - This featurette chronicles the 4th annual Lab Rats episode. Liz Vassey and Wallace Langham helped write this episode. Unfortunately, they didn't include an audio commentary to supplement this featurette. Interviews include Liz Vassey, Wallace Langham, Executive Producer Naren Shankar, Paul Guilfoyle, David Berman, Robert David Hall, Director Bran Tanenbaum, Sheeri Rappaport and Jon Wellner.
Disc 7
CSI: The Experience (15:38) - Eric Szmanda profiles and gives a tour of the CSI: The Experience traveling interactive exhibit. Clips of Gil Grissom, Greg Sanders, Nick Stokes, Catherine Willows, and Al Robbins speaking to the visitors are shown. Creator and Executive Producer Anthony E. Zuiker, Ron Rohovit, Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Jamie Becker, and Arthur Eisenberg, Ph.D. are interviewed.
KillerTales: Season 10 of CSI (23:17) - This featurette highlights some of the key developments and moments of the tenth season. They talk about the addition of Laurence Fishburne to the cast, Catherine's and Nick's characters this season, the return of of Jorja Fox as Sara Sidle, the characters of Greg Sanders and Jim Brass, the panty sniffer episode, the stakeout of a casino episode, Rascal Flatts, their favorite episode of the season, and the serial killer story arc of Dr. Jekyll. Interviews include Executive Producer Carol Mendelsohn, Executive Producer Naren Shankar, Laurence Fishburne, Marg Helgenbrger, Jorja Fox, George Eads, Robert David Hall, David Berman, Eric Szmanda, Paul Guilfoyle, Director/Co-Executive PRoducer Louis Shaw Milito, Co-Producer Jacqueline Hoyt,
This season started out with a great opening sequence and ended with a thrilling cliffhanger. This was Laurence Fishburn's first full season as Langston and he has fit in the show nicely. They really gave him a chance to shine in the 3-part crossover event. It was also great to see the return of Jorja Fox as Sara Sidle. She has been missed. This is another nicely produced set. A number of entertaining featurettes and a couple of audio commentaries are included. Amazon.com has it priced at $71.99 at the moment. That seems ridiculously high. Hopefully that price will come down. You can probably find it much cheaper at other online retailers and in stores.
-- Reviewed by Todd Fuller
(4/5 stars)
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Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CBS.com Official Site
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV.com Page
LOOKING AHEAD
Before I wrap things up this week, I want to say that it is good to be back on the blog this week, and I should be back to doing the Digital Digest regularly from now. Many great features are planned for upcoming blog entries, and we hope that you'll keep checking with us every week, even if things have been very slow on the news front lately! Remember, keep it digital!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, September 15
The Great North - "You've Got Sail Adventure" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Wanting a chance at casually making out, Judy suddenly finds herself with three separate dates to handle simultaneously; Beef goes to meet a friend he met online, only to find out that he's a cruise ship captain, and therefore a dire enemy.
The Simpsons - "Cremains of the Day" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When someone in Homer's life passes away, he and some guys from Moe's go on a road trip to scatter the ashes.
Universal Basic Guys - "Sunset Cruise" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When David, Andrea, Mark, and Tammy go on a cruise together, David and Andrea unexpectedly rekindle their romance; Mark's preoccupation with reeling in a big fish leads to him catching a whale that jeopardizes the safety of the entire cruise.
Bob's Burgers - "The Right Tough Stuff" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Gayle tells the family she's sending in an audition tape to be on Tough Stuff Island, Linda is determined to make her tape boring to save her from being humiliated on a rejection reel; Bob struggles with his new electric grinder.
The Great North - "Look Who's Squawking Adventure" / "Am I The Ice Hole? Adventure" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When the eagle Moon is pet sitting escapes, he enlists Beef and Wolf to go searching for it; Honeybee and Beef bond on an ice fishing trip and try to find a compromise between quiet fishing and fun games.
The Conners - "Sober Sex, Plastic Silverware, and Losing My Religion" (The CW, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Part of Becky's recovery program mandates she make amends with people she has lied to over the years, leading her to meet up again with a former high school friend; Darlene visits with Pastor Phil; Louise continues planning her wedding.
The Conners - "The Wedding of Dan and Louise" (The CW, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
A weather report forecasting that a tornado is headed for Lanford creates chaos and surprises on Dan and Louise's wedding day.
The Conners - "Peter Pan, The Backup Plan, Adventures in Babysitting, and a River Runs Through It" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Conner home is decked out for Halloween, despite the leak in the roof that forces Dan and Louise to cancel their honeymoon; Becky surprises the newlyweds and takes them on a virtual adventure around the world.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 9)
Friday, September 13
- Brian Tyree Henry (HouseBroken/Atlanta) - Watch Brian on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Dax Shepard (Bless This Mess) - Dax appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Al Franken (LateLine) - Al is a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher at 10pm on HBO.
- Kelsey Grammer (Frasier/Partners/Hank/Back to You/Cheers) - Kelsey will be on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
- Sanaa Lathan (Family Guy/The Cleveland Show/LateLine) - Sanaa and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor talk about the enduring power of friendship in their new Hulu film The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Dana Delany (The Comedians) - Dana discusses her television series Tulsa King on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Josie Davis (Charles in Charge) - Josie will be on Good Day LA on FOX 11 in Los Angeles at 11:30am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
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