Saturday, July 02, 2011

Digital Digest: Busy Summer for Mill Creek; Challenge of the Gobots - The Original Miniseries DVD Review

Happy Independence Day weekend and welcome to Digital Digest! We've done all of the complaining that we could possibly do over the past few weeks about how insanely slow the news has been on the home media front, but much to our surprise, we've actually got a busy week this week! We've also got a review of the Warner Archive DVD release of Challenge of the Gobots - The Original Miniseries. Let's get rolling!


DIGITAL NEWS

Mill Creek Entertainment has been on a steady path lately of releasing "best of" sets of Shout! Factory series as well as their own releases of various series from the Carsey-Werner library (which we'll have more on that in just a bit!) but August isn't being totally left out! August 23 brings many sitcom sets from Shout! Factory from the public domain territory (which means that we won't be reviewing them, but they may be of interest to some fans). First up is The Betty White Collection - America's Funny Lady, a 40 episode collection of episodes of the series Life With Elizabeth and A Date With the Angels. The Beverly Hillbillies - Meet the Clampetts is a 40 episode collection of that classic series. For Lucy fans, there is Lucy - A Legacy of Laughter, with 30 episodes of the series The Lucy Show. And if you just like classic TV in general, there is Family TV Classics - 45 Episode Collection, with 45 classic episodes of series including The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Adventures Ozzie and Harriet, Petticoat Junction, and more. None of this stuff is new to DVD, but these are new collections for those who may not already own the series. I would expect the quality of these programs to be questionable and replaced theme music, as these are public domain sets. Each of these sets will come at a very low $9.98 MSRP, and I suspect that they will be easily found for even lower prices. All in all, it is a good value--considering what you are getting.

But we are hardly done with Mill Creek! They've got an even busier September coming up with their first batch of Carsey-Werner DVD releases! September 13 will see releases of the first two (separate) seasons of four different Carsey-Werner series, meaning eight DVD season sets total, in addition to one best-of set. And each of these sets will contain unedited episodes (although we are cautious about this, because although we believe they will be broadcast length episodes, we haven't heard whether original music will be restored on the episodes, and Mill Creek has typically fallen short in this area). Series in the first batch include Roseanne (season 1 and season 2), That '70s Show (season 1, season 2, and Biggest Hits), Grounded for Life(season 1 and season 2), and 3rd Rock from the Sun (season 1 and season 2). Roseanne and That '70s Show season sets will come at a $14.98 MSRP (the Biggest Hits set of That '70s Show will only be $5.98) and the sets of Grounded for Life and 3rd Rock from the Sun will come at a very low $9.98 MSRP. However, original press releases suggested that complete series sets of some or all of these series will come sometime in 2012, so if you are interested in that, you may be able to get an even better deal.

We knew that the series Modern Family would be coming to DVD for Modern Family - Season Two, it was only a question of when. Now, we know it'll be on September 10. But that isn't all! There will also be a Blu-ray Disc release of the set on the same day. Both are available to pre-order now.

Remember the short-lived CBS series Mad Love? Honestly, I don't, because I never even got a chance to see it before it was canceled. But if you liked it or want a chance to see what you missed, it is coming soon to DVD! August 30 will bring the complete series to DVD in Mad Love - The DVD Edition.
It's been a while since we've seen any Adam-12 releases from Shout! Factory, but apparently, it is NOT abandoned, which is great news for fans. In fact, according to this tidbit, caught by TVShowsOnDVD.com, Shout! Factory says to look for the sixth season early next year. We will hopefully have a review of this one when it is released.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (July 5) has several DVD releases on the plate, particularly from Lionsgate. According to Jim - The Complete Fourth Season, Boy Meets World - The Complete Sixth Season, and The PJ's - Season Two are all being released on Tuesday. CBS Home Entertainment has some classic dramas on tap for Tuesday, with Mannix - The Fifth Season and two releases of Dynasty, with Dynasty - The Fifth Season, Volume 1 and Dynasty - The Fifth Season, Volume 2.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

We've seen a ton of DVDs come from the Warner Archive of series that fans hardly remember, but there is one that fans have wanted... and it is finally on the way, with Challenge of the Gobots - The Original Miniseries. The miniseries about robots that changed themselves into vehicles (sound a little familiar, Transformers fans?) kicked off a series and line of toys that became popular in the 1980s. Here is our review of Challenge of the Gobots - The Original Miniseries.

DVD Review: Challenge of the Gobots - The Original Miniseries

Challenge of the Gobots – The Original Miniseries (Warner Archive, $19.95) is the latest Hanna-Barbera entry from the Warner Archive program, one highly requested by fans… or at least a start to that request: the five episodes that kicked off the animated Challenge of the Gobots series in 1984. The Gobots were a popular toy line imported from Japan, produced here in America by Tonka (which has now been merged into Hasbro, the same company that owns Transformers). Many, however, saw both the toys and the series as a cheap ripoff of Transformers. Both featured robots that can change themselves into cars or other vehicles. Both had animated series that ran roughly the same amount of episodes, and both spawned 1980s animated feature films. However, Transformers is the one that’s beloved and remembered today with revival series and movies… while Gobots is largely either forgotten or made fun of. But is all that ribbing worthwhile?

The show’s plot is thus. There are two opposing forces of Gobots on the planet Gobotron: the Guardians (good guys) and the Renegades (bad guys). The Guardians’ leader was Leader-1 and the Renegades’ was Cy-Kill. Thousands of years ago, Gobotron was filled with a humanlike races called Gobings. Civil war erupted between the Guardians and Renegades, which climaxed with an asteroid crashing into the planet. One genius left among the population was able to save everyone else who had survived by building robot bodies and transferring the Gobings brains into them. That genius, known as the Last Engineer, then put himself into suspended animation as the war between the Guardians and Renegades raged on in the Gobot suits. Eventually, the Renegade leader decides to come to Earth to build some sort of secret weapon, and accidentally encounters three NASA astronauts who get wrapped up in the Gobots’ war.

The plot is a little too contrived, and not very believable. The toy line didn’t sell that well either. But the show does have its core fan base, and it is one of several shining examples of the 1980s fad of turning toys into TV shows created solely for selling said toys.The miniseries aired in syndication in the fall of 1984 and was apparently popular enough to generate a regular series the next year. The shows appear to be completely uncut, and even include the commercial bumpers (“Challenge of the Gobots will return after these messages.”) The fifth episode is about 30 seconds shorter, but I suspect that was so it could include an extra commercial or promo for the toys or for the coming series. Here are the episode runtimes.

1. The Battle for Gobotron (21:59)
2. Target Earth (21:58)
3. Conquest of Earth (21:57)
4. Earthbound (21:57)
5. The Final Conflict (21:28)

The single disc comes in a Viva Eco-box, a thinner plastic with certain sections punched out to make it more recyclable. The outer box features the “Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection” banner, along with the show’s logos and some of the characters in an action pose beneath. The back cover has more of the characters and s description of the show’s plot. The packaging matches all the other Hanna-Barbera Warner Archive titles well. The disc itself has a blue background with the show’s logo and one of the Gobots from the front cover. The packaging is attractive, considering it’s coming from the Warner Archive.

This is another of the Hanna Barbera sets with a main menu. The menu features the same picture featured on the outer box, with options of Play All and selecting episodes 1 through 5. The episode titles aren’t included anywhere, but they are listed on the outer box. I’ll let that slide for this five-episode set, but if there are any future ones with episodes from the regular series, that could become a problem of not easily being able to figure out which episode you are watching. There are no closed captions or subtitles. Chapter stops are placed at commercial breaks, a major improvement from past archive sets that either had no chapter stops or were placed randomly.

I’m very impressed with the video and audio quality. One note that’s mentioned all throughout the disc artwork is that these five episodes have been remastered from the original film elements—something no other Hanna-Barbera Warner Archive title can claim. As a result, the picture quality is quite clear, and colors are very vibrant. There is some film grain from time to time, occasionally heavy, but as the show was mastered to film (a tad unusual for the 1980s,) that is to be expected and is actually a bit endearing. The audio, while mono, is also very crisp and clear. I hope similar efforts can be given to future sets from the Warner Archive.

There are no special features whatsoever. While this is common with Warner Archive sets, some sort of featurette on the show’s creation or on how the toys were imported from Japan would have been very helpful, especially to someone like me who isn’t familiar with the show.

Overall, Challenge of the Gobots isn’t a completely terrible show, but the plots are a little contrived and corny. The animation, being 1980s Hanna-Barbera, isn’t always the best either. But I think people who remember watching this show back in the day will enjoy this disc. Transformers fans, too, I think may enjoy it, if for nothing else to make fun of it. The show is definitely a throwback to a different time. Nostalgia fans are probably the only ones who will get a huge kick out of it. Despite all that, and despite the lack of special features, Warner did do a good job of presenting this miniseries on DVD and the episodes look marvelous. Now the question remains if any of the remaining 60 episodes will be released as well. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
(3/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:

We'll be back next week with more Digital Digest, and we have plenty of reviews in the upcoming weeks... in fact, we have so many coming up that we may even do two reviews some weeks. Look for reviews of Mannix - The Fifth Season as well as Dynasty - The Fifth Season, Volume 1 and Dynasty - The Fifth Season, Volume 2 in the upcoming weeks. Until then, keep it digital!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, September 11

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Some New York Nonsense" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie struggles to balance life, work and family; Mandy worries for Georgie’s wellbeing; and Missy (Raegan Revord) gets into trouble at school.

Ghosts - "I Know What You Did Thirty-Seven Summers Ago" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Sam and Jay host a fundraiser for the mayor to earn a favor for Jay’s restaurant, they learn of his bizarre connection to one of Woodstone’s ghosts. Odessa Adlon returns as Stephanie, the ghost who died on her prom night.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 8)

Thursday, September 11

  • America Ferrera (Superstore) - Catch America on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She also talks about The Bus on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Melissa Rauch (Night Court/The Big Bang Theory), Jessica St. Clair (Avenue 5/Playing House/Best Friends Forever/In the Motherhood) and Nico Santos (Superstore) - Melissa, Jessica and Nico are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Rainn Wilson (The Office) - Rainn appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Meagan Good (Cousin Skeeter/Raising Dad) - Meagan and Jonathan Majors talk about their much-talked-about romance, wedding, and the story behind their new fitness brand on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Zosia Mamet (Laid/Girls) - Zosia talks about Does This Make Me Funny? on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Karen Pittman (And Just Like That...) - Karen talks about The Morning Show on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
  • Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Patti talks about The Queens Tour on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
  • Dylan Sprouse (The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody/Grace Under Fire) - Dylan discusses his film Under Fire on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original 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


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

09/11 - Remembering Polly Holliday of Alice and Flo; Prime Video's Overcompensating Renewed for Season 2
09/10 - Netflix Renews Leanne for Season 2; Hazbin Hotel Returns October 29
09/09 - HBO Comedy The Chair Company; Trailer for Disney's Vampirina: Teenage Vampire
09/08 - The Paper Renewed for Season 2, NYC Event on Tuesday; Final Season of Bel-Air
09/07 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 8, 2025)
09/06 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Shifting Gears Picked Up for Three Additional Episodes; The Paper Renewed for Season Two
09/05 - Crutch Premieres November 3 on Paramount+; Trailer for Season 2 of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
09/04 - Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2025 Schedule; Dancing with the Stars Season 34 Cast
09/03 - Live Staged Reading of Three's Company Episode; Freeform Acquires According to Jim for October
09/02 - Hulu's Chad Powers Trailer; BET's The Hospital Premieres September 10
09/01 - TV Marathons on Labor Day 2025 Include Archie Bunker's Place and George Lopez
08/31 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 1, 2025)
08/30 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Saturday Night Live Cast Changes Loom; NBC Renews Password for Third Season
08/29 - HBO's Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television; Adult Swim Slates Two Series for October
08/28 - NBC's Password Renewed for Season 3 for 2026; Pluto TV Streaming CBS Shows Ahead of Fall Season
08/27 - Hulu's Deli Boys Renewed for Season 2 with Fred Armisen; HBO's I Love LA Premieres November 2
08/26 - English Teacher Returns on FX for Season 2; Jesse Williams Prime Video Series Trailer
08/25 - Doc Season 2 Trailer for Fox; Remembering David Ketchum and Jerry Adler
08/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 25, 2025)
08/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Home Improvement Cast Members to Reunite on Shifting Gears; The Paper to Have Binge Drop
08/22 - Hulu's Futurama Season 13 Trailer; A Man on the Inside Returns November 20 on Netflix
08/21 - George Lopez Coming to COZI TV; The Morning Show Season 4 Trailer
08/20 - Welcome Back, Kotter 50th Anniversary Marathon on Rewind TV; Apple TV+ Palm Royale Season 2 Premieres November 12
08/19 - Antenna TV's Archie Bunker's Place Labor Day Marathon; Larry the Cable Guy Prime Video Special
08/18 - Nobody Wants This Season 2 Premieres October 23; HGTV and Retta Continue Partnership
08/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 18, 2025)
08/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Paramount Plans Retool of Cable Networks; King of the Hill Revival Scores Big Ratings
08/15 - Catchy Comedy Acquires Hot in Cleveland; Netflix's Animated Comedy Strip Law Premieres in 2026
08/14 - Dan Levy's Netflix Comedy Series Cast; Betty la Fea: La Historia ContinĂșa Season 2 Premieres Friday
08/13 - Remembering Danielle Spencer of What's Happening!!; Trailer for Season 5 of Only Murders in the Building
08/12 - Netflix's Comedy Kiss or Die Premieres September 9; Lori Harvey Joins Reasonable Doubt
08/11 - Roku Originals Books a Return Trip with Season 2 Renewal of Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross; Netflix's Fixed Trailer