Digital Digest: Veep - The Complete First Season Coming to Blu-ray and DVD March 26; Perry Mason - Season 8, Volume 1 DVD Review

Saturday, December 08, 2012

Digital Digest: Veep - The Complete First Season Coming to Blu-ray and DVD March 26; Perry Mason - Season 8, Volume 1 DVD Review

Welcome to Digital Digest! We're only a few weeks away from the new year. We have some news on upcoming releases, a preview of Tuesday's releases, and a review of Perry Mason - Season 8, Volume 1. Let's get going!

DIGITAL NEWS

HBO has announced that Veep - The Complete First Season will be coming to Blu-ray and DVD on March 26. Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld) stars in Veep, the new HBO comedy series created by Oscar nominee Armando Iannucci (In the Loop). A 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo will have a MSRP of $49.99. The 2-disc DVD version will have a MSRP of $39.98. Special features on both releases include 12 audio commentaries by the cast and crew, outtakes and deleted scenes, 2 featurettes ("The Making of Veep," and "Veep: Misspoke"), and a "Veep: Obesity" PSA.

Package art has been posted for Lionsgate Entertainment's Cougar Town - The Complete Third Season. The 2-disc set will have a MSRP of $19.98 and is scheduled to be released on February 5. There's currently no listing for it on Amazon.com yet, but it should be available for pre-order soon. Lionsgate is also re-releasing the first two seasons at the same price on the same day, with the same cover art as the previous sets. As we previously mentioned, Cougar Town is returning for a fourth season on TBS starting Tuesday, January 8, 2013.

Before Lynda Carter took over the role, Cathy Lee Crosby starred in the 1974 pilot of Wonder Woman. Warner Archive Collection is releasing it this Tuesday, December 11. The single-disc set has a running time of 73 minutes and will cost $14.95 at WBShop.com. Ricardo Montalban plays the laconic lothario who lurks at the top of a conspiracy to make off with ultra-secret code books, leading Agent Prince to discover an Amazon sister-in-exile (Anitra Ford).

VEI's In Search of... - The Complete Series has apparently started shipping directly from their store (update: the set was received December 10). It's also available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, but there's no guarantee when it will be shipping. Your best bet would probably be to order it directly from VEI via their store. We'll keep you posted on any additional details. We plan on reviewing it soon in Digital Digest. Read TVShowsOnDVD.com's post on the delays for VEI's complete series sets.

Warner Archive is releasing Police Academy: The Animated Series - Volume One this Tuesday, December 11. The 1988-1989 animated spin-off ran for 2 seasons and 64 (or 65) episodes. The Volume One release will contain 30 episodes on 3 discs. It will be available as a MOD release.

Finally, Shout! Factory will be releasing Quincy, M.E. - Season 4 on Tuesday, December 18. They've already announced that Season 5 will be available on March 19. The 6-disc set will have a MSRP of $39.97.

UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (December 11) has a nice mix of releases from various genres. 20th Century Fox has Futurama - Volume 7 on Blu-ray and DVD. HBO releases the critically acclaimed Girls - The Complete First Season in a Blu-ray/DVD combo and on DVD. Shout! Factory gives us Hazel - The Complete Fourth Season. Look for our review of that set soon. VEI brings us In Search of... - The Complete Series, the 1976-1982 documentary series narrated by Leonard Nimoy. CBS DVD/Paramount releases Mission: Impossible - The Complete Series in a 56-disc set. Warner Archive has Police Academy: The Animated Series - Volume One and the 1974 Wonder Woman pilot (starring Cathy Lee Crosby) as MOD releases.

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

Blog DVD Review: Perry Mason - Season 8, Volume 1 (CBS DVD, $49.99)

by skees53

America's best defense attorney, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is back to prove the accused innocent and crush the dreams of more overzealous prosecutors (or really, just one) 15 more times in Perry Mason - Season 8, Volume 1! By now, you know the story (and formula) of the series: a person is accused of a crime that he or she "very clearly" committed based upon evidence, and Perry must go out of his way to show that his defendant not only did not commit the crime, but in many cases, is able to show who actually did. And in every single episode of the series, he always won. Always.

In the first episode of the season, "The Case of the Missing Button," blackmail during a divorce case accidentally leads to murder. Politics turns fatal in "The Case of the Paper Bullets." In "The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor," a woman is accused of killing the model whom her husband (an artist) is sculpting. A man turns up dead after he catches his niece stealing money from him in "The Case of the Sleepy Slayer." In "The Case of the Betrayed Bride," things don't go so well when a recently widowed aunt returns to town with a new husband, whom the family suspects is a gold-digging gigolo. An uncle ends up dead after his nephew suspects him of shady dealings in "The Nautical Knot." In "The Case of the Bullied Bowler," a conflict about a bowling alley that a woman is determined to get shut down turns in to much, much more when it actually is shut down. A trip to Switzerland is no vacation at all for Perry in "The Case of a Place Called Midnight."

A woman is determined to discredit a big-time movie producer whom she believes ruined her father's life in "The Case of the Tragic Trophy." In "The Case of the Reckless Rockhound," a woman is accused of killing her husband's ex-business partner. A probation officer is charged with murder in "The Case of the Latent Lover." A money exchange involving Confederate money turns to murder in "The Case of the Wooden Nickels." A woman hoping to represent a new fashion line is charged with murder in "The Case of the Blonde Bonanza" after the promoter of the fashion line turns up dead. When the boss of a young engineer turns up dead in "The Case of the Ruinous Road," Perry finds a lot of scandal everywhere. An aspiring singer is accused of murdering a shady agent in "The Case of the Frustrated Folk Singer."

The episodes seem to be unedited (as usual), with the following runtimes:

Disc 1:
1. "The Case of the Missing Button" (51:37)
2. "The Case of the Paper Bullets" (51:38)
3. "The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor" (51:37)
4. "The Case of the Sleepy Slayer" (51:39)

Disc 2:
5. "The Case of the Betrayed Bride" (51:37)
6. "The Case of the Nautical Knot" (51:38)
7. "The Case of the Bullied Bowler" (51:39)
8. "The Case of a Place Called Midnight" (51:37)

Disc 3:
9. "The Case of the Tragic Trophy" (51:37)
10. "The Case of the Reckless Rockhound" (51:37)
11. "The Case of the Latent Lover" (51:44)
12. "The Case of the Wooden Nickels" (51:38)

Disc 4:
13. "The Case of the Blonde Bonanza" (51:34)
14. "The Case of the Ruinous Road" (51:35)
15. "The Case of the Frustrated Folk Singer" (51:32)

CBS hasn't really bothered changing packaging much on these releases over the past few seasons, and this one is no different. The set comes packaged in a Viva case, with a large color photo of Perry on the front, and photos of other cast members above him. On the back, there are some black and white cast photos, along with a description of the set. Inside the case, you'll find a listing of all of the episodes, airdates, and descriptions, and of course the four discs. The first three discs contain four episodes each, while the fourth disc contains just three episodes. As in the past, the artwork for each disc is the standard CBS gray standard, with the series logo (not the actual one, but the one created for the DVD sets) and a listing of the episodes printed in gray on each disc.

If you've seen any of the previous fourteen releases of this series, it should be no surprise that the menus are very plain (but clean). Each menu has a listing of episodes, an option of Play All, and an option of Subtitles. There is a still photo of Perry on the side of the menu. And as in the past, chapters and menus are placed throughout each episode.

There has never been a video and audio quality issue with any of these sets, and this is no exception. It has consistently been very well cleaned up, with just a small amount of grain and debris and a little crackle in the audio... but it still looks much better than reruns aired on TV (and to be honest, even those look pretty good). Each episode contains English subtitles.

There are no special features on this set (once again), although it is worth mentioning that Volume 2 will have some "Law Day" promo one when it comes out. Still, we don't expect that to be too much, and it is likely that neither of the season 9 sets will have a lot either.

Much like the series itself, the DVDs have remained very consistent, and fans should be satisfied once again. I enjoy watching these episodes even more on DVD than I do on TV (although I have to admit, I'm nowhere near being caught up on all of them on DVD... there are just so many!), and even though you know exactly how every episode will end, it still doesn't take the fun out of the series. It is nice to know that the second half of this season is already scheduled in just a little over a month, which means we'll likely get the final two releases of this series very shortly after that. But until then, enjoy these 15 episodes, and pick up the older releases if you haven't already!

(4/5 stars)

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

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Perry Mason on TV.com

FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Tom Bergeron (Twitter), TV Host (DWTS & AFV), Author, Recovering Mime.
Claim to Fame: Host of Dancing with the Stars, America's Funniest Videos, Hollywood Squares (1998-2004)
Why You Should Follow Him: Tom is our pick for the best host on television. He hosted Hollywood Squares for 6 seasons and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2000 for Outstanding Game Show Host. He began hosting America's Funniest Videos in 2001. Since 2005, he has hosted ABC's Dancing with the Stars. He won a well-earned Primetime Emmy Award in 2012 for Best Reality Host.
Besides being a great host, he's also a super nice guy. He took the time to meet and take a photo with our very own Pavan backstage on the set of Dr. Oz yesterday. He also signed a copy of his book, I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!: Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood.
Mr. Bergeron has over 145,000 Twitter followers. His account is very active, with many hilarious one-liners. Fans are kept updated on his latest media appearances. He also has his very own bobblehead for sale in the ABC Store! He cautions that it WILL frighten children.
Pick of the Tweets: "1 1/2 of the original 2 1/2 men have slammed the show. Which, with apologies to Tim Allen, makes @MrJonCryer the real Last Man Standing." (November 27, 2012)

That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, December 12

Young Sheldon - "Teenager Soup and a Little Ball of Fib" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Sheldon fakes being sick to avoid a swim test at school. Also, Dr. Sturgis spies on Meemaw’s new boyfriend.

The Unicorn - "Anna and the Unicorn" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Wade is giddy, his daughters are amused and his friends are excited when he has his first crush since becoming single again. Also, Grace and Natalie take advantage of their dad going on dates by having friends over and it starts to get out of hand.

Mom - "Higgledy-Piggledy and a Cat Show" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Bonnie is forced to relive painful Christmas memories when Christy recounts tales from her childhood to Bonnie’s sponsee, Patty (Kate Micucci).

Carol's Second Act - "Merry December 19th" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Carol excitedly plans an early Christmas celebration for Jenny, but Jenny’s preoccupied with her secret first date with Daniel. Also, the doctors investigate a case of food poisoning at an office holiday party.

Superstore - "Negotiations" (NBC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Jonah and Sandra represent the Cloud 9 employees at union contract negotiations with corporate. Worried about the union’s fate, Amy, Dina and Cheyenne distract themselves by looking for the perfect Christmas tree. Mateo, Garrett and Glenn compete to see who can sell an unsellable item.

Perfect Harmony - "Merry Jaxmas" (NBC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Reverend Jax is visited by his charismatic parents, Arthur helps him overcome his lifelong feelings of living in their shadow, and encourages him to embrace his way of ministering in time for their Christmas performance. Meanwhile, Ginny and Wayne decide to have a secret fling.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 9)

Thursday, December 12

Ryan Reynolds (Two Guys and a Girl) - Catch Ryan on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He also talks about 6 Underground on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Keri Russell (Running Wilde) - Keri stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Sam Rockwell (F Is for Family) - Sam visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Mary Lynn Rajskub (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/How to Be a Gentleman/Veronica's Closet) - Mary Lynn is a panelist on Lights Out with David Spade at 11:30pm on Comedy Central.
John Lithgow (Trial and Error/Twenty Good Years/3rd Rock from the Sun) - John drops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
The Cast of The Brady Bunch - The Cast of The Brady Bunch are guests on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Kathy Bates (Disjointed) - Kathy appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House/Full House) - Candace stops by The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Patricia Heaton (Carol's Second Act/The Middle/Back to You/Everybody Loves Raymond) - The Heaton is on – Patricia is back and Rach has a surprise in store for her on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Guys with Kids/Entourage) - Jamie-Lynn talks about Mob Town on NBC's Today in the 9am hour, on the BUILD Series at 1pm and on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
Madison Iseman (Still the King) - Madison talks about Jumanji: The Next Level on People Now at 12pm and on the BUILD Series at 2pm.
Ana Gasteyer (People of Earth/Lady Dynamite/Suburgatory) - Ana performs on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.