Showing posts with label Body of Proof. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Body of Proof. Show all posts

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Digital Digest: Parks and Recreation DVD Release News; Body of Proof - The Complete Third Season DVD Review; Highway to Heaven - The Complete First Season DVD Review


Welcome to the first Digital Digest of summer 2013! This week, we've got a double feature on our reviews, with Body of Proof - The Complete Third Season and Highway to Heaven - The Complete First Season.

DIGITAL NEWS

There are some certainties in the TV-on-DVD world, and one of those is that sitcoms that are returning in the fall almost always have a DVD release just before they return. This week, we found out when that will happen for Parks and Recreation. The release of Parks and Recreation - Season Five will come on September 3 from Universal. Few details are known right now, except that it will come at a $39.98 MSRP.

TVShowsOnDVD.com has been on top of the upcoming release of Mama's Family from StarVista (formerly Time-Life), and this week, they uncovered a listing from the Walmart website for the first season on DVD. The big news to come out of this is that this set will include the made-for-TV movie Eunice that preceded the series... which, without spoiling the movie, is a bit ironic considering what happens in the movie (but you'll have to see that for yourself!). Like the removed listings from Amazon.com, Walmart is indicating a September 10 release date, but of course that is by no means set in stone. We'll be following up on this, as well as the release of the complete series, of course!


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (June 25) has no sitcom releases, but Shout! Factory has two releases of interest to us, particularly Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids - The Complete Series and MADtv - The Complete Third Season. Meanwhile, CBS wraps up one of the CSI series with CSI: NY - The Ninth Season.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
 


Blog DVD Review: Body of Proof - The Complete Third Season (ABC, $39.99)
by Pavan

In the third exciting season of Body of Proof things are hotter than ever as new characters are introduced and relationships are tested when Medical Examiner Megan Hunt uncovers a new murder mystery every week. Now you can own all 13 episodes from the action-packed third season on DVD on a three-disc set. This set brings fans deeper into the series with exclusive bonus features including featurettes, bloopers and more.

The series aired Tuesdays at 10PM on ABC once again in season three. The series stars Dana Delany stars as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy, Mark Valley as Detective Tommy Sullivan, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Ethan Gross, Windell D. Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield, Elyes Gabel as Detective Adam Lucas and Mary Mouser as Lacey Fleming. Recurring is Joanna Cassidy as Joan Hunt.
Guest stars include Luke Perry, Richard Burgi, Brian Hallisay, Tim DeKay, Henry Ian Cusick, Ivan Sergei, Christopher McDonald, François Chau, Craig Bierko, Sharon Lawrence, Sarah Jane Morris, Alan Dale, and Kurtwood Smith.

The third season returned in early 2013 in mid-season with some cast changes and a new look. I think it worked very well and it got more action-packed. Unfortunately the series was canceled and it will not return for a fourth season (at least not on ABC). Anyway, as for the memorable episodes, it starts off with the two-part season premiere Abducted," where after being on sabbatical for three months, Megan comes back to work after Peter's death and as she begins the case of an alcoholic who died, she finds that the building behind him has five other dead bodies. In the second hour, after finding out that her daughter had been kidnapped, Megan tries to hide the fact that there is a bomb in the body of their victim, and that her daughter is missing. In the sexiest episodes of the season, "Fallen Angel," Kate falls for a handsome and mysterious man named Sergei at a political event. In "Committed," Joan refuses to let Megan have her father's body exhumed to examine and shortly after, a schizophrenic teen is murdered at a mental institution, as the institution's head doctor (Craig Bierko) comes under suspicion when he obstructs the investigation. In "Dark City," when a plane crashes in Philadelphia due to a crazed U.S. Marshall opening fire while aloft, the entire team of Megan, Kate, Tommy, Adam, Curtis, Ethan, Riley and Stafford must go into disaster mode. In the finale, "Daddy Issues," Megan's father's exhumation is granted and she is shocked to find the coffin empty and Megan later finds a key that that unlocks a secret compartment in her father's old study which holds a missing medical file for a young woman named Lindsay Pratt who was murdered the day before her father died by a serial killer named Earl Brown.

The episodes run usually between 42-43 minutes, all unedited of course. They are very consistent except one episode is under 42 minutes. There are 7 chapter stops per episode. See the runtimes for each episode below:

Disc one
1. "Abducted, Part 1" 42:22
2. "Abducted, Part 2" 42:24
3. "Lost Souls" 42:07
4. "Mob Mentality" 42:02
5. "Eye for an Eye" 42:57

Disc two
6. "Fallen Angel" 42:49
7. "Skin and Bones" 42:04
8. "Doubting Tommy" 42:39
9. "Disappearing Act" 42:42
10. "Committed" 42:34

Disc three
11. "Dark City" 42:16
12. "Breakout" 41:38
13. "Daddy Issues" 42:20

Packaging has a nice thing cover holding a case once again and has shot of Dr. Megan Hunt in a black dress sitting in the medical office's morgue. The tagline "No Guts. No Glory." appears on the front along with the show logo saying "Dana Delany, Body of Proof." The back cover has information on the series & set and about six episodic photos. There is also a section detailing the special features in a white box with technical specifications in another box. Inside the box is the case. The front of the case has the same artwork as the outer box, and the same goes true for the back of the case. Opening the case, we don't get an insert on the left side this time. The panels itself have a nice cast photo that spreads out to both panels. The right panel also has a disc-by-disc breakdown of episodes. We don't get an episode booklet again since the episode titles are listed on the panels. Disc one is on a little plastic holder that you can flip like a page in a book and disc two is on the back side of that plastic holder. Disc three is on the right panel itself. The discs are in red and has artwork of the show's characters. Disc one has episodes 1-5 with artwork of Megan and Tommy. Disc two has episodes 6-10 with artwork of Ethan and Curtis. Disc three has episodes 11-13 plus the extras and has artwork of .

The menu screen has moving images playing in the background in a white/blue style tint. It is nicely designed. Background music from the show is playing in the background. On disc one before the main menu we have auto trailers for Once Upon a Time Season 2 Blu-ray & DVD and a trailer for the The Muppet Movie Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition. The options on the main menu are Play All, Episode Selection, Bonus Features, Set Up, and Sneak Peeks. The latter option is only on disc three and has previews for ABC TV (Scandal, Nashville & Grey's Anatomy) on DVD, Castle, and Revenge. The Set Up section has the option of subtitles in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese and how to register your DVD. The Bonus Features option lists the features available and is only available on disc three. The Episodes option gives us the episode number and title to choose but no screenshot from the episode this time. Each submenu has music from the series playing in the background.

The video is amazing as it should be since the series aired in early 2013. It is digitally mastered and is in widescreen and looks excellent. It's HD-like, even though it isn't Blu-ray. I have a DVD player that upconverts to HD, so who needs a Blu-ray player? Just kidding, I have one of those and it is flawless. The audio is great and sounds very good, as it is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. We also get to hear the nice closing theme, as on ABC there are promos at the end of the episode. And as mentioned, we get 7 chapter stops. There should be nothing wrong with audio/video with current series and there isn't on this set. Good!

Moving on to the bonus features. Only disc three has features and we have four short "behind-the-scenes" featurettes. The first one is titled "Getting the Shot" (4:16). Fans will enjoy the series' DP (Director of Photography) and Cinematography to get an insightful first-hand look at how the visual tones of the production are created . Interviewed are Jeri Ryan, Dana Delany, Patrick Cady (Cinematography), and Derrick Kolus (Gaffer). Next we have, "VFX The Ultimate Makeover" (3:07). The series is filmed in Los Angeles, but made to look as if it's set in Philadelphia, visual effects play a large role in the making of this series. On this featurette, the cast and visual effects artists walk viewers through what it takes to create the transformation. Interviewed are Corey Jamieson (VFX Artist), Windell Middlebrooks, Jeri Ryan, Dana Delany, Bill Parker (VFX Artist), Paula Schmitt (VFX Artist), and Lawson Deming (VFX Supervisor/Artist). Then we have "All Kinds of Props" (5:31). The cast and crew illustrate the importance of props within the development of each fascinating episodes. Interviewed are Windell Middlebrooks, Jeri Ryan, Chris Call (Property Master), Dave Preston (Props Assistant), Dana Delany, Mary Mouser, and Kendall Bennett (Assistant Art Director). The final behind-the-scenes featurette we have is "Creating the World" (5:29). The executive producers take us onto the set to provide an inside look at the show's world and share how the Walt Disney Studios lot is transformed into the streets of Philadelphia. Interviewed are Christopher Murphey (creator), Dana Delany, Matthew Gross (executive producer/director), Kelly Harris (Location Manager), Susanna Puisto (Costume Designer). And finally we have "Body of Goofs" (4:57) which is of course fun bloopers and outtakes from this season.

Good show, good set. I highly recommend this series and to finish (if this is indeed the last season) your collection. The season was very good and even with the cast changes. We miss the old cast but at the same time the new additions were very solid and Mark Valley and Dana had great chemistry. But so did her and Nicholas Bishop. The DVD itself is good. The special features are good but not as many as last season. The blooper reel was hysterical and the four behind-the-scenes featurettes was really informative and entertaining to watch. It's quick but good. I would have liked some deleted scenes though. We never get them it seems for this show. I hope this show comes back in some form on another network, but right now it doesn't look like it will happen. Such a shame since needed more than 13 episodes to prove itself with the new cast changes. Honestly, it could have thrived on Fridays or even Saturdays on ABC next season. Complete your collection because it's a season like no other!

(4/5 stars)

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

SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Body of Proof on TV.com  

BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
 


Blog DVD Review: Highway to Heaven - The Complete First Season (Mill Creek, $14.98)
by skees53

Michael Landon was a fixture on TV (and more specifically, NBC) for several decades beginning in 1959. He started with a role in the long-running series Bonanza, and next he went on to the long-running series Little House on the Prairie. There was hardly any time between those series, and after the end of Little House on the Prairie, it wasn't long before he was back in the game again with yet another series. But unlike those previous two, this one was not set in the "old west," but rather in the "real world," with Highway to Heaven.

The series was a bit different from Landon's previous series, though. This time, he was a bit more "supernatural," playing an angel named Jonathan Smith. His mission was to come down to Earth with a mission (conveniently, there were about 25 of these per year) from God to do certain good deeds on Earth, such as helping people in need, helping people dealing with tough situations, promoting perseverance, equality, and many other "positive" things in life. Helping him along the way was ex-cop Mark Gordon (Victor French). The first three seasons of the series were previously released in edited fashion from A&E Home Video several years ago, but now Mill Creek is back with the series, starting again with the first season... and in unedited fashion.

The series begins with the two part pilot, where Jonathan Smith comes to his first mission to help senior citizens at a retirement home, and meets Mark Gordon for the first time. Jonathan is dealing with two boys who are facing trouble for very different reasons in "To Touch the Moon." Jonathan gets in the middle of a street gang problem in "The Return of the Masked Rider." In the two-part episode "One Fresh Batch of Lemonade," Jonathan has to find a way to help a rising football star who was just injured in a motorcycle accident. Jonathan and Mark have to convince an actor to play a a father in real life (to his own kids) in "Catch a Falling Star." James Whitmore, Jr. guest stars in "Dust Child," where a former Vietnam vet learns that he has a daughter in Vietnam and brings her back to the United States... only for her to face racial prejudice by many, including her own new family.

The series takes on the classic Christmas tale about Scrooge in "Another Song for Christmas." David Faustino makes an appearance in "Plane Death." In "One Winged Angels," Jonathan becomes attracted to a woman whose fiance he is supposed to be helping. Jonathan has to perform a miracle for Mark in "Going Home, Going Home." Jonathan helps a basketball player who only had one thing going for him in "As Difficult as ABC." A woman tries to reconnect with her father who won't see her because she had a child out of wedlock in "A Child of God." In "The Banker and the Bum," an unsuspecting pair of opposites switch bodies for a while. Jonathan and Mark have to rally a group of aging citizens when a corporation plans to buy up and tear down an old neighborhood in "An Investment in Caring." The guys help a family dealing with an aging parent at home in "The Right Thing." The season ends with the two-part episode "Thoroughbreds," where Helen Hunt makes a guest appearance.

The episodes on this set are UNEDITED, and the fact that a WorldVision logo (the original syndication distributor) appears on the end of each episode suggests that these are not the same Genesis prints that we've seen in syndication over the past several years. Runtimes are as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "Highway to Heaven (Part 1)" (49:04)
2. "Highway to Heaven (Part 2)" (50:24)
3. "To Touch the Moon" (50:02)
4. "Return of the Masked Rider" (49:58)
5. "Song of the Wild West" (50:00)

Disc 2:
6. "One Fresh Batch of Lemonade (Part 1)" (49:16)
7. "One Fresh Batch of Lemonade (Part 2)" (47:45)
8. "A Divine Madness" (48:47)
9. "Catch a Falling Star" (49:04)
10. "Help Wanted: Angel" (49:40)

Disc 3:
11. "Dust Child" (50:13)
12. "Hotel of Dreams" (51:36)
13. "Another Song for Christmas" (48:25)
14. "Plane Death" (49:55)
15. "One Winged Angels" (48:21)

Disc 4:
16. "Going Home, Going Home" (50:18)
17. "As Difficult as ABC" (51:14)
18. "A Child of God" (51:26)
19. "A Match Made in Heaven" (48:22)
20. "The Banker and the Bum" (47:51)

Disc 5:
21. "The Brightest Star" (49:14)
22. "An Investment in Caring" (48:25)
23. "The Right Thing" (49:43)
24. "Thoroughbreds (Part 1)" (50:16)
25. "Thoroughbreds (Part 2)" (46:43)

Since this is a Mill Creek set, what I'm about to say regarding the packaging should be absolutely no surprise: black paper sleeves. Once again, they've created a package with nice cover and disc artwork, but put it all of the discs in black paper sleeves. As usual, though, I'd suggest just moving the discs to a five disc case, although these are a bit harder to find than other sizes. The artwork is very professional looking, with Jonathan and Mark standing on a highway that leads to the sky... literally. The front of the package makes it very clear that the episodes are original broadcast edits (that is the truth, too), and the back has several episode snapshots and a brief description of the series. Inside, the five discs all have the same artwork as seen on the cover. Episode titles are listed on each disc.

The menus on the set are rather straightforward, with the same photo as seen on the cover artwork on the main menu. The theme song plays in the background. Main menu options include Play All, Episode Select, and (on Disc 5 only) Bloopers. Episodes play upon selecting them. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.

One thing that really left me incredibly unimpressed about this set was the video and audio quality. In particular, the video quality has some issues that seem to be related to frame rate issues. That could very much be true if these are international prints of the episodes (since they are unedited unlike all other versions of the series airing in the United States). However, in doing some research, some tech-experts who have seen this set insist that is not at all the problem with this set. But really, it doesn't make a difference if that is the problem or not, because that is what the problem appears to be, and how you'll likely see it. Besides that, the video looks a bit dated, with a lot of artifacts and unnatural looking colors. But those issues are no different than how the series looks in syndication. The audio is decent, though still nothing impressive. There are no captions or subtitles.

The set didn't advertise any special features... but you'll find some anyway on Disc 5. There is one blooper reel (2:53). It is a bit interesting to watch, to see everybody break out of character when something goes wrong. One of my favorites was one of the first ones on there, where a woman asked "who are you?" to Landon's character, and Landon, having forgotten his lines, breaks out of character and responds "I am a Jewish actor." Landon was known for so many serious series, and if he hadn't died at such a young age (he would have only been in his 70s today), I would like to think that we would have seen him do some sort of comedy role at some point in his time... but this is all we'll ever have, it seems.

Nobody can truly say anything bad about this series. I avoided watching it for years myself since I found the premise a bit weird, but as the series came to air on (almost literally) a dozen or so channels at the same time in the past few years, I actually started watching it a few times. It is a rather decent series that tackled some very big issues, but managed to do that in a light-hearted way that always turned out the best for everybody in the end. Sure, it does have a lot of spiritual moments, but the series is really not about any type of the religious "wars" that we see in society, but rather about using spirituality as a positive force in the world. It seems unlikely that any network could really air a series like this today (it would be "too tame" for the mainstream networks, and a religious network would likely throw in elements to make it about why their religion is better than others), and really, it is surprising that this worked in the mid-to-late '80s. But it did.

This Mill Creek release of the first season is certainly worth owning if you are a fan of this series at any level. If you own the previous release of the first season, I'd say without hesitation that this one is worth owning to replace that one. Mill Creek has done an excellent job as usual of "making lemonade out of lemons" (which is similar to the title of one of the episodes in this set), and still giving it to us at a price that won't break the bank.

(4/5 stars)

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

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Highway to Heaven on TV.com


FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: Patrick Warburton (Twitter), "@paddywarbucks"
Claim to Fame: Patrick Warburton started his "celebrity" career as a model (and even played one on a few episodes of Designing Women early in his career), but he has evolved significantly over the years into a sitcom star. He has since had roles on Seinfeld, NewsRadio, and Less Than Perfect. More recently, he starred in the (now canceled) CBS series Rules of Engagement and also voices Joe Swanson on Family Guy.
Why You Should Follow Him: I think that if you mention Patrick Warburton, you'll find a lot of people have no clue who he is... but everybody knows who his tall stature and booming voice. As mentioned, he has had a long "tour" of sitcoms, and he is likely just at the beginning of his career. On Twitter, he tends to post a lot of light-hearted and rarely offensive observations about life, and is deeply appreciative of his fans. He isn't a constant (i.e. a few times every hour) Tweeter, but he is somebody that many of us are a fan of... even if many people can't remember his name (and we hope that you do now).
Pick of the Tweets: "John tesh and Kenny G walk into an elevator. That's it." (May 22, 2013)

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

Thursday, January 10, 2013

TCA Winter 2013 Press Tour: ABC; 39th Annual People's Choice Awards Winners

Today it is ABC's turn at the TCA Winter 2013 Press Tour. The festivities began with the Oscar nominations bright and early. Then back at the Langham hotel a few hours later, the press tour began with breakfast followed by two sessions with ABC Family dramas: Bunheads and Pretty Little Liars. Both dramas are airing new episodes currently and Tuesday's winter premiere of Pretty Little Liars dominated the young 18-34 demos (adults and women) in the 8pm hour, winning the hour - beating everything on broadcast. Following those sessions, it was time for an executive session with Paul Lee (President, ABC Entertainment Group). There wasn't any real announcements that were noteworthy. Among the items discussed were ABC will continue to bring in two cycles a season of Dancing with the Stars, which despite a ratings drop has continued to bring audiences of all ages. Also of note is that ABC loves Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B---- despite the low ratings and that they are working on bringing the Marvel production S.H.I.E.L.D. from Joss Whedon hopefully on TV by next fall.

Then following the executive session, we kicked-off the ABC series portion with two sessions for two upcoming dramas: Red Widow (premiering Sunday, March 3) and Zero Hour (premiering Thursday, Feb. 14). Then it was off to lunch with the producers and judges of upcoming reality entry The Taste, which premieres Tuesday, Jan. 22. After lunch, the panels continue, with the surging reality series Shark Tank getting the first session. Four of the six sharks are on hand (Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary) along with producer Clay Newbill. Then it was time for a session with the cast and producers of upcoming drama Mistresses starring Alyssa Milano. The series premieres this May on ABC and will run into the summer. Then it was time for a pie break with Jami Gertz, Toks Olagundoye and producer Dan Fogelman of the comedy The Neighbors.

The day concludes with two more sessions, first for the third season of Body of Proof, which returns Tuesday, Feb. 5 and the final session is for comedy hit The Middle, which just gets better and better each season. And finally, the day is capped off with the Disney-ABC All-Star Cocktail Reception!
Look ahead: Up tomorrow at the TCA Winter 2013 press tour will a set day visit for ABC and ABC Family. Then on Saturday, CBS will be up, with The CW concluding it on Sunday.


The 39th Annual People's Choice Awards were held last night. Here are the main winners for the television portion:

FAVORITE TV DRAMA
Revenge (ABC)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Once Upon a Time (ABC)
Gossip Girl (The CW)
Grimm (NBC)
WINNER: Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

FAVORITE TV COMEDY
Modern Family (ABC)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
New Girl (Fox)
Glee (Fox)
WINNER: The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR
Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, The CW)
Jared Padalecki (Supernatural, The CW)
Nathan Fillion (Castle, ABC)
Ian Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries, The CW)
Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries, The CW)
WINNER: Nathan Fillion, Castle (ABC)

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family, ABC)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory, CBS)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, CBS)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC)
Chris Colfer (Glee, Fox)
WINNER: Chris Colfer (Glee, Fox)

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS
Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries, The CW)
Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon A Time, ABC)
Emily Deschanel (Bones, Fox)
Stana Katic (Castle, ABC)
Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy, ABC)
WINNER: Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy, ABC)

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS
Lea Michele (Glee, Fox)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family, ABC)
Jane Lynch (Glee, Fox)
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory, CBS)
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl, Fox)
WINNER: Lea Michele, Glee (Fox)

FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA

Burn Notice, USA Network
Pretty Little Liars, ABC Family
The Walking Dead, AMC
White Collar, USA Network
Leverage, TNT
WINNER: Leverage, TNT

FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY
Hot in Cleveland, TV Land
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, FX
Awkward, MTV
Psych, USA Network
Melissa & Joey, ABC Family
WINNER: Awkward, MTV

FAVORITE PREMIUM CABLE TV SHOW
Dexter (Showtime)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Homeland (Showtime)
Spartacus (Starz)
True Blood (HBO)
WINNER: True Blood (HBO))

FAVORITE COMPETITION
American Idol (Fox)
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
The Voice (NBC)
The X Factor (Fox)
America's Got Talent (NBC)
WINNER: The X Factor (Fox)

FAVORITE CRIME DRAMA
Bones, Fox
Castle, ABC
Criminal Minds, CBS
CSI, CBS
NCIS, CBS
WINNER: Castle (ABC)

FAVORITE SCI-FI / FANTASY SHOW
Doctor Who (BBC America)
The Walking Dead (AMC)
Supernatural (The CW)
The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
Once Upon A time (ABC)
WINNER: Supernatural (The CW)

FAVORITE DAYTIME TV HOST
George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, Sam Champion, Josh Elliott, Lara Spencer, Good Morning America (ABC)
Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd, The View (ABC)
Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Syndicated, Warner Bros.)
Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, LIVE! With Kelly & Michael (Syndicated, Disney-ABC)
Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Natalie Morales, Al Roker, The Today Show (NBC)
WINNER: Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Syndicated, Warner Bros.)

FAVORITE LATE NIGHT TV HOST
David Letterman, Late Show With David Letterman (CBS)
Conan O'Brien, Conan (TBS)
Chelsea Handler, Chelsea Lately (E!)
Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
WINNER: Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

FAVORITE NEW TALK SHOW HOST (NEW!)
Jeff Probst
Katie Couric
Ricki Lake
Michael Strahan
Steve Harvey
WINNER: Steve Harvey

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
Arrow, The CW
Beauty & The Beast, The CW
Nashville, ABC
Elementary, CBS
Revolution, NBC
WINNER: Beauty & The Beast, The CW)

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
Go On, NBC
Guys With Kids, NBC
The Mindy Project, Fox
The Neighbors, ABC
The New Normal, NBC
WINNER: The New Normal, NBC

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Digital Digest: Modern Family - The Complete First Season (Blu-ray) and Family Guy - Volume 10 Contests; Body of Proof - The Complete Second Season DVD Review


Last year, Rebecca Black's infamous YouTube video "Friday" has had everybody "looking forward to the weekend" since it was first seen over a year ago, but we know that has always been true here with Digital Digest! And no doubt, we're back this weekend for our summer-ending blowout, which actually brings some news about things that happened over the summer (but we shamefully missed) and much more. But what is even better is that we have our review of Body of Proof - The Complete Second Season, and two very special contests for you, where you can enter to win a copy of Modern Family - The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray) or Family Guy - Volume 10. So let's get started with the "fun, fun, fun, fun" and get into this week's Digital Digest!


DIGITAL NEWS

OK, so we're human... which means that sometimes, we may miss news on releases that are of interest to our readers. This can particularly happen when a smaller (and typically lower budget) studio which doesn't really have much of a website and doesn't put out press releases (at least not that we can find) decides to release some DVDs. Apparently, some time ago, MGM made a sub-licensed some of their properties to TGG, a studio which has typically been known for releasing public domain products. Somehow, out of this, we missed two releases back in July. The studio quietly released In the Heat of the Night - The First Season and Return to Green Acres! Unfortunately, this sort of comes with a catch. If you click on those links, you'll find that the products are out of stock on amazon.com, and apparently, TGG products never have a stable stock anywhere. In fact, the only place anybody has reported actually finding these DVDs is in the $5 discount bin at Walmart stores... but if you've ever seen these bins, you'll know that finding anything in them is like looking for a needle in a haystack (you may not find them at all in your local store). But at the very least, it seems that there is some movement here, and hopefully these titles will eventually become even more readily available.

Another story that we missed is another reunion movie of a series related to Green Acres (indirectly). Last month, an unknown studio released The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies as an Amazon CreateSpace title! The 1981 film features most of the original cast, along with Imogene Coca and Heather Locklear, as the Clampetts join forces with Miss Jane to help solve the nation's energy crisis. Personally, I've never seen the movie... the Clampetts we all knew (except for Granny) have jumped into the cliches of the '80s! It appears to be a low budget release, so we can't say much about how great the quality is... but it is very nice to see this actually make it to DVD.

We're all excited for the November 13 release of The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray), but now TVShowsOnDVD.com has obtained more information about the special features on this forthcoming release. Not surprisingly, it is rather extensive, and will include some of the old ones and some new ones, such as commentaries, interviews, commercials, the original pilot, and more. You can check out the full list of special features here.

Finally, we wanted to make a slight clarification on a story we presented last week. We announced that Shout! Factory would be releasing Quincy, M.E. - Season 4 on December 18. This is, in fact, the title of the release, but there has always been a bit of confusion on the season numbering of this due to the fact that what is considered by the DVD season numbering to be the first two seasons was actually ONE season. The series began in 1976 as one of the rotating NBC Mystery Movies, but it became so popular that NBC decided to spin it off into a regular weekly series in the middle of the season. There is disagreement on whether this spinning off constitutes a new season, new series, or neither of those, but by convention used by the DVD producers (at least the original ones at Universal), "two" seasons aired in the 1976-1977 TV season. To avoid any confusion here (if you aren't confused already!), we'll just be clear on this matter: the release coming out on December 18 will include episodes from the 1978-1979 season.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (September 18) has more 2011-2012 seasons of your favorites coming to DVD. These begin with Modern Family - The Complete Third Season (DVD/Blu-ray) and Suburgatory - The Complete First Season. Shout! Factory brings an older sitcom to DVD with Get a Life - The Complete Series. Finally, Tuesday also brings Body of Proof - The Complete Second Season. We have a review of this today in Digital Digest.


DIGITAL DIGEST CONTEST

As we mentioned in our introduction, we have two contests for our fans this weekend. So if you're feeling lucky... or even if you aren't... let's take a look are the potential home media prizes that you could win this weekend!



Modern Family - The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray) - TV's number one family is back for 24 more episodes unpredictable family fun! In this three-disc set, you can follow along as the clan faces an uproariously unpredictable array of family vacations, holiday hassles, troublesome in-laws, and surprising secrets, they still somehow manage to thrive together as one big, loving family. The new release hits store shelves on September 18. In our contest, you could win one of two copies of this release on Blu-ray!


Family Guy - Volume 10 - The Griffin family is back for more fun and hilarity with 14 more episodes of the Fox animated comedy on DVD! The three-disc set follows the family as Peter needs a new kidney, Lois becomes a boxing champ, Chris finds a new hobby, and Brian and Stewie are on a mission to save the entire universe! The new release hits store shelves on September 25. In our contest, you could win one of two copies of this release on DVD!

So, are you interested? We knew you would be! Now here's how it works: if you want to win one of these home media releases, you have to enter our contest! You should head here for details on how to enter to win Modern Family - The Complete First Season on Blu-ray, and head here for details on how to enter to win Family Guy - Volume 10 on DVD. The rules are very simple, but you have to read them to know how to enter! The contest begins Saturday, September 15, 1:00 PM ET and runs through Sunday, September 23 11:59PM ET. So go ahead and get those entries in now!



BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

 

Blog Feature Review: Body of Proof - The Complete Second Season (ABC, $39.99)
by Pavan

Body of Proof is back on DVD with 20 riveting season two episodes on a four-disc collection! Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) may have a prickly personality, but she's a brilliant medical examiner with unique techniques for solving even the most complex crime. Relive every unique medical mystery as Megan seeks justice for each victim, while also putting her life back together and repairing her personal relationships with the living.

The series aired Tuesdays at 10PM on ABC once again in season two. The series stars Dana Delany stars as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphey, John Carroll Lynch as Detective Bud Morris, Nicholas Bishop as Peter Dunlop, Sonja Sohn as Detective Samantha Baker, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Ethan Gross, Windell D. Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield and Mary Mouser as Lacey Fleming. Recurring is Nathalie Kelley as Dani Alvarez, Jeffrey Nordling as Todd Fleming and Joanna Cassidy as Joan Hunt.
Guest stars include Rick Fox, Cliff Curtis, Crystal Bowersox, Marcia Gay Harden, Rita Wilson, Jamie Bamber, Jason Beghe, Sean Kingston, Cody Christian, Steven Culp, Rebecca Field, and Luke Perry.

The series really took off in the second season, especially midway. There were four leftover episodes from season one and sixteen actual episodes from season two, so that is how we have 20 in this second season. The series will return for a third season in early 2013 in mid-season with some cast changes, which we will get into a bit later. Anyway, as for the second season, it starts off with the season premiere "Love They Neighbor" where when a car careens out of control over an embankment, killing a middle-aged man in the driver's seat, Megan learns that all is not well on a pretty suburban cul-de-sac, so she and her team are startled by the many lives spinning out of control beyond the perfect picket fences, providing an ever-changing suspect roster. In "Lazarus Man," a man who is presumed dead walks off Ethan's examination table, leading the team to a shocking discovery. In "Occupational Hazards," after a car accident reveals a body in the trunk, the team is led to another, leaving them with two cases to solve, while Megan is reconnected with an acquaintance and Kate's job is threatened. In the best episode to date, the two-part episode "Going Viral," when scores of people start dying from similar symptoms, the team is faced with a city-wide outbreak of an unknown virus and no one is safe - including Megan and her team, so Center for Disease Control (CDC) Officer Charlie Stafford takes over the case to figure out not just what caused the outbreak but who. In part two, as the death toll continues to rise, the team needs to move quickly to figure out how to treat this virus and, more importantly, who is spreading it. And on the thrilling season finale, "Mind Games," a victim's cause of death resembles the first case that Megan had regarding a serial killer who took out the brains of his victims, so in a case of twist and turns, the killer comes back to get revenge on Megan for taking three years away that he could have spent with his daughter.

The episodes run usually around 43 minutes, all unedited of course. They are very consistent. There are 7 chapter stops per episode. See the runtimes for each episode below:

Disc one
1. "Love Thy Neighbor" 43:02
2. "Hunting Party" 42:58
3. "Missing" 43:09
4. "Lazarus Man" 43:02
5. "Point of Origin" 43:02

Disc two
6. "Second Chances" 42:57
7. "Hard Knocks" 43:08
8. "Love Bites" 43:03
9. "Gross Anatomy" 43:02
10. "Your Number's Up" 42:45

Disc three
11. "Falling For You" 42:48
12. "Shades of Blue" 42:12
13. "Sympathy For the Devil" 42:59
14. "Cold Blooded" 42:52
15. "Occupational Hazards" 42:43

Disc four
16. "Home Invasion" 42:57
17. "Identity" 42:04
18. "Going Viral, Part 1" 40:46
19. "Going Viral, Part 2" 43:00
20. "Mind Games" 40:40

Packaging has a nice thing cover holding a case and has shot of Dr. Megan Hunt in a red dress. The tagline "Beauty. Brains. Bodies." appears on the front along with the show logo saying "Dana Delany, Body of Proof." The back cover has information on the series & set and has three episodic photos and another nice shot of Megan. There is also a section detailing the special features in a grey box with technical specifications in another box. Inside the box is the case. The front of the case has the same artwork as the outer box, and the same goes true for the back of the case. Opening the case, we get an insert on the left side and also a disc-by-disc breakdown and a nice cast photo that are on both panels. We don't get an episode booklet again since the episodes are listed on the panels. Disc one is in a little plastic holder that you can flip like a page in a book and disc two is on the back side of that plastic holder. Discs three and four are on a second plastic holder. The discs are in red and has artwork of the show's characters. Disc one has episodes 1-5 with artwork of Megan. Disc two has episodes 6-10 with artwork of detectives Bud and Samantha. Disc three has episodes 11-15 and has artwork of the funny duo Curtis and Ethan. And disc four has episodes 16-20 with artwork of Kate and Peter. After you remove the second disc, you see the nice cast photo on the panels itself like I mentioned...very cool.

The menu screen starts by showing us a shot of Megan Hunt before moving images are playing in the background. It is nicely designed. Background music from the show is playing in the background. On disc one before the main menu we have auto trailers for ABC TV on DVD, Castle Season 4 DVD and a trailer for the upcoming movie Frankenweenie. The options on the main menu are Play All, Episode Selection, Bonus Features, and Set Up. The Set Up section has the option of subtitles in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese and how to register your DVD. The Bonus Features option lists the features available on each disc. The Episodes option gives us the episode number and title to choose along with a screenshot from the episode. Each submenu has music from the series playing in the background.

The video is digitally mastered and is in widescreen and looks very good! It's HD-like, even though it isn't Blu-ray. I have a DVD player that upconverts to HD, so who needs a Blu-ray player? Just kidding, I have one of those and it is great. The audio is great and sounds very good, as it is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This is from the 2011-12 season, so it has to be good. We also get to hear the nice closing theme, as on ABC there are promos at the end of the episode. And as mentioned, we get 7 chapter stops.

Moving on to the bonus features. Each disc has features. Most of these seem like they were produced for abc.com as they are pretty short compared to what we had last season and other ABC Studios DVDs. The first one is on disc one and is titled "The Design of Body of Proof: Living Spaces" (2:27). This is an exciting opportunity to see the sleek design of the hit series' set, this cool special feature that gives audiences a cool inside look at the show's medical examiner's office. Interviewed are Ken Hardy (production designer), Dana Delany, and Ellen Totleben (set decorator). Next on disc one we have, "Bodies of Body of Proof" (2:38). Fans will enjoy an inside look at how the team makes dead bodies look so real. Interviewed are Sunil Nayar (executive producer), Gary Kellerman (technical advisor), Dana Delany, and Trent Cotner (SFX makeup artist). Onto disc two, we have "The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Taking the Plunge" (5:02). This is an exclusive look at the stunt team in action, leaping off the balcony of a hotel, capturing the feeling of taking the plunge. Interviewed are Matthew Gross (executive producer), Danny Weselis (stunt coordinator), Lisa Weselis (stunt coordinator), Pat Romano (stunt rigger), Katie Eichen (stunt woman), and Richard E. White (first assistant director). Also on disc two we have, "The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Prepping the Stunt, Part 1" (2:52). In the first of a two-part series, fans get an inside look at how the team plans and executes a major show stunt. Interviewed are Matthew Gross, Danny Weselis (stunt coordinator), Lisa Weselis (stunt coordinator), Anya Adams (first assistant director), and Jim Klever Weis (line producer). And finally on disc two we have "The Effects of Body of Proof: Playing With Fire" (3:26). Another exciting exclusive look into the work of the stunt team, this feature follows the production team's careful preparation to blow up a house to get the perfect shot. Interviewed are Matthew Gross, Bryan Oh (producer), Joseph Rossi (head special effects make-up), John Ruggieri (special effects coordinator), Jay Stone (special effects tech), Anya Adams (first assistant director), and Nic Bishop.

Moving on to disc three, we have "The Fashion of Body of Proof: Gearing Up Guest Stars" (2:36). This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the medical examiner's costumes and the guest stars. Interviewed are Susanna Puisto (costume designer), Rita Wilson, and Marcia Gay Harden. Also on disc three we have, "The Stunt Work of Body of Proof: Collision Course, Part 2" (3:15). Fans will join the stunt team for a closer look as all of their preparation is put into action. Interviewed are Anya Adams (first assistant director), Lisa Weselis (stunt coordinator), Shawn Lane (ND stunt), Jim Klever Weis (line producer), Henry Kingi Jr. (stunt driver), Danny Weselis (stunt coordinator), Nicolas Bishop, and Sean Kingston. Onto the final disc, we have "Body of Goofs" (3:28), as fans will have a chance to join in on the laughs with a never before seen blooper reel of hilarious moments that the editors couldn't resist sharing. John Carroll Lynch is still funny. And finally we have the abc.com Outbreak: Webisodes. This series of webisodes follows WSCE investigative reporter Julie Tompkins uncovering an outbreak of an infectious disease in five parts (1:47, 1:56, 2:20, 2:36, 2:59). It's pretty good.

I highly recommend this series and to continue your collection. The season was very good and got better and better. Unfortunately, ABC will be dropping three of the characters, including Peter. I don't know about that one. Detectives Bud and Samantha are also being dropped, and to me dropping Bud is a surprise. I would keep him as recurring at the very least. The series is trying to get younger obviously with the new additions being younger. Anyway, as for season two, Dana Delay is always great and the cast around her has good chemistry, especially Windell D. Middlebrooks and Geoffrey Arend. The special features are good but I think most of these were on abc.com and was intended for that. I love that we get that on the DVD, but would have liked more longer duration special features. I would have liked some deleted scenes as well, as the final few episodes of the season were shorter than normal. It's a good show that gets better this season. We hope to see this show and Dana Delany on TV for years to come, even with the upcoming cast changes for season three! Tune in this mid-season on ABC for season three...but this set is "super duper!"

(4/5 stars)

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FOLLOW ME

Who to Follow: David Krumholtz (Twitter), star of CBS's Partners (premieres September 24)
Claim to Fame: Film and television actor, best known from his role of Charlie Epps on the CBS series Numb3rs
Tweets/Status Topics: Of course, you can expect that Krumholtz is excited about his new series right now, but in general, Krumholtz is the type of person to Tweet about everything. Essentially, he embodies what the modern day actor does on Twitter... if there is something to Tweet about, do it, even if it is multiple times a day. He talks about everything from other celebrities, observations in life, frustrations with others, his personal battles with cancer, and in general, just anything. He seems to stay rather humble and likes to make his Twitter feed about his fans, not just as a way to interact with his personal associates or to make a name for himself.
Pick of the Tweets: "I wish I had gotten to work with Esther Rolle before she died. Others wish for less heavenly pleasures." (August 17, 2012)

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


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, October 9

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 5)

Friday, October 9

  • Jamie Foxx (The Jamie Foxx Show) - Watch Jamie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Ke Huy Quan (Head of the Class/Together We Stand) - Ke appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Lili Reinhart (Surviving Jack) - Lili is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Caroline Rhea (Sydney to the Max/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/Pride & Joy) and Tommy Davidson (The Varnell Hill Show/The Proud Family/Malcolm & Eddie/Between Brothers) - Caroline and Tommy will be on a repeat of Funny You Should Ask at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) - Michael is interviewed on Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO at 10pm.
  • Gabourey Sidibe (Difficult People/The Big C) - Gabourey chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Mikey Madison (Better Things) and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) - Drew is joined by The Social Reckoning cast members Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White and director Aaron Sorkin on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Danny Pintauro (Who's the Boss?) - Danny opens up about going viral for working as a delivery driver, the realities of being a working actor, and finding purpose beyond his childhood fame on Who’s the Boss? on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray) The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/20/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - 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


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

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09/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 21, 2026)
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09/17 - They're Back on Call! Scrubs Season 2 Trailer; HBO's Kate Berlant Comedy Special
09/16 - AMC+ Half-Hour Drama Series Yaga Premieres October 23; Roku's Comedy Film with Kristin Cavallari
09/15 - 78th Primetime Emmy Award Winners; Netflix Announces Additional Cast for This Summer Will Be Different
09/14 - Scooby-Doo: Origins Wraps Production for 2027 Release; The Unusual Suspects with Kenya Barris & Malcolm Gladwell Season 2
09/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 14, 2026)
09/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: South Park (or South America?) Returns September 16; City of Los Angeles Prepared for Second Season of Baywatch Reboot
09/11 - Nobody Wants This Season 3 Returns October 22; Sam Morrill Is Incorrect for Netflix
09/10 - NBC's 78th Emmy Awards Presenters Include Charlie's Angels Reunion; Apple TV's The Sisters Grimm Returns October 2
09/09 - UPtv's Most Uplifting Christmas Ever Includes The Rookie; Netflix Continues The Inbetweeners
09/08 - Abbott Elementary School House Rock Episode; NBC's Newlyweds First Look