SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

TBS is serving up the ultimate comedic match with a seven-episode greenlight for Tournament of Laughs, set to premiere on Sunday, June 21 at 10:00pm ET/PT. Hosted by Jason Sudeikis (We're the Millers, Saturday Night Live), the series will present 32 comedians facing off in a hilarious, single-elimination bracket-style tournament, with each episode featuring multiple match-ups. The comics will go head-to-head virtually to out-funny one another with Sudeikis acting as the master of ceremonies and providing color commentary.

Featured comedians include Jeff Ross, Margaret Cho, Gilbert Gottfried, Judah Friedlander, Michael Rapaport, Jim Norton, Fortune Feimster, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Natasha Leggero, Cameron Esposito, Godfrey, The Sklar Brothers, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Josh Wolf, Clayton English, Yamaneika Saunders, Gina Yashere, Tim Dillon, Moshe Kasher, Jessica Kirson, Paul Rodriguez, Sarah Tiana, Matteo Lane, Beth Stelling, Vladimir Caamano, Ian Edwards, Aida Rodriguez, Megan Gailey, Preacher Lawson, Piff The Magic Dragon and an additional two performers to come. Each week the comics will create, produce, self-film, and star in their own videos - from stand-up sets to song parodies and everything in-between. After the episode has aired, the home audience will decide who moves forward, via phone and online voting, with the winning comics returning for the next round. The final episode will feature an expert comedy panel charged with crowning a winner in the championship match-up for the last laugh and bragging rights as tournament champion. In addition, a charitable donation will be made to the United Nations Foundation's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and Black Lives Matter.

1931, Los Angeles. While the rest of the country struggles through the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong. Based on characters created by author Erle Stanley Gardner, drama series Perry Mason, starring Emmy(R) winner Matthew Rhys, debuts Sunday, June 21 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) exclusively on HBO. The series follows the origins of American fiction's most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason's relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself. The series will also be available to stream on HBO GO, HBO NOW, and on HBO via HBO Max and other partners' platforms.

Perry Mason stars Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason, a low-rent private investigator who is living check-to-check and is haunted by his wartime experiences in France and suffering the effects of a broken marriage; John Lithgow as Elias Birchard "E.B." Jonathan, a struggling attorney and a semi-regular employer of Mason; Juliet Rylance as Della Street, E.B. Jonathan's creative and driven legal secretary; Tatiana Maslany as Sister Alice McKeegan, the leader of the Radiant Assembly of God, preaching to a hungry congregation and a radio audience across the country; Chris Chalk as Paul Drake, a beat cop with a knack for detective work; and Shea Whigham as Pete Strickland, who is hired by Mason as an extra set of eyes on his various investigations.

The series also stars Stephen Root, Gayle Rankin, Nate Corddry, Veronica Falcón, Jefferson Mays, Lili Taylor, Andrew Howard, Eric Lange, and Robert Patrick. 

Drama series Perry Mason, starring Emmy(R) winner Matthew Rhys, debuts Sunday, June 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on HBO 1931, Los Angeles. While the rest of the country struggles through the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong. Based on characters created by author Erle Stanley Gardner, this drama series follows the origins of American fiction's most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason's relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself. Perry Mason stars Matthew Rhys (The Americans, Brothers & Sisters), John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Juliet Rylance (American Gothic), Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Stephen Root (NewsRadio), Gayle Rankin, Nate Corddry, Veronica Falcon, Jefferson Mays, Lili Taylor (American Crime), Andrew Howard, Eric Lange, and Robert Patrick (Scorpion).

Antler Publishing has released a new book taking readers behind the scenes of The Jeffersons, one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time. Author Jay Moriarty says, "People are always asking what it was like to work with Norman Lear during the 'Golden Age of Sitcoms.' So I decided to write a memoir about my experiences writing & producing The Jeffersons, titled Honky in the House."

Below, right before social distancing began, is a picture of Jay with Lear, who's holding a copy of his new favorite book, available on Amazon & other sites.



Decades Network, the multicast TV network from Weigel Broadcasting Co. and CBS Television Stations, announces Made for TV Movies in March. Decades will celebrate the universal nostalgia of made-for-TV movies all-month long. Decades' Made for TV Movies in March begins Monday, March 6, and continues through Sunday, April 2. Every weekday the made-for-TV movies begin at 9:00 am ET, and on Saturdays, begin at 1:00 pm ET. Decades is proud to present the classic made-for-TV movie, returning to its roots on broadcast television with dozens of memorable titles. Spanning several decades of TV entertainment, the four-week event features the best of the genre, from series television to the dramatization of the biggest headlines in American history. The lineup includes full days dedicated to Diagnosis Murder, featuring Dick Van Dyke, his son Barry and daughter Stacy; The Brady Bunch, including Brady's Go To The Whitehouse with Shelly Long and Gary Cole; a full day featuring Gunsmoke made-for-TV movies starring James Arness; and a weekend binge of Perry Mason TV movie cases. Viewers can also tune in to see TV movie reunions of The Odd Couple, The Love Boat, Wild Wild West, The Streets of San Francisco and Walker, Texas Ranger. The headline TV movies portray the events of September 11th, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the 1987 earthquake in San Francisco and the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan.

The made-for-TV movie has long been a hit with television fans. In recent years, the format has been reimagined on pay TV. Now, Decades is proud to bring these classic titles back to the broadcast airwaves. For fans, Decades Made for TV Movies In March is great way to enjoy a thrilling range of titles. Some feature great television characters like Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Matt Dillon and Carol Brady. Others relive the stories that swept the headlines, offering performances by a variety of actors, including Richard Dreyfuss, Cybill Shepherd, Madeleine Stowe, Courtney B. Vance, Tim Daly, Martin Sheen, Rosanna Arquette, Jean Smart, Scott Glen, Brittany Murphy, William Devane, Valerie Bertinelli and Mandy Patinkin. The event also honors a few actors who we recently lost — Debbie Reynolds, Richard Hatch and Florence Henderson.

The new celebrity cast of Dancing with the Stars are donning their glitzy wardrobe and slipping on their dancing shoes as they ready themselves for their first dance on the ballroom floor, as the season kicks off on Monday, March 20 from 8:00-10:01 p.m. EST, on The ABC Television Network. The season 24 premiere marks the 400th episode of Dancing with the Stars, and this season's lineup of celebrity dancers includes TV legend Mr. T, the greatest Olympic gymnast in history, a two-time World Series champion - and the show's first baseball player, a real housewife of Beverly Hills, a bull rider who survived a catastrophic injury, a member of the popular band Fifth Harmony, a Saturday Night Live alumnus and the original "CuchiCuchi" girl, to name just a few. As announced on ABC's Good Morning America, the celebrities with their professional dance partners heading to the ballroom this season (in alphabetical order) are:

· Bonner Bolton (pro bull rider)with Sharna Burgess
· Charo (entertainer) with Keo Motsepe
· Chris Kattan (SNL) with Witney Carson
· David Ross (2016 World Series Champion) with Lindsay Arnold
· Erika Jayne (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) with Gleb Savchenko
· Heather Morris (Glee) with Maksim Chmerkovskiy
· Mr. T (The A-Team) with Kym Herjavec
· Nancy Kerrigan (figure skater) with Artem Chigvintsev
· Nick Viall (The Bachelor) with Peta Murgatroyd
· Normani Kordei (Fifth Harmony) with Valentin Chmerkovskiy
· Rashad Jennings (NFL player) with Emma Slater
· Simone Biles (Olympic gymnast) with Sasha Farber

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! Sadly, it's been a busy week of deaths for classic TV stars, including two of the biggest ones from the 70s. Also, we have news of comedy pilot orders at ABC and a pilot order for a reboot of a classic primetime soap opera on The CW. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Who to Follow: Atticus Shaffer (Twitter), "Count all the hours lost which are not accompanied by some worthy deed. I am a huge nerd and a homesteader who enjoys the simple things in life."

Claim to Fame: With news that The Middle has been renewed for a ninth season, we thought we'd get to the youngest kid on the series... who himself is no longer truly a kid (though his smaller stature has had him aging at a slower pace than the rest of the family on the series), as he turned 18 years old last year. Nonetheless, he still plays youngest son Brick on the series. Previously, he had guest roles in series such as The Class, Days of Our Lives, and My Name is Earl. While he has a regular role on The Middle now, he has been doing voice work lately as well, including the voice of Ono in the Disney Junior series The Lion Guard.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got a look at the summer season premiere dates, a brief summary of sweeps ratings, news about My Favorite Martian on DVD, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• We mentioned last month that MPI would be re-releasing My Favorite Martian - Season One on DVD on June 24. Now, TVShowsOnDVD.com has a list of special features, which looks a lot better than the original release from Rhino.
• CBS is preparing to release even more Perry Mason made-for-TV movies on DVD on August 5, as they release Perry Mason - Movie Collection, Volume 3. The three disc set will contain six more movies from the franchise, and it comes at a $59.98 MSRP.
• We've mentioned time and time again that The Wonder Years will be coming out on DVD later this year, and StarVista is trying to make the best possible release... which is why they're wanting fans to come up with questions to ask for a cast interview. You can post your questions for the cast here, and if your question is good enough, it may be answered on the DVD release.

RECENT REVIEWS ON SITCOMSONLINE.COM

• Happy Days - The Fifth Season: After a hiatus of several years, the Fonz (and the rest, of course) return to DVD in this release.
• The Honeymooners - Classic 39 Episodes (Blu-ray): You can go "straight to the moon" with this release from CBS, which brings this classic series to Blu-ray for the first time ever, along with some new special features.

MAY 27 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• The Bob Newhart Show - The Complete Series (DVD, $129.99): Shout! Factory gives fans this long awaited release, which (finally) wraps up the classic TV series on DVD.

Who to Follow: Kirstie Alley (Twitter), "Mother, actress, founder of http://www.organicliaison.com  Lover of CAPS & frequent use of off color language"

Claim to Fame: Kirstie Alley was first introduced to TV viewers in a very unremarkable way, as a game show contestant on both Match Game and Password Plus. In the early 80s, she had many movie roles and TV guest appearances, but she became rather well known by 1987 when she appeared in the classic film Summer School in June and joined the cast of Cheers in September. She later went on to the series Veronica's Closet and a slew of reality series, but has found her way back into the sitcom world on TV Land with her current series, Kirstie.

Pick of the Tweets: "way I figure it, I can say what I want to say about myself.. especially since everyone else says whatever the hell they wanna say about me" (April 8, 2014)

Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got two reviews, with both Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray) and Perry Mason - Season 9, Volume 2. Let's get going!

DIGITAL NEWS

The big news this week comes from CBS, as they've announced three major complete series sets of classic series on DVD. On November 5, the studio will release the complete series of three series that they've already released individual seasons of (but these new releases will come in new streamlined packaging, and in some cases, include new special features). For fans of sitcoms, there is Family Ties - The Complete Series. Fans of high school drama will be glad to see Beverly Hills, 90210 - The Complete Series. Finally, the classic series Hawaii Five-O comes to DVD with Hawaii Five-O - The Complete Series. We have to be a bit careful for that last one, though... it isn't really the complete series, because it is still missing the second season episode "Bored, She Hung Herself" (which has not been seen in the United States since it originally aired). As usual, these will all include special features that were not included on the original releases, so there are sure to be some complaints! Nonetheless, it is great to see complete series sets.

Meanwhile, Warner Archive has another release coming on Tuesday that is sure to be good news for fans of a classic family comedy-drama series, as they release Eight is Enough - The Complete Fourth Season. As usual, the set will be released as two volumes in one, and it doesn't appear that there will be an option to buy just one of the volumes (but it probably isn't necessary anyway).


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (August 13) is a busier than usual day for releases. For sitcoms, Universal has The Mindy Project - Season One and CBS has Family Ties - The Seventh and Final Season. We'll have a review of the latter by the end of the weekend. Also, ABC has Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season (DVD/Blu-ray), and CBS wraps up Perry Mason with Perry Mason - Season 9, Volume 2. We have reviews of Once Upon a Time and Perry Mason in today's Digital Digest.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW



Blog Blu-ray Review: Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season (ABC Studios, $79.99)
by Pavan

The magic is back! Relive the complete second season of ABC's Once Upon A Time now on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, the hit series that boasts unforgettable characters and a tangled web of romance, action and enchantment. The curse is broken, magic has arrived, and there's no telling what – or who – will be unleashed! Now the exiled fairy tale characters must grapple with a flood of awakened memories as they come to grips with their new "reality." Old loyalties will be tested, new heroes will emerge, and vengeful villains will wreak havoc. Amidst the backdrop of previously unexplored lands and a newly magical Storybrooke, love and sacrifice will set the stage for the ultimate battle between good and evil. From Storybrooke to Fairy Tale Land and beyond, experience all the mystery, romance, action and adventure of the second season of Once Upon a Time, featuring all 22 remarkable episodes and exclusive bonus features, this must-own, five-disc boxed set is pure enchantment on an epic scale. This review will cover the Blu-ray disc version.

Once Upon a Time stars stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O'Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry Mills, Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood/Ruby and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold. Recurring stars are Michael Raymond-James as Baelfire/Neal Cassidy, Barbara Hershey as Cora/Queen of Hearts, David Anders as Dr. Whale, Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie Hopper, Jamie Chung as Mulan, Sarah Bolger as Princess Aurora, Ethan Embry as Owen Flynn/Greg Mendell, Eion Bailey as Pinocchio/August Wayne Booth, Beverly Mitchell as Granny, Tony Amendola as Geppetto/Marco, Lee Arenberg as Grumpy/Leroy, Sonequa Martin-Green as Tamara, Alan Dale as King George and Sebastian Stan as The Mad Hatter/Jefferson.

We think the second season is superb and action-packed. The series continues to be a Sunday staple at 8pm on ABC. The writers of Lost has brought this series to us and this is the only show that has even come close to that show since that series ended. Jennifer Morrison is great and beautiful while Ginnifer Goodwin and Lana Parrilla are superb and have great chemistry. The addition of Emilie de Ravin is excellent as well as Colin O'Donoghue. We wish the Emmy's would have recognized this show, especially Robert Carlyle. Every episode has to be seen in order, but I will try to pick the most memorable episodes. WARNING: Don't read the descriptions if you have yet to start the second season! In the season premiere, "Broken," the people of Storybrooke realize who they really are... and set out to confront Regina, who they believe is responsible, while in the fairytale world, Prince Phillip and Mulan rescue Aurora from her sleeping curse, but a mysterious wraith stalks Phillip and he may be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. In "The Crocodile," in the real world, Belle decides to leave Gold when she realizes that he isn't being honest with her, however someone else from her past threatens her future, while in the fairytale world, Rumplestiltskin discovers that his wife Milah isn't dead as he believed and goes to confront the pirate captain that took her. In "Tallahassee," Mary Margaret and Hook scale the beanstalk to recover the compass from the Giant, but as she climbs, Emma remembers the one time that she fell in love and was abandoned... unaware of the whole story of what happened.

In "Queen of the Hearts," while David lies in a coma, Gold and Regina plan to make sure that no one comes to Storybrooke through the portal, while Emma and Mary Margaret race Cora and Hook to the portal, and in the land that was, Regina makes a startling revelation to her mother. In "The Cricket Game," Regina tries to show the people of Storybrooke that she has changed, but things go awry when she's accused of murder and in the fairytale world, Snow and James must decide what to do with the Evil Queen. In "Tiny," Hook takes David and Mary Margaret to his ship and reveals Cora's secret weapon: Anton the Giant and when they free him, he mistakes David for James, the man who betrayed him in the Enchanted Forest, and goes on a rampage, while Emma takes Henry and Gold out of Storybrooke, and in the fairy tale world, Anton has his first encounter with humans... including one named Jack. In the next episode "Manhattan," in New York, Emma confronts Gold's son Bae, only to discover that he is her ex-lover, Neal, while in Storybrooke, Hook helps Cora and Regina locate Rumplestiltskin's dagger and in the fairytale world, Rumplestiltskin goes off to war and receives a cryptic warning from a blind seer. In "Welcome to Storybrooke," Gold is forced to intervene when Regina comes up with a way to get revenge on Mary Margaret and bring Henry back into her life, meanwhile 28 years ago, Regina wakes up in Storybrooke, the town created by her curse, but soon discovers two outsiders that could pose a threat to her plans. In "The Evil Queen," Regina comes up with a plan to use a failsafe built into her curse to destroy Storybrooke and its residents while she and Henry escape to the Enchanted Forest, when Henry rejects her, Regina turns to Hook... who has allies of his own, meanwhile in the fairytale world, Regina has Rumpelstiltskin disguise her as a peasant so that she can find the renegade Snow and kill her. On the thrilling season finale, "And Straight On 'Til Morning," while Regina tries to delay the end of Storybrooke after Greg and Tamara set off the failsafe, David and Hook race to get the magic beans and create a portal so the townspeople can evacuate, while decades ago in Neverland, Hook takes Bae under his wing and must decide whether to give him up to the Lost Ones or not.

The episodes on this set are all unedited, obviously, with the episodes at 43 minutes. Here are the runtimes for this set:

Disc 1
1. "Broken" - 43:02
2. "We Are Both" - 43:02
3. "Lady of the Lake" - 43:03
4. "The Crocodile" - 43:01
5. "The Doctor" - 43:04

Disc 2
6. "Tallahassee" - 43:01
7. "Child of the Moon" - 43:03
8. "Into the Deep" - 43:04
9. "Queen of Hearts" - 42:56
10. "The Cricket Game" - 43:03

Disc 3
11. "The Outsider" - 43:02
12. "In The Name of the Brother" - 42:58
13. "Tiny" - 43:02
14. "Manhattan" - 43:02

Disc 4
15. "The Queen is Dead" - 43:03
16. "The Miller's Daughter" - 43:01
17. "Welcome to Storybrooke" - 43:03
18. "Selfless, Brave and True" - 43:03

Disc 5
19. "Lacey" - 43:04
20. "The Evil Queen" - 43:03
21. "Second Star to the Right" - 42:53
22. "And Straight On 'Til Morning" - 43:04

Let's now move on to the packaging for this Blu-ray set! We have a thin outer box holding the Blu-ray case. The cover art for both has the Once Upon a Time logo in the middle with head shots of Hook, Evil Queen, Rumpelstiltskin, Emma, Snow White and Prince Charming on top, while below the logo we have a shot of Emma from her backside looking on to the dark sky that is coming to Storybrooke. There is a mention of The Complete Second Season right above the series logo. The cover of the outer box is actually a hologram, so if you move it a little, the Emma looking on shot turns into Hook's ship. Very cool. The back of both the outer box and case has three episodic photos and a nice gallery photo of Red Riding Hood, Belle and Henry. We also have info on the series and set as well, with a bonus features box. The color scheme is purple. Inside the Blu-ray case we go, there is no insert booklet this time on the left showcasing other ABC TV DVDs. Oh well, not a big deal. As far as the discs itself go, disc one is on a little plastic holder that you can flip like a page in a book. Disc two is on the back of that little plastic holder. Discs three and four are the same way in a second little plastic holder, while disc five is on the right panel itself. All similar to the previous set. All five discs are in a dark blue color with the series logo and showscases our beloved characters. Disc one has episodes 1-5 and we have artwork of Henry & Emma. Disc two has 6-10 and we see artwork of The Evil Queen. Disc three has episodes 11-14 and we have artwork of Snow White and Prince Charming. Disc four has episodes 15-18 and we have artwork of Rumpelstiltskin. And disc five has episodes 19-22 and we artwork of Hook. As for the panels, we have nice cast photo that extends onto both panels itself. There is also a disc-by-disc breakdown below the cast photo on the panels listing episode titles per disc.

The menu screen is very cool and great like season one's menu. Blu-ray menus are so much different I think, and they are better than regular DVDs. Background music from the show is playing in the background, as we have artwork of the woods in dark blue (similar to the title card on the series). Each disc has a different item in the woods (Hook's ship, a beanstalk, a dog, a jeep and the clock tower). We have options for Episodes, Bonus Features, Set Up, Season Play and Sneak Peeks. When we select Episodes, on Blu-ray there are no sub-menus, so a pop-up box pops up and you choose the episode with the titles listed. Bonus Features options pops-up all the extras on that disc, including the deleted scenes. The Set Up pop-up has the option for Languages and Subtitles, with audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio or English 2.0 Dolby Digital and subtitles in English, Thai, Chinese, Espanol, Portuguese, and French. Season Play is very cool, it is a feature exclusive to the Blu-ray Disc releases. This feature allows you to never have a problem keeping track of where you are (which episode, disc, time stamp) on the season of the show. This feature prevents you from getting lost as to which episode you were on when trying to come back and continue watching an entire season of a show. VERY cool! Sneak Peaks is just on disc five for The Lone Ranger, Peter Pan, Mulan andMarvel's Avengers Initiative . Disc one has auto trailers for Revenge Season 2 DVD, Castle Season 5 DVD, ABC TV on DVD and The Little Mermaid Blu-ray.

The video is great, as it should be in full HD (1080p widescreen)! This is the Blu-ray version so it is flawless. Everyone should own a Blu-ray player as the video quality is just superb and you feel like you are right inside the show. I have watched all 22 episodes on ABC in HD and it looks even better in Blu-ray! The audio is very good in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. That is the best you can get so you know it will be clear and crisp. Each episode has 8 chapter stops. We also hear the closing theme, as on ABC there are next week's promos playing over the credits. There is not much else to say, and that's a good thing!

As for special features, we have a WHOLE lot here. Each disc has special features once again. We have audio commentary on each disc. There is a warning that lets us know these should be viewed after you watch each episode, because the commentaries contain spoilers. On disc one, we have audio commentary for the season premiere "Broken" from series stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas. They even have great chemistry while doing an audio commentary. They are such a perfect couple. On disc two, we have audio commentary for the episode "Queen of Hearts" co-creators/executive producers Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and star Lana Parrilla! On disc three we have audio commentary for the episode "Manhattan" from Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and star Robert Carlyle! Even being under the weather, Robert is a class act. On disc four, we have audio commentary for the episode "The Miller's Daughter," from writer Jane Espenson. But wait, there's more! We have another episode with audio commentary on disc four, "Welcome to Storybrooke" from writers Ian Goldberg and Andrew Chambliss. And the final audio commentary is on disc five for the season finale "And Straight On 'Til Morning" from co-executive producer David H. Goodman and star Colin O'Donoghue! So we have six episodes with audio commentary (up from the five we had on season one) and these six are really great classic episodes!

The rest of the bonus features are on disc five. The first one is exclusive to Blu-ray, titled "A Fractured Family Tree" (7:08) narrated by ABC's Modern Family star Sarah Hyland (Hayley!). We explore the tangled magical genealogy behind the series' fairytale family and interviewed are Josh Dallas, Jared Gilmore, Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Michael Raymond-James, Lana Parrilla, and Robert Carlyle. This was REALLY well done Sarah is really fun to listen to. It's only for Blu-ray! Next up we have "Good Morning Storybrooke" (12:08) this is a Good Morning America style series but in Storybrooke. GMA? No it's GMS! You'll see your favorite Once characters even appear like Belle, Red Riding Hood and Dr. Whale! Then next we have "Sincerely, Hook" (5:22) where we set sail with Colin O'Donoghue (Killian Jones/Captain Hook) and learn more about the man behind the hook! Then next up we have "Girl Power" (13:04) where we enjoy a high impact look at Storybrooke's fearless females as they fight for love and justice between the realms of magic and reality. Interviewed are Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla, Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz (co-creators), Andrew Chambliss (producer), Jane Espenson (consulting producer), Josh Dallas, Christine Boylan (producer), Jennifer Morrison, Jared Gilmore, Dave Hospes (stunt coordinator), Michael Raymond-James, Emilie de Ravin, Robert Carlyle, Jamie Chung, and Keegan Connor Tracy.

We aren't done yet! We have "Fairest Bloopers Of Them All" (3:12), which are of course often hilarious outtakes fans won't want to miss. We get a minute more worth of bloopers this season, too! And finally we have deleted scenes. It isn't many as say Revenge has, but still good stuff! The deleted scenes are around 10 1/2 minutes or so. We have eight deleted scenes, which is just off of the nine we got from the first season's set. Great to see stuff that didn't make the show!

I highly do recommend this Blu-ray set for any Once fan or even any fair tale fan. It is such an interesting take on those classic fairy tale characters we all know and love. The show makes you think, and I love that. This is really a great show and I hope you all buy this Blu-ray disc (or even the DVD). There are many special features that will keep you glued for many more hours than just the 22 episodes. The quality of Blu-ray sets is just superb and this one is among the best of this year again. We don't have as many special features as the first season set, but it is still jam-packed with many extras. If you haven't started this season or need to catch-up, this is the perfect time to do so before the new season premieres Sunday, Sept. 29 at 8/7c on ABC. Catch up now! If you're still on the fence then you are crazy. You'll be hooked (no pun intended) I'm sure. Be prepared to be spellbound because magic is coming to Storybrooke in season two but there is no magic needed to order this set by clicking on the links below!

(5/5 stars)

To purchase Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

To purchase Once Upon a Time - The Complete Second Season on DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Once Upon a Time on TV.com 


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
 


Blog DVD Review: Perry Mason - Season 9, Volume 2 (CBS, $45.98)
by skees53

Perry Mason is about to rest his case once and for all in Perry Mason - Season 9, Volume 2. It has been a long journey of nine seasons (and eighteen DVD releases!) since the first volume of the first season was released in July 2006, but CBS made it their priority to get all 271 episodes of the classic series on DVD, and now we have them all! For those unfamiliar with the series, it follows defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) as he takes on some of the biggest cases out there, where somebody has been murdered and it seems to be a foregone conclusion that the wrongly accused defendant will be convicted... but that won't happen with Mason by their side!

The second half of the season begins with "The Case of the Midnight Howler," where Perry becomes a witness in a murder case where he believes the accused is innocent. Perry must decide if a woman is a grieving widow or a wronged wife capable of murder in "The Case of the Vanishing Victim." A pro golfer is found dead in "The Case of the Golfer's Gambit." In "The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise." the police zero in on one of Perry's clients in their effort to find a cop killer. A fishing trip is interrupted when the wife of Perry's client is found dead in "The Case of the Scarlet Scandal." The series goes to color (for one episode, at least) in "The Case of the Twice Told Twist." In "The Case of the Avenging Angel," an aspiring British pop star is accused of killing his promoter. A jeweler is caught with the body of a jewel thief in his trunk in "The Case of Tasrina's Tiara."

Two women switch identities (and die) in "The Case of the Fanciful Frail." In "The Case of the Unwelcome Well," a foreman is the prime suspect when a greedy oil man is killed. Perry is on the hunt for a killer who looks exactly like him after losing a case in "The Case of the Dead Ringer." In "The Case of the Misguided Model," a model (Mary Ann Mobley) is at the center of a murder case. Perry has to determine if a new head of a crime commission has gone above the law in "The Case of the Positive Negative." In "The Case of the Crafty Kidnapper," a gossip columnist turns up dead, and his assistant is accused. The volume (as well as season AND series) ends with "The Case of the Final Fade-Out," where an egotistical TV star has a fatal final act. Dick Clark guest stars.

As usual, it seems that the episodes are unedited, with runtimes as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "The Case of the Midnight Howler" (51:58)
2. "The Case of the Vanishing Victim" (51:53)
3. "The Case of the Golfer's Gambit" (51:55)
4. "The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise" (51:55)

Disc 2:
5. "The Case of the Scarlet Scandal" (51:58)
6. "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist" (51:46)
7. "The Case of the Avenging Angel" (51:57)
8. "The Case of Tsarina's Tiara" (51:56)

Disc 3:
9. "The Case of the Fanciful Frail" (51:57)
10. "The Case of the Unwelcome Well" (51:55)
11. "The Case of the Dead Ringer" (51:58)
12. "The Case of the Misguided Model" (51:56)

Disc 4:
13. "The Case of the Positive Negative" (51:56)
14. "The Case of the Crafty Kidnapper" (51:54)
15. "The Case of the Final Fade-Out" (51:57)

The set comes in a standard Viva case, as most of the releases of this series have. The cover has (what else?) a large photo of Perry, and on the back, there are some episode snapshots and a brief description of the season. Inside, you'll find the four discs, and a listing of episodes, along with descriptions and airdates.

The menus on the set are nothing too fancy, and are just like previous sets. There is a large photo of Perry, along with a list of episodes, a Play All option, and a Subtitles option. There are no special effects or anything on the menus. Once you select an episode, it plays right away, with chapters placed all throughout each episode.

As was the case with the previous 17 volumes, the video and audio quality is nothing short of spectacular. Everything looks great in the glorious black and white (except for the color episode, of course, which looks great in color), and the audio is perfectly loud and clear. Each episode has English subtitles.

The special features have been the biggest letdown on these volumes of this series. There is one small one on this set, but it was a carryover from the 50th anniversary release. Basically, it is just an introduction to the episode "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist" (0:35), where Barbara Hale explains why the episode is in color. It isn't anything major.

I never would have imagined that this series would make it onto DVD from beginning to end given how many episodes there were, but it did happen after all. It is very rare to see that level of commitment for any series on DVD. The best part is that a lot of care and effort was put into bringing fans the best quality episodes possible. I don't recall ever seeing any problems with any of these DVDs (aside from the fact that special features were pretty much nonexistent). Now that we've finished the regular series, perhaps CBS can move forward releasing the 30 made-for-TV movies that aired between 1985 and 1995. Granted, they weren't as good as the original series, but I'd like to see the "complete" Perry Mason nonetheless. Fans of the series are going to want to pick this up, and if you've never seen the series, you can catch some (not all) of the episodes in syndication and perhaps you too will want to own this set.

(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: Adrienne Barbeau (Facebook/Twitter/Blog), "you can tell this is my official page (adrienne barbeau, actress & author) because i'm the only one who knows my sons' soccer team name."
Claim to Fame: Barbeau had one of the most interest starts in her road to fame, as a go-go dancer who worked for the mob in New York City (seriously), but it wasn't long before she began to get roles on Broadway, and for TV fans, was cast as Maude's daughter Carol in the series Maude. She has also guest-starred in many series, including Kojak, Grey's Anatomy, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Dexter, and Revenge, among others.
Why You Should Follow Her: Barbeau is sort of like one of those unsung actresses out there. We all recognize her, but (unless you're a fan of Maude), you don't stop to think too much about her. But the reality is that she is still actively working (in some of TV's biggest hits), and she even has two sixteen year old twins sons (she jokes that she was the only one in the maternity ward who also had an AARP membership when she gave birth to them at age 51). She seems to be really in touch with her fans, and who knows? Maybe the "biggest thing" in her career has yet to happen.
Pick of the Facebook Posts: "I was watching my boys play varsity soccer yesterday at Mar Vista Park in Santa Monica when a twenty-something young man came up and asked me if I was the actress who’d played Mrs. Neidermeyer on an episode of The Wayans Brothers. My jaw dropped." (March 5, 2013)

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

Welcome to Digital Digest! We're here with all of your regular weekly features, including a review of Perry Mason - The Final (Ninth) Season, Volume 1. Let's get going!

DIGITAL NEWS

The 2012-2013 seasons of several CBS sitcoms were announced on DVD this week... specifically, the ones that are released by Warner Home Video. Among these are Mike & Molly - The Complete Third Season (August 20), 2 Broke Girls - The Complete Second Season (September 24), and Two and a Half Men - The Complete Tenth Season (September 24). Since we're talking about all of these CBS sitcoms, that does leave a few more questions, such as when we'll see The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Sixth Season (DVD, Blu-ray) . Well, we don't have an answer for that yet, but it goes without saying that it will definitely be coming, and probably in September... but you can go ahead and pre-order it now if you just can't wait.

Of course, not every sitcom in the 2012-2013 season was a hit... but that doesn't mean that there is no hope of seeing the series on DVD. Universal will be releasing the NBC flop Guys with Kids as a MOD title in Guys with Kids - The Complete Series. No word if any of the other NBC "strugglers" from the past season will come as well.

Finally, while we're on the topic of MOD releases, CBS has one coming up on Tuesday that is worthy of being mentioned here: Becker - The Fifth Season. This leaves only one season of the series left to be released.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (June 11) has The Dick Van Dyke - The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray), which has already been seen through the complete series release of the series on Blu-ray. Meanwhile, CBS has their release of Perry Mason - The Final (Ninth) Season, Volume 1, which we have a review of today, and CBS also has their MOD release of Becker - The Fifth Season.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
 


Blog DVD Review: Perry Mason - The Final (Ninth) Season, Volume 1 (CBS, $45.98)
by skees53

Perry Mason is getting close to resting his case once and for all in Perry Mason - The Final (Ninth) Season, but not quite yet! It has been a long journey of half season releases, but we're finally on the last season of the series on DVD. We're pretty sure that everybody is familiar with who Perry Mason is and what the series is about, but just to briefly recap, the series stars Raymond Burr as Perry Mason, the defense attorney who takes the most difficult cases imaginable, cases that simply cannot be won... and turns them into winning cases against all odds. It was a rather formulaic approach to a series (one that worked very well when the series aired in the 50s and 60s), and the series has gone on to become the de facto standard as the classic legal drama. This four disc set contains the first fifteen episodes of the final season.

This season begins with "The Case of the Laughing Lady," where a woman is accused of murder... but a cackling laugh that she hears may point to the real killer. A successful business woman accepts a marriage proposal from her boss in "The Case of the Fatal Fortune," but he won't be around too long anyway. In "The Case of the Candy Queen," an owner of a company selling low-calorie sweets is accused of murder. A graduate student is accused of murdering an unpopular professor in "The Case of the Cheating Chancellor." Perry gets involved in a crime (inadvertently) in "The Case of the Impetuous Imp." In "The Case of the Carefree Coronary," Perry goes to work for an insurance company to investigate some fraud. A computer dating service leads to marriage in "The Case of the Hasty Honeymooner," but the marriage ends in murder, of course. A train fire leads to murder in "The Case of the 12th Bobcat."

In "The Case of the Wrathful Wraith," a widow tends to receive messages from beyond the grave. A race car driver is accused of murdering his business partner in "The Case of the Runaway Racer." In "The Case of the Silent Six," Lt. Drumm asks Perry to defend a cop accused of shooting a man in an act of vengeance. Perry goes abroad to help an expatriate German scientist in "The Case of the Fugitive Fraulein." In "The Case of the Baffling Bug," an espionage investigation uncovers murder. A beautiful hitchhiker knows secrets that could save the partner of a murdered mogul of a men's nightclub empire in "The Case of the Golden Girls" (no, not those Golden Girls). The set ends with "The Case of the Bogus Buccanneers," where door-to-door cosmetic salesmen are all dressed like a TV pirate pitchman... and only one of those pirates knows the secret behind a murder.

1. "The Case of the Laughing Lady" (50:56)
2. "The Case of the Fatal Fortune" (51:57)

3. "The Case of the Candy Queen" (51:57)

4. "The Case of the Cheating Chancellor" (51:55)

5. "The Case of the Impetuous Imp" (51:46)
7. "The Case of the Hasty Honeymooner" (51:43)
8. "The Case of the 12th Wildcat" (51:55)

 

10. "The Case of the Runaway Racer" (51:51)
11. "The Case of the Silent Six" (51:46)

13. "The Case of the Baffling Bug" (51:54)
14. "The Case of the Golden Girls" (51:58)

The set is packaged in the typical Viva case, with artwork that is very similar to all of the previous sixteen releases. There is a large color photo of Perry on the cover, and a few snapshots on the back. The four discs inside, of course, have the standard series title on gray artwork. Episode titles, descriptions, and airdates are all printed inside the case.

Just as the packaging is the same as the previous releases, it goes without saying that the menus are identical as well. The main menu lists all of the episodes on the disc, along with a Play All option and a Subtitles option. Once you select the episode, it plays immediately. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.
 

Once again, the video and audio quality on the set is essentially perfect. CBS has done a great job of cleaning this series up, and aside from some very minimal grain and debris, this series almost looks like it could have been filmed just a few years ago (if they were filming in black and white, anyway). The audio is loud and clear, and there are English subtitles for each episode.

After a few brief special features on one of the eighth season releases, we're back to no special features this time.

It has been a long journey of half-season releases to get to this point, and to tell the truth, I never thought that we'd get here. I know that this is a popular series, but this particular set marks the seventeenth "volume" release of the series on DVD... seventeen releases! To put this into perspective, The Simpsons was first released on DVD in season sets (equivalent to the volumes here) twelve years ago, and they have so far only gotten sixteen seasons of that released. What is even better is that the final volume of the series is scheduled for just two months from now, so we'll get to see the series wrap up once and for all and be able to own all 271 episodes... not to mention that these DVDs have been nothing short of perfection in quality. Now, we only have to wait to see if all of the made-for-TV movies from the late 80s and early 90s make it to DVD. There were 26 of these, plus four more made with the Perry Mason title (but without Raymond Burr). These could be potentially released in two or three sets.

By now, you've either been buying the series on DVD or you haven't. If you are a fan of classic legal dramas, then you must have seen this by now. But if for some strange reason you haven't, this is just as good as any other place to start watching the series. The series stayed consistent throughout the seasons and never jumped the shark at all. Perhaps the formulaic nature of the series is why it stayed so consistent, but it is fun to watch all of these episodes on DVD.

(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: Karyn Parsons (Twitter/Facebook), "Mama/Writer/Actress/Producer."
Claim to Fame: Parsons is best known (and, perhaps to many, it is the only thing for which she is known) as the ever so obnoxious Hilary Banks on the NBC series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She has also appeared in a few short-lived series, but her current project is Sweet Blackberry, which is a production studio behind producing animated films about some of the lesser known heroes in black history.
Why You Should Follow Her: I loved discovering the "true Hilary Banks" on Twitter. She is a character that we all loved and remembered, but we somewhat forget about the actress who played that role. When you get to know her on Twitter, you begin to discover that Karyn Parsons is about the complete opposite of Hilary Banks. She is much more intelligent and has a very good grasp upon reality, which is perhaps what made her portrayal of that role even better. What is even more great is how close she is to most of her "family" from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air even to this day, and is proud of her character from that series. By the way, she is a probably a bit more interesting to follow on Facebook than Twitter... even though the feeds are the same, she posts a lot of links and videos, which tend to get lost as a bunch of URLs on many of her Twitter postings.
Pick of the Tweets: " Happy Birthday, to my dear baby bro, Alfonso! I love you!!! http://fb.me/27LO4sbWp" (September 12, 2012)

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

Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got a review of the latest release of Perry Mason - Season 8, Volume 2, as well as all of our regular features. Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

This week, we don't have a lot of DVD news, but we do have several items about new offerings on online streaming sites. We start with Hulu, which has slowly been adding some of their new material from the CBS library. Among their more recent editions, you can now watch every episode of series such as Family Ties, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Twilight Zone, MacGyver, and more for absolutely free! Also, they have added The Game and Frasier, but unlike the other series, these require a subscription to Hulu+.

Meanwhile, Netflix and Warner Bros. recently made an agreement, which already brought the series The West Wing to the service not too long ago. But more is to come, mostly in the form of dramas, as the service adds series including Revolution, Chuck, The Following, Longmire, Political Animals, 666 Park Avenue and Fringe. Hopefully, they'll eventually add some sitcoms from the Warner library... we know we'd sure love to see some!

Of course, if standard sitcoms and dramas don't interest you, there is also the option of watching some of the "unscripted" (that is a little debatable, of course) series from A&E Networks... and even though these recently disappeared from Netflix, a new deal is in place with Amazon Prime. New additions in this deal include Pawn Stars, Storage Wars and Dance Moms.

We do have one piece of DVD news this week, courtesy of TVShowsOnDVD.com. According to them, the MOD release of Rob - The DVD Edition will begin shipping on Tuesday. However, there is not a whole lot of other information known about this release just yet.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (January 15) has has no sitcom releases, but there are two releases of note. First, CBS has Perry Mason - Season 8, Volume 2. We have a review of this set today in Digital Digest. Additionally, Shout! Factory has the final season of an '80s detective drama with Simon & Simon - The Final (Eighth) Season. We hope to have a review of this set soon.

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!

Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got (after our regular news, of course) a review of Perry Mason - Season 7, Volume 2. Let's get going!