Showing posts with label Simon and Simon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simon and Simon. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Cozi TV's 2nd Annual Holidozi; The CW Moves Thursday Lineup to Fridays in Mid-Season 2016
COZI TV announced it is ringing in the holiday season with a special COZI HOLIDOZI month of programming for the second year in a row. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving and running through Christmas Day, COZI TV will feature holiday-themed episodes of its iconic shows, including Magnum P.I., Murder She Wrote, Adam 12, Hart to Hart and Baywatch, among many others. Here is a promo inviting viewers to tune into COZI HOLIDOZI.
Below is the COZI HOLIDOZI lineup:
November 27
9:00 AM Lone Ranger - Christmas Story
11:00 AM Dragnet - The Christmas Story
1:00 PM Simon & Simon - Yes, Virginia, There is a Liberace
2:00 PM Hart to Hart - ‘Tis the Season to be Murdered
7:00 PM Make Room For Daddy - Christmas and Clowns
8:00 PM Murder, She Wrote - A Christmas Secret
November 28
4:30 PM Hollywood Treasure - Chasing Rudolph
5:30 PM Dick Van Dyke Show - The Alan Brady Show Presents
6:00 PM Make Room For Daddy - Christmas Story
7:00 PM Starsky & Hutch - Little Girl Lost
10:00 PM Quantum Leap - Promised Land
11:00 PM Quantum Leap - Little Miracle
November 29
1:00 PM Murder, She Wrote - A Christmas Secret
2:00 PM Baywatch - Silent Night, Baywatch Night Part 1
3:00 PM Baywatch - Silent Night, Baywatch Night Part 2
4:00 PM Starsky & Hutch - Little Girl Lost
December 1
12:30 PM Adam 12 - Christmas the Yellow Dump Truck
December 2
11:30 AM Dragnet - The Christmas Story
3:00 PM Murder, She Wrote - A Christmas Secret
December 4
8:00 PM Murder, She Wrote - A Christmas Secret
December 5
5:00 PM The Real McCoys - The Diamond Ring
5:30 PM Dick Van Dyke Show - The Alan Brady Show Presents
December 6
12:00 PM Beverly Hillbillies - Home for Christmas
12:30 PM Beverly Hillbillies - Christmas with the Clampetts
1:00 PM Hart to Hart - A Hart Christmas
2:00 PM Quantum Leap - Little Miracle
3:00 PM Simon & Simon - Yes, Virginia, There is a Liberace
4:00 PM The Avengers - Too Many Christmas Trees
December 7
8:00 PM Hart to Hart - Trust Your Hart
December 9
1:00 PM Simon & Simon - Yes, Virginia, There is a Liberace
4:00 PM Murder, She Wrote - A Christmas Secret
December 10
11:00 AM Dragnet - The Christmas Story
December 12
5:00 PM Dick Van Dyke Show - The Alan Brady Show Presents
December 13
1:00 PM Dick Van Dyke Show - The Alan Brady Show Presents
1:30 PM Make Room for Daddy - Christmas and Clowns
2:00 PM Hart to Hart - Trust Your Hart
3:00 PM Six Million Dollar Man - A Bionic Christmas Carol
4:00 PM Knight Rider - Silent Knight
5:30 PM The Real McCoys - The Diamond Ring
December 14
8:00 PM Hart to Hart - ‘Tis the Season to be Murdered
December 16
12:30 PM Adam 12 - Christmas
December 18
11:30 AM Dragnet - The Christmas Story
1:00 PM Simon & Simon - Yes, Virginia, There is a Liberace
10:00 PM Murder, She Wrote - A Christmas Secret
December 19
7:00 PM Starsky & Hutch - Little Girl Lost
December 20
1:00 PM Baywatch - Silent Night, Baywatch Night Part 1
2:00 PM Baywatch - Silent Night, Baywatch Night Part 2
3:00 PM Quantum Leap - Promised Land
4:00 PM Hart to Hart – ‘Tis the Season to be Murdered
5:00 PM The Real McCoys - The Diamond Ring
December 21
4:00 PM Murder, She Wrote - A Christmas Secret
8:00 PM Hart to Hart - A Hart Christmas
9:00 PM Hart to Hart - Trust your Hart
December 22
8:00 PM Knight Rider - Silent Knight
December 23
8:00 PM Quantum Leap - Little Miracle
9:00 PM Quantum Leap - Promised Land
10:00 PM Simon & Simon - Yes, Virginia, There is a Liberace
December 24
8:00 PM Magnum, P.I. - Thank Heaven for Little Girls
9:00 PM Magnum, P.I. - Operation Silent Knight
December 25
8:00 AM Lassie - The Christmas Story
8:30 AM Lassie - Yocjim’s Christmas
9:00 AM Lone Ranger - Christmas Story
9:30 AM Make Room for Daddy - Christmas Story
10:00 AM Dick Van Dyke Show - The Alan Brady Show Presents
10:30 AM Dragnet - The Christmas Story
11:00 AM Highway to Heaven - With Love, the Claus
12:00 PM Six Million Dollar Man - A Bionic Christmas Carol
1:00 PM Magnum, P.I. - Operation Silent Knight
2:00 PM Hart to Hart - A Hart Christmas
4:00 PM Knight Rider - Silent Knight
5:00 PM Baywatch - Silent Night, Baywatch Night pt 1
7:00 PM Lassie - The Little Christmas
7:30 PM Make Room for Daddy - Christmas and Clowns
8:00 PM Murder, She Wrote - A Christmas Secret
The CW announced its new January 2016 schedule, including the series debut of new drama DC's Legends of Tomorrow and the season three premiere of The 100, plus The Vampire Diaries and The Originals take over Friday night. On Thursday January 21, The CW kicks off a new night of action and adventure with the highly-anticipated series premiere of DC's Legends of Tomorrow at 8:00pm ET/PT followed by the return of the critically-acclaimed post-apocalyptic drama The 100 at 9:00pm ET/PT. In DC's Legends of Tomorrow, when heroes alone are not enough... the world needs legends. Having seen the future, one he will desperately try to prevent from happening, time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter is tasked with assembling a disparate group of both heroes and villains to confront an unstoppable threat — one in which not only the planet is at stake, but all of time itself. Can this ragtag team defeat an immortal threat unlike anything they have ever known?
Starting January 29, The Salvatore brothers and the First Family of vampires head to Friday nights to kick off the weekend with two hours of high-stakes drama, with The Vampire Diaries at 8:00pm ET/PT followed by The Originals at 9:00pm ET/PT. This season, both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals are among the most heavily time-shifted series on television; both shows more than triple their audiences when viewing beyond the night of air is tallied, across DVR, digital, and VOD platforms. Reign will have its winter finale on Friday, January 22 at 8:00pm ET/PT and return later in the season, night and time to be announced. Stay with us...
Saturday, July 18, 2015
SitcomsOnline Digest: Emmy Nominations Announced; New Carol Burnett Show DVDs
Welcome
to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's been a slow news week, but we got Emmy nominees this week, we have some new programming coming to Cozi, and Time-Life announced their huge Carol Burnett Show release that will be coming out very soon. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- Emmy nominations were announced this week, and we've got the lists for all of the major award nominees. (SitcomsOnline)
- Deadline also breaks down the number of Emmy nominations by series, where Game of Thrones clearly got the most nominations. (Deadline)
- With the Miss USA Pageant airing on Reelz instead of a major network, it had the smallest audience ever, although the small audience was a huge deal for Reelz. (Deadline)
- We've entered an era where every week (it seems), something else gets canned due to some sort of controversy, and this week, it is TLC's reality series 19 Kids and Counting. (CNN Money)
- It was only a matter of time before Cozi added Simon & Simon to the lineup (given that they air many of the other big action series from the Universal library), and that time will come in August. Baywatch will also join the lineup. (SitcomsOnline)
HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Time-Life has announced their next release for The Carol Burnett Show, which will be The Carol Burnett Show - The Lost Episodes, and it is going to be another huge set, with 22 discs covering the first five seasons of the series.
- San Diego Comic Con was last week, and Shout! announced the release of some very rare (and short-lived) 80s series, including Manimal and Automan.
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Elizabeth Berkley (Twitter), "Mommy, Wife, Actress, @NYTimes Bestselling Author, Teen Girl Self Esteem Builder, #AskElizabeth"
Claim to Fame: Elizabeth Berkley got her start in guest roles on many NBC sitcoms, including Gimme a Break!, Silver Spoons, and Day by Day, and in 1989, she tried out for the role of Kelly on Saved by the Bell. She didn't get that role, but she was "so excited" to get the role of Jesse Spano, which was created specifically for her. When that series ended, she decided to go adult in a very adult role in the movie Showgirls, and as it turns out, it was a horrible move for her as the movie was a huge disaster (though it did earn a significant place in pop culture, mostly since she was in it). Since then, she has decided to do more family friendly (or at least PG-13 at the worst) roles, including guest roles on Melissa & Joey, CSI: Miami, and other series. Additionally, she is also a teenage girl self-esteem builder these days.
Pick of the Tweets: "This makes me laugh! #Sbtb #jessiespano #fashion (link)" (July 2, 2015)
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Cozi TV Acquires Baywatch, Simon & Simon; ABC Family Orders 2nd Season of Freshman Drama Stitchers
It's time to head to the beach this summer on COZI TV, so get your swimsuits ready! Baywatch comes to COZI TV this August with a two-day weekend marathon on Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2. More details on the marathon will come soon. Baywatch and Simon & Simon will join the regular COZI TV lineup in August starting August 3. To make room for these new additions, some of the current programs will shift time slots. Baywatch will air weekdays at 6pm, replacing an hour of Here's Lucy, which shifts to 5:30pm, as The Dick Van Dyke Show will now just air at 5pm. Baywatch will also air Monday nights in primetime at 10pm replacing It Takes a Thief. On Tuesdays in primetime, it's an all 'Hoff' line-up with Knight Rider at 8, followed by Baywatch at 9 and 10pm.
Simon & Simon will premiere on the network on Monday, Aug. 16 at 1pm. The series will also air Thursdays at 10pm. Other changes include Hart To Hart replacing Charlie's Angels weekdays at 2pm starting Aug. 16, The Six Million Dollar Man replacing The Bionic Woman on Wednesdays at 10pm, Magnum P.I. replacing Charlie's Angels Thursdays at 8, and Starsky & Hutch replacing The Border on Saturdays at 7pm. Charlie's Angels, The Bionic Woman and It Takes a Thief will be placed on hiatus.
Baywatch, originally aired in 1989 through 2001, is the award-winning show that brought the blue skies and beautiful beaches of Southern California to over one billion viewers worldwide. It's summer on the beach with veteran lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff) and his team of lifeguards as they protect vacationers on a crowded resort. The popular series is full of explosive action, daring rescues, courage, teamwork and passion.
ABC Family announced that the hit original drama series Stitchers will return for a second season. The first procedural program for the network, Stitchers is currently airing Tuesdays at 9:00PM - 10:00PM ET/PT. The summer finale will air August 4, 2015. Stitchers follows Kirsten (Emma Ishta), a young woman recruited into a covert government agency to be 'stitched' into the minds of the recently deceased, using their memories to investigate murders and decipher mysteries that otherwise would have gone to the grave. Working alongside Kirsten is Cameron, a brilliant neuroscientist whose passion for the program is evident in his work. The secret program is headed by Maggie, a skilled veteran of covert operations, and includes Linus, a socially immature bioelectrical engineer and communications technician. Kirsten's roommate, Camille, a gifted computer science grad student, is also recruited to use her skills to assist Kirsten in her new role as a 'stitcher.'
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Digital Digest: New DVD Re-releases from Mill Creek, TMG; Simon & Simon - The Final (Eighth) Season DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! We're here for your weekly dose news and the rest of our regular features, along with a review of Simon & Simon - The Final (Eighth) Season. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
The past week has been a week of re-release announcements, with the first such announcement coming from Mill Creek. As the studio has been re-releasing series from the Carsey-Werner library over the past year or so, new re-releases were announced this week for Roseanne - The Complete Seventh Season, Roseanne - The Complete Eighth Season, That '70s Show - Season Seven, and That '70s Show - Season Eight. For those keeping track, that puts re-releases of Roseanne only one season away from completion, and brings re-releases of That '70s Show all the way to completion.
Meanwhile, Shout! Factory has some re-releases of their own, with some new "best of" releases that will be coming from their new subsidiary, Timeless Media Group. On April 9, look for some value-priced (around $12) releases of Leave it to Beaver, Adam-12, and Route 66. Like many TMG releases, these will come in the embossed tins that the studio so frequently uses.
Warner Home Video hasn't brought us a whole lot of older series lately (usually those are handled through Warner Archive these days), but this week, they announced releases of some animated series. First up is the series Taz-Mania, with a May 14 release of Taz-Mania - Season 1, Part 1. And, according to TVShowsOnDVD, two weeks before that, the studio will release Tom and Jerry Kids - The Complete Season 1. It is a bit surprising to see all of this animation released, but we're sure fans are satisfied to see it!
Finally, we told you just last week about an agreement between Netflix and Warner Bros., but this week, we got some more details. Among other series included in the deal are several series from Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, and also the current TNT version of the series Dallas.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (January 22) is another light day for releases, with no sitcom releases. However, Warner Home Video does have one show for fans of classic TV fans, with their release of Scarecrow and Mrs. King - The Complete Fourth Season.
The Simon brothers are back for the very last time in Simon & Simon in Shout! Factory's release of Simon & Simon - The Final Season! The classic detective series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two brother running a detective agency returns with 13 more episodes where crime fighting involves going undercover at a beauty pageant, investigating a modern day Robin Hood, taking the stand at a murder trial, protecting a wealthy Japanese businessman, and more.
The season begins with "Beauty and the Deceased," where Rick and A.J. go undercover at a beauty contest. The business becomes a bit to big for Rick and A.J. to handle in "Simon & Simon and Associates." The Simons protect a Japanese businessman in "Zen and the Art of Split-Finger Fastball." In "The Merry Adventures of Robert Hood," credit cards are being stolen, but not necessarily for bad things. A talk show host hires Rick and A.J. to find out who is sending him threatening letters in "Ain't Gonna Get it From Me, Jack." Abby is attracted to a client of the Simons in "Love Song of Abigail Marsh."
The episodes mostly appear to be unedited, but the episode "Ain't Gonna Get it From Me, Jack" seems to have a suspiciously low run time, about three minutes shorter than the rest. However, it doesn't seem like a syndication print, because it has the original episode preview at the beginning, and also, Shout! has indicated in the past when a syndicated version of an episode was used. For now, we'll put this in the "not sure" column. Runtimes are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "Beauty and Deceased" (46:50)
2. "Simon & Simon and Associates" (46:48)
3. "Zen and the Art of Split Finger Fastball" (46:02)
4. "The Merry Adventures of Robert Hood" (46:51)
Disc 2:
5. "Ain't Gonna Get It From Me, Jack" (43:56)
6. "Love Song of Abigail Marsh" (46:51)
7. "Simon & Simon, Jr." (46:52)
8. "Cloak of Danger" (46:52)
Disc 3:
9. "The Richer They Are, The Harder They Fall" (46:51)
10. "Play it Again, Simon" (46:53)
11. "First, Let's Kill All the Lawyers" (46:53)
12. "Photo Finished" (46:13)
13. "Simon Says Goodbye" (46:25)
The packaging art on this set is basically identical to previous releases. In fact, it still has the same photo on the cover that has been used since the release of the fourth season! The only difference is that the bottom row of photos at least has pictures from the eighth season, and a yellow color scheme is used this time. On the back, there is a brief description of the season, along with individual photos of Rick and A.J. Inside, you'll find the three discs, along with a listing of episodes and airdates. Each disc has the series logo imprinted on a yellow background.
I've never been to impressed by the menus on these Shout! Select releases of this series, and this one continues those rather bland menus. Honestly, they don't even look very professional, with a photo of Rick and A.J. (same as the cover art) and a listing of all of the episodes on the main menu. There is also a Play All option. The theme song loops continuously in the background. Each episode does have chapters placed appropriately throughout.
The video and audio quality on these releases is very interesting. Most series improve as new releases come out, but this series somehow seems to get worse, at least on the video front. The picture seems to be a bit faded and blurry at times, but it isn't a very serious issue... it is just strange how the later seasons look worse than the earlier ones. The audio is fine, but there are no closed-captions or subtitles.
The set is devoid of any special features, as has (mostly) been the case in previous releases.
It is great to actually see this series come to completion! It has had a bit of a rocky history, after having one season released by Universal, then moved over to Shout! Factory, where it was moved to a Shout! Select offering beginning with the fifth season. One had to wonder if we'd get all the way to the eighth season, but lo and behold, we did! It is a bit disappointing that we didn't really get much in the way of special features along the way, but the important thing is that we have the series on DVD, with most episodes unedited (there were some issues in one of the earlier releases, and we aren't quite sure about the shorter episode in this season). If you are a fan of the detective series of the '80s, you are sure to want to own this set, along with all of the other seasons of this excellent series.
(4/5 stars)
To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Simon & Simon on TV.com
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Valerie Harper (Twitter), "The Official twitter page of actress Valerie Harper. Thank you all for your follows! Love, Valerie"
Claim to Fame: "My name is Rhoda Morgenstern..." were the words that she mentioned at the beginning of each episode of the classic series Rhoda, but before she got her own spinoff, she was known for the same role on the series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In the '80s, she had another hit sitcom with Valerie, but as we all know, that didn't end quite so well. Most recently, she had a guest appearance (and animated reunion with Rhoda costar Julie Kavner) on The Simpsons.
Why You Should Follow Her: Why shouldn't you follow her? She played Rhoda, which makes her one of the few actresses from the '70s who can be found on Twitter. Harper has recently been making the rounds to promote her book, I, Rhoda, and in the midst of all of this, she has been gaining more public attention and perhaps more fans... and we think those fans will want to follow her on Twitter, where she enjoys Tweeting about her appearances, her career (past and present), and isn't at all adverse to responding to questions and comments from the fans, the very people who helped her make it big.
Pick of the Tweets: "Thought I'd share this photo of Mary and I at Betty White's 90th Birthday celebration! http://fb.me/1HM8VTe4J" (February 27, 2012)
DIGITAL NEWS
The past week has been a week of re-release announcements, with the first such announcement coming from Mill Creek. As the studio has been re-releasing series from the Carsey-Werner library over the past year or so, new re-releases were announced this week for Roseanne - The Complete Seventh Season, Roseanne - The Complete Eighth Season, That '70s Show - Season Seven, and That '70s Show - Season Eight. For those keeping track, that puts re-releases of Roseanne only one season away from completion, and brings re-releases of That '70s Show all the way to completion.
Meanwhile, Shout! Factory has some re-releases of their own, with some new "best of" releases that will be coming from their new subsidiary, Timeless Media Group. On April 9, look for some value-priced (around $12) releases of Leave it to Beaver, Adam-12, and Route 66. Like many TMG releases, these will come in the embossed tins that the studio so frequently uses.
Warner Home Video hasn't brought us a whole lot of older series lately (usually those are handled through Warner Archive these days), but this week, they announced releases of some animated series. First up is the series Taz-Mania, with a May 14 release of Taz-Mania - Season 1, Part 1. And, according to TVShowsOnDVD, two weeks before that, the studio will release Tom and Jerry Kids - The Complete Season 1. It is a bit surprising to see all of this animation released, but we're sure fans are satisfied to see it!
Finally, we told you just last week about an agreement between Netflix and Warner Bros., but this week, we got some more details. Among other series included in the deal are several series from Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, and also the current TNT version of the series Dallas.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (January 22) is another light day for releases, with no sitcom releases. However, Warner Home Video does have one show for fans of classic TV fans, with their release of Scarecrow and Mrs. King - The Complete Fourth Season.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Simon & Simon - The Final (Eighth) Season (Shout!, $24.99)
by skees53
The Simon brothers are back for the very last time in Simon & Simon in Shout! Factory's release of Simon & Simon - The Final Season! The classic detective series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two brother running a detective agency returns with 13 more episodes where crime fighting involves going undercover at a beauty pageant, investigating a modern day Robin Hood, taking the stand at a murder trial, protecting a wealthy Japanese businessman, and more.
The season begins with "Beauty and the Deceased," where Rick and A.J. go undercover at a beauty contest. The business becomes a bit to big for Rick and A.J. to handle in "Simon & Simon and Associates." The Simons protect a Japanese businessman in "Zen and the Art of Split-Finger Fastball." In "The Merry Adventures of Robert Hood," credit cards are being stolen, but not necessarily for bad things. A talk show host hires Rick and A.J. to find out who is sending him threatening letters in "Ain't Gonna Get it From Me, Jack." Abby is attracted to a client of the Simons in "Love Song of Abigail Marsh."
In "Simon & Simon, Jr.," Rick is shocked after finding out he may have a teenage son that he wasn't aware of, but now he may have to protect his life as well. A.J. writes a play that helps to solve a mystery in "Cloak of Danger." A wedding anniversary party turns into a funeral for one of A.J.'s friends in "The Richer They Are, The Harder They Fall." Rick and A.J. are headed to Los Angeles to hunt after a lost manuscript in "Play it Again, Simon." Rick and A.J. face a tough series of attacks from an attorney (and friend of Cecilia's) in court in "First, Let's Kill All the Lawyers." A woman hires the Simons to investigate a politician in "Photo Finished," but things become more complicated when the client ends up dying. The series ends with "Simon Says Goodbye," where Abby's friend hires Rick and A.J. to find an old flame.
The episodes mostly appear to be unedited, but the episode "Ain't Gonna Get it From Me, Jack" seems to have a suspiciously low run time, about three minutes shorter than the rest. However, it doesn't seem like a syndication print, because it has the original episode preview at the beginning, and also, Shout! has indicated in the past when a syndicated version of an episode was used. For now, we'll put this in the "not sure" column. Runtimes are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "Beauty and Deceased" (46:50)
2. "Simon & Simon and Associates" (46:48)
3. "Zen and the Art of Split Finger Fastball" (46:02)
4. "The Merry Adventures of Robert Hood" (46:51)
Disc 2:
5. "Ain't Gonna Get It From Me, Jack" (43:56)
6. "Love Song of Abigail Marsh" (46:51)
7. "Simon & Simon, Jr." (46:52)
8. "Cloak of Danger" (46:52)
Disc 3:
9. "The Richer They Are, The Harder They Fall" (46:51)
10. "Play it Again, Simon" (46:53)
11. "First, Let's Kill All the Lawyers" (46:53)
12. "Photo Finished" (46:13)
13. "Simon Says Goodbye" (46:25)
The packaging art on this set is basically identical to previous releases. In fact, it still has the same photo on the cover that has been used since the release of the fourth season! The only difference is that the bottom row of photos at least has pictures from the eighth season, and a yellow color scheme is used this time. On the back, there is a brief description of the season, along with individual photos of Rick and A.J. Inside, you'll find the three discs, along with a listing of episodes and airdates. Each disc has the series logo imprinted on a yellow background.
I've never been to impressed by the menus on these Shout! Select releases of this series, and this one continues those rather bland menus. Honestly, they don't even look very professional, with a photo of Rick and A.J. (same as the cover art) and a listing of all of the episodes on the main menu. There is also a Play All option. The theme song loops continuously in the background. Each episode does have chapters placed appropriately throughout.
The video and audio quality on these releases is very interesting. Most series improve as new releases come out, but this series somehow seems to get worse, at least on the video front. The picture seems to be a bit faded and blurry at times, but it isn't a very serious issue... it is just strange how the later seasons look worse than the earlier ones. The audio is fine, but there are no closed-captions or subtitles.
The set is devoid of any special features, as has (mostly) been the case in previous releases.
It is great to actually see this series come to completion! It has had a bit of a rocky history, after having one season released by Universal, then moved over to Shout! Factory, where it was moved to a Shout! Select offering beginning with the fifth season. One had to wonder if we'd get all the way to the eighth season, but lo and behold, we did! It is a bit disappointing that we didn't really get much in the way of special features along the way, but the important thing is that we have the series on DVD, with most episodes unedited (there were some issues in one of the earlier releases, and we aren't quite sure about the shorter episode in this season). If you are a fan of the detective series of the '80s, you are sure to want to own this set, along with all of the other seasons of this excellent series.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Simon & Simon on TV.com
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Valerie Harper (Twitter), "The Official twitter page of actress Valerie Harper. Thank you all for your follows! Love, Valerie"
Claim to Fame: "My name is Rhoda Morgenstern..." were the words that she mentioned at the beginning of each episode of the classic series Rhoda, but before she got her own spinoff, she was known for the same role on the series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In the '80s, she had another hit sitcom with Valerie, but as we all know, that didn't end quite so well. Most recently, she had a guest appearance (and animated reunion with Rhoda costar Julie Kavner) on The Simpsons.
Why You Should Follow Her: Why shouldn't you follow her? She played Rhoda, which makes her one of the few actresses from the '70s who can be found on Twitter. Harper has recently been making the rounds to promote her book, I, Rhoda, and in the midst of all of this, she has been gaining more public attention and perhaps more fans... and we think those fans will want to follow her on Twitter, where she enjoys Tweeting about her appearances, her career (past and present), and isn't at all adverse to responding to questions and comments from the fans, the very people who helped her make it big.
Pick of the Tweets: "Thought I'd share this photo of Mary and I at Betty White's 90th Birthday celebration! http://fb.me/1HM8VTe4J" (February 27, 2012)
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Digital Digest: Alice Season 2 Now on DVD; Simon & Simon - Season Seven DVD Review; The Flintstones - Prime-Time Specials Collection, Volume 1 DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, in addition to our news and other features, we have reviews of Simon & Simon - Season Seven and The Flintstones - Prime-Time Specials Collection, Volume 1. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
As many of you already know by now, Warner Archive made a surprise announcement (and release) this week of Alice - The Complete Second Season! The Linda Lavin sitcom is back on DVD with 24 more grit kissing episodes of the hijinks at Mel's Diner. We just received our review copy of this set today, and we'll have our review up within the next few days. But we know that there is one question "burning" on everybody's mind, and that is whether the initial batch is a "burned" DVD-R release or pressed DVDs. Well, we've got your answer: our review copy, as it turns out, is a pressed DVD set once again! We'll have much more on this set in our review once it is posted.
The classic Meredith Baxter and David Birney series Bridget Loves Bernie was slated to be released on DVD a few years ago, but that release never materialist. It seems, though, that Sony finally will be releasing the series on DVD on December 4... but as a MOD title. As a side note, Sony will also be releasing the classic made-for-TV movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble on the same date. While it isn't clear whether this will be a MOD title (it most likely will be), this will be a departure from the numerous public domain offerings of the movie that have been made available over the years.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (October 30) brings a wrap to three series on DVD. First up, Shout! Factory has All in the Family - The Complete Series, which puts every season of the series together in one set along with some new special features. MPI finishes up My Favorite Martian with My Favorite Martian - Season Three. Finally, CBS finishes up The Streets of San Francisco with The Streets of San Francisco - Season Five (Volume 1 and Volume 2).
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
DVD Review: Simon & Simon - Season Seven (Shout!, $29.99)
by skees53
The Simon brothers are back to investigate more crimes in Simon & Simon - Season Seven! The classic series follows private investigators Rick (Gerald McRaney) and A.J. (Jameson Parker) Simon as they crack some of the most difficult cases out there. But things are a little different this time. The first change is the "new cop in town," Lieutenant Abigail Marsh (Joan McMurtrey), who takes over at the police department after Downtown Brown (Tim Reid) is transferred. Unlike the previous seasons, which were more lighthearted, the seventh season takes cues from some of the other late '80s crime dramas and has a more serious and personal tone for the Simons, as the brothers take on cases such as investigating the truth about the death of their own father and even the rape and assault of their own mother.
The season begins with "New Cop in Town," where the Simons first meet Lieutenant Marsh... and their first confrontation isn't quite as warm as the treatment they received from Downtown Brown. One of Rick's former girlfriends (played by Gerald McRaney's future wife Delta Burke) hires the Simons in "Desperately Seeking Dacody." A wannabe detective finds herself in trouble in "You, Too, Can Be a Detective." In "Shadows," Rick and A.J. try to help a young girl after she robs A.J. A killer from A.J.'s past wants revenge in "Second Swell." A sleazy divorce case turns into a serious murder case in "Forever Hold Your Piece." The leader of a Vietnamese mob requests... well, actually demands... Rick's assistance in "Tale of the Tiger." Rick and A.J. protect a relief worker from a death squad in Nuevo Salvador.
The Simons are out to catch a thief (played by David L. Lander) before a bounty hunter does it in "Bad Betty." In "Baja, Humbug," Rick and A.J. could be going into the charter boat business. A woman's paranoia is more rooted in truth than anybody suspects in "A Firm Grasp of Reality." In "Ties That Bind," Officer Nixon has the Simons investigate one of their own officers. Marsh deals with the stress of killing a young boy in "Little Boy Dead." In "Sudden Storm," the brothers are outraged when their mother is beaten and raped, but it only gets worse when they get closer to the truth. The season ends with "May the Road Rise Up," where a further investigation of the death of Rick and A.J.'s father reveals some shocking facts.
The episodes appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "New Cop in Town" (47:51)
2. "Desperately Seeking Dacody" (47:53)
3. "You, Too, Can Be a Detective" (47:51)
4. "Shadows" (47:53)
Disc 2:
5. "Second Swell" (47:22)
6. "Forever Hold Your Piece" (47:52)
7. "Tale of the Tiger" (47:46)
8. "Nuevo Salvador" (47:50)
Disc 3:
9. "Bad Betty" (47:05)
10. "Baja, Humbug" (46:53)
11. "A Firm Grasp of Reality" (47:51)
12. "Ties That Bind" (46:34)
Disc 4:
13. "Little Boy Dead" (47:52)
14. "Sudden Storm" (47:52)
15. "Something Special" (47:53)
16. "May the Road Rise Up" (47:52)
Like the previous Shout! Select releases of this series, we once again have a standard Viva case with the same photo of the duo that many of the past seasons have featured. The color scheme used this time is a somewhat burnt orange color. There are a few episode snapshots and a discussion of a few episodes on the back of the case. Inside, you'll find the four discs (two less than the previous releases), which have the series logo on a burnt orange background. Episode titles and airdates are listed inside the case.
Disc 1:
1. "New Cop in Town" (47:51)
2. "Desperately Seeking Dacody" (47:53)
3. "You, Too, Can Be a Detective" (47:51)
4. "Shadows" (47:53)
Disc 2:
5. "Second Swell" (47:22)
6. "Forever Hold Your Piece" (47:52)
7. "Tale of the Tiger" (47:46)
8. "Nuevo Salvador" (47:50)
Disc 3:
9. "Bad Betty" (47:05)
10. "Baja, Humbug" (46:53)
11. "A Firm Grasp of Reality" (47:51)
12. "Ties That Bind" (46:34)
Disc 4:
13. "Little Boy Dead" (47:52)
14. "Sudden Storm" (47:52)
15. "Something Special" (47:53)
16. "May the Road Rise Up" (47:52)
Like the previous Shout! Select releases of this series, we once again have a standard Viva case with the same photo of the duo that many of the past seasons have featured. The color scheme used this time is a somewhat burnt orange color. There are a few episode snapshots and a discussion of a few episodes on the back of the case. Inside, you'll find the four discs (two less than the previous releases), which have the series logo on a burnt orange background. Episode titles and airdates are listed inside the case.
The menus are very plain and simple. On the main menu, you get the same photo seen on the cover art, along with a Play All option and a list of episodes. The theme song plays in the background. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.
I can't really say that I'm all too impressed with the video and audio quality, but it is sufficient. You'll notice quite a few defects on the episodes, particularly at the beginning of the episodes, in regards to grain and debris. The audio levels on the set are generally fine, without many problems. Like most Shout! Select releases, the episodes are NOT closed-captioned.
I can't really say that I'm all too impressed with the video and audio quality, but it is sufficient. You'll notice quite a few defects on the episodes, particularly at the beginning of the episodes, in regards to grain and debris. The audio levels on the set are generally fine, without many problems. Like most Shout! Select releases, the episodes are NOT closed-captioned.
Unfortunately, there are no special features on this set.
I first discovered this series on DVD, and for the most part, that is the only place I've watched it (aside from a few times when RTV aired it a few years ago). I really do have to say, though, that I feel that the series really was starting to "die" by this season, and of course it was only a year later that the series was canceled for good. The stories just aren't as good, and while Lieutenant Marsh is a likable character, she certainly is no Downtown Brown. It is really obvious that the writers were trying to go down uncharted territory in this season as well... the episode about Cecilia Simon being raped was one of the most shocking episodes of the series. How often do we see regular characters with seemingly no flaws and with no reason for anybody to dislike them have this happen on a TV series? It was almost as if the writers were wanting to create some incredibly gritty crime drama along the lines of the (at the time) new series like Miami Vice and Hunter. I do have to say that I did enjoy the writing and acting on some of the more dramatic episodes in this season, but it simply doesn't feel right for the characters. As for the DVD set itself, Shout! did a fine job, and despite the weakening of the series by this point, I do hope that we get to the final 13 episodes of the series very soon just for the sake of completion.
I first discovered this series on DVD, and for the most part, that is the only place I've watched it (aside from a few times when RTV aired it a few years ago). I really do have to say, though, that I feel that the series really was starting to "die" by this season, and of course it was only a year later that the series was canceled for good. The stories just aren't as good, and while Lieutenant Marsh is a likable character, she certainly is no Downtown Brown. It is really obvious that the writers were trying to go down uncharted territory in this season as well... the episode about Cecilia Simon being raped was one of the most shocking episodes of the series. How often do we see regular characters with seemingly no flaws and with no reason for anybody to dislike them have this happen on a TV series? It was almost as if the writers were wanting to create some incredibly gritty crime drama along the lines of the (at the time) new series like Miami Vice and Hunter. I do have to say that I did enjoy the writing and acting on some of the more dramatic episodes in this season, but it simply doesn't feel right for the characters. As for the DVD set itself, Shout! did a fine job, and despite the weakening of the series by this point, I do hope that we get to the final 13 episodes of the series very soon just for the sake of completion.
(4/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Shout! Select
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main Reviews Page
Simon & Simon TV.com Page
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
DVD Review: The Flintstones - Prime-Time Specials Collection, Volume 1 (Warner Archive, $14.95)
by Pavan
Two Flintstones primetime specials is now on DVD from Warner Archive Collection! Following a spate of Saturday morning spin-offs, America's favorite Stone Age family returned to network primetime with a full slate of hysterical pre-historical specials – no quitting time for Fred! In The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone (1979), the Flintstones and the Rubbles travel to fear-fraught Rockysylvania thanks to a big game show win. Fred and Barney soon stumble upon – and awaken – the legendary Frankenstone Monster, who promptly revives his vampiric master, Rockula. When Rockula falls head over batwings for Wilma, will Fred end up having an undead-old time? Flintstones Little Big League (1978) sees Fred and Barney facing off as opposing Little League coaches while Bamm-Bamm and Pebbles duel across the diamond. Swept up by competitiveness and paternal pride, their friendship ends up in the dug-out doghouse. Meanwhile, a cop, a judge and Mr. Slate are all putting pressure on Fred to win at all costs – what’s a cavedad to do?
The primetime specials started in 1977 with A Flintstone Christmas. Last year, Warner Archive Collection gave us that special and also the 1993 A Flintstone Family Christmas special. Now, we are getting the rest of the primetime specials in different volumes! This is Volume 1 and has the next two primetime specials from 1978 and 1979. The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone (1979) runs 48:39 and has 7 chapter stops. Flintstones Little Big League (1978) runs 48:20 and has 7 chapter stops. Both are unedited!
The packaging for this set is pretty standard. On the cover, we have an image from the 1979 special The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone with Fred and Barney looking scared to see them. On the bottom there is a mention of the two titles on this Classic Collection set. On the back, there is a nice photo of Fred, Barney, Wilma, & Betty trying to escape from Rockula and Frankenstone, along with a description of the two specials. We also have two episodic images from Flintstones Little Big League (1978) special. Inside the case, it is pretty bland. There is no artwork on the panels. There is one disc and it is on the right panel. The disc artwork is the same artwork as the cover art with the franchise logo imprinted on it. All similar to the Christmas collection that was released last year.
The main menu isn't very exciting, but it is perfectly functional. The main menu has the same artwork as the cover art, with no music playing in the background. The theme song would have been nice? The special titles are listed right on the main menu and you select from there. There are no options for anything else, so it is simple. As mentioned, we have seven chapter stops on both specials and they have the correct placements. All this is similar to the Christmas collection, too.
The video and audio quality of this set looks fine, for the most part. Both specials were from the same era, so they both look the same. There are white dots here and there, but it is still good. Not bad for 1978 and 1979. There are no real major problems both specials, so don't worry about it. As for the audio quality, it is clear and crisp. Unfortunately there are no subtitles or closed-captioning. The specials originally aired on NBC, as did all the primetime specials from 1977-1981. Nothing much else to say, it is simple and it works.
There are no special features obviously on this set since it is just two specials, like their Christmas collection set was. Perhaps maybe some promos or other archival items for these two would have been nice to have, but I didn't expect it.
Halloween is near and we are in World Series time, so these two specials are coming out at a perfect time It is good we are finally getting the primetime specials on DVD. The remaining NBC primetime specials are on a Volume 2 release, which we hope to review soon. In that we have: The Flintstones' New Neighbors (1980), Fred's Final Fling (1980), Wind-Up Wilma (1981), and Jogging Fever (1981). That covers all the 1977-1981 specials on NBC! Nice! Warner Archive is also releasing the 1993 ABC TV-movies The Flintstones - I Yabba Dabba Do! and The Flintstones - Hollyrock-A-Bye Baby. Now all the specials are nearly released! Only The Flintstones' 25th Anniversary Celebration, The Flintstone Kids' "Just Say No" Special, and Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration remain. Back to this set, other than my minor nitpicks, this set works. It is simple and is just two specials, so not much was expected. For die-hard fans, you would be pleased, I think. And for casual fans or first-time watchers, you'll like what you see on these two specials. So please click the link below and buy it from the Warner Archive Collection! Get scared and play ball! Yabba dabba doo!
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Warner Archive
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Hunter Parrish (Twitter), "if i get too mellow i ripen and then rot"
Claim to Fame: Played Silas Botwin, son of drug dealing soccer mom Nancy Botwin on the Showtime series Weeds.
Why You Should Follow Him: You'll notice that we've had two child stars on here over the past two weeks, with one who has retired from acting and another who was really just getting her start as an actress when she was a child. But both of those stopped being "child actors" over a decade ago. Parrish is a child star who grew up into a full-fledged adult in the years that he was on Weeds, literally starting out the series playing a kid in high school all the way into playing a husband and father in his 30s (if the time fast forwards on the series are to be believed) by the end of the series. He seems to be a very down to earth person, and while it isn't completely clear where he goes from here, he has been making efforts to be a musician and done some stage acting in recent years. He has released a few songs (he even sang the theme song for one of the final episodes of Weeds), and has recently done shows with Ryan Cabrera. I have listened to some of his music, and he certainly does seem to have the talent to succeed... we certainly wish him the best in whatever he does next!
Pick of the Tweets: "Whoever sang the weeds theme in our episode tonight sucks...who has seen it?" (September 2, 2012) (side note: that "whoever" was Parrish, and it didn't suck!)
Claim to Fame: Played Silas Botwin, son of drug dealing soccer mom Nancy Botwin on the Showtime series Weeds.
Why You Should Follow Him: You'll notice that we've had two child stars on here over the past two weeks, with one who has retired from acting and another who was really just getting her start as an actress when she was a child. But both of those stopped being "child actors" over a decade ago. Parrish is a child star who grew up into a full-fledged adult in the years that he was on Weeds, literally starting out the series playing a kid in high school all the way into playing a husband and father in his 30s (if the time fast forwards on the series are to be believed) by the end of the series. He seems to be a very down to earth person, and while it isn't completely clear where he goes from here, he has been making efforts to be a musician and done some stage acting in recent years. He has released a few songs (he even sang the theme song for one of the final episodes of Weeds), and has recently done shows with Ryan Cabrera. I have listened to some of his music, and he certainly does seem to have the talent to succeed... we certainly wish him the best in whatever he does next!
Pick of the Tweets: "Whoever sang the weeds theme in our episode tonight sucks...who has seen it?" (September 2, 2012) (side note: that "whoever" was Parrish, and it didn't suck!)
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Digital Digest: PaleyFest 2012 Online Streaming; Simon & Simon - Season Six DVD Review; Mission: Impossible - The '89 TV Season DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest, your weekly place to be for all things digital! We've got all of your regular news this week, along with all of our other usual features. This week, we have a double feature for our reviews, with our reviews of Simon & Simon - Season Six and Mission: Impossible - The '89 TV Season. Time to start our mission!
DIGITAL NEWS
The Paley Center for Media is prepared to hold their annual PaleyFest beginning March 2 and running through March 14. But of course, a vast majority of our blog readers won't be able to make it to see the events with panel discussions including the cast from series including Community, Modern Family, The Office, New Girl, Two and a Half Men, and more. So this year, fans from home will be able to stream these panel discussions from home through a partnership with LiveStream. But if you can't watch the events as they unfold live, The Paley Center has established yet another partnership with Hulu, which will allow fans to view clips and panel discussions (not from all of them, however; Two and a Half Men, for example, is not included) beginning March 15. The complete schedule for the PaleyFest panel discussions is as follows (all times are Eastern Standard Time):
Friday, March 2 - American Horror Story (10:00 PM)
Saturday, March 3 - Community (10:00 PM)
Sunday, March 4 - Once Upon a Time (4:00 PM)
Monday, March 5 - New Girl (10:00 PM)
Tuesday, March 6 - The Office (10:00 PM)
Wednesday, March 7 - Sons of Anarchy (4:00 PM)
Thursday, March 8 - Bones (8:00 PM)
Friday, March 9 - Castle (4:00 PM)
Saturday, March 10 - Vampire Diaries (4:00 PM)
Sunday, March 11 - Revenge (10:00 AM)
Monday, March 12 - Two and a Half Men (4:00 PM)
Tuesday, March 13 - Mad Men (8:00 PM)
Wednesday, March 14 - Modern Family (4:00 PM)
You can read more about this event by visiting the PaleyFest website.
Mill Creek is back in action again with more releases (well, technically re-releases) from the the Carsey-Werner library, announcing the third and fourth seasons of a few favorites for a release date of April 3. On that date, look for 3rd Rock from the Sun - The Complete Season Three, 3rd Rock from the Sun - The Complete Season Four, Roseanne - The Complete Third Season, Roseanne - The Complete Fourth Season, That '70s Show - Season Three, and That '70s Show - Season Four. The releases for That '70s Show and Roseanne will come at a $14.98 MSRP, while 3rd Rock for the Sun has a $9.98 MSRP (expect to find much lower prices than these, though, as Mill Creek sets often have a low MSRP and are priced even lower at retailers). Of these series that have been announced, though, there is one missing from the mix that was actually released with the Carsey-Werner series last time around: Grounded for Life. There is no need to worry, though, as additional seasons of that series will likely come at a later date.
TVShowsOnDVD.com brought news this week of an upcoming release from Shout! Factory which will collect love themed episodes of TV series, with Love is on the Air. The May 1 release (yes, we're confused too about why they didn't do this in time for Valentine's Day) will include episodes of Leave it to Beaver, That Girl, Dennis the Menace, Father Knows Best, Ozzie & Harriet, The Patty Duke Show, and Hazel, all centered around a theme of "love." The single disc release comes at a low $12.99 MSRP.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (February 28) brings a few new releases to DVD, with MPI's release of Here's Lucy - Season Five. Shout! Factory finishes up a series that fans have been wanting to see finished for years with Here Come the Brides - The Complete Second Season. You can read our review of this set here. Finally, CBS Home Entertainment is finishing up the '80s reboot of Mission: Impossible with Mission: Impossible - The '89 TV Season, which we have a review today in Digital Digest.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Simon & Simon - Season Six (Shout! Factory, $49.99)
by skees53
The Simon brothers, Rick Simon (Gerald McRaney) and A.J. Simon (Jameson Parker) are back again on DVD to investigate 22 more cases in Simon & Simon - Season Six. The series, which aired from 1981-1989 on CBS, follows the two Simon brothers, both of whom have lead completely different lives (up until now, anyway) working together as private detectives, often investigating some of the most serious and heinous crimes. But there are always twists and turns along the way in each and every investigation, and the cases aren't always easy to crack. But with the Simon brothers, they always manage to find a way to do it, somehow.
The sixth season begins with "Competition - Who Needs It?," where there is a new detective agency in town that is determined to run the Simons out of business. A young sailor is framed for drug possession in "A.W.O.L." In "Still Phil After All These Years," Cecilia's high school reunion suddenly turns into another murder investigation for the Simons. Nancy Kulp guest stars. Downtown Brown is a temporary houseguest with the Simons after an injury in "The Cop Who Came to Dinner," but there is a little something that he forgot to tell them about his life being in danger. Lyle Waggoner Deborah Walley guest star in "The Last Big Break," where a surfer who was thought to have died 20 years ago mysteriously shows up--and is a target for murder. The Simon brothers fight to protect a reporter's son (played by the one and only Gary Coleman) in "Like Father, Like Son." Rick and A.J. become rivals in "The Case of Don Diablo," at least until what initially seems like a fun investigation may turn into a life-threatening situation. An investigation leads to the Simons marrying two Greek stewardesses in "Mrs. Simon & Mrs. Simon." In "Tonsilitis," Rick swears that he saw a murder while under anesthesia while getting his tonsils removed, but who is going to believe him?
Alan Hale, Jr. guest stars in "For Old Crime's Sake," where a 50 year old bank robbery could have consequences well into the '80s. The brothers join two rival female detectives for an investigation (against Rick's better judgement) in "Opposites Attack." Downtown Brown plans to propose to reporter Temple Hill (Tim Reid's real-life wife Daphne Maxwell-Reid) in "Judgment Call," but a disagreement could thwart that. A famous TV detective disappears in "Tanner, P.I. for Hire." In "Second-Story Simons," the brothers latest investigation lands them in the middle of an FBI investigation themselves. A man who saved Rick's life in Vietnam is found murdered in "I Thought the War Was Over." Janet Fowler (Jeannie Wilson) returns in "Lost Lady," but can't quit remember anything that has happened in the past four years. The season ends with "Walking Point," where Rick and A.J. find themselves investigating a sleazy lawyer running a center for the disabled. Vanna White makes a cameo appearance in the episode.
The episodes on the set appear to be unedited, and despite some initial challenges that the studio was having with music rights when trying to release this season a year ago, it seems that those challenges have been overcome. Runtimes are as follows :
Disc 1:
1. "Competition - Who Needs It?" (47:39)
2. "A.W.O.L." (47:28)
3. "Still Phil After All These Years" (47:40)
4. "The Cop Who Came to Dinner" (47:39)
Disc 2:
5. "Treasure" (47:42)
6. "The Last Big Break" (47:40)
7. "The Rookie" (47:39)
8. "Like Father, Like Son" (47:40)
Disc 3:
9. "The Case of Don Diablo" (47:36)
10. "Mrs. Simon & Mrs. Simon" (47:39)
11. "Just Because I'm Paranoid..." (47:31)
12. "Tonsilitis" (47:21)
Disc 4:
13. "Deep Water Death" (47:41)
14. "For Old Crime's Sake" (47:39)
15. "Opposites Attack" (47:40)
16. "Judgment Call" (47:40)
Disc 5:
17. "Tanner, P.I. for Hire" (47:40)
18. "Ancient Echoes" (47:44)
19. "Second-Story Simons" (47:39)
Disc 6:
20. "I Thought the War Was Over" (47:38)
21. "Lost Lady" (47:41)
22. "Walking Point" (47:13)
Like the previous release, the set is packaged in a standard Viva case. On the cover, there is a photo of the Simon brothers, along with the title of the set, all with a blue background. On the back, there is a brief description of the season (complete with a very glaring error indicating that the series aired on NBC, when in fact it aired on CBS), along with a few photos from the season. Inside the case, you'll find the six discs, all of which just have the series logo on a blue background. The first four discs contain four episodes each, while the last two contain three episodes each.
The menus on the set are very basic, but at least the theme song from the current season plays this time, as opposed to the theme song from the first season. On the main menu, there is a still photo of the brothers (same one seen on the cover), and the theme song plays in the background. From the main menu, you have options of Play All, and a list of episodes. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. There are chapters throughout each episode.
The video and audio quality of the episodes is a bit lackluster for the late '80s (I've seen better), but it seems to be about on par with the previous releases of this series, and other dramas from Universal from the same era. It is just interesting how the series looks much older than it actually is, almost like an episode of Starsky & Hutch from a decade earlier. Unfortunately, the episodes are not closed-captioned or subtitled.
Sadly, there are no special features on the set. Of course, we've come to expect and accept that with these Shout! Select titles; after all, it is great that we are even seeing these titles on DVD in the first place.
All in all, this isn't a bad set of episodes, although special features would have been nice. It is great to see that Shout! Factory is continuing the series on DVD this far in to the series, particularly after it was abandoned by Universal after just one season. One thing that I would like to see on one of the future releases is the original pilot film for the series, which has still yet to see the light of day on DVD. With this set, though, the series comes closer to completion with only two seasons, containing a total of 29 combined episodes, left to release. If nothing else, it would be great if Shout! could combine the final two seasons into one release to finish this off. One thing that I never understood about this series is why it hasn't seemed to have the same kind of popularity as other similar series from the same era, particularly Magnum, P.I. The series is really the same style of series, and in my opinion, better than the classic Tom Selleck series. But if you are a fan of that series, you'll probably love the Simon brothers, too.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Shout! Select
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Simon & Simon on TV.com
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Mission: Impossible - The '89 TV Season (CBS, $39.98)
by skees53
Who said that short-lived series aren't memorable? The '80s reboot of the classic series Mission: Impossible is not only back on DVD, but the entire series is completed with CBS Home Entertainment's release of Mission: Impossible - The '89 TV Season, a four disc set containing all sixteen episodes of the final season of one of television's few series that actually managed to come back with new episodes that were actually great to watch. The series is much like the original, and even brings back Peter Graves in the starring role as Jim Phelps, as he organizes a new team to do everything that the old team used to do.
The season begins with the two-part episode "The Golden Serpent," where the latest investigation exposes a good friend of Jim's, Barney Collier (Greg Morris), and leads to a fight to save him while cracking the case at hand. The team is trying to protect a princess from high-priced assassins in "The Princess." In "Command Performance," an investigation leads the team to a priest in prison. The IMF team must fight to prevent an international war at the hands of a religious terrorist in "Countdown." In "War Games," the IMF investigates military training exercises in Eastern Europe which could have serious consequences. Many IMF agents are kidnapped during an investigation in "Target Earth." Adolf Hitler's legacy continues to live on in "The Fuhrer's Children."
In "Banshee," Jim and the team tackle a case of a black-market weapons trader in Ireland. The team works to recover a priceless work of art which could result in (you guessed it) an international incident in "For Art's Sake." In "Deadly Harvest," the team has to stop a plan to hold the world's wheat production hostage. The team investigates a sudden wave of dead bodies in the South Pacific in "Cargo Cult." In "The Assassin," the team investigates the assassination of several influential figures at the hands of a stress clinic, of all things. The team investigates an Old West themed resort that may be a front for illegal arms sales in "Gunslinger." In "Church Bells in America," the team must take down a Colombian drug-lord. The series ends with "The Sands of Seth," where an ancient Egyptian cult is tied to the murders of top Egyptian officials.
The episodes appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Golden Serpent (Part 1)" (48:44)
2. "The Golden Serpent (Part 2)" (48:27)
3. "The Princess" (47:25)
4. "Command Performance" (48:15)
Disc 2:
5. "Countdown" (48:16)
6. "War Games" (48:16)
7. "Target Earth" (48:18)
8. "The Fuhrer's Children" (48:29)
Disc 3:
9. "Banshee" (48:19)
10. "For Art's Sake" (47:54)
11. "Deadly Harvest" (48:15)
12. "Cargo Cult" (48:18)
Disc 4:
13. "The Assassin" (48:30)
14. "Gunslinger" (48:17)
15. "Church Bells in Bogata" (48:26)
16. "The Sands of Seth" (48:27)
The packaging for the set is very similar to the previous release, with a photo of the entire team on the front (Phelps with the largest photo, of course), and for some reason, very similar artwork on the back, along with a brief description of the season. Inside the case, you'll find the four discs, all of which just have the standard gray artwork with the series logo imprinted on them. There is a listing of all episodes, along with descriptions, inside the case.
The menus on the set are very basic, with a different photo of each cast member (same as the ones as seen on the cover) on each disc, and a listing of all of the episodes. At the bottom of the main menu, there is a Subtitles option. They didn't include a Play All option for this set. Once you select an episode from the main menu, the episode plays right away, unless it is one of the episodes which contains an episode promo. In this case, you'll be presented with a menu that gives you options of Play Episode and Play Episodic Promo. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.
The video and audio quality of the episodes isn't particularly great, but it'll be sufficient for most fans. Of course, the series was a low budget series that was taped in Australia in the first place, so that shouldn't be too surprising to fans. There really aren't any video or audio quality issues to nitpick on specifically; it is just that the episodes just don't look like great transfers, and most likely, this was the best that the studio could do given the way that the series was produced. The episodes are presented in stereo, with English subtitles for all episodes.
There are a few special features on this set, but they are not huge ones. Basically, we have 30 second episode promos for a handful of episodes--only four of them, actually. They are included for "The Golden Serpent," "The Princess," "War Games," and "Banshee." It would have been nicer to have seen these for all episodes, as I'm sure that they likely could have in fact included them for all of the episodes. Disc 4 has an additional holiday promo (0:35), which is a special promo from around Christmas 1989 with the cast wishing fans a merry Christmas. It isn't particularly exciting, but it is nice to have anyway.
It is great to see that this series not only made it to DVD, but managed to be completed on DVD in just a few short months. Many people probably don't even remember this version of the series, but of course, the original series is a classic that probably everybody remembers, and I think that this is one of the few rare '80s reprisals of a series which is worthy of being associated with the original series. So if you are a fan of the classic, you are sure to love this series. But even if you just enjoy series of this style in general, you are sure to enjoy this series as well.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.comRelated links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Mission: Impossible (1988) on TV.com
CLICK OF THE WEEK
Poobla.com's Crossover and Spin Offs Master Page - Some of the most popular TV series throughout history have had spinoffs. Some have even been spinoffs of other popular TV series (and let us not forget Good Times, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy, popular series that were spinoffs of spinoffs). But these popular spinoffs (and spinoffs of spinoffs, or perhaps we could coin a new term, grandspinoffs, here) only begin to scratch the surface. There are also crossovers and other instances of characters going from one series to another. So is there a site to organize all of this? There is, in fact, and that would be Poobla.com's Crossover and Spin Off Master Page.
The website lists all of the obvious crossovers, of course. I mean, we all know that The Jeffersons was a spinoff of All in the Family. But the content on the site goes much deeper than that, giving us all of the details on spinoffs such as those, as well as some of the more unknown spinoffs and crossovers. For example, do you remember when Granny from The Beverly Hillbillies visited Mister Ed? What about when Michelle Tanner from Full House visited Hangin' with Mr. Cooper? A crossover between Alice and The Dukes of Hazzard? You'll find information of it all here, along with complete (and often witty and snarky) commentary. The website is one of the "early contenders" in the online world and has been around for over a decade, but not only is it very complete, it is in fact still updated regularly, making this a Click of the Week that you'll be visiting for more than just this week.
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Digital Digest: Stingray - The Complete Series DVD Review; Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two DVD Review
Snow, snow, everywhere snow, but always a lot to watch! It's a three-day weekend and some of you are a little snowed in or just freezing cold, so we'll get your weekend off to a good start with this week's edition of Digital Digest! We've got your news, a preview of what is coming up on Tuesday, and reviews of Stingray - The Complete Series and Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two this week. We'll get on our way right now!
DIGITAL NEWS
Who's on first? No, I'm not trying to do my best imitation of Dustin Hoffman in the classic film Rain Man, but in that film, Hoffman was definitely doing his best imitation of one of the first "classic duos," Abbott and Costello. E1 Entertainment released The Abbott and Costello Show - The Complete Collector's Edition (see our review) about a year ago, but if you didn't want all of it in one big chunk, The Abbott and Costello Show - Who's On First?, a value-priced collection of six episodes, is coming on February 1. It comes at a $9.98 MSRP.
It's fresh off the press--The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is finally coming to completion on DVD! Just this week, Warner announced the release of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - The Complete Sixth Season on DVD! The final season, containing 23 episodes, comes to DVD on April 23 at a $29.98 MSRP. You can get it at an even better price, of course, if you pre-order it now at Amazon.com. This is yet another example of a series that seemed to be abandoned on DVD finally being completed, and hopefully we'll be seeing other series in this same boat coming to completion soon.
However, if you like series that appear to be abandoned being finished on DVD, sometimes you only have to wait until the next paragraph. Yet another series is coming to completion on DVD on April 12! On April 12, we'll see Dragnet 1970 - Season 4, which is the final season of what is arguably the most popular incarnation of the classic detective procedural drama. At a $34.93 MSRP (we really don't know where these bizarrely numbered prices come from), the set will contain all 26 episodes of the final season on a four disc set. No special features are known just yet, though the previous two releases from Shout! Factory did indeed include a handful of them. The DVD set is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.
Shout! Factory released The Larry Sanders Show - The Complete Series a few months ago, but for those who just want the third season of the series (the first two have already been released individually), The Larry Sanders Show - The Complete Third Season is on the horizon. It is set for release on April 26 at a $34.93 MSRP.
We've seen Car 54, Where Are You? - The Complete First Season go from the rumor mill to an actual announcement here in Digital Digest, but the most recent announcement is that the set will be delayed, but it is still indeed on the way. The premiere season will now be released on April 12 due to the studio needing some extra time to produce the set. The set is still not available to pre-order, but it looks like it is shaping up to be an excellent set when it is released.
Finally, we head to the rumor mill, courtesy of this tidbit. CBS Home Entertainment announced some time ago that the eleventh season of the classic series Hawaii Five-O will be coming sometime within 2011, and there is now a rumored (although this is an "in-the-know" rumor) release date of April 19. It is entirely possible that this date could be off by a bit, but as of now, this is the release date for the set.
DIGITAL BARGAINS
When we are aware of a good deal, we always like to pass it on to you, and this weekend, you don't even have to leave your home for it! Amazon.com has a sale going on many Sony DVD sets, promising to save "up to 61%" on many DVD sets, meaning that you can get some Sony DVD releases starting at under $8 a season! You can click here to see what is on sale, but act quickly, because the sale ends on Monday (January 17).
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (January 18) has a ton of releases from Mill Creek Home Entertainment, including 21 Jump Street - The Complete Fourth Season, My Two Dads - You Can Count on Me!, Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two, Stingray - The Complete Series, and thirtysomething - Season 1, Volume 1. None of this is new to DVD (they are all best-of releases of previously released season sets, re-releases of out-of-print items, or, in the case of Stingray, an American release of something already released in Canada), but all come at a much lower price than their previously released counterparts. We have reviews of Stingray and Simon & Simon today in Digital Digest, and we should have a review of My Two Dads very soon.
As for releases from other studios, the battle between brothers Bobby and J.R. comes to an end (at least the original fourteen years of it) with Dallas - The Complete Final Season. You can read our review of this set here. Finally, Shout! Factory moves ahead with the series California Dreams, with California Dreams - Season 4, which is a Shout! Select title.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
At the height of the detective action dramas of the 1980s (which was undoubtedly strongly influenced by Stephen J. Cannell), many series came and went, but not all of them left as strong of a legacy as others. And yet, some were groundbreaking and entertaining, and even well-received by fans. One of these is the Stephen J. Cannell series Stingray, which ran for two seasons in the mid-80s on NBC. Ray--last name unknown--is a mysterious fellow. His identity is unknown, his occupation is unknown, and his motives are unknown. The only thing for certain is that he drives a vintage Corvette Stingray, will be there when he is needed most, and expects those accepting favors from him to return the favor by helping him out on a future journey (and they actually do come back in later episodes). Now, Mill Creek is releasing all 25 episodes of the series in Stingray - The Complete Series.
DVD Review - Stingray - The Complete Series
by skees53
Stingray - The Complete Series (Mill Creek, $14.98) is the story of a man of mystery. Ray drives a Corvette Stingray and will help fight crime in a time of need, but nobody knows exactly who he is or why he does what he does. Ray has the skills of MacGyver combined with the crime-fighting abilities of Crockett and Tubbs, has the ability to get himself in to tough situations and make it out, and all the while, he manages to do it with no traceable identity. The series, starring Nick Mancuso, ran from 1986 to 1987 on NBC.
The series begins with the two-part "Pilot" episode, where Mexican drug lord Tony Mendoza (played by a somewhat unrecognizable Gregory Sierra) has returned to the United States and seeks to get revenge on a prosecutor in a unique way, by reducing his mental capacity to that of a child. Now, it's up to Ray to find out who is engaging in this practice and put a stop to it. Ray has to go undercover with a fake Mexican wife to find an illegal drug harvesting operation in "Ancient Eyes." Mark-Paul Gosselaar has a minor role in "Below the Line," where a woman seeks her missing husband, an underwater diver. A police captain is framed for murder in "Sometimes You Gotta Sing the Blues," and Ray must help. In "Abnormal Psych," a college psychology professor is training killers, and Ray's undercover activities may put him in their trap. Ray goes undercover at a psychiatric facility in "Orange Blossom" and uncovers a bizarre plot by Russians to use patients to steal America's brightest minds. A smallpox scare is about to be unleashed in "Less Than the Eye Can See," and Ray has to stop it.
Marcia Strassman guest stars in "Gemini," where a murder is hitting every place in town, and his identity is a perfect match for Ray. Incompetent thieves mess with the wrong person in "Bring Me the Hand That Hit Me." Shannon Tweed guest stars in "Autumn," where a fantasy case becomes a real nightmare for Ray. Doug Savant guest stars in "Night Maneuvers," where a military academy student claims that he saw a fellow cadet commit murder. Jeff Conaway plays a drugged-up TV star in "Cry Wolf." John Amos guest stars in "Blood Money," where a principal of an urban high school is convinced that a full-fledged gang war is about to erupt--and calls upon Ray to help. Kareem-Abdul Jabbar also guest stars. Ray takes on the Russians once again in "Caper."
The episodes are unedited to an extent, but there are some issues with somewhat low running times on a few episodes and some music replacement. At first, it appeared that music was intact, but a little bit of it is changed. Of course, it is important to note that most of the music used in the series was created specifically for the series, and that music remains intact--meaning that most episodes do not suffer from any out of place music. Even in the cases where music WAS replaced, it seems that a better job was done with the replacement on this set than other Cannell series on DVD (such as Hunter). It is interesting to note that the Canadian release from VEI had a small number of songs intact that were not intact on this release, although other songs were replaced on the Canadian release. In any event, and I am almost hesitant to say this (because we all prefer to have original music intact), the music replacements in this series are not really a problem, and everything that is replaced is seamlessly replaced.
Disc 1:
1. "Pilot, Part 1" (47:03)
2. "Pilot, Part 2" (48:40)
3. "Ancient Eyes" (50:10)
4. "Ether" (49:35)
5. "Below the Line" (46:09)
Disc 2:
6. "Sometimes You Gotta Sing the Blues" (48:43)
7. "Abnormal Psych" (46:43)
8. "Orange Blossom" (49:24)
9. "Less Than The Eye Can See" (48:21)
10. "That Terrible Swift Sword" (47:39)
Disc 3:
11. "The Greeter" (49:06)
12. "Gemini" (48:06)
13. "Playback" (45:24)
14. "Bring Me the Hand That Hit Me" (48:19)
15. "Echoes" (46:58)
Disc 4:
16. "The First Time is Forever" (47:49)
17. "Autumn" (48:37)
18. "The Neniwa" (46:52)
19. "The Second Finest Man Who Ever Lived" (48:37)
20. "Night Maneuvers" (48:14)
Disc 5:
21. "Cry Wolf" (48:35)
22. "Blood Money" (48:00)
23. "Anytime, Anywhere" (47:47)
24. "Caper" (48:21)
25. "One Way Ticket to the End of the Line" (48:48)
This is a Mill Creek set, so it should come as no surprise what type of packaging we have: black paper sleeves inside of a double-thickness plastic case. This is really getting annoying. The cover art has a photo of Ray in front of his car and the series logo, and the back has a few publicity photos and some info about the series. The discs all contain five episodes each, and each disc has the series logo and a listing of episodes on the disc printed on the disc.
The menus on the set, like most other Mill Creek sets, are excellent. The main menu has video from the opening credits playing, along with an option for Play All and Episode Select. When you go to the Episode Select menu, you get a list of all of the episodes on the disc, while the theme song continues to play in the background. The menus are all animated throughout. There are plenty of chapters placed throughout the episodes at all of the appropriate places.
This series is one of the few Cannell series that I have seen that actually looks fine on DVD. The source is a little aged and not remastered, but generally speaking, there aren't any real issues of concern here. The audio isn't very complex, but it is definitely loud and clear, and doesn't really suffer any problems. Unfortunately, the set is lacking in regards to subtitles/closed-captioning.
There are no special features on this set. It would have been nice to have seen something on it, such as an interview with Mike Post. His role in the music on this series was very significant, as the series used a lot of music that he wrote just for the series. Perhaps some kind of history about the Stingray itself would be nice as well.
Overall, I'm satisfied with this set, and it has helped me discover a series that I can now say that I love. In fact, I think that this is one of the best Cannell series out there, and this is only my first time seeing the series. Anybody who is a fan of his work should pick up this set. There really is nothing to lose with the low MSRP. I am also happy to see that the quality of this set doesn't really cause much concern, as many other Cannell series from this era have had. Ray may have an unknown identity and occupation, but one thing is known: you should check this series out.
(4/5 stars)
To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Stingray on TV.com
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Rick and A.J. are the Simon brothers, but they don't really have a whole lot in common. Still, they make a great detective team in the classic 80s detective drama, Simon & Simon. Despite being opposites in almost every, they work well together and manage to get to the bottom of every single case that is handed to them. Shout! Factory previously released Simon & Simon - Season 2 in 2009, but for those who just want a little taste of the second season, check out our review of Mill Creek's value-priced selection of Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two.
DVD Review - Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two
by skees53
Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two (Mill Creek, $9.98) is a collection of ten of the best episodes of the classic detective drama about brothers who are "more than brothers, they're best of friends" in a two disc set. Rick (Gerald McRaney) and AJ (Jameson Parker) may be polar opposites, but they get along together very well and make a living by finding missing persons, hunting down stolen loot, and doing whatever else is necessary to help those in need.
Rick and AJ get involved when a psychic sees murder in the future in "Guessing Game." Pat Buttram, Jackie Joseph, and Alan Hale all guest star in "Rough Rider Rides Again," where Rick and AJ help a childhood hero when he is accused of murder. In "Sometimes Dreams Come True," a dream of twin sisters disappearing comes true, and it is up to the Simon brothers to help. Rick and AJ's mother has a friend who insists she saw her dead husband alive in "The Last Time I Saw Michael." An ex-girlfriend of Rick asks her to look in to the disappearance of her husband (who subsequently turns up dead) in "Thin Air."
Lloyd Haynes guest stars in "Psyched Out," where an investigation puts Rick and AJ in a college psychological experiment. Rick and AJ may be in trouble with the state licensing board in the two hour episode "Pirate's Key." Rick and AJ are assigned to deliver a video game to Las Vegas in "It's Only a Game," which turns out to be a much bigger assignment that is more suited for them than it sounds. Finally, in "What's in a Gnome?," the Simon brothers investigate a case of amusement park vandalism.
The episodes appear to be unedited versions, just the same as they were on the Shout! Factory release. Runtimes for the episodes are as follows:
Disc 1:
"Guessing Game" (49:08)
"Rough Rider Rides Again" (49:17)
"Sometimes Dreams Come True" (49:13)
"The Last Time I Saw Michael" (49:13)
"Thin Air" (49:12)
Disc 2:
"Psyched Out" (49:12)
"Pirate's Key" (1:27:05)
"It's Only a Game" (49:13)
"What's in a Gnome?" (49:13)
The packaging on this set is actually a little bit different from other releases from Mill Creek. It still has the double-thick keepcase for the packaging, but there is one thing that it doesn't have (and this is going to make people happy): the black paper sleeves! There are actually two hubs inside on each side of the case to hold the discs. The cover art has a photo of Rick and AJ, and the back has a few snapshots from the episodes, along with a list of the episodes included on the set. The disc artwork is the same as the cover art, but also contains a list of the episodes on each disc. Each disc contains five episodes
The set contains very basic menus, with the main menu containing the series logo and a snapshot of Rick and AJ, with options of Play All and Episodes. The theme song plays in the background. Upon selecting Episodes, you get a listing of all of the episodes on the disc. There are chapters placed within the episodes, but there are only about two, which aren't nearly enough. One complaint that I have about this set is that when one episode ends, the next one begins playing right away. It seems that Mill Creek does this on a lot of their "best of" sets, and I can't understand why.
The video and audio quality on the set is on par with all of the previous releases, meaning that it is good enough, but not excellent. Still, I don't think many people will complain about it too much, as it looks about like any other action drama of the same era does on DVD when not much work is put into remastering. The audio is a little dull, and you may need to turn up the TV a bit to hear it clearly. The episodes are not closed-captioned, nor are they subtitled.
The set contains no special features, which is not unexpected, as this is only a best-of release. Still, it would be nice to see some special features on future season sets from Shout! Factory, which have been (for the most part) lacking in that area.
If you've never seen the series, this set will give you a good taste for it to see if you like it. The second season was where the series began to take on an identity, and these really are among the best of that season. I only recently discovered this series, but it is a nice and fun light-hearted detective drama somewhat in the same vein as Moonlighting. At under $10, it is certainly worth taking a gamble on. But if you're a fan of the series, and just want to own it on DVD, you should probably just pay a little more and go with Shout! Factory's Simon & Simon - Season 2, which contains all of season 2.
(4/5 stars)
To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Simon & Simon on TV.com
LOOKING AHEAD
Next week, we've got a review of Matlock - The Sixth Season and more in store for you. We hope to bring you some special articles in the upcoming weeks, although we've been getting DVDs for Digital Digest reviews in at such a steady pace that we've been unable to really get in to those articles. But stick with us, we've got some in the pipelines! Until next time, keep it digital!
DIGITAL NEWS
Who's on first? No, I'm not trying to do my best imitation of Dustin Hoffman in the classic film Rain Man, but in that film, Hoffman was definitely doing his best imitation of one of the first "classic duos," Abbott and Costello. E1 Entertainment released The Abbott and Costello Show - The Complete Collector's Edition (see our review) about a year ago, but if you didn't want all of it in one big chunk, The Abbott and Costello Show - Who's On First?, a value-priced collection of six episodes, is coming on February 1. It comes at a $9.98 MSRP.
It's fresh off the press--The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is finally coming to completion on DVD! Just this week, Warner announced the release of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - The Complete Sixth Season on DVD! The final season, containing 23 episodes, comes to DVD on April 23 at a $29.98 MSRP. You can get it at an even better price, of course, if you pre-order it now at Amazon.com. This is yet another example of a series that seemed to be abandoned on DVD finally being completed, and hopefully we'll be seeing other series in this same boat coming to completion soon.
However, if you like series that appear to be abandoned being finished on DVD, sometimes you only have to wait until the next paragraph. Yet another series is coming to completion on DVD on April 12! On April 12, we'll see Dragnet 1970 - Season 4, which is the final season of what is arguably the most popular incarnation of the classic detective procedural drama. At a $34.93 MSRP (we really don't know where these bizarrely numbered prices come from), the set will contain all 26 episodes of the final season on a four disc set. No special features are known just yet, though the previous two releases from Shout! Factory did indeed include a handful of them. The DVD set is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.
Shout! Factory released The Larry Sanders Show - The Complete Series a few months ago, but for those who just want the third season of the series (the first two have already been released individually), The Larry Sanders Show - The Complete Third Season is on the horizon. It is set for release on April 26 at a $34.93 MSRP.
We've seen Car 54, Where Are You? - The Complete First Season go from the rumor mill to an actual announcement here in Digital Digest, but the most recent announcement is that the set will be delayed, but it is still indeed on the way. The premiere season will now be released on April 12 due to the studio needing some extra time to produce the set. The set is still not available to pre-order, but it looks like it is shaping up to be an excellent set when it is released.
Finally, we head to the rumor mill, courtesy of this tidbit. CBS Home Entertainment announced some time ago that the eleventh season of the classic series Hawaii Five-O will be coming sometime within 2011, and there is now a rumored (although this is an "in-the-know" rumor) release date of April 19. It is entirely possible that this date could be off by a bit, but as of now, this is the release date for the set.
DIGITAL BARGAINS
When we are aware of a good deal, we always like to pass it on to you, and this weekend, you don't even have to leave your home for it! Amazon.com has a sale going on many Sony DVD sets, promising to save "up to 61%" on many DVD sets, meaning that you can get some Sony DVD releases starting at under $8 a season! You can click here to see what is on sale, but act quickly, because the sale ends on Monday (January 17).
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (January 18) has a ton of releases from Mill Creek Home Entertainment, including 21 Jump Street - The Complete Fourth Season, My Two Dads - You Can Count on Me!, Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two, Stingray - The Complete Series, and thirtysomething - Season 1, Volume 1. None of this is new to DVD (they are all best-of releases of previously released season sets, re-releases of out-of-print items, or, in the case of Stingray, an American release of something already released in Canada), but all come at a much lower price than their previously released counterparts. We have reviews of Stingray and Simon & Simon today in Digital Digest, and we should have a review of My Two Dads very soon.
As for releases from other studios, the battle between brothers Bobby and J.R. comes to an end (at least the original fourteen years of it) with Dallas - The Complete Final Season. You can read our review of this set here. Finally, Shout! Factory moves ahead with the series California Dreams, with California Dreams - Season 4, which is a Shout! Select title.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
At the height of the detective action dramas of the 1980s (which was undoubtedly strongly influenced by Stephen J. Cannell), many series came and went, but not all of them left as strong of a legacy as others. And yet, some were groundbreaking and entertaining, and even well-received by fans. One of these is the Stephen J. Cannell series Stingray, which ran for two seasons in the mid-80s on NBC. Ray--last name unknown--is a mysterious fellow. His identity is unknown, his occupation is unknown, and his motives are unknown. The only thing for certain is that he drives a vintage Corvette Stingray, will be there when he is needed most, and expects those accepting favors from him to return the favor by helping him out on a future journey (and they actually do come back in later episodes). Now, Mill Creek is releasing all 25 episodes of the series in Stingray - The Complete Series.
DVD Review - Stingray - The Complete Series
by skees53
Stingray - The Complete Series (Mill Creek, $14.98) is the story of a man of mystery. Ray drives a Corvette Stingray and will help fight crime in a time of need, but nobody knows exactly who he is or why he does what he does. Ray has the skills of MacGyver combined with the crime-fighting abilities of Crockett and Tubbs, has the ability to get himself in to tough situations and make it out, and all the while, he manages to do it with no traceable identity. The series, starring Nick Mancuso, ran from 1986 to 1987 on NBC.
The series begins with the two-part "Pilot" episode, where Mexican drug lord Tony Mendoza (played by a somewhat unrecognizable Gregory Sierra) has returned to the United States and seeks to get revenge on a prosecutor in a unique way, by reducing his mental capacity to that of a child. Now, it's up to Ray to find out who is engaging in this practice and put a stop to it. Ray has to go undercover with a fake Mexican wife to find an illegal drug harvesting operation in "Ancient Eyes." Mark-Paul Gosselaar has a minor role in "Below the Line," where a woman seeks her missing husband, an underwater diver. A police captain is framed for murder in "Sometimes You Gotta Sing the Blues," and Ray must help. In "Abnormal Psych," a college psychology professor is training killers, and Ray's undercover activities may put him in their trap. Ray goes undercover at a psychiatric facility in "Orange Blossom" and uncovers a bizarre plot by Russians to use patients to steal America's brightest minds. A smallpox scare is about to be unleashed in "Less Than the Eye Can See," and Ray has to stop it.
Marcia Strassman guest stars in "Gemini," where a murder is hitting every place in town, and his identity is a perfect match for Ray. Incompetent thieves mess with the wrong person in "Bring Me the Hand That Hit Me." Shannon Tweed guest stars in "Autumn," where a fantasy case becomes a real nightmare for Ray. Doug Savant guest stars in "Night Maneuvers," where a military academy student claims that he saw a fellow cadet commit murder. Jeff Conaway plays a drugged-up TV star in "Cry Wolf." John Amos guest stars in "Blood Money," where a principal of an urban high school is convinced that a full-fledged gang war is about to erupt--and calls upon Ray to help. Kareem-Abdul Jabbar also guest stars. Ray takes on the Russians once again in "Caper."
The episodes are unedited to an extent, but there are some issues with somewhat low running times on a few episodes and some music replacement. At first, it appeared that music was intact, but a little bit of it is changed. Of course, it is important to note that most of the music used in the series was created specifically for the series, and that music remains intact--meaning that most episodes do not suffer from any out of place music. Even in the cases where music WAS replaced, it seems that a better job was done with the replacement on this set than other Cannell series on DVD (such as Hunter). It is interesting to note that the Canadian release from VEI had a small number of songs intact that were not intact on this release, although other songs were replaced on the Canadian release. In any event, and I am almost hesitant to say this (because we all prefer to have original music intact), the music replacements in this series are not really a problem, and everything that is replaced is seamlessly replaced.
Disc 1:
1. "Pilot, Part 1" (47:03)
2. "Pilot, Part 2" (48:40)
3. "Ancient Eyes" (50:10)
4. "Ether" (49:35)
5. "Below the Line" (46:09)
Disc 2:
6. "Sometimes You Gotta Sing the Blues" (48:43)
7. "Abnormal Psych" (46:43)
8. "Orange Blossom" (49:24)
9. "Less Than The Eye Can See" (48:21)
10. "That Terrible Swift Sword" (47:39)
Disc 3:
11. "The Greeter" (49:06)
12. "Gemini" (48:06)
13. "Playback" (45:24)
14. "Bring Me the Hand That Hit Me" (48:19)
15. "Echoes" (46:58)
Disc 4:
16. "The First Time is Forever" (47:49)
17. "Autumn" (48:37)
18. "The Neniwa" (46:52)
19. "The Second Finest Man Who Ever Lived" (48:37)
20. "Night Maneuvers" (48:14)
Disc 5:
21. "Cry Wolf" (48:35)
22. "Blood Money" (48:00)
23. "Anytime, Anywhere" (47:47)
24. "Caper" (48:21)
25. "One Way Ticket to the End of the Line" (48:48)
This is a Mill Creek set, so it should come as no surprise what type of packaging we have: black paper sleeves inside of a double-thickness plastic case. This is really getting annoying. The cover art has a photo of Ray in front of his car and the series logo, and the back has a few publicity photos and some info about the series. The discs all contain five episodes each, and each disc has the series logo and a listing of episodes on the disc printed on the disc.
The menus on the set, like most other Mill Creek sets, are excellent. The main menu has video from the opening credits playing, along with an option for Play All and Episode Select. When you go to the Episode Select menu, you get a list of all of the episodes on the disc, while the theme song continues to play in the background. The menus are all animated throughout. There are plenty of chapters placed throughout the episodes at all of the appropriate places.
This series is one of the few Cannell series that I have seen that actually looks fine on DVD. The source is a little aged and not remastered, but generally speaking, there aren't any real issues of concern here. The audio isn't very complex, but it is definitely loud and clear, and doesn't really suffer any problems. Unfortunately, the set is lacking in regards to subtitles/closed-captioning.
There are no special features on this set. It would have been nice to have seen something on it, such as an interview with Mike Post. His role in the music on this series was very significant, as the series used a lot of music that he wrote just for the series. Perhaps some kind of history about the Stingray itself would be nice as well.
Overall, I'm satisfied with this set, and it has helped me discover a series that I can now say that I love. In fact, I think that this is one of the best Cannell series out there, and this is only my first time seeing the series. Anybody who is a fan of his work should pick up this set. There really is nothing to lose with the low MSRP. I am also happy to see that the quality of this set doesn't really cause much concern, as many other Cannell series from this era have had. Ray may have an unknown identity and occupation, but one thing is known: you should check this series out.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Stingray on TV.com
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Rick and A.J. are the Simon brothers, but they don't really have a whole lot in common. Still, they make a great detective team in the classic 80s detective drama, Simon & Simon. Despite being opposites in almost every, they work well together and manage to get to the bottom of every single case that is handed to them. Shout! Factory previously released Simon & Simon - Season 2 in 2009, but for those who just want a little taste of the second season, check out our review of Mill Creek's value-priced selection of Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two.
DVD Review - Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two
by skees53
Simon & Simon - The Best of Season Two (Mill Creek, $9.98) is a collection of ten of the best episodes of the classic detective drama about brothers who are "more than brothers, they're best of friends" in a two disc set. Rick (Gerald McRaney) and AJ (Jameson Parker) may be polar opposites, but they get along together very well and make a living by finding missing persons, hunting down stolen loot, and doing whatever else is necessary to help those in need.
Rick and AJ get involved when a psychic sees murder in the future in "Guessing Game." Pat Buttram, Jackie Joseph, and Alan Hale all guest star in "Rough Rider Rides Again," where Rick and AJ help a childhood hero when he is accused of murder. In "Sometimes Dreams Come True," a dream of twin sisters disappearing comes true, and it is up to the Simon brothers to help. Rick and AJ's mother has a friend who insists she saw her dead husband alive in "The Last Time I Saw Michael." An ex-girlfriend of Rick asks her to look in to the disappearance of her husband (who subsequently turns up dead) in "Thin Air."
Lloyd Haynes guest stars in "Psyched Out," where an investigation puts Rick and AJ in a college psychological experiment. Rick and AJ may be in trouble with the state licensing board in the two hour episode "Pirate's Key." Rick and AJ are assigned to deliver a video game to Las Vegas in "It's Only a Game," which turns out to be a much bigger assignment that is more suited for them than it sounds. Finally, in "What's in a Gnome?," the Simon brothers investigate a case of amusement park vandalism.
The episodes appear to be unedited versions, just the same as they were on the Shout! Factory release. Runtimes for the episodes are as follows:
Disc 1:
"Guessing Game" (49:08)
"Rough Rider Rides Again" (49:17)
"Sometimes Dreams Come True" (49:13)
"The Last Time I Saw Michael" (49:13)
"Thin Air" (49:12)
Disc 2:
"Psyched Out" (49:12)
"Pirate's Key" (1:27:05)
"It's Only a Game" (49:13)
"What's in a Gnome?" (49:13)
The packaging on this set is actually a little bit different from other releases from Mill Creek. It still has the double-thick keepcase for the packaging, but there is one thing that it doesn't have (and this is going to make people happy): the black paper sleeves! There are actually two hubs inside on each side of the case to hold the discs. The cover art has a photo of Rick and AJ, and the back has a few snapshots from the episodes, along with a list of the episodes included on the set. The disc artwork is the same as the cover art, but also contains a list of the episodes on each disc. Each disc contains five episodes
The set contains very basic menus, with the main menu containing the series logo and a snapshot of Rick and AJ, with options of Play All and Episodes. The theme song plays in the background. Upon selecting Episodes, you get a listing of all of the episodes on the disc. There are chapters placed within the episodes, but there are only about two, which aren't nearly enough. One complaint that I have about this set is that when one episode ends, the next one begins playing right away. It seems that Mill Creek does this on a lot of their "best of" sets, and I can't understand why.
The video and audio quality on the set is on par with all of the previous releases, meaning that it is good enough, but not excellent. Still, I don't think many people will complain about it too much, as it looks about like any other action drama of the same era does on DVD when not much work is put into remastering. The audio is a little dull, and you may need to turn up the TV a bit to hear it clearly. The episodes are not closed-captioned, nor are they subtitled.
The set contains no special features, which is not unexpected, as this is only a best-of release. Still, it would be nice to see some special features on future season sets from Shout! Factory, which have been (for the most part) lacking in that area.
If you've never seen the series, this set will give you a good taste for it to see if you like it. The second season was where the series began to take on an identity, and these really are among the best of that season. I only recently discovered this series, but it is a nice and fun light-hearted detective drama somewhat in the same vein as Moonlighting. At under $10, it is certainly worth taking a gamble on. But if you're a fan of the series, and just want to own it on DVD, you should probably just pay a little more and go with Shout! Factory's Simon & Simon - Season 2, which contains all of season 2.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Simon & Simon on TV.com
LOOKING AHEAD
Next week, we've got a review of Matlock - The Sixth Season and more in store for you. We hope to bring you some special articles in the upcoming weeks, although we've been getting DVDs for Digital Digest reviews in at such a steady pace that we've been unable to really get in to those articles. But stick with us, we've got some in the pipelines! Until next time, keep it digital!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Tuesday, September 16
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 15)
Tuesday, September 16
- Rob Lowe (Unstable/The Grinder/Parks and Recreation/A New Kind of Family) - Catch Rob on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Marlon Wayans (Marlon/The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He also talks about Him on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Eva Longoria (Only Murders in the Building/Telenovela) - Eva appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men/Togetherness), Drew Tarver (Running Point/Bless the Harts/The Other Two), Mary Holland (The Big Door Prize/Hoops/Robbie/Blunt Talk), and Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Melanie, Drew, Mary, and Morris are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jay Duplass (Search Party/Transparent/The Mindy Project) - Jay appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi stops by Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
- Judy Reyes (Scrubs) - Judy talks about High Potential on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Brett Goldstein (Shrinking/Ted Lasso) - Brett talks about All of You on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek/Greg the Bunny/Hiller and Diller) - Eugene talks about The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts
Sitcoms Online Main Page
Contact Us