The Joy Of Sets: New Releases and Ones That Ought To Be!
Family Ties - The Fourth Season courtesy NBC, Gossip Girl - The Complete First Season courtesy Warner Home Video, Caroline in the City - The First Season courtesy Paramount
Oh man, has it been a good month for TV shows on DVD or what? Honestly, between the Olympics and the pile of new sets that have streeted in the past few weeks, I've barely seen regular TV since before Michael Phelps took his first dip. But as awesome as it is to have some of my favoritest shows to watch at whim, a few of them inspire a sense of melancholy I like to call the "I Wish They'd Release 'Em Blues."
- Damian Holbrook
Gossip Girl - I dare you to find me a boring episode from the Upper East Side story of teens and the text-messages that ruin reps. Oh, it is hot! And even though I was totally Team Serena when it started, watching the set over again, I can totally see why Blair was so miffed with her BFF. Ho slept with her man before she could! That ain't right.
Makes Me Wish For
Jack & Bobby, the WB's time-jumping tale of two brothers, one of whom would go on to be Pres, the other who wouldn't go on at all. Soo good. So, where is it?!
Buy Gossip Girl on Amazon.com
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Another first season addiction, the small-screen sci-fi trip doesn't need Ahhnuld to blow me (or the rest of mankind) away. Just give me some SkyNet conspiracies, Summer Glau's ladybot and Brian Austin Green as we've never seen him before and I am all about the rise of the machines.
Makes Me Wish For
M.A.N.T.I.S., the short-lived but slick Fox drama starring Carl Lumbly as a wheelchair-bound scientist-turned-superhero, thanks to a high-techie exo-skeleton. Rumor is that it'll be out in early 2009, but after being bumped from June, September
and November release dates, I ain't holding my breath.
Buy Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Amazon.com
Caroline in the City - OK, so maybe "comedy" isn't exactly what one thinks of when they hear the name Leah Thompson, but she sure is charming in this long-overdue first season as a New York cartoonist with a giant apartment and an uptight assistant. Plus, Amy Pietz as her slutty buddy is worth the cost of the set.
Makes Me Wish For
Suddenly Susan. Again, Brooke Shields wasn't the greatest comedienne in this magazine-set sitcom, but come on. Kathy Griffin as the restaurant critic? Before all the cosmetic surgery? Priceless.
Buy Caroline in the City on Amazon.com
Family Ties - The fourth season just came out and I swear, this is where it became a classic. The four-part trip to London, the introductions of Nick and Ellen, River Phoenix as Alex's teen-genius tutor. Even Tina Yothers is fun this time around!
Makes Me Wish For
Spin City, which is supposed to hit shelves in November (thank God!). People need to remember that Carla Gugino played Michael J. Fox's girlfriend years before she got all sexed up for features.
Buy Family Ties on Amazon.com
UFO Hunters - Don't know about you, but I loves me some shaky video footage of supposed E.T.'s, and this History Channel docu-series serves it up and then some! You got experts weighing in, insidery government stuff, first-hand accounts, it's all good, even if you don't believe. But you maybe should, based on the evidence here.
Makes Me Wish For
In Search Of, that creepy '70s show narrated by Leonard Nimoy. Every week, it was a different creepy category, be it aliens, Big Foot, Jack the Ripper, and every week, I was wigged out by the theme song and the idea that the Loch Ness Monster might turn up in my backyard pool. Damn you, Nimoy!!
Buy UFO Hunters on Amazon.com
Hawaii Five-0 - Did you know that this was the longest-running cop drama before
Law & Order? Damn thing ran from 1968 to 1980! And never once did Jack Lord's hair move. Astounding. And since my tattoo artist here in Philly confessed that it was one of his favorite shows, I just had to tear into the recently released season 4 set to see why. Turns out, this show is plain frakin' cool. Even the whole "Book 'em, Danno" line still works. Let's hope CBS doesn't mess up their proposed remake. We saw what happened to the
Bionic Woman.
Makes Me Wish For
One West Waikiki. Before
CSI made forensics hot, there was this fun little syndicated dramedy starring Cheryl Ladd as a medical examiner working cases in paradise with Richard Burgi's tough-as-coral reef cop. Think
Bones with better tans.
Buy Hawaii Five-O on Amazon.com
OK, so those are my wants. How about you guys? Any new shows have ya hankerin' for old ones?
