BLOGS

TV on DVD: Tuesday, November 3, 2009

by Zach Oat November 3, 2009 10:03 AM
TV on DVD: Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Nine times out of ten, the original is better than the remake, so why not stock up on classic versions of Zorro, Doctor Who, Mission: Impossible, Edge of Darkness and 30 Rock? ...Wait, 30 Rock is a remake of Fraggle Rock, right?

Zorro: The Complete First Season and Second Season
Before he was Antonio Banderas, before he was Anthony Hopkins, before, even, he was George Hamilton, Zorro was played by Guy WIlliams on a 1957 TV series, and now that series has been released from the Disney vaults. (That means tin cases! Classy!) As wealthy Spanish landowner Don Diego de la Vega, Zorro fought for the good people of Los Angeles against the tyranny and oppression, and he looked damn good while doing it. Seriously, that costume is a classic, and while Batman Begins has retconned it to be Die Fledermaus, in the original comics Bruce Wayne's parents are killed taking him to see The Mark of Zorro. Future crimefighters, this is your how-to.

Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America -- A Final Night with George W. Bush
Ferrell's one-man Broadway show celebrates the funniest president Saturday Night Live has had to work with since, well, the previous one. Unfortunately, the new president is nowhere near as entertaining, so we'll have to buy this DVD and play it on a loop for the next 3 to 7 years.

Edge of Darkness: The Complete BBC Series
In this six-part thriller, Bob Peck (the game hunter from Jurassic Park) plays a cop whose daughter (Joanne Whalley) is shot in front of him, possibly because of her environmental research. So he teams up with CIA agent JOE DON BAKER to find out why she was killed. Watch it now, so you can criticize the Mel Gibson remake when it comes out next year.

Eddie Izzard: Live at Wembley
We don't know if any Izzard comedy routine can ever live up to Dress to Kill, but we're willing to sit through them all to find out. One by one.

Doctor Who: The War Games and The Black Guardian Trilogy
Besides James Bond and Batman, I can't think of another character who's been so consistently in the spotlight for such a long period of time, where the actor playing him changes with such regularity. "War Games" is from the Patrick Throughton years of Who (1966-69), while "Black Guardian" is from the Peter Davison years (1982-84), when the Doctor dressed like a cricketer and wore a piece of celery.

Mission: Impossible -- The Complete TV Series
How much Peter Graves is too much? I'm sorry, we don't understand the question. Can you phrase it in the form of an awesome theme song? The Final Season is also available on its own.

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection
Seriously, Sesame Street recently did a sketch parodying Mad Men, so why doesn't 30 Rock have an episode where they're all Fraggles? Liz can be Mokey, Tracey can be Wembley, Jenna can be Red, Jack can be Boober and Kenneth can be Gobo. The rest can be doozers. C'mon, they've won three Emmys, for Pete Hornberger's sake -- they need to shake it up a little! Also available: The Final Season and the A Merry Fraggle Holiday.

Merry Sitcom: Christmas Classics from TV's Golden Age
We love Christmas episodes, but we aren't sure we need a '60s-centric collection of them, including Father Knows Best, The Donna Reed Show, Bewitched, McHale's Navy, That Girl and The Flying Nun. ...Okay, maybe that last one, but only if Sally Field delivers presents to all the good boys and girls.

Also out this week:
Spin City: Season 3 Starring Michael J., the original Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Here's Lucy: Season 2 Lucille Ball acting with her real kids. So Billy Ray Cyrus is part of a rich TV tradition?
Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- Complete Season One Hey, wanna know how this series ends? Watch Star Wars: Episode III.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero -- Season 1.2 As nonsensical as the movie sometimes, but that's okay, because it's a cartoon for children.
The Shield: Complete Series What better way to say "Happy Holidays" than with the gift of hate?

1 Comments

November 3, 2009 1:35 PM
amchornetgirl
Reply

I used to watch the original Zorro as a kid (must've been on the Disney Channel, since this was in the 80's), and I had the biggest crush on Guy Williams as Zorro!

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