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Recent TV DVD ReviewsTuesday, December 2 2008
Star Trek: The Original Series – Series 3 RemasteredTV’s first and most ambitious space opera closes out its original run with brave, ham-handed, unintentionally hilarious philosophizing on race, gender, truth and beauty…beam me up, Scotty. Doctor Who: The Five Doctors (25th Anniversary Edition)This stands more as a giddy popcorn thriller than an entertaining philosophical meditation on existence -- which, as it turns out, proves to be rather fitting. Monday, December 1 2008Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time LordThere are many moral qualms left open at the end of Trial, but the comical, fantastic, and dangerous journey has rarely been so satisfying. Wednesday, November 26 2008
The Complete Monty Pythons Flying Circus: Collectors Edition MegasetThe Python legacy is like the Python treatment of death: vast, ridiculous, constant. Tuesday, November 25 2008Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Definitive CollectionThe petit Belgian brainbox Hercule Poirot, master sleuth of Agatha Christie’s sophisticated and ingeniously plotted whodunit novels, is in a league of his own. Gene Simmons Family Jewels: The Complete Season ThreeLike The Osbournes before it, this is notable mainly for the fact that it proves that old rock stars live terribly boring lives and aren’t very interesting. Monday, November 24 2008
Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union: Complete Season OneUllman's chameleon-like presence is sometimes astonishing, particularly in playing characters as disparate as Andy Rooney, Renee Zellweger, and Arianna Huffington. Quark: The Complete SeriesBefore the days of remotes, one had to either get up off the couch -- or simply endure shows like this. Friday, November 21 2008Doctor Who: The Infinite QuestQuest marks the first full-length animated outing for the Doctor -- and, with any luck, it will be his last. Thursday, November 20 2008The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official Second SeasonIn addition to being occasionally hilarious this show also lays bare urban fantasies about rural life and people. Monday, November 17 2008
Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth SeriesIn its strongest outing yet, the Doctor meets several new friends and old enemies, leaving some classic episodes and one very bloated finale in its wake. Friday, November 14 2008
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete CollectionA glimpse at '60s pop culture’s take on the cold war, counter culture and paranoia – topics whose importance would only magnify in the coming years. Thursday, November 13 2008
Sports Night: The Complete Series 10th Anniversary EditionAll the usual elements of a Sorkin series are here: rapid-fire dialogue, his classic walk-and-talks, and stories with a political bent. Wednesday, November 12 2008Futurama: Bender’s GameDelightfully nerdy, but not quite as nerdy as the Star Trek-on-crack weirdness of the earlier shows. Tuesday, November 11 2008Family Guy: Vol. 6It’ll take a new animated show to call Family Guy out for its indiscretions, much like Family Guy did for The Simpsons. Wednesday, November 5 2008Doctor Who: The Time MeddlerExploring complex themes, this classic Doctor proves to be heady and entertaining in equal measure. Rob and Big: The Complete 3rd SeasonSeason 3 sees Big having a “real” life outside of this “reality” series. Tuesday, November 4 2008Robot Chicken: Season 3This is a show for nerds, geeks, dorks, and spazzes that somehow brokethrough to the mainstream. |
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