DVD Please!

September 12th, 2004

Filed under: General, TV

With the easy availability of DVD players, there has been an explosion in the number of TV series that have been released on DVD. This is good and bad. Good, becuase I can watch shows that I otherwise would probably never see again, such as Dr. Who (mmm…Nyssa), The Ben Stiller Show, Red Dwarf, Black Adder, the Richard Sharpe series, Kindred the Embraced, Firefly, just to name a few. Unfortunately, they’ve really started putting out some schlock recently (which I shall not soil my site by listing. Just browse the aisle at Best Buy and you’ll see what I mean).

Still, there are still some TV series that have been unjustly overlooked and need to be collected and released:

  • Pete and Pete
    A brilliantly surreal comedy that used to show on Nickolodeon and is sometimes shown on Noggin (or “the N”) now. I’ve mentioned Pete and Pete before as one of my guilty pleasures.
  • Daria
    I never cared for Beavis & Butthead, where the character originated, but Daria was always clever, cynical and funny. Reruns can be caught on Noggin (”the N”) occasionally. There are two special DVDs out (Is It Fall Yet? and Is It College Yet?), but the series as a whole needs to be collected.
  • The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.
    A wonderful combination of adventure and comedy, plus a little sci-fi mixed in. There were some truly memorable characters on this show: Brisco, Comet, Lord Boler, Socrates Poole and of course Dixie Cousins.
  • WKRP in Cincinnatti
    Repeat after me: “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”
  • Danger Mouse
    Sarcastic and fun British secret agent cartoon, shown on Nickelodeon a few years ago (well, maybe more than a few).
  • St. Elsewhere
    The best medical show ever. Starred an amazing array of talent including William Daniels, Helen Hunt, Ed Begley Jr., Denzel Washington, Ronny Cox, Mark Harmon, Bruce Greenwood and even Howie Mandel (in the only thing I can stand him in).
  • Space Above and Beyond
    Compelling science-fiction that was always watchable.

12 Responses to “ DVD Please! ”

  1. tangognat
    September 12th, 2004 at 8:47 pm

    I would SO buy a dvd set of Pete & Pete in a heartbeat if it existed. I have a bunch of old videotaped episodes but I was fairly random in what I taped. I really fail to see why some of these shows getting dvd box sets deserve to be collected but I guess it proves that people will buy anything….

  2. Ian Brill
    September 12th, 2004 at 8:58 pm

    Pete & Pete is still one of my favorite TV shows. I taped an episode or two off of Noggin, but damn, I need it on DVD!

  3. Gordon
    September 13th, 2004 at 7:13 am

    Gotta agree on the schlock, and also agree on Brisco County, St. Elsewhere, and Danger Mouse. Personally, I would love to see an American release of Blake’s 7 on DVD.

  4. Chris Galdieri
    September 13th, 2004 at 11:44 am

    My pet theory on St. Elsewhere is that its weird first season, with a very different cast and tone than the rest of the series, is the big stumbling-block to its DVD release. I’d still buy it in a heartbeat, as long as that heartbeat was one in which I had a spare sixty bucks or so.

  5. Augie De Blieck Jr.
    September 13th, 2004 at 12:21 pm

    On the bright side, BRISCO COUNTY is on the Top 10 list of most requested DVDs on the TVShowsOnDVD.com web site. You’re not alone. Heck, it’s at the top of my list, too.

    Yes, DANGER MOUSE was 20 years ago. I remember watching it occasionally in the earliest days of Nickelodeon, before it was all kids/all cartoons/all the time.

  6. Mark H.
    September 13th, 2004 at 2:05 pm

    I’ve been screaming to an uncaring sky that WKRP needs to be on DVD. Screaming, sweating, and shaking my fists.

    I want Ned & Stacey on DVD, too. But I think my girlfriend and I are about the only people who ever watched it.

  7. Scott
    September 13th, 2004 at 2:32 pm

    Chris, St. Elsewhere’s first season was sub-par (and the last season too, particularly that last episode reveal), but other shows on DVD had some not-as-good first seasons too (M*A*S*H,for example). Only recently have the more “soap opera-y” shows started to come out on DVD, so maybe there’s hope yet.

    Ned & Stacey was a good show, particularly the first season…I wasn’t as keen on the Muffin Shop episodes in the second season.

  8. Bill Doughty
    September 13th, 2004 at 3:50 pm

    Pete & Pete are on Noggin? When?!? There are places online where you can buy bootleg DVR copies of the show, but an official release is long overdue and would be very greatly appreciated. I mean, come on, how many kids’ shows out there would have the genius to cast Adam West, Michael Stipe, Steve Buscemi, Juliana Hatfield and Hunter Thompson in guest star roles? Any DVD release would have to include all the P&P shorts, too, obviously.

    Ditto on Brisco County, Dangermouse and Blake’s 7. How about The Tomorrow People, too?

  9. Bill Sherman
    September 13th, 2004 at 4:24 pm

    Actually, Daria is pretty firmly entrenched on Noggin’s late night rotation: we regularly watch reruns right after The Daily Show, though recently it’s been replaced on some weeknights in that timeslot by O’Grady. . .

    Antoher series I’d love to see reissued is the Boris Karloff hosted anthology, Thriller.

  10. Jeff Cuscutis
    September 13th, 2004 at 4:35 pm

    I would love to see Daria on DVD. I have both movies already. The episodes on the N are edited to remove all prurient content, though. Makes some episodes pretty meaningless.

  11. tomthedog
    September 17th, 2004 at 12:05 pm

    The problem with WKRP is they could NEVER get all the music rights. Man, that is absolutely my most wanted DVD, but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that it will never be released in its original form. Space: Above and Beyond would also be great.

  12. Scott
    September 18th, 2004 at 6:55 am

    That’s a good point Tom, I know securing the music rights is a big issue for DVD releases. I’d rather them not release WKRP then “redo” the music like they have on some other releases.

Leave a Reply

« The Festival Showcase #75 »