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What to give dad for Father's Day?
We've got some ideas.
TV shows on DVD and Blu-ray are easy to find, mostly affordable and offer content wide-ranging enough to suit any father, grandfather, great-grandfather, father-to-be, pet papa, etc. Below you'll find some interesting recent releases, a few reliables, and even a couple of non-disc TV treats.
Prices shown are from Amazon.com, discounted from list price (as of June 3). Just click BUY NOW below each entry to jump right to its Amazon page.
That's a great way to support TV WORTH WATCHING, since we get a tiny part of each linked sale. Costs you nothing more. Helps us stay alive.
Happy Father's Day!
-- Diane Werts
SEINFELD COLLECTOR'S EDITION MONOPOLY $33, USAopoly Why play Monopoly with Marvin Gardens and a Scottie dog token when you can play with The Soup Kitchen and The Puffy Shirt? This latest custom Monopoly game set goes all the way for 'Seinfeld' fans -- title deed cards for Monk's Restaurant and other episode locations, Yada Yada Yada cards instead of Community Chest, garages instead of hotels, collectible pewter tokens including the shirt and the marble rye, Seinfeld dollars, and more modified treats. Not that there's anything wrong with that. (Other TV editions include those tailored for Star Trek, The Simpsons, Family Guy, I Love Lucy, The Muppets, Sesame Street and SpongeBob SquarePants -- click titles for more info on each.) |
NOW PLAYING TCM PROGRAM GUIDE $13/year, TCM This monthly program guide is essential for film fans. More than simply listing what's airing on Turner Classic Movies, this little magazine helps you pinpoint monthly salutes (like June's Great Directors marathons and July's 39 from '39), weekly showcases (Silent Sunday Nights, TCM Imports), daily collections (40th Anniversary of the First Moon Landing, Pre-Code Musicals), and more. Movies are listed chronologically by air date, with cast and director, then broken out Movies A to Z, too. Icons indicate which films are captioned, letterboxed, or described for the visually impaired. There's even a crossword puzzle. A can't-miss gift. |
ZANE GREY THEATRE: COMPLETE SEASON ONE $35 for 4 discs, VCI The folks who did such a great job with 'Honey West,' 'Burke's Law' and 'Jim Bowie' DVDs have rescued another timelessly enjoyable gem. This 1956 anthology half-hour bases some of its tales on Zane Grey's renowned western fiction, then adds original stories (many written by tube mogul-to-be Aaron Spelling). They're impressively produced by Dick Powell -- yes, the fresh-faced Busby Berkeley musical star turned hardboiled film noir detective, who then turned savvy Four Star TV studio pioneer. Looking cinematically sharp and gritty, like little movies, these 30 episodes feature such big-screen names as Robert Ryan, Ida Lupino, Ralph Bellamy, Jack Lemmon, Lloyd Bridges, David Niven and Ernest Borgnine. And future stars, too -- James Garner, Cloris Leachman, John Forsythe, Robert Culp. |
FATHER KNOWS BEST, SEASON THREE $28 for 5 discs, Shout Robert Young's 1950s situation comedy is known more a handy title cliche today than a program that people actually recognize. But take a look -- it just might surprise you. Young's dad is crankier than he's remembered to be, and the situations less simple than our recollections would have it. All 3 seasons include fun extras, including episodes of the 'Father Knows Best' radio series and Young's subsequent short-lived show, 'WIndow on Main Street.' (Comes out June 9.) |
BEST OF SNOOP DOGG'S FATHER HOOD $10, Lionsgate We're not saying this E! offering is the most awesome series ever. We're saying: Wow, can you believe how TV has changed in the half-century since Americans found their fatherly humor in Robert Young's suburban everyman Jim Anderson? Now the tube spends time chronicling the "real-life" parenting adventures of a rapper, courtroom regular and 'Girls Gone Wild' host. Wow. (Out June 16.) |
TOP GEAR: COMPLETE SEASON 10 $32 for 3 discs, BBC Grind 'em if you got 'em. And this BBC America fave has everything that's tops in torque. Serious automotive journalism mixes with on-the-road misadventures, exotic auto drooling, and zippy wit from the car-crazed three British hosts. (NBC announced plans to adapt the series for America, but hasn't yet been able to match the magic.) This is the first season released in the States on DVD, so grab the breezy gusto you've been missing. |
GIGANTOR: THE COLLECTION, VOL. 1 $36 for 4 discs, E1 This Japanese anime series hit the States in the 1960s 'Speed Racer' wave, wowing kids with a giant robot battling the forces of evil in stark black-and-white. This new first-season release restores the original audio (changed in earlier editions), cleans up the film prints, and adds anime history and commentary. Cool booklet and on-disc comic books, too. |
DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG $10, New Video Joss Whedon's internet musical sensation arrives on DVD with more bonus material than show -- full-length musical commentary (yes, the commentary is musical, too!), plus making-of featurettes. See why Broadway audiences have been Neil Patrick Harris fans for years already. |
THE SHIELD: SEASON 7 THE FINAL ACT $39 for 4 discs, Sony Vic Mackey goes out with -- A bang? A whimper? We're not telling. If you haven't seen this incendiary series' grand finale, grab this set fast. Its gut-wrenching final two episodes have TV's most complex crooked cop meeting his existential end, in audacious storytelling just as satisfying as the earlier seasons of FX' basic-cable groundbreaker. This isn't just a story about Michael Chiklis' twisted detective. It's a provocative saga of modern urban dilemmas, the challenge of justice, and the societal choices made in the name of citizens like us. Smart and lively commentaries on all 13 episodes take the journey deeper. (Out June 9.) |
STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES, SEASON 1 BLU-RAY $65 for 7 discs, CBS/Paramount Much like the initial high-def release on ill-fated HD DVD, this Blu-ray release of the first '60s season adds pop-up factoids and interviews for running commentary on six of the episodes you already know by heart. Yes, the primitive special effects have been (subtly) updated for high-def release; but this time, you can click between the original and the improved (which they really are, and true to the original intent). With a player connected to the internet, Blu-ray's BD Live capability allows access to additional bonus features, fan forums and more. But most of all, these episodes have never looked sharper and more vibrant with detail. (Who knew Mr. Sulu was wearing so much eye shadow?) |
THE THREE STOOGES COLLECTION, VOL. 6 $17 for 2 discs, Sony These sets cover the slapstick trio's 30-year career in chronological fashion. Which means this latest release features theatrical short subjects from 1949-1951, when Moe and Larry were aging and Shemp had stepped in to replace the ill Curly. This isn't the gang at their peak. (Order earlier volumes for that.) But completists are happy to see their entire output being released in these nicely restored prints. (Out June 16.) |
THE NORMAN LEAR COLLECTION $112 for 19 discs, Sony This hard box salutes the producer who changed the tone of TV comedy in the '70s, collecting first seasons of seven Lear series, starting with 1971's topical sitcom nuke 'All in the Family.' Also tucked into slick cardboard foldout sets: 'Maude,' 'Sanford & Son,' 'Good Times,' 'One Day at a Time,' 'The Jeffersons' and the late-night soap spoof 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman' (only the first 25 episodes of that weeknightly strip). Making it an even eight sets is a two-disc bonus package that puts it all in historical perspective through interviews with Lear and key actors in featurettes about each series. But the biggest treat -- the two unsold earlier pilots of 'Family' (titled 'Justice for All' and 'Those Were the Days'), with different actors in the younger roles. It's all fascinating -- but unfortunate if you've already bought the bare-bones DVD first seasons of these series. (Out June 9.) |
JOHN ADAMS BLU-RAY $46 for 3 discs, HBO HBO's historical miniseries was always a stunner, but it looks even more glorious in Blu-ray high-definition, where every powered-wig hair and farm-field snowflake practically leaps off the screen. That adds dimensionality to period settings and events. So do the interactive bonus features -- optional Facts Are Stubborn Things subtitle factoids fleshing out the saga's details and a Who's Who in History pop-up option for biographical info on early American figures. (Out June 16. Previously released standard def DVD is $27.) |
GENERATION KILL BLU-RAY War can showcase high-def equipment like nobody's business, as owners of the Blu-ray set for 'Band of Brothers' can attest. (The price on that World War II set at Amazon is down to $54.) The video detail, the audio surround-sound experience -- it puts you in the midst of the action, looking around your living room to see where the gunfire's coming from. HBO's nitty-gritty Iraq war miniseries won't have the kind of clarity some high-def nitpickers demand, since it's deliberately shot grainy and wobbly for that you-are-there documentary flavor. But the Blu-ray-specific extras enrich the experience by providing instant info. Clicking each disc's Basic Training menu option shows you shortcuts to on-the-fly pop-up details -- an alphabetical Military Glossary, helpful Chain of Command chart, and Mission Map for each operation. (Out June 16. Previously released standard DVD is $27.) |
SETH MACFARLANE'S CAVALCADE OF CARTOON COMEDY $16, Fox If your guy likes 'Family Guy,' but wishes it could be truly "uncensored," then he's a prime candidate for this scattershot collection of animated web quickies from show creator Seth MacFarlane. Just be warned the jokes tend toward the raunchy (a game show called 'Name That Animal Penis'), potentially offensive (an ape in bed with the gay Canadian flight attendant alleged to be AIDS' Patient Zero), and just plain inexplicable ("A Scotsman who can't watch a movie without shouting at the screen"). It's your call. (Strangely enough, as of June 4, Amazon has the Blu-ray version priced lower, at $15.) |
THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF WYATT EARP: COMPLETE SEASON ONE $32 for 5 discs, Falcon Brave, courageous and bold, Hugh O'Brian stars in this beloved western as the historical lawman of Ellsworth and Dodge City. Best-of episodes have previously been released, but now this 1950s hit with the classic theme song gets full-season-set treatment. |
HIYA, KIDS!! A '50s SATURDAY MORNING $28 for 4 discs, Shout How perverse WERE the 1950s? Get a load of these kiddie shows. Hosts whose attitudes would probably get them run through criminal databases today. Shrieking studio audiences of tots clearly mainlining sugar before the show. Unbridled, unapologetic product shillery. This set of 21 vintage children's series is an eye-opening (and eye-rolling) time trip back to decidedly un-PC days. Beyond the expected titles -- 'Howdy Doody,' 'Roy Rogers,' 'Sky King' and 'Kukla, Fran & Ollie' -- you'll find some near-forgotten rarities: 'Andy's Gang,' 'Time for Beany,' 'The Pinky Lee Show.' |
SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS: THE 1960s/ SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS: THE 1970s $20 each for 2 discs each, Warner It's nostalgia time for dads of a certain age. Or two. The 1960s set includes episodes of kiddie faves like 'Peter Potamus' and 'Herculoids,' and the primetime hit 'The Flintstones,' plus background featurettes. The separate 1970s set features popular shows like 'The Jetsons' (which ran in the '60s, but never mind), as well as cult faves like 'Speed Buggy' and 'Chan Clan,' plus extras. |
THE LONE RANGER: 75th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION $80 for 13 discs and collectibles, Entertainment Rights Get your own Lone Ranger comic book! Trading cards! Lone Ranger Victory Corps membership card! Character history book! And, oh yeah, the 78 episodes of the first 2 TV seasons of this western classic! The hard box hinges open to reveal a trove of Lone Ranger collectibles to satisfy the devotee or just any ex-kid hip to the hearty "Hi-yo Silver!" drill. Episode prints in this official collection look sharp, and there are wide-ranging on-disc extras -- radio and cartoon episodes (with onscreen radio script!), and even the Ranger's guest shot on 'Lassie.' |
THE FALL AND RISE OF REGINALD PERRIN: THE COMPLETE SERIES $47 for 4 discs, E1 He didn't get where he is today by being ordinary! This catchphrase-creating Britcom of the '70s remains a unique treat. (Unique at least until the planned British remake hits the air.) Leonard Rossiter creates an immortal everyman as the daydreaming dessert company drone who decides to drop out of society by faking his death. But Reggie can't stay away from his old life, and even in disguise, the corporate world sucks him back in. The set also includes a wonderful TV bio of the late, great Rossiter. |
PLAYING SHAKESPEARE $80 for 4 discs, Athena The best at the Bard enlighten us, too, by inviting us into Royal Shakespeare Company workshops from the 1980s. Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Ben Kingsley, David Suchet, Peggy Ashcroft and Patrick Stewart are among the troupe members who discuss their process and illustrate with performance. Language, character, rhythms, emotion and meaning -- it's all delved into here, helping us get more out of the theater's most perceptive playwright. There's even a printed viewer's guide to focus your enlightenment. |
FROST/NIXON: THE COMPLETE INTERVIEWS $28 for 2 discs, Liberation You've seen the movie based on the Broadway play with Frank Langella. Now see the real deal -- interviewer David Frost grilling resigned president Richard Nixon in 1977 about his overtures to Communist China and the Soviet Union, about Vietnam and protest at home, about Watergate and its fallout. It's no-holds-barred history unfolding, six hours of confrontational conversation culled by Frost from 28 taped hours.
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NATURE'S MOST AMAZING EVENTS $24 Blu-ray, $22 DVD, BBC Naturemeister David Attenborough's latest (just debuted on Discovery) examines epic moments in nature including the great salmon run, the annual arctic melt, flooding of the Okavango delta, and the Indian monsoon. You know from 'Planet Earth' and 'The Blue Planet' what productions by the BBC's natural history unit look like -- stunning. And enlightening. That extends to the how'd-they-shoot-that extras, which the unit usually constructs to match the main program in fascination. |
NEW YORK YANKEES PERFECT GAMES AND NO-HITTERS $45 for 6 discs, A&E Don Larsen's singular perfect game in the 1956 World Series leads this set of six complete contests, which also includes perfection from David Wells and David Cone, as well as no-hitters from Dave Righetti, Jim Abbott and Dwight Gooden. Extras include box scores, player profiles and interviews, plus a radio call of the Larsen game to complement vintage TV play-by-play by Mel Allen and Vin Scully. The black-and-white '50s kinescope is incomplete and scratchy -- but its primitive look only adds to the period charm. (Watching on a computer or small screen sharpens the image.)
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