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As we await the beginning of a new fall TV season with some trepidation, here’s a roundup of what’s recently become available of both current and classic shows. In alphabetical order:
Brothers and Sisters – Season 1 Buena Vista
created By: Jon Robin Baitz
starring Dave Annable, Sally Field & Calista Flockhart
It’s not surprising that playwright Jon Robin Baitz is the creator of this intelligent, political soap opera about an extended dysfunctional family: his plays from “The Substance of Fire” to “A Far Country” have all contained characters who wear their family history and politics–as well as their hearts–on their sleeves. Blessed with a skilled ensemble cast that includes Sally Field, Ron Rifkin, Calista Flockhart, and Rob Lowe, “Brothers and Sisters” should be primed for at least another few seasons–at least until Baitz yearns to return to stage writing full-time.
Extras: commentaries; behind-the-scenes featurettes; interviews; deleted scenes; unaired episode.
Desperate Housewives – Season 3 Buena Vista
created by Marc Cherry
starring Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross & Eva Longoria
The escapades of the women of Wisteria Lane have gotten increasingly desperate over the series’ relatively short lifespan, as plots and storylines and even characterizations have become even less believable than your average ridiculous afternoon soap opera. That said, there are still incidental pleasures to be had in this mildly irreverent comedy-drama, not least is which the easy camaraderie of the ladies, along with the amazingly deadpan comic turn by Teri Hatcher (no surprise to anyone who saw her in “Lois and Clark” ages ago), and–of course–the entirely winning, natural charm of Eva Longoria, who so effortlessly displays her charms that she fools us into thinking she’s a mere sexpot. That’s real acting, folks.
Extras: behind-the-scenes featurettes; deleted scenes.
8 Simple Rules – Season 1 Buena Vista
created by Tracy Gamble
starring John Ritter, Katey Sagal & Kaley Cuoco
Originally titled “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter,” this dopily endearing sitcom began as a vehicle for John Ritter’s patented double takes and retorts a la “Three’s Company”; the only difference was, he’s now the dad worried about young men interested in his daughters. Ritter had good comedic chemistry with Katey Segal as his wife; it’s too bad that his sudden death as Season 2 filming began prevented the show from finding its legs: it floundered awhile before being cancelled in 2005.
Extras: blooper reel.
Grey’s Anatomy – Season 3 Buena Vista
created by Shonda Rhimes
starring Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh & Katherine Heigl
David Letterman once described this top-rated drama as doctors and nurses having sex when they’re not saving patients’ lives, which pretty much sums up this melodramatic series: the various romances are what drive the ratings through the roof, although I must admit I’m mystified by the sex appeal of Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh. Katherine Heigl, however, I have no problems with; this appealing actress has been giving intelligent, levelheaded performances since she was a teenager.
Extras: extended episodes with never-before-seen sequences; Patrick Dempsey featurette; other featurettes; audio commentaries.
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman – Season 1 Genius/IFC
created by Laura Kightlinger
starring Laura Kightlinger & Nicholle Tom
Laura Kightlinger has been a hilarious presence on “Saturday Night Live” and “The Daily Show,” and was a writer and occasional actor on “Will & Grace.” Her deadpan, vicious sense of humor is in evidence in this eight-episode series she created, wrote and stars in for IFC, where she and Nicholle Tom play a couple of under-the-radar L.A. types trying to make it big in Hollywood. Of course, they never do, but much of the cutting humor comes from their aborted attempts to score that one big break. It’s very uneven–the minor characters are usually caricatures, which results in some cheap laughs–but when Kightlinger is at her best, “The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman” is a major pleasure.
Extras: interview featurette.
The Muppet Show – Season 2 Buena Vista
created by Jim Henson
starring Jim Henson, Frank Oz & Jerry Nelson
The four discs of this set bring together the 24 episodes from the 1977 season of what was then one of the most popular syndicated shows on TV. And it’s something of a time capsule also, since it’s a barometer of what (and who) was popular back then: for every appearance by Bob Hope, Steve Martin and George Burns, there are also Nancy Walker, Lou Rawls and Cloris Leachman. This remains a guilty pleasure for those of us who sat through these dopey but funny shows the first time: seeing Miss Piggy and Elton John duetting on “Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart” is pure, unadulterated bliss.
Extras: 1974 Muppets’ Valentine special; Muppet interviews; “Weezer and the Muppets” video.
The Simpsons – Season 10 Fox
created by Matt Groening
starring Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner & Nancy Cartwright
Many “Simpsons” lovers swear by the first nine seasons, then unceremoniously crap all over everything that came after–including the hilarious “Simpsons Movie.” Nuts to them: the tenth season shows this series is still in full bore, mercilessly satirizing everything and everyone from the NFL, the president and various movie stars to over-the-hill rockers, religion, and–of course–Fox and Rupert Murdoch themselves. Standout episodes include “D’oh’in’ in the Wind,” with Martin Mull and George Carlin as a couple of ageing hippies; “Viva Ned Flanders,” which finds Homer and Ned in Vegas where they get hitched after a drunken night partying–no, not to each other; and the annual “Treehouse of Horror,” which has a segment that finds Bart and Lisa stuck inside an “Itchy & Scratchy” cartoon. Once again, a splendid time is guaranteed for (almost) all.
Extras: commentaries on every episode, deleted scenes, animation featurettes, commercials.
Ugly Betty – Season 1 Buena Vista
created by Fernando Gaitán
starring America Ferrera, Vanessa L. Williams & Tony Plana
The pilot for “Ugly Betty” was a misdirection: it promised a lively, funny satire of the fashion industry, anchored by Vanessa Williams’ deliciously nasty turn as the resident bitch-in-charge. Unfortunately, the remainder of the first season degenerated into unrelieved campiness, smirking and incredibly dopey plot lines, leaving this viewer gasping for air. Of course, I must be alone in this analysis: the show is a big hit, the uncharimsatic America Ferrara is a big star, and the show is up for umpteen Emmys (actually, 11). Oh well: it’s not the first time I’ve been alone.
Extras: behind-the-scenes featurettes; deleted scenes; interviews; audio commentaries.
Weeds – Season 2 LionsGate
created by Jenji Kohan
starring Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins & Tonye Patano
Although Showtime’s comedy series made it to a second season, its increasingly lunatic storylines and characterizations became wearying, and this intensified throughout season two’s 12 episodes. What makes it worth watching, however, is the impeccable comic timing of its two lead actresses–Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins, both of whom are criminally underrated and underused. As good as they are, though, it’s too bad that they are stuck in what’s fast becoming a disastrous series. (Note: the first few episodes of season three have proven me right: this is a show that’s ready to jump the shark.)
Extras: audio commentaries on several episodes; several featurettes; gag reel.
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