TV-on-Disc Picks (12/07/09)

Between year-end deadlines and holiday shopping, it’s been hard coming up for air as of late. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the past few weeks have seen a number of great TV season sets land on Blu-ray and DVD.

You don’t need me to tell you that TV sets make great gift ideas, so take a look below and see if you can’t cross a few friends and family members off your holiday shopping list.

Now then, let’s get to it:

Afro Samurai: The Complete Murder Sessions
FUNimation | DVD
If you’re going to have an animated samurai running around with a big, bushy afro, would you want it be anyone other than Sam Jackson? Of course not. Add Ron Perlman to the mix and it quickly becomes a case of "Where do I sign?" Funimation’s Sessions includes the complete series plus Resurrection in elegant Limited Edition packaging.

Andy Barker, P.I.: The Complete Series
Shout! Factory | DVD
If you enjoyed "Andy Richter Controls the Universe," you’re guaranteed to love "Andy Barker." This tragically short-lived series has Andy working as a full-time CPA and part-time gumshoe. Shout’s 2-disc set features a surprisingly healthy mix of extras for a series that only last six episodes.

Black Adder: Ultimate Edition Remastered
BBC/Warner | DVD
Rowan Atkinson is an acquired taste. The British goofball is best known for his work as Mr. Bean, but "Black Adder" is easily his best – and most diverse – comedy. BBC Video’s exceptional Ultimate Edition features remastered video that looks better than ever and a slew of new interviews and commentaries.

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
Universal | Blu-ray
Written by the great Jane Espenson ("Buffy", "Firefly"), The Plan is a feature-length "BSG" film giving us a unique look at things from the Cylon perspective. Unversal’s Blu-ray rocks thanks to a kickass DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack and solid 1080p video.

Discovery Atlas: Complete Series
Image Entertainment | DVD
A seven hour Discovery Channel travelogue narrated by the likes of Russell Crowe and James Spader? Yes, please!

Farscape: The Complete Series
A&E | DVD
When my wife and I convinced friends of ours to watch the new "Battlestar Galactica," they answered back by insisting we check out "Farscape" – a favorite of theirs. Having watched a bit of it, the "Farscape" universe definitely has a more lighthearted tone than the grittier "BSG," but it does have a charm all its own. A&E’s robust new box set is a major space saver compared to the "Sunburst Editions" from a few years back, but video quality seems to have taken a slight hit in order to fit more data on each disc. Still, with its attractive street price (under $60 last I checked), this is definitely the way to go for those new to the series. For more on this elaborate set, check out this in-depth review from my pal Bill Hunt over at The Digital Bits.

Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered
BBC/Warner| DVD
Often seen on "The Funniest TV Shows of All Time" -type lists, "Fawlty Towers" is definitely John Cleese at his best. BBC Video’s new 30th anniversary set boasts greatly improved video quality and a number of new interviews, outtakes plus a John Cleese commentary.

G.I. Joe: Season 1.2
Shout! Factory | DVD
Yo, Joe! For fans of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, Shout Factory delivers 21 more episodes of animated 80′s ass kicking. And because no DVD collection would be complete without them, you also get the "Knowing is Half the Battle" public-service announcements.

Life on Mars (UK): Series 2
Acorn | DVD
Series Two of this twisty, time traveling tale is every bit as compelling as Series One. As they did with the previous set, Acorn gives us each episode featuring widescreen video, 5.1 sound plus you also get a lengthy documentary. This set brings the show to a satisfying end, so if you enjoyed Series One, don’t miss this.

LOST: Season 5
Disney | Blu-ray
Disney has been doing a bang-up job with the Blu-ray Disc releases of "LOST" and I’m thrilled to report that Season Five is no exception. In addition to a helpful Seasons 1-4 recap, viewers can spend hours exploring the overflowing assortment of supplements – many of which are presented in HD.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, "LOST" is one of the best-looking shows on television and it looks absolutely ravishing on Blu-ray. And if you’re a fan, don’t even THINK about skipping school when it comes to the BD LIVE-powered Lost University.

Monty Python: The Other British Invasion
A&E | DVD
Beatles schmeatles. Is there really such a thing as too much Monty Python?  I don’t think so either. Between this entertaining and star-studded documentary and Eagle Rock’s recent Blu-ray release of Almost the Truth, Python fans have their bases fully covered this holiday season.

The Prisoner (1968): Complete Series
A&E | Blu-ray
Despite some goofy overacting from star Patrick McGoohan (Braveheart‘s King Edward a.k.a "Longshanks") and his co-stars, this 17-episode 1968 series has a lot of cool ideas floating around. A&E’s superb Blu-ray edition gives you the complete series (looking gorgeous!) plus a truckload of bonus material. Extras include a documentary, featurettes, still photos, bumper music plus a promo for AMC’s new "Prisoner" mini-series starring James Caviezel and Ian McKellen.

Rome: The Complete Series
HBO | Blu-ray
And the award for classiest, most innovating packaging of the year goes to… HBO’s riveting ROME is given a complete series Blu-ray edition set fit for an Emperor. This sturdy set looks and feels like a hard-bound book, with each disc occupying one "page" complete with accompanying artwork. (Though sadly, disc removal can be a tricky and frustrating enterprise!) The Blu-ray video looks substantially better than that of my DVD and you’ll spend hours going through all the extra goodies. Highly recommended.

Scrubs: Season 8
Disney | Blu-ray
"Scrubs" probably should have called a time of death one or two seasons ago, but it still manages to be funnier than most of what’s currently on prime time. This Season Eight set from Disney marks the series’ high def debut and it’s a solid set boasting step-up 1080p video and a host of goodies, several of which are presented in HD.

Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days
Genius | DVD
Being the father of a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old has its advantages. Not only do I get to eat an awful lot of chicken finger leftovers, I also get to re-experience my childhood favorites such as "Tom and Jerry" and the peerless "Sesame Street."  This well-executed anniversary edition from Genius is the perfect way to bring some wholesome edutainment into the lives of the TV-watching youngsters (or young at heart) in your household.

Saturday Night Live: Season 5
Universal | DVD
Although the current season of "SNL" is the series 35th season (wow!), it’s often said that Season Five marked the end. That’s not true of course, as there’s been plenty of funny here and there in the many years since then. But Season Five marked the last time we’d see much of the original cast still together and it’s a great send-off year, particularly for fans of Bill Murray. As they did with Seasons 1-4, Universal gives Season 5 an elegant DVD release sporting all 20 episodes with guest stars such as Steve Martin, Ted Knight, Bob Newhart, Eric Idle and SNL alum Chevy Chase.

Sopranos: Season 1
HBO | Blu-ray
The original and still the best. Remember the first time you heard "Woke Up This Morning?" Rarely does a theme song so perfectly set the tone for a series. HBO’s "The Sopranos" has come and gone but introducing rookies to the show and making new fans is part of the fun. And HBO’s Blu-ray box set of the debut season makes that easier than ever. The 1080p HD video is an upgrade over DVD, but it’s not as obvious as the one we see on "Rome" and "Band of Brothers." Two featurettes and a David Chase interview round out the set.

Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3
CBS/Paramount | Blu-ray
CBS does it again with a stellar Blu-ray Disc edition of The Original Series’ final chapter. As they did with Seasons One and Two, CBS/Paramount gives us the ability to watch Kirk, Spock and the U.S.S. Enterprise in their original, unmolested glory or sporting shiny new special effects via seamless branching. Trekkers will definitely want to check out the original, unaired version of "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Highly recommended.

Traffik: 20th Anniversary Edition
Acorn| DVD
Like most movies these days, Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning film Traffic (with a "c") was simply a remake of another movie, or in this case, a British mini-series. "Traffik" (with a "k") is celebrating its 20th anniversary and Acorn brings the stirring drug trade drama to DVD in appropriately grand fashion. Extras include interviews, a photo gallery, production notes and an extended version of the finale.

Witchblade (animated): The Complete Series
FUNimation | Blu-ray
If there’s one thing question I have for the creators of "Witchblade," it’s this: where do these women buy their clothes? Or do they simply stitch together two or three cocktail napkins and call it a day? Funimation brings all 24 episodes of the scantily-clad anime series to Blu-ray sporting impressive 1080p visuals. The audio however is a mixed bag, with the Japanese track getting a mere Dolby 2.0 track while the inferior English dub enjoys Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Loads of standard definition extras round out the set.

NOTE: In the case of Blu-ray titles, it is implied that a DVD edition is also available.

EVALUATION SYSTEM
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080 projector
Carada Masquerade screen system (92")
Panasonic DMP-BD35 Blu-ray Disc player
Oppo DV-983H DVD player
Onkyo TX-SR805 A/V receiver
Noble Fidelity L-55 LCRS speakers
Datacolor SpyderTV PRO 2007 video calibration
Monster Power HTS5100 power center
BetterCables HDMI interconnects
UltraLink speaker wire