TV-on-Disc Picks (9/17/09)

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If you’re anything like me, you’ve already fallen behind in watching your favorite fall shows. And the season has only just started! Sometimes I think it would just be easier to "wait for the DVD" on all the shows I follow and watch everything at my own pace. After all, DVR’s are great but they do fill up fast – especially with HD. But then I remind myself that if no one watches the live broadcasts, there won’t necessarily be a DVD to wait for. This is also why I’ve stopped fast-forwarding (most) of the commercials on my Tivo’ed recordings. In this digital age of "I want it now and I want it for free," it’s more important than ever to support the shows that matter most to you. And what better way to show that support than renting or buying your favorite seasons on DVD and Blu-ray?

Don’t worry, I’m stepping down from my soapbox. The past few weeks have seen a ton of great new TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray, so let’s get to it!

Big Bang Theory: Season 2
Warner | DVD
Blessed are the geeks, for they shall inherit the Earth. Amen to that. Along with How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory shares the title of TV’s funniest sitcom. Not since Friends or Seinfeld has a show delivered such a splendid balance of goofy and clever. Warner presents the 23 Season Two episodes on DVD and they look and sound great. Fans should get a kick out of the "Physicist to the Stars" featurette which interviews series consultant, UCLA professor David Saltzberg. How’s that for a sweet gig?

Californication: Season 2
CBS/Paramount | DVD
Proving yet again that there’s a lot more to David Duchovny than "Spooky" Mulder, the second season of Showtime’s boundry-pushing Californication is even more enjoyable than the first. Although it’s unfortunate this series hasn’t made its way to Blu-ray yet, it’s nice to see CBS and Paramount giving us a few cast interviews and a featurette – more than we got with the Season One DVDs. And not that they have anything to do with Californication, but you also get streamed episodes of The United States of Tara and The Tudors. Just remember to watch this one (and The Tudors for that matter) AFTER the kids have gone to bed.

Crash: Season 1
Anchor Bay | Blu-ray
Paul Haggis’ film Crash received a lot of mostly-deserved buzz and the 2006 Academy Award for Best Picture. Not content to stop there, Haggis and company have now adapted the film into an hour-long drama series for the Starz network. Starring Dennis Hopper and an eclectic band of fresh faces, the show is heavy and well acted but nothing to write home about – which, not surprisingly, is how I felt about the film. Still, kudos to Anchor Bay for bringing this rookie series’ freshman 13 (episodes) to high definition Blu-ray. Extras include an alternate ending for the season finale.

CSI: Season 9
CBS/Paramount | Blu-ray
If you’ve given up on DVD in favor of Blu-ray, C.S.I. makes for an interesting dilemma. CBS and Paramount recently gave us the hit series’ compelling first season on the high definition format, and now we have its most recent season, Season Nine. For everything in between, you’ll have to settle for standard DVD – at least for the time being. Sporting 1080p video that is much improved over the uneven Season One release, Season Nine looks and sounds quite good on Blu-ray. Lawrence Fishburne makes for a solid addition to the well-rounded cast, but fans upset with Grissom’s departure will surely want to check out the "Good-bye Grissom" featurette. And like the other extras on this handsome Blu-ray set, it’s even presented in HD.

Dexter: Season 3
CBS/Paramount | Blu-ray
When it comes to Dexter, I’m starting to sound like a broken record – but I’ll say it again. Ranking right up there with Lost, Dexter is definitely one of the best-looking series when it comes to Blu-ray video quality.  Even if the show wasn’t any good, I’d still enjoy these Blu-ray releases. Of course, the icing on the cake is that Dexter‘s third season is every inch as edgy and compelling as its preceding two. Extras are on the scant side this time out but kudos to CBS and Paramount for maintaining the high technical quality on this enjoyable series.

Desperate Housewives: Season 5
ABC/Disney | DVD
The ladies of Wisteria Lane still haven’t lost their touch. Continuing to deliver its winning combination of drama, comedy and quirk, Season Five of Desperate Housewives is a solid entry in the series’ long-running history. This is in part thanks to the fresh addition of the lovely and talented Dana Delany. And speaking of the show’s longevity, this 7-disc DVD set from Disney includes an entertaining retrospective on the show’s first 100 episodes; it’s a fun look back for long-time fans of the show. Other extras include the obligatory blooper reel and deleted scenes plus a favorite scenes guide from series creator Marc Cherry. DVD video quality is top notch as far as DVD goes but here’s hoping these photogenic ladies get a Blu-ray makeover in the months ahead.

Fringe: Season 1
Warner | Blu-ray
After Alias, Lost and their big-screen Star Trek reboot, are you really going to bet against the powerhouse team of J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman? Good luck with that. Drawing inspiration from shows such as The Twilight Zone and The X-Files, this FOX network hour-long makes for compelling television as you attempt to decipher "The Pattern." Warner wisely brings Fringe‘s first season to Blu-ray boasting a truck load of extras, including a few Blu-ray exclusives such as "Fringe Pattern Analysis" and BD LIVE-enhanced writer/producer commentaries.

Heroes: Season 3
Universal | Blu-ray
They saved the cheerleader. Now they just have to save the world. Heroes continues to be one of prime time’s most engaging hour-long series and as proof that you can’t have too much of a good thing, Season Three is home to a whopping 25 episodes. As they did with Seasons One and Two, Universal again does right by releasing Season Three of Heroes on BD LIVE-enabled Blu-ray Disc – and the episodes look mighty fine. Also as they’ve done with previous seasons, Universal offers "U-Control" PIP-style viewing modes so you can access behind-the-scenes footage and character bios without stepping away from the action.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 3
Fox | DVD
Is it wrong to admit I love this show?  Or that I feel compelled to wash my ears after watching certain episodes?  Perhaps, but you can’t argue with funny. Fox presents Season Four’s thirteen episodes in full frame 1.33:1 video with Dolby Surround. These discs won’t win any technical awards, but you won’t care because you’ll be too busy laughing. This is another one to make sure you bring out only AFTER the kids are asleep.

Life on Mars: Series 1
Acorn Media | DVD
What is it with stellar British TV shows getting re-made in the States as solid-yet-inferior shadows of their across-the-pond predecessors. Although The Office has managed to work its way out from that shadow and become brilliant in its own right, Life on Mars was not so lucky. So you know what? Forget about the U.S. version and focus on the good stuff, now available on DVD from the folks at Acorn Media. Despite a somewhat steep price tag ($59) for only eight episodes – which have strangely been spread out across four discs – this unique series is definitely worth your time. Video quality is about average for DVD but the extras suite is fairly substantial, including an hour-long,making-of documentary. And watch for Series Two coming to DVD in late November!

The Office: Season 5
Universal | Blu-ray
Speaking of The Office, look at what we have here. Having written about the past few seasons and their respective DVD releases, I’ve pretty much run out of adjectives and praise to heap upon this brilliantly-entertaining mockumentary-style series. If you look back at the history of canceled or completed comedy series, I dare you to find another show with a cast as large and consistently funny as The Office. For a show with so many characters, what a rarity it is that EVERYONE gets to shine in their own unique way. Looking even better than my DISH Network satellite broadcasts, these 26 Season Five episodes look absolutely superb on Blu-ray. And kudos to Universal for their innovative "Soundboard" feature which lets you create a sound mix of your favorite one-liners and share them via BD LIVE.

The Simpsons: Season 12
Fox | DVD
Much like SNL, The Simpsons isn’t non-stop hilarity but rather a warm and fuzzy breeding ground where brief, brilliant moments of inspired genius frequently occur. Fox presents Season Twelve’s 21 episodes in their native full frame video and extras abound, including Comic Book Guy’s "Best. Moments. Ever."

Smallville: Season 8
Warner | Blu-ray
Who knew this WB (now CW) hour-long featuring young and attractive unknowns attempting Superman 90210 would develop into such a long-running guilty pleasure?  Still kicking after eight seasons, Smallville has generally stuck with its winning formula and a constant stream of comic book character cross-overs and cameos have helped keep things interesting. As they’ve done with the past few seasons, Warner brings Season Eight to Blu-ray and its 22 episodes look, for the most part, very good. Smallville still has an uneven mix of special effects, ranging from the dopey to the downright convincing and everything holds up pretty well in 1080p. Extras are a bit thin but you will find, among other things, an assortment of unaired scenes presented in HD.

X-Men: Vols. 3 and 4
Disney | DVD
With Fox’s upcoming release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it seems like the perfect time to take in volumes 3 and 4 of Marvel’s exceptional X-Men cartoon series. After the bang-up job they did on volumes 1 and 2, it was only a matter of time before Disney gave us more of everyone’s favorite Saturday morning mutants. Although both volumes offer plenty of superhero fun, Volume 3 is definitely the superior collection here as it contains the wonderfully-executed, 4-part "Dark Phoenix Saga."  You know, that’s that hugely-important story line that got totally massacred when Brett Ratner took over for Bryan Singer on X3. If you want to see Dark Phoenix done right – albeit as a cartoon – here’s where it’s at. As before, each volume contains a dozen or so episodes and video and audio quality are perfectly adequate.