This week, there are plenty of new TV shows on DVD hitting retailers’ shelves. From sci-fi to crime drama to kitchen nightmares, there’s sure to be a release to suit every taste.
7th Heaven, The Eighth Season — The Camdens are back but the family has their fair share of challenges. Simon (David Gallagher) heads off to college, Lucy (Beverly Mitchell) and Kevin (George Stults) celebrate an anniversary and Eric (Stephen Collins) and Annie (Catherine Hicks) become grandparents for the first time. There are 23 episodes on this five disc set.
Doctor Who: The Key to Time (Special Collector’s Edition) — This special edition box set features the complete six chapter Key to Time series. The Doctor (Tom Baker), his companion Romana (Mary Tamm), and K9 MK2 embark on a search through time and space for the six hidden segments of the all-powerful Key to Time. When assembled, they will restore balance and order throughout the cosmos. Spread across seven discs and twenty-six episodes, the stories are comprised of The Ribos Operation, The Pirate Planet, Stones of Blood, The Androids of Tara, The Power of Kroll, and The Armageddon Factor.
ER, The Complete 10th Season — Set in the Emergency Room at Chicago’s County General Hospital, season 10 sees the return of Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) from the war-torn Congo and a new set of interns joining the ward, including British student, Neela (Parminder Nagra). Rest assured there are also plenty of medical emergencies to go around. Featuring six discs and twenty-two episodes, this collection also contains additional features like a gag reel, outpatient outtakes, and unaired scenes.
Hotel Babylon: Season Three — This BBC TV show offers a seductive insight into the five-star hotel industry where money is everything. Following Rebecca’s (Tamzin Outhwaite) departure, Charlie (Max Beesley) takes the reins of Hotel Babylon and takes the viewer on a journey of fantasy and indulgence where there are no rules — providing you have the money to pay for it, and know who to ask! Also joining the third season is Emily, the new public relations expert for the hotel., But is she a friend or foe for Charlie and the rest of the staff? This three-disc set features the complete eight episodes where all will be revealed.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Return of Man from U.N.C.L.E. — THRUSH is back and only the Men from U.N.C.L.E can save the world in this TV movie. When the super-criminal organization steals an atomic bomb and demands the ransom be delivered by the now-retired agent Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn), U.N.C.L.E. is forced to reactivate both Solo and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) after fifteen years. Patrick McNee takes on the mantle of U.N.C.L.E. number one Sir John Raleigh (from Leo G. Carroll) in this spy thriller based on the 1960’s TV series. This release features a single disc with a running time of 96 minutes.
My Two Dads, Season One — Join Nicole Bradford (Stacie Keanen), a 12-year old orphaned girl and her two ‘step-dads’, conservative financial adviser Michael Taylor (Paul Reiser) and liberal artist Joey Harris (Greg Evigan). When her mother passes away, Nicole is placed in the care of the two quarrelling former best friends. They’re both suspected of being her natural father and end up providing a unique and unorthodox approach to parenting. This release features all twenty-two episodes of the hit comedy, spread over four discs of mayhem.
Nash Bridges, The Second Season — Don Johnson returns as Nash Bridges, a successful San Francisco police detective who possesses a less-than-successful personal life. As head of the Special Investigations Unit, Bridges — along with partner Joe Dominguez (Cheech Marin) and their team — fight crime on the streets of the city by the bay. This DVD season set consists of five discs and twenty-three episodes. The package also features audio commentaries with the stars of the show, Johnson and Marin, as well as the show’s creator, Carlton Cuse (currently guiding Lost).
Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Series One — Fiery Scottish chef Gordon Ramsay comes to the aid of struggling eateries; bringing his own abrasive methods into the chaotic kitchens of some of the worst eateries in the UK. From tasting foul food to locking horns with incompetent cooks and servers and even the blindly-obstinate owners, Ramsay’s no-nonsense, profanity littered style is full-on intensive entertainment as he turns around the fortunes of the failing restaurants. This DVD features all eight episodes on two discs and also includes four additional Kitchen Nightmares Revisited episodes.
The Smurfs, Vol. 1 (True Blue Friends) — Kids of all ages love the adventures of the adorable and distinctive Smurfs like Handy, Hefty, Grouchy, Brainy, Lazy, Smurfette, and, of course, Papa Smurf himself. This Emmy-winning animated series follows the Smurfs’ adventures as they do good things and try to keep their village hidden from the evil wizard Gargamel and his cat Azrael. This DVD release of the three-apple-high heroes features five episodes as well as a “Meet the Smurfs” featurette, taking viewers on a tour of the Smurf village to meet the lovable little blue people.
SpongeBob SquarePants, SpongeBob vs. the Big One — In this DVD release, SpongeBob and friends find themselves stranded on Tropical Island after being swept away by a giant wave. As they try to find their way home, they encounter the infamous surfing guru, known as Jack Kahuna Laguna (Johnny Depp). He tells them that the only way to return to Bikini Bottom is to tackle the legendary wave known as the Big One. There’s even more fun in store when SpongeBob tries to get a suntan, Squidward becomes a giant, and Patrick gets a nose. This single disc features seven episodes from the children’s favorite, as well as additional features like “Plankton’s Special Sinister Commentary” and “Ridin’ the Hook” music video.
Stargate SG-1: The Ark of Truth/Stargate SG-1: Continuum — It’s the double pack that fans have been waiting for. In The Ark of Truth, the SG-1 team attempts to reclaim the Ark of Truth. This ancient artifact represents the ultimate weapon as it contains the power to control people and could help them finally defeat the Ori. Unfortunately, the Ark is in the Ori’s own home galaxy and the SG-1 team must race against time to retrieve it before the Ori launch an attack on Earth. Stargate SG-1: Continuum brings the return of Major General Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson). In this movie, the SG-1 team attend the execution of Ba’al, the last system lord of the Goa’uld. Carter, Mitchell and Daniel return to a world where time has been altered and the Stargate program doesn’t exist. As they try to reason with the authorities, a Goa’uld fleet arrives in orbit and SG-1 must try to restore history before the earth is enslaved. This double pack is also released on Blu-Ray and features two discs of sci-fi action.
Taggart, Set One — Detectives Burke (Alex Norton), Ross (John Mitchie), Reid (Blythe Duff), and Fraser (Colin McRedie) follow in the footsteps of the original Chief Inspector Taggart (the late Mark McManus) as they seek to clean up Glasgow’s crime-laden streets. With twists galore and plenty of dark humour to accompany the gritty mysteries, this DVD release has seven episodes on three discs.
Wildfire, Season Three — This family drama follows the story of Kris Furillo (Geneveieve Cortese), an ex-juvenile detainee who finds her life turned around when she gets a job on the Ritter family ranch. Working with the horses, Kris finds her calling — especially in working with a horse called Wildfire. She’s still haunted by her past and struggles to fit in with the ranch’s social dynamics as she catches the eye of both the ranch owners’ teenage boys. This DVD release features all thirteen episodes of the show, spread across four discs. The season set has a running time of 780 minutes and includes commentaries from the cast and crew.