TV Tip Sheet

TV Debuts Sure To Amuse: The TV train keeps chugging along, bringing shows of recent and older vintage to all good couch potatoes...

Good Knight: In 2008, NBC went in for a reboot of the 1980s’ most popular action shows, and the resulting Knight Rider: Season 1 starred Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur, the estranged son of Michael Knight, who now uses a second-generation version of the talking supercar KITT (here voiced by Val Kilmer) to fight crime. The series co-starred Bruce Davison as the scientist who created both iterations of KITT, and Deanna Russo as Davison’s daughter / Breuning’s romantic interest. The show’s entire run of 18 episodes are presented on four discs in this souped-up set loaded with extras.

Zwick Changes: The creation of Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, and a critical favorite over the course of its 1987-1991 run on ABC, thirtysomething: The Complete First Season centered on the family lives of a group of Philadelphia professionals as they struggle with their problems, romances, health and future. A top-notch ensemble cast that includes Mel Harris, Patricia Wettig, Ken Olin, Timothy Busfield, Polly Draper, Peter Horton and Melanie Mayron bring the characters from the series vividly to life in this 21-episode, six-disc set.

Simon Says: Simon Baker won lots of new fans for his part in The Mentalist: The Complete First Season, in which he plays Patrick Jane, an ex-celebrity psychic who loves to cut to the chase and uses his non-supernatural but nonetheless effective people-reading skills to help police with difficult-to-solve crimes in California, and hopefully gain a lead on the cunning serial killer that murdered his family. Robin Tunney and Tim Kang also star in this suspenser that has really drawn a huge following since debuting on CBS in 2008. 23 episodes will be collected on six discs.

My Old School: The 2008 CW series 90210: The First Season revisits the zip code made famous in Beverly Hills: 90210, the hit Aaron Spelling / Darren Star Fox series of the ‘90s. Here, West Beverly High grad Rob Estes moves back to L.A. from Kansas with wife Lori Loughlin and their teenage kids (Shenae Grimes, Tristan Wilds), who find themselves faced with all kinds of culture shock. Taking the job of principal at his alma mater, Estes has to take on the responsibility of his alcoholic mother (Jessica Walter) as well. Old-school 90210 regs Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling make appearances in the show, presented on six discs.

You Don’t Mess Around With Tim: A crackerjack thriller that started on TNT in 2008, Leverage: The First Season stars Oscar-winner Timothy Hutton as a former insurance investigator who corrals a group of expert con artists and thieves to aid the little guys and gals of the world when they’re backed against the wall by big business and/or big government. Christian Kane, Gina Bellman, Aldis Hodge and Beth Riesgraf also star as Hutton’s operatives in this exciting suspense series loaded with action and surprises, offered on four discs containing 13 episodes.

Brave, Courageous and Bold: One of the best-remembered TV westerns of all-time, The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp: Season 1 starred Hugh O’Brian as the legendary western lawman who wielded a Buntline Special to keep justice. The ABC show, which ran from 1955 to 1961, also starred Alan Dinehart III as Bat Masterson and Douglas Fowley as Doc Holliday. The five- disc set includes 33 episodes.

Z Man: One of the most requested series at Movies Unlimited is finally riding out of the night, and striking twice! Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro: The Complete First Season and Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro: The Complete Second Season, representing the series’ 1957-1959 ABC run, feature Lost In Space’s Guy Williams as Don Diego de la Vega, who led a double life as the legendary masked swordfight specialist who fought against the corrupt powerbrokers of 1800s Southern California. Henry Calvin, Gene Sheldon and George J. Lewis co-star in these swashbuckling six-disc sets. Fairbanks, Power, Banderas et al. had their moments, but when it comes to the quintessential incarnation of the black-cloaked hero, Williams is the Guy for Boomers.

Lies My Doctors Told Me: The hit 2009 Fox series Lie To Me: Season One stars character actor great Tim Roth as Dr. Carl Lightman, an expert psychologist-consultant who applies his skill in detecting people’s body language in order to help law enforcement officials nail down puzzling cases. Kelli Williams, Monica Raymund and Brendan Hines also star in this top-notch suspenser, offered in a four-disc, 13-episode package.

Movies And Minis, Oh My: We’ve received many, many request letters on the following, and now these demanded TV movies and miniseries are on their way to DVD.

Mistral’s Daughter (1984): Based on Judith Krantz’s best seller, this soaper surveys several decades in the lives of an artist and a model and touches on such subjects as the Holocaust, loyalty, wealth, social and political status, romance and more. Stefanie Powers, Stacy Keach, Lee Remick, Robert Urich, and Timothy Dalton star.

Grey Gardens (2009): After being immortalized in the Maysles documentary and on the Broadway stage, two eccentric relatives of Jackie Kennedy—Big Edie (Jessica Lange) and Little Edie (Drew Barrymore)—are once again brought back to life for this HBO film. This odd and affecting saga shows how these women went from high society types to recluses living in their decaying East Hampton, New York estate.

Prison Break: The Final Break (2009): The featurized spin-off of the 2005-2009 Fox actioner, made to tie up various loose ends and taking place before the climactic scene from the series finale. Escapee Michael Schofield (Wentworth Miller) has to spring his pregnant girlfriend Sara (Sarah Wayne Callies) after she’s mistakenly sentenced to a lengthy stint in the slammer.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game: Following the successful run of The Lucy Show, America’s favorite redhead started the sitcom silliness afresh with the 1968-1974 run of Here’s Lucy on CBS. Lucille Ball’s third chortle-filled series vehicle featured her as Lucy Carter, a widow with two teenage kids (real-life offspring Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr.) and a penchant for causing calamity at the temp agency run by her brother-in-law (Gale “Mr. Mooney” Gordon, continuing as her foil). Guest stars abounded, and the first season included Wayne Newton, Carol Burnett, Jack Benny, and Van Johnson. The four-disc set Here’s Lucy: Season One includes lots of extras, including home movies.

Fringe Benefits: Bowing on Fox in 2008, Fringe: The Complete First Season is from J.J. Abrams, the man behind the new Star Trek movie, Lost, Cloverfield and Alias. In this intriguing series, a Boston-based FBI unit is tracking bizarre scientific occurrences across the globe, and three of its operatives—a special agent (Anna Torv), a scientist (John Noble) and his roguish son (Joshua Jackson)—collaborate on trying to isolate the existence of an uncanny and world-threatening connection between these events. The extras-package collection features 20 episodes of the critically acclaimed series.

Get Your Motor Runnin’: Sons Of Anarchy: Season 1 is an edgy and exciting saga centered around a motorcycle gang in Northern California. Charlie Hunnam plays the second-in-command of the band of cyclists, who brings a conscience to the group, while his stepfather-gangleader (Ron Perlman) and mother (Katey Sagal) have a tendency to take the club’s activities into the ornery. There’s mayhem, violence, and family drama to behold in the 2008 F/X series, presented in a three-disc, 13-episode set.

South California Here We Come: Spun off from the Oscar-winning film, the 2008 Starz series Crash: Season 1 takes an unflinching look at racial tensions in and around Los Angeles. The ensemble cast is led by Dennis Hopper, who plays an unpredictable music producer. The other actors whose lives intersect are played by D.B. Sweeney, Michael Fairman and Arlene Tur, while Paul Haggis, the writer-director of the film, is one of the show’s executive producers. All 13 episodes are available here on 4 discs.

They Could Be Heroes…Just For One Year: A rousing 2008 adventure from ABC Family based on a series of graphic novels, The Middleman: The Complete Series tells of an intelligence agency operative (Matt Keeslar) who recruits a struggling commercial artist (Natalie Morales) to act as his apprentice in defending the Earth against a slew of unusual threats which include zombies, aliens and evil Mexican wrestlers. The four-disc, 12–episode set includes deleted and extended scenes, gag reels and more.

Chat Whine: Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders stars in the 2007 BBC Britcom The Life And Times Of Vivienne Vyle, playing an irreverent talk show host who is difficult on her guests. Saunders’ antics make her the center of England’s most-discussed show, thanks to her honesty and no-holds-barred style. Miranda Richardson co-stars as Vivienne’s grasping producer. All six episodes are featured on this release, along with a documentary.

Standing Pat: Despite his much-publicized health problems, Patrick Swayze turns in a sturdy performance as an unorthodox FBI agent in the 2009 A&E series The Beast: Season One. Swayze’s new partner (Travis Fimmel) is soon indoctrinated into his psychological approach to crime-solving, but Swayze is not aware that his new compadre has another motive in teaming with him. The three-disc set offers almost ten hours of action.

That Was The Week That Was: Inspired by a hit British sitcom, Worst Week: The Complete Series is a two-disc compendium of the show that centers around a really bad week in the life of entertainment magazine editor Kyle Bornheimer and girlfriend Erinn Hayes, who have to tell her conservative, overly protective parents (Kurtwood Smith, Nancy Lenehan) that they are going to get married and that Hayes is pregnant. Nothing goes as planned as laughs abound in this 2008-2009 CBS series.

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