The best TV on DVD (Part One)
How to deal with the writer's strike
BLOG: MyTube - Three shows worth their weight in gift cards
By Laura Reineke, Blogs Editor
January 30, 2008 | 12:18 a.m.
I like TV shows on DVD…kind of a lot. It’s an obsession interest that began with the purchase of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season one back in my middle school days. Since then, it has since turned into what can be classified as either a hobby or an addiction.
I have amassed nearly 40 seasons of various TV shows on DVD and, to reinforce the “geek” label even further, I have watched the majority of them more than twice straight through. What can I say? I really enjoy quality television and I especially enjoy having the ability to watch full 22-episode seasons at my leisure without commercial breaks.
Do not let the writer’s strike fool you; this is an awesome month for TV, and I am not talking about the amusing, but ultimately unsatisfactory “American Idol” and all those “Top Model” marathons. There are dozens of thoroughly engaging shows available now on DVD that are worth every penny of that Best Buy gift card. Not to mention every hour between classes you would otherwise spend watching reruns of “Will & Grace.”
Here is the first part of my long list of recommendations for gifts that keep on giving, on DVD:
THE WIRE, Seasons 1-4 (HBO)- Like most of my favorite shows, I bought the first season of this HBO crime drama based solely on its overwhelming critical praise, and I was definitely not disappointed. “The Wire,” a foray into corruption set on the drug-filled streets of Baltimore, is so much more and so much better than the standard cops-and-robbers formula show. The show’s genius is especially apparent in the complexity of its script and the depth of its characters; nothing is black or white, and no one is who they seem.
The only downside to buying the first season is that you will eventually have to spend the money for the following three. The fifth and final season of “The Wire” is currently airing Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO.
EXTRAS, Seasons 1-2 (BBC)- If it is from the minds behind “The Office,” it has to be good, right? This British import and recent Golden Globe winner details the sorry life of “a man with small parts,” or a man with dreams of stardom who is forced to work as a background extra for movies. Filled with brilliant celebrity cameos (including Kate Winslet, Patrick Stewart, Orlando Bloom and Daniel Radcliffe), this show is altogether hilarious and heartbreaking as it details the truth behind the phrase “be careful what you wish for.”
WONDERFALLS, Complete Series (FOX)- “Pushing Daisies” may seem totally unique, but it’s irresistible mixture of unconventional plot, cute-as-a-button characters and sharp dialogue was first tested in the form of “Wonderfalls.” This dramedy is about an un-enthusiastic college grad who begins to hear the voices of inanimate objects. The questionable premise was executed perfectly by a phenomenal cast, which includes Caroline Dhavernas (kind of a Canadian Kristin Bell) as the lead and Lee Pace, the Pie-maker himself, as her older brother. Only four episodes of this superb series aired, but the entire run is preserved for your viewing pleasure on DVD.
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To read more from the mind of Laura Reineke, check out her main blog, OH HONESTLY, at .