LI Reviews is proud to be giving away One of Five Copies of STAR TREK® The Original Series: Season Three Remastered on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of November 29, 2008, which means you have until November 28, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Product Description:
Follow the voyages of the original Starship Enterprise as its five-year mission to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and civilizations and boldly go where no man has gone before concludes with the third and final chapter, STAR TREK® The Original Series: Season Three Remastered, arriving as a seven-disc DVD set on November 18th from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment.

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Sure to be one of the most popular TV on DVD options this holiday is Family Guy Volume 6. This awesome set, which includes the 100th episode of Family Guy was released on October 21, 2008. You can pick this up at most stores that sell DVDs. If you are shopping online you can pick it up at Amazon for $25.99.

Launched as an animated version of THE HONEYMOONERS, Hanna-Barbera’s cartoon classic THE FLINTSTONES is family entertainment at its finest. From the town of Bedrock, modern Stone-Age couple Fred and Wilma Flintstone and their goofy best-friend neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble comically trudge through prehistoric daily lives populated by animals-cum-household-appliances with refreshingly sophisticated zaniness and humor. Meanwhile, the Flintstones’ affectionate pet dinosaur, Dino, and daughter, Pebbles–not to mention the Rubbles’ club-wielding infant Bamm Bamm–cause plenty of havoc in a prehistoric world that’s seen through a 1960s lens. This collection includes all 166 episodes of the animated sitcom’s six seasons. Yabba dabba doo!

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TV Show Info:
Writer: Donick Cary, Adam Del Rio, Jeffrey Poliquin
Director: Donick Cary
Cast: Donick Cary, Martha Cary, Chris Parson, Dave B. Mitchell, Iggy Pop, Kari Wahlgren
Studio: Comedy Central

Release Info:
Original Air Dates:June 13, 2007 - Present
Season Air Dates: 3/12/2008 – 5/15/2008
DVD Box Set Release Date: October 14, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99
Episodes: All 16 episodes from the second season

I am not a big Comedy Central watcher unless we are talking about the animated series. The animated series are where it’s at. I rarely miss Lil Bush and I always make a point to watch South Park, especially the new episodes. I think the thing that I like most about Lil Bush is the entire idea of making fun of Bush. Maybe it’s that the real Bush acts about as old as his character or that all of the personalities, though meant to be comical, are pretty spot on.

Lil Bush lives in the White House with his parents, George H.W. (the president), Barbara, and his retarded brother with the incredibly strong head, Jeb. When he’s not spending time with the family he is with his friends the Lil Cronies. The Lil Cronies include Lil Condie, the obsessed George lover that has to deal with George loving someone chubbier than her (Lil Laura), Lil Rummy, the fall guy who always ends up taking the blame for everything the kids do, and Lil Chaney, the incredibly angry and bloodthirsty crony that can’t manage to speak more than a mumble (ra ra ra) and an occasional word.

When the Lil Cronies aren’t out trying to destroy the world they are messing with the Lil Dems. Lil Bill and Lil Hilary are always amusing. Lil Bill is often seen getting in trouble with Lil Hilary for spending time with the Lil Lewinsky Twins. There’s also Lil Al Gore, Lil Obama, Lil Kerry, Lil Putin, and a whole slew of other Lil non-Cronies, Dem or not. In the end, it’s always the Cronies against the world though and in Lil Bush’s quest to “become a decider” the world can become a very dangerous place!

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Movie Info:
Cast: Lewis Black, Andrew Daly, Patton Oswald, Paul Tompkins, Andy Kindler, Greg Giraldo, Kathleen Madigan
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Comedy Central

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 30, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

The idea behind Root of all Evil is simple. Two comics face off in a hilarious style of debate with two topics that are either incredibly random or incredibly unimportant. It doesn’t seem to matter if they are important or not because they are completely hilarious. There is just something funny about having two comedians face off in a debate about Kim Jong II and Tila Tequila. That might seem easy to answer for you (Kim Jong II, right?), but there are some more difficult choices included such as Weed vs. Beer (really, who can choose?).

Most of the episodes are more random than anything. For instance, Donald Trump vs. Viagra is one of the episodes that come to mind. I don’t know about you, but I would vote erections over comb-overs any day, but it’s still funny to hear these options fought out.

These episodes are all from the first season. It appears that the random nature of most of the episodes in the first season is seen as a downfall. Apparently, the second season is going to try and be more structured and make a little more sense in regards to the topics that are chosen.

The only major problem I noticed was the length of the show. If there was just one comedian discussing two ideas for 30 minutes with commercials it might not seem so bad. However, removing commercials brings the show to about 23 minutes and that’s not a lot of time for a show that has a structure (opening statements, time to debate, etc) and two people debating. Of course, looking at it from another angle, if it sucked, I probably would have said it was too long.

The episodes included in this set are:

Weed vs. Beer
YouTube vs. Porn
Las Vegas vs. The Human Body
American Idol vs. High School
Donald Trump vs. Viagra
Kim Jong II vs. Tila Tequila
Oprah vs. Catholic Church
Paris Hilton vs. Dick Cheney

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Movie Info:
Writer: Doug Berman, Ray Magliozzi, Tom Magliozzi, Doug Mayer, Tom Minton
Director: Tom Sito
Cast: Ray Magliozzi, Tom Magliozzi, Cornell Womack, Paul Christie, Juan Hernandez, Manu Narayan, Kelli O’Hara
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 30, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

Having an animated comedy on PBS may seem a bit like an oxymoron to some. By and large PBS is not really a funny station. If I want a laugh it’s generally not the place that I go to when I am in need of a laugh. In fact, this is not really a show that I am familiar with. When I received Click and Clack: As the Wrench Turns in the mail I had absolutely no idea what it was. I had never heard of it.

After watching it I have to say that the potential is there, but this show is far from what it could be, which will make a lot of people toss it to the side without a second glance. If this was all the show ever had to offer I have to say that I wouldn’t blame them either.

Click and Clack: As the Wrench Turns is based on NPR’s Car Talk with the Tappet Brothers. I have never heard this show, but I do know that it is an advice-based show that is filled with humor. If you want the humor from this show you should continue to enjoy Car Talk and not venture over to PBS and Click and Clack: As the Wrench Turns . The humor should be here, but it isn’t. The jokes are weak and the timing is bad. At best this will be a better option for kids. For adults, it feels like it has been dumbed down and that’s always a harder pill to swallow when you’re watching something that isn’t that good to begin with.

This isn’t going to be a show that adults embrace. They may like the fact that kids like it or that it’s otherwise harmless in the scheme of things. They won’t want to watch it though unless the issues are worked out to make it worth watching. In its current state the animation is crude, which doesn’t bother me in the least. What does bother me is that the writing is subpar and while the potential is so close you can taste it, there are no results appearing at all. Click and Clack: As the Wrench Turns is the show that could be good, but isn’t.

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TV Show Info:
Creators: Trey Stone, Matt Parker
Cast: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes, Mona Marshall, Adrien Beard
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount & Comedy Central

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: August 13, 1997-Present
Season Air Dates: 2001-2008
DVD Box Set Release Date: October 7, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99
Episodes: Random Episodes from Seasons Five, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve

I’ve been watching South Park since day one. I was a teenager back then. It was one of those shows your parents didn’t really want you to watch, but you didn’t care. At least, that’s how it was in my house. It’s hard not to like South Park. It’s crude, vulgar and offensive in every single way. We, as people, are not PC. Sure, we try to put on a valiant front, but every person has said something potentially bigoted in their life. South Park takes these taboo things and makes them the main emphasis of the story, even somewhat lesson learning for the four young boys who are the main protagonists of the show.

As far as longevity goes, South Park has capitalized on something that only a few other cartoons, such as The Simpsons, have done. Each episode of South Park is relevant to the time in which it was created. Matt and Trey have successfully used pop culture to keep South Park fresh and flavorful. Sure, there have been a few cruddy episodes, here and there, but overall, while in its 12th season, South Park still manages to be going strong with no signs of stopping.

The distinct personalities of the four boys, Stan Marsh (Trey Parker), Eric Cartman (Trey Parker), Kyle Broflovski (Matt Stone) and Kenny McCormick (Matt Stone) are what makes South Park so special and enjoyable. Kyle is the Jew that Cartman likes to pick on, as well as Stan’s best friend. Stan’s from your typical (ok, maybe not - Randy (his dad), is nuts!) American family. Kenny is the poor kid. Cartman is the fat kid, raised by a single mother, and most obviously, the bigot. Sometimes the boys are joined by Leopold “Butters” Stotz (Matt), in place of Kenny. Butters is the best character on the show, next to Cartman. It’s hard to describe him, but he’s definitely the most lovable (excluding his “What, What in the Butt” moment).

So, it’s about time the creators of South Park brought out a DVD dedicated to one of the show’s best characters, Eric Cartman. Now, if only they’d release the best of Butters, I’d be ecstatic. Until then, The Cult of Cartman - Revelations is more than enough to entertain me and remind me of all of the awesome (though some are particularly disturbing) moments that Cartman has had on the show.

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TV Show Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast:Annette O’Toole, Kristin Kreuk, Allison Mack, Erica Durance, Laura Vandervoort, Michael Rosenbaum, Tom Welling, John Glover, Aaron Ashmore
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: WB

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: October 16-present
DVD Box Set Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $37.99

I like Superman. When I was a kid I had Superman pajamas, underoos, and wanted nothing more than to become a reporter by day and a superhero by night. I wanted to have the hot chick at my side in either form, even if she wasn’t truly smart enough to see that tights don’t make a man unrecognizable. Alas, the superhero life was not in the cards for me.

After reading all the comics that I could get my hands on and watching all of the Superman movies, I’ve learned to be a bit more discriminatory about how this superhero is portrayed. I wasn’t a big fan of Lois and Clark, as popular as it was, and I think that is one of the things that kept me away from Smallville.

The concept, I will admit, is interesting. I like the idea of looking into Superman/Clark Kent’s life when he is a youth. So far, I have found nothing wrong with this concept. However, the whole secret identity feels blown, which wouldn’t work at all. The writing takes a lot of creative allowances and in the end there is no acting good enough to make it feel like the show it should feel like.

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TV Show Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Danneel Harris, Lee Norris, Moira Kelly, Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, Barbara Alyn Woods, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Barry Corbin, Chad Michael Murray, Paul Johansson, James Lafferty, Antwon Tanner
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 2003-present
DVD Box Set Release Date: August 26, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $38.99

The choice to review One Tree Hill was partly because someone needed to do it and partly because it was something new and I was feeling adventurous. Alright, I admit it. I also lost a coin toss. I wasn’t expecting to like One Tree Hill for a number of reasons. With the exception of Moira Kelly and a few others, the majority of talent on the show has not been in anything worthwhile. Sure, some are just starting out, but others have been in plenty of things, most of it unknown.

One thing I was excited about seeing was Kevin Federline, as he is a legend in his own right, and other than in Britney videos I have never seen him act. Besides, who would classify a Britney video as dancing anyway? I was surprised to find that this show really isn’t all that bad. Thanks to the switch from high school grads to college grads over a season break, it really wasn’t that hard to pick up who was who and what was what. In a sense, it was like starting things over for the first time with new goals.

The show may have new actors, but the writing is done well and the acting is handled with strength for the most part. I appreciated the growth that the characters went through rather than remaining stagnant and stuck in the same problems throughout the season. Instead, the characters took the time to learn who they are and what they want from life. For some, that means they want a baby and for others it may mean something else. Either way, One Tree Hill is handled with more grace than I expected.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T.R. Knight, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Sara Ramirez, Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh, Brooke Smith, Elizabeth Reaser
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: March 27, 2005 – present
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $36.99

In recent years television has just continued to get better and better. There was a time when I barely watched television and now it seems that I cannot get enough. My DVR has a full schedule each week and on some nights its working overtime. I don’t often have time to watch television when it appears and I am somewhat thankful for that because I don’t know how I would schedule all of the shows that I watch. I definitely don’t know which shows I would pick to watch, when they were scheduled, and which to put off for another time with the DVR.

Grey’s Anatomy is one of the shows that I never miss. I have been watching it since the beginning and it never seems to get boring. This was an especially exciting season thanks to the inclusion of Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) half sister and Meredith and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) breaking and making up. I have always watched the medical dramas, I was a big fan of ER for over a decade, and I am keeping my eye on new options such as Private Practice.

The writing on the show is solid, the characters are real and multilayered, and the acting is top notch. The storylines have a way of sucking you in. I have had friends come over to watch Grey’s that were new to the show and would leave afterwards, unable to wait for next week’s episode. I think one of the main reasons for that is that people can relate to the characters.

Everyone has had an Izzie (Katherine Heigl) moment where they mean well, but things don’t work out the way they want or a George (TR Knight) moment where they make the wrong decisions for the right reasons. People want to be able to hang with McSteamy (Eric Dane) and have a beer with him. The cast just has a way of making you feel at home. This leads to high ratings and some highly addicted fans.

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