Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents the latest adventures of Ralph Wiggum and all of Springfield’s finest when “The Simpsons” The Complete Thirteenth Season arrives on Blu-ray and DVD August 24. In addition and for the first time ever, fans will be able to purchase the molded head DVD more than a month early at the Fox Booth #4313 at San Diego Comic-Con International between July 22 and July 25. As an added bonus, they will also receive a collectible limited edition lithograph as a gift-with-purchase.

The longest running comedy, animated series and prime-time entertainment in television history,
“The Simpsons” has taken home the Emmy® for Outstanding Animated Program 10 times during its remarkable run. The hilarious thirteenth season features 22 episodes including two noteworthy standouts: the Simpsons’ trip to Brazil in “Blame It On Lisa” and Homer’s foray into medicinal marijuana in “Weekend at Burnsie’s.” Once again, a talented line-up of guest stars lend their voices including Ben Stiller, Reese Witherspoon, Richard Gere, Pierce Brosnan, Matthew Perry, R.E.M. and the legendary Paul Newman.

“The Simpsons” immediately struck a chord with viewers across the country as it poked fun of itself and everything in its wake. With its subversive humor and delightful wit, the series has made an indelible imprint on American pop culture, and the family members have become television icons.

“The Simpsons” The Complete Thirteenth Season is packed with special features including deleted scenes, audio commentaries on every episode, featurettes, storyboards, animatics, easter eggs and much more. The Blu-ray release also includes specially created menus with additional animation that does not appear on the DVD. The set comes in collectible packaging modeled after Springfield’s “special” child, Ralph Wiggum. The Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $59.99 U.S./$89.99 Canada and $49.98 U.S./$69.98 Canada respectively.

All 22 Episodes:
Treehouse of Horror XII
The Parent Rap
Homer the Moe
A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love
The Blunder Years
She of Little Faith
Brawl in the Family
Sweets and Sour Marge
Jaws Wired Shut
Half-Decent Proposal

The Bart Wants What it Wants
The Latest Gun in the West
The Old Man and the Key
Tales from the Public Domain
Blame It On Lisa
Weekend at Burnsie’s
Gump Roast
I Am Furious Yellow
The Sweetest Apu
Little Girl in the Big Ten
The Frying Game
Poppa’s Got a Brand New Badge

Special Features:
Audio commentaries on every episode featuring executive producers, writers, directors, cast and notable guest stars on select episodes including Stan Lee, Joe Mantegna, Delroy Lindo, Robert Pinsky and others.
Deleted scenes

Special Featurettes:
- A Token from Matt Groening
- Ralphisms
- The People Ball
- The 13th Crewman
- Blame It On The Monkeys
- The Games
- The Sweet Life of Ralph

Animation Showcases for eps. The Parent Rap and Sweet & Sour Marge
- Animatic with episode PIP
- Storyboard with episode PIP
Sketch Galleries
Commercials
Special Language Feature
Easter Eggs

“THE SIMPSONS” THE COMPLETE THIRTEENTH SEASON
Street Date: August 24, 2010
Screen Format: Full Screen
Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio (BD) / English 5.1 Dolby Surround (DVD)
Subtitles: English / Spanish (BD / DVD)
Total Run Time: 484 minutes

Technorati Tags: The Simpsons, The Complete 13th Season, TV on DVD, Homer Simpson, Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson, Fox Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Episodes Original Air Date: October 14, 2009-March 3, 2010
DVD Release Date: June 8, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $39.99

The last time that I reviewed a season of Nip/Tuck it was for the Season Four box set. That was the first time I had ever seen the show. I loved it back then and since then, I haven’t watched it as much as I should have, but I have managed to catch the occasional episode. Still, I have a fondness for this show. I have admired the gossip from across the room without ever gaining a real attachment because I don’t watch the show enough. Even though I’m only an occasional fan, at this point, it was still a bittersweet moment to hear that the show would be ending. I suppose it’s better to go while the gettin’s good, but I am sure that fans will still miss this.

If you’re like me and you haven’t watched enough episodes to form an attachment you should check the show out. It’s filled with guest stars (everyone from Mario Lopez and Rosie O’Donnell to Vanessa Redgrave and Sharon Gless). The series is about a pair of guys that are plastic surgeons and the practice that they run together. The show dictates their daily lives, relationships, and the clients that they encounter at McNamara/Troy. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) have been friends since medical school and their relationship has had its share of ups and downs, as has their business. Sometimes plastic surgery isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, which is obvious when you see the types of patients they often encounter.

This season is like many of the others, from what I can imagine. You will encounter crazed patients, illegal activity, loads of plastic surgery, suicide, infidelity, marriage, divorce, and as much drama as one show can handle. Nip/Tuck: The Sixth and Final Season might not end up being the best season in the history of the show, but it’s certainly an effective end to a great show.

Nip/Tuck: Sixth and Final Season Episode Synopsis’
Here is a synopsis of the final episodes of Nip/Tuck.

“Don Hoberman” Aired: October 14, 2009 – Even though Sean is enjoying the relationship forming with Teddy (Rose McGowan) he can’t manage to find sleep. When Liz learns that Christian is not dying from terminal cancer the divorce proceedings involve her wanting half of everything. Kimber feels that she should become the on-site esthetician, since she went through those night school electrolysis classes. Due to depleting funds, Sean and Christian turn to the enemy (of sorts) and strike a deal. The deal involves Mike (Mario Lopez) using the surgical suites for a 10% fee and bringing in new business for the practice. Interestingly enough, some of the new business includes women looking for vaginal rejuvenation surgery.

“Enigma” Aired: October 21, 2009 – Teddy decides to end the engagement because she can no longer stand the addiction to sleeping pills, which causes Sean to overdose. In an insomnia-induced stupor, Sean heads out on the town and meets a junkie that loves to see other people get injured. Christian and Kimber get together with the plan of making a sex toy line molded out of Christian’s penis because they both need cash. Two parents come into the practice hoping that the doctors can help them with their son, who has satanic words and images plastered all over his head.

“Briggitte Reinhart” Aired: October 28, 2009 – Sean and Teddy do an about face and announce that they are no longer broken up and instead that they have eloped. Mike goes to Christian asking about the best ways to sexually please Kimber. Meanwhile, Christian’s plans to stop what has already started don’t work out as well as he plans. Briggitte Reinhold, a socialite, visits the practice for her second annual visit and wants to have leeches put on her face because she believes it will speed up the recovery time. A transvestite inquires about having a mask made that he can wear in public that will hide his identity.

“Jenny Juggs” Aired: November 4, 2009 – Christian attempts to help a woman that has enormous breasts (natural ones, at that), but her anger management issues may prove to be a major problem. Sean and Christian hear about “The Mime Bandit” and begin to wonder if Matt has some business going on that he shouldn’t be involved in. Teddy decides that she is going to kill Sean, Conor and Annie when they are on a camping trip.

“Abigail Sullivan” Aired: November 11, 2009 – Matt disappears, in hopes of ditching the cops, after his surgery to repair the gunshot he received. Julia returns from New York. Meanwhile, it is learned that Teddy has been murdered. Sean confronts the killer and in the process he manages to find out what Teddy’s real plans were. A pianist comes in because they need their parasitic twin removed from their shoulder. However, when the pianist has her twin removed, she suffers from a sort of separation anxiety.

“Alexis Stone” Aired: November 18, 2009 – Julia’s mom, Erica (Vanessa Redgrave) comes to town with her new husband, Renaldo. While there, she announces that she intends to take Annie and Conor and to care for them on her own. In order to do this, she convinces Matt to testify against his parents. Mike announces that he is engaged to Kimber. Liz wants to make amends with Christian. Meanwhile, after a night at the bar Christian picks up, and sleeps with a woman that used to be a man and wants to become male again.

“Alexis Stone II” Aired: November 25, 2009 – Erica discovers some shocking things about her new husband, which causes her to cool off on the adoption proceedings. Julia plots to make her mother suffer for all of the things that she did to her while she was growing up. A crazed prison inmate wants his cellmate, Matt to receive breast implants. Christian has to make the decision on whether to operate on his son or not. Alex decides that he wants breast implants when he realizes that he is only attracted to straight men.

“Lola Wlodkowski” Aired: December 2, 2009 – A series of events surrounding Kimber and her self-image and a pleasantly plump nudist cause Christian to reevaluate his thoughts on beauty. Meanwhile, Sean sees a couple, Tracy and Skip, who want to have surgery to remove Tracy’s nipples in hopes of becoming more like Ken and Barbie.

“Benny Nilsson” Aired: December 9, 2009 – Sean is shocked to find that his brother, Brendan is in town. Brendan, a drug addict, criminal has come to Sean seeking facial surgery to remove his meth-scarred look, but Sean isn’t so sure that’s the real reason he’s interested in surgery. Christian sees a man that wants his son to have surgery so that he can look more like him, though there are some shocking truths behind the relationship.

“Wesley Clovis” Aired: December 16, 2009 – Sean is stuck with a huge set of dilemmas when he’s offered a chance to set Matt free from prison, permitting Sean gives an obese death row inmate liposuction. When Christian finds out that Kimber is pregnant he orders her to have an abortion or he will leave. In return for the abortion, he offers to marry her if she will do it.

“Dan Daly” Aired: January 6, 2010 – Sean and Christian are planning to accept an award from their alma mater and as they do Sean realizes that he is sick of covering for Christian and the things that he does. Kimber spends her days as an interior decorator and all her free time worrying about her new husband and how faithful he is to her. A patient that has a disorder which causes them to self-mutilate comes in seeking surgery.

“Willow Banks” Aired: January 13, 2010 – Kimber cannot handle the changes in Christian’s appearance or how he treats her. It becomes so bad that she looks to her new client, Sean, for some affection. Christian will not operate on the supermodel that wants surgery in order to look ordinary.

“Joel Seabrook” Aired: January 20, 2010 – Kimber is lost, and has no clue what to do in either of her relationships. Christian, on the other hand, gets a clear head during a moment of auto-erotic asphyxiation. Sean hooks up with his old friend Dr. Ryerson and makes plans for more pro-bono surgeries.

“Sheila Carlton” Aired: January 27, 2010 – Christian looks to Brandy for comfort over her daughter, Kimber’s suicide. Knowing that Christian is in pain, Sean postpones his trip to Africa. When Sean’s friend Curtis is out of the country, Sean makes his wife feel at home in every way he can think. A woman is operated on after being scarred by a chimpanzee.

“Virginia Hayes” Aired: February 3, 2010 – Christian is played for a sucker when he operates on a small town girl that wants to be a Hollywood beauty, only to discover that the whole thing backfires in more ways than one. Escobar Gallardo’s daughter arrives in town seeking answers about her father from Sean and Christian.

“Dr. Griffin” Aired: February 10, 2010 – Sean and Christian head to therapy in an attempt to fix the problems they have. In the process, both men talk about their true feelings concerning the other one and they let out some deep, long-held secrets. Liz visits a session, as well, so that she can share some thoughts on the relationship. Matt decides what he wants to do with the rest of his life and makes a point to introduce his fiancée to Sean and Christian.

“Christian Troy II” Aired: February 17, 2010 – It looks like the future of the plastic surgery business might be in trouble when injectable procedures begin popping up like wildfire. While Christian is under anesthetic he experiences an alternative, dream-like world where he sees patients that he once worked on, he can come to term with Kimber’s death, and he finally understands Sean’s disappointment.

“Walter & Edith Krieger” Aired: February 24, 2010 – Ava Moore is back and wants to see if she can get surgery on the face of her adopted son. When she finds out about Matt and his upcoming wedding she makes it a point to weasel her way back into his life. When Julia reveals some shocking news, it causes both Sean and Christian to pursue her. When two Holocaust survivors come into the clinic hoping to have their Nazi number tattoos removed, one begins to feel horrible guilt as a result.

“Hiro Yoshimura” Aired: March 3, 2010 – The final episode has Christian bargaining with Ava. As long as she stays away from Matt he will operate on the baby. Both Julia and Liz are overcome by strong emotions concerning Sean; Julia worries about him as she makes plans to leave town and Liz is shocked and thrilled by Sean’s excitement about the baby. Christian takes some time, thanks to Julia and Kimber, to reconsider the relationship that he shares with Sean. An older Japanese porn star hits the clinic in hopes of removing scars before he hits the American porn market.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The quality of these Nip/Tuck DVDs is exactly what you can expect from a current television show. This is pretty similar to the television presentation. You receive the same 1.78:1 aspect ratio. There are not any real issues to make a point of noting here. The quality is near excellent. The colors are rich with especially lavish reds and the detail is crisp. The background images are as strong as the main picture to provide an overall pleasing picture. Fans of the series should not have much, if anything, to complain about in this visual presentation.

The audio for Nip/Tuck is a solid Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track that sounds excellent. There is a good balance in the sound overall. Surround sound obviously isn’t the main feature of any dialogue driven drama, but this one makes good use of it at every possible opportunity. Volume toggling was never a necessity and things were always easy to hear. There really are no complaints to discuss in this audio presentation. English is the only audio option. Subtitles are included in English, French, and Spanish.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There is only one special feature in this set, but honestly that is one more than I was expecting. “Tell Me What You Don’t Like About Yourself: The Psychology Behind Plastic Surgery” lasts for a little over eighteen minutes. The feature includes the input of cast and crew, psychologists and other professionals. The group speaks about their opinions on plastic surgery, what it means to people, and why they go out of their way to jump on the operating table. This is probably the perfect end to the series and it gives people a chance to see that there is more to plastic surgery beyond your classic lipo treatment.

Bonus Features: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I’ve been an occasional Nip/Tuck watcher over the years. While I didn’t always catch it on television, reviewing these DVDs would always re-spark my interest in the show. So, this is kind of a bittersweet ending. It’s good to see the show end before it becomes a Dallas and everyone is aware that it overstayed its welcome. For Nip/Tuck it appears that 100 episodes was the perfect time for it to end. This DVD set is a must have for fans of the show, especially if you own the other seasons. If you don’t, check this out from season one by either buying that set or checking it out on Netflix.

Overall Rating: 4.29 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Plastic Surgery, Nip/Tuck, The Sixth and Final Season, DVD Review, TV on DVD, Drama, McNamara/Troy, Sean McNamara, Dylan Walsh, Christian Troy, Julian McMahon

SPECS: Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby Digital
Language: Dubbed: English / Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen: 1.33:1

BONUS FEATURES: Disc 1:
**Fox-y Lady
**Not All Dogs Go To Heaven
**420
**Stew-Roids
**We Love You Conrad

Disc 2:
**Three Kings
**Peter’s Progress (season finale)
**Road to the Multiverse (season premiere)
**Family Goy
**Spies Reminiscent of Us
**Brian’s Got A Brand New Bag

Disc 3:
**Hannah Banana
**Quagmire’s Baby
**Jerome Is The New Black
**Dog Gone
**Featurette: Road to the Multiverse
**Deleted scenes

**Family Guy Karaoke
*Gotta Give Up the Toad
*Left Foot, Right Foot
*Road to Rhode Island
*Hic-A-Doo-La
*You’™ve Got A Lot to See
*My Fat Baby Loves to Eat
*You Do!
*You and I Are So Awfully Different

*Buy Me A Rainbow
*You Have AIDS
*The FCC Song
*When We Swing
*Shipoopi
*Noble Indian Chief
*(In God’€™s Eyes) Everybody’s Hot
*This Is One Fine Day to Be Nude
*Evil Monkey Song
*My Black Son
*Drunken Irish Dad

*Prom Night Dumpster Baby
*Sodomy
*Me & Jesus
*I Like Farts
*G-chord
*The Handi-quacks Theme Song
*The Pot Song
*The Friendship Song
*It’€™s A Wonderful Day for Pie

Technorati Tags: Family Guy Version 8, DVD, June 15, Upcoming Release, Screenshot, Adult Cartoon, Stewie Griffin, Peter Griffin

BONUS FEATURES: Disc 1: 188 Minutes
**Friends and Family
**Question and Answer
**End Run
**Fearless Leader

Disc 2: 180 Minutes
**Signals and Codes
**The Hunter
**Shots in the Dark
**Friends Like These

Disc 3: 180 Minutes
**Long Way Back
**A Dark Road
**Friendly Fire
**Noble Causes

Disc 4: 190 Minutes
**Dressed to Kill
**Enemies Closer
**Good Intentions
**Devil You Know

STREET DATE: Jun/01/2010

Technorati Tags: Burn Notice, Season Three, Television Show, Fox Home Entertainment, Action, Upcoming Release

Release Info:
Episodes Original Air Date: March 3, 1997-
DVD Release Date: May 11, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $44.99

We love Daria. No, scratch that. we worship her. That sounds so odd, considering she is a cartoon character, but in a way it’s true. It’s not that we worship her in a weird way or anything. We think it’s more that we relate to her. Ash is the sarcastic one in the group. She stands out in the crowd because she always has a comment and while we know plenty of Quinn’s, we don’t think either of us will ever relate to one of them. Furthermore, on many days we think the world would be a better place without them.

Daria is fun because she captures teenage angst so well. All of the teenage characters are representative of one of the cliques or groups that went to any normal school. There is the “mean girl” fashion club, the dense cheerleaders, the idiotic football players, the artsy kids, the geeks, and the list goes on. The parents and teachers are all dysfunctional and easy to laugh at, especially if you’re looking at them through the eyes of an oppressed teenager.

Like most diehard Daria fans, we have been waiting for a set like this for a long time. We are pretty sure that we have seen nearly every episode in the lineup, but since it is one of our most missed shows we needed to have these on DVD. The fact that this review set actually showed up on Ash’s birthday was just icing on the cake! This is all of Daria that was ever made. We’re talking the pilot, all seasons, two movies, and quite a few special features. You even get the spinoff script for Mystik Spiral.

Fans will need to realize that the set is nearly complete in the fact that everything is exactly the same as when it aired on television. The only difference we noticed is that all of the big name music is gone from the episodes. The facts are that if they had tried to license all of the music that was used, these DVDs would not be here. Sure, we would love to have the complete episodes as they once aired on television, but we’re more than understanding about changing the music if it means we finally get Daria whenever we want her.

The important thing is that this is Daria in all the series’ glory. Fans will be able to enjoy all the episodes and the special features in a quality that is more than watchable and that sounds good. Any worries we had about this series quickly melted away when we heard the comforting “La La La La La” of the opening theme song. Fans NEED this set. If you’re not a fan you need to check this out. It won’t take long for you to become one.

Episode Synopsis’
There are five seasons worth of episodes split up in this 8-Disc set. Here is a list of the episodes included, by season.

SEASON ONE

“Esteemsters”
Original Air Date: March 3, 1997
The Morgendorffer family moves away from Highland (and leave behind Highland High – the school of Beavis and Butthead) to the city of Lawndale. Daria and her younger sister, Quinn, are enrolled at Lawndale High. While Quinn quickly becomes popular, and a member of a clique known as the Fashion Club, Daria remains an outcast, finding solace only in the knowledge that there is another, cynical teen like her in Lawndale. Daria meets Jane Lane, a sarcastic artist when she’s forced to go to Mr. O’Neill’s self-esteem class, and thus begins a beautiful friendship.

“The Invitation”
Original Air Date: March 10, 1997
Brainless cheerleader, Brittany, invites Daria to her party after Daria helps her out in Art class, much to Quinn’s chagrin. Jane decides to go with her, and the two are followed around by Upchuck.

“College Bored”
Original Air Date: March 17, 1997
The students of Lawndale High are expected to visit a college they want to attend. Jake and Helen convince Daria and Quinn to visit their alma mater, Middleton College. While there, Jake realizes he’s old, Daria gets a job writing papers for college students, and Quinn becomes the keg queen.

“Café Disaffecto”
Original Air Date: March 24, 1997
When the Lawndale Cyber Cafe is the victim of a burglary, Mr. O’Neill has his students go door to door selling things to bring the cafe back. Daria gets in trouble for refusing to sell chocolates to a very fat woman and Quinn excels at door to door selling.

“Malled”
Original Air Date: March 31, 1997
Jake and Helen forbid Daria and Quinn from going to the new Mall of the Millennium. Daria must break this rule for a class field trip to the mall, where Daria and her peers learn about economics. There, Daria finds Quinn and the rest of the Fashion Club skipping school.

“This Year’s Model”
Original Air Date: April 7, 1997
Daria is not fooled by a modeling agency that comes to Lawndale High to prey on the young girls who wish to be models. Quinn and Brittany both vie for a chance to be models, but in the end, they pick Kevin Thompson, head QB, and Brittany’s dumb boyfriend.

“The Lab Brat”
Original Air Date: April 14, 1997
Ms. Barch, a feminist science teacher who loves to bash males, pairs Kevin and Daria and Brittany and Upchuck together for their science experiments. Kevin is more interested in watching sports at the Morgendorffers. Jealous by how enthused Kevin is to go to Daria’s house, Brittany becomes suspicious of Kevin’s relationship with Daria.

“Pinch Sitter”
Original Air Date: June 9, 1997
When Quinn double books a babysitting job and a date, she goes to Daria for assistance. Daria accepts cash to babysit two children whose parents shelter them and are so conservative they cannot watch television. This drives Daria crazy until Jane comes over to help her.

“Too Cute”
Original Air Date: June 16, 1997
After another Lawndale student gets a nose job and becomes popular, Quinn decides she needs plastic surgery, too. Ms. Barch has Kevin dress up in ugly makeup and clothing to discover how people react to ugliness.

“The Big House”
Original Air Date: June 30, 1997
Both Daria and Quinn are late coming home and break their curfew. To punish them Helen and Jake decide to have a family court in the living room with Jake as the judge. Judge Jake decides to ground the two at a time when Daria needs to get out to go watch Mr. DeMartino take on Rock N Roll DJs in roller hockey. DeMartino had a heart attack on the court during the last roller hockey game and students are betting on when he’ll have the next one.

“Road Worrier”
Original Air Date: July 7, 1997
The boys of Mystik Spiral, Trent and Jessie, take Jane and Daria in a beat up van to Alternapalooza. Unfortunately, Daria, who has a crush on Trent, is embarrassed when she sits on an old Peanut Butter sandwich, gets stung by a bee, and has to pee in bushes on the side of the road. Quinn and the Fashion Club are going to the festival, too, but they get sidetracked by outlet shopping.

“The Teachings of Don Jake”
Original Air Date: July 14, 1997
Jake is so stressed about everything. He ends up bursting a blood vessel in his eye. The doctor recommends he find a way to relax, so he takes the family out in the woods camping. When Jake, Helen and Quinn eat bad berries, it’s up to Daria to save the day. In the meantime, Jane and Trent head off to a dysfunctional family reunion.

“The Misery Chick”
Original Air Date: July 21, 1997
When former Lawndale High football hero, Tommy Sherman, is being honored with a special breaking goal post, he shows up at school acting like a jerk to everyone. When he dies in a fluke accident after Daria wishes him ill will, Jane stops hanging out with her. Everyone else turns to Daria, “The Misery Chick” for advice, especially Kevin who saw Tommy as a hero.

SEASON TWO

“Arts ‘N’ Crass”
Original Air Date: February 16, 1998
Daria must explain Jane’s poster, which features a beautiful girl with a message discussing her bulimia. Ms. Li and Mr. O’Neill want to enter it in a competition, but they want to change the message on it. When both girls refuse, Ms. Li forces them to change it. Jake is upset he lost a client and searches for a new one fervently.

“The Daria Hunter”
Original Air Date: February 23, 1998
Lawndale High’s latest field trip is to a paintball park. Quinn accidentally breaks the Fashion Club’s rule to not shoot one another. Daria and Jane escape the park and go to see an exhibit on great white sharks. Helen and Jake go as chaperones. Jake gets drunk with Mr DeMartino, Mr. O’Neill finds a love connection with excessively feminist Ms. Barch and Ms. Li has it out with Helen over Daria.

“Quinn the Brain”
Original Air Date: March 2, 1998
When Quinn gets a good grade on an English paper she wrote, it goes to her head. Now deemed a brain, people go to Quinn for advice on how to be smart. With Quinn the new genius, Daria, the truly smart one, gets left in the dust.

“I Don’t”
Original Air Date: March 9, 1998
Disaster strikes when Helen finds out her mom paid for her niece, Erin’s wedding. Daria and Quinn are bridesmaids, but the dress looks odd on Daria. With Helen fighting with her sister, Rita, Daria finds escape with her Aunt Amy, who is much like Daria. Jake is mad he can’t go and play golf, while a groomsman and the minister fight over Quinn. Back in Lawndale, the school is having a bridal show and Jodie and Brittany are modeling. Kevin and Mack show up to support them, but they are mistaken as a couple.

“That Was Then, This Is Dumb”
Original Air Date: March 16, 1998
When Jake and Helen’s friends Willow and Coyote visit, Daria heads to Jane’s for the weekend. The two sell records at a fair, while Quinn gets to know, Ethan, Willow and Coyote’s son. With Jake and Helen growing up, they seem to have a lot less in common with their hippie friends.

“Monster”
Original Air Date: March 23, 1998
When Daria is assigned a school film project, Jane and Daria decide to film Quinn’s life. The film reveals just how shallow Quinn is, but Helen makes Daria feel bad for showing Quinn in such a bad light. When Jake’s childhood film reels are transferred to video, he remembers why he had such a troubled childhood.

“The New Kid”
Original Air Date: March 30, 1998
Ted, a odd kid, who has been homeschooled his whole life, has come to Lawndale High. Daria joins yearbook to have an extra curricular and she and Ted work to make the yearbook better. Unfortunately, this involves cutting school sports and club pictures. Quinn tries to bribe Daria to change her mind. Jake wonders if Ted is making Daria join a cult.

“Gifted”
Original Air Date: June 29, 1998
When Helen and Jake take Daria to a private school that is invitation-only for exceptionally bright students, they make fools of themselves in front of Jodie’s parents. Jodie tries to befriend the kids of the school who are smug jerks with social problems, while Daria takes a cynical look at them and the school. Quinn, unable to stay home alone, can’t put up with the Fashion Club members she stays with, so she ends up staying at Jane’s house.

“Ill”
Original Air Date: July 6, 1998
While at a club with Jane and Trent, Daria must escape when she develops a rash all over her body. After the rash comes back while at school, Daria is put in the hospital for tests. This leads the Lawndale High students to question what happened to Daria.

“Fair Enough”
Original Air Date: July 13, 1998
When the library roof crashes in, the school hosts a Medieval fair. Brittany is jealous when Quinn and Kevin are cast together in the school play, which will debut during the fair. With Brittany trying to keep Kevin away from the school, the Fashion Club plots to ruin Quinn’s performance, a reflection of Jake’s own performance history. In the meantime, Jodie gets stuck in a kissing booth and Daria and Jane get stuck on the Ferris Wheel with an overly-emotional Stacey.

“See Jane Run”
Original Air Date: July 20, 1998
When Jane and Daria refuse to participate in gym/cheerleading practice, the gym teacher labels Jane unmotivated. Jane decides to join the track team, because she likes to run. She’s also very good at it and leads the track team to victory. Daria is jealous, which is further complicated by her anger at Jane taking advantage of special privileges athletes in the school get. Quinn buys a pair of shoes that are too tight, but make her look good.

“Pierce Me”
Original Air Date: July 27, 1998
Trent and Daria go shopping for Jane’s birthday. Daria decides to get a belly button ring at Trent’s urging. Lawndale High hosts a mother-daughter modeling event and Helen and Quinn are selected to be a part of the show.

“Write Where it Hurts”
Original Air Date: August 3, 1998
Daria is asked by Mr. O’Neill to write a moral fiction story since she’s already read all the books on the list he assigns the class. However, Daria is unable to complete the assignment. Eventually, Helen gives her some advice that helps Daria get through her writer’s block.

SEASON THREE

“Daria!”
Original Air Date: February 17, 1999
The Lawndale High crew perform seven different songs (with dance numbers) as the town prepares for some severe weather.

“Through a Lens Darkly”
Original Air Date: February 24, 1999
Daria tries out contact lens when she goes to take her driving test. This makes her look a lot better, but it is painful for Daria to wear the contacts. She must struggle between her change in appearance and going back to glasses that are more comfortable to wear.

“The Old and the Beautiful”
Original Air Date: March 3, 1999
Daria, Kevin and Brittany volunteer at a Senior Citizens facility. The old people love Kevin and Brittany, but find Daria depressing. Daria is sad by this, until she is matched up with someone who doesn’t care how dark she sounds. Quinn and the Fashion Club contribute by collecting clothes for the homeless, but they will only take items that are fashionable.

“Depth Takes a Holiday”
Original Air Date: March 10, 1999
This is a fantasy episode where Daria and Jane must help St. Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day find Halloween, Christmas and Guy Fawkes Day, who have disappeared from Holiday Island. The two are shocked to discover that the three have formed a band with Trent.

“Daria Dance Party”
Original Air Date: March 17, 1999
Sandi makes Quinn volunteer to organize the upcoming school dance. Unable to do the job, Quinn gets Jane to help. Jane takes over and organizes the most awesome dance; a tribute to Jackson Pollack. When the dance is successful Quinn gets all the credit. Jane and Daria meet two boys at the dance and all seems to be going well until family matters get in the way.

“The Lost Girls”
Original Air Date: March 24, 1999
Daria’s essay is sent to a teen magazine by Mr. O’Neill. Impressed by the essay, the magazine editor, Val, decides to come to Lawndale to hang with Daria. Unfortunately, Val is in her 30s, but she tries hard to look, sound and act like a teen, much to Daria’s chagrin.

“It Happened One Nut”
Original Air Date: July 7, 1999
Daria gets a job working at the mall’s nut stand with Kevin. Kevin can’t do his job and Daria’s boss docks her paycheck for not smiling while working. Quinn is also working at the mall, in the pet shop, but the job is ruined for her when she is expected to work with pets that aren’t cute.

“Lane Miserables”
Original Air Date: July 14, 1999
The Lane siblings and Trent and Jane’s dad move back into the house, which makes it impossible for Jane and Trent to find their artistic mojo. The two move into Daria’s temporarily, where Daria is forced to see Trent, her crush and come to terms with her feelings for him.

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Release Info:
Episodes Original Air Date: September 9, 2009-December 16, 2009
DVD Release Date: March 30, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $27.49

This show was so weird. I’m hoping that since they ended it with The Rapture that Nostradamus Effect will not have an encore, second season. I just couldn’t get into this show. Upon further examination of the theories presented in this series, many of these prophesies are false or never existed to begin with, which says a lot about the producers of Nostradamus Effect. Just read up on the Mayan Calendar, the most blatantly false of the claims by this show. It makes me wonder what has happened to the History Channel. I can’t condone a network that tries to pass this crap off as historically inaccurate.

Before every episode, there is a disclaimer that the show seeks neither to endorse nor deny the theories presented in this show. However, the show takes a one-sided look at the theories, with an almost sensationalized approach to them. These theories are outlandish and the entire show is wacko. I had to force myself to keep watching because otherwise, I would have turned it off and possibly chucked it out the window. I am bound to believe the unexpected, but I like to have historical proof to back up claims of shows that are attempting to pass themselves off as documentaries.

The thing I dislike the most about Nostradamus Effect and the episodes in The Complete Season One DVD set is how hokey all of them are. It feels like these shows are written by a religious conspiracy theorist. From the “Fatima’s Lost Prophecy” episode to “Hitler’s Blood Oath”, it feels as if the producers/writers were stretching to prove that the end of the world was coming. I suggest reading up on Lúcia de Jesus Rosa Santos instead of watching this episode on her story.

I do not recommend a purchase of Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One. I don’t even recommend you keep reading my review because it is a complete and utter waste of your time. However, for those of you who are gluttons for punishment, feel free to keep reading to find out about what’s in this set and the quality of said episodes. I would not usually discourage people from reading my website, BUT in this case, I hope you’ll thank me for putting you all first, and telling you to avoid Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One at all costs.

Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One Episode Synopsis’
There are twelve episodes in the Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One set. Here is a list of what is included with a brief description of each episode.

“The Third Anti-Christ?”
Original Air Date: September 9, 2009
This looks into Nostradamus’ predictions. The main focus is on three anti-Christs who will be on the Earth. The first two supposedly already existed and were Napoleon and Hitler. The third is a yet to be identified anti-Christ who will appear to be very charming, but will really have evil intentions.

“Da Vinci’s Armageddon”
Original Air Date: September 16, 2009
This looks into the paintings and other documents by Leonardo Da Vinci. Apparently, Da Vinci might have hidden messages about an apocalypse that would destroy the world.

“Extinction 2012″
Original Air Date: September 23, 2009
December 21, 2012 is apparently the day the world ends. The show claims that the Mayans and Nostradamus, as well as the Chinese, Hopi and other groups predicted this would be the day the world is going to end.

“Hitler’s Blood Oath”
Original Air Date: September 30, 2009
This looks at Hitler and the Third Reich. It looks into links between Hilter and prophecies of an apocalypse by those who predicted the end of the world. It also looks into Nazi Germany’s ties into the occult.

“The Apocalypse Code”
Original Air Date: October 7, 2009
Did Sir Isaac Newton predict the end of the world? This show examines the possibilities that Newton saw an apocalypse on the horizon.

“Son of Nostradamus”
Original Air Date: October 14, 2009
In a library at the Vatican, a mysterious manuscript full of predictions/prophecies was found in 1994. Upon further inspection, it looks like it might have been written by Nostradamus’ oldest son, Cesar.

“Secrets of the Seven Seals”
Original Air Date: October 21, 2009
The Book of Revelations is the apocalypse book in the Bible. In it, a war of seven years leads up to the final battle of good versus evil and destruction of the world, as we know it. In Revelations, the book of the Seven Seals is opened as the destruction unfolds and leads to the final judgment.

“Fatima’s Lost Prophecy”
Original Air Date: November 4, 2009
In 1917, Lúcia de Jesus Rosa Santos supposedly was visited by the Virgin Mary. She was given three visions/prophecies, one that may predict the end of the world.

“Satan’s Army”
Original Air Date: November 11, 2009
John the Apostle and the Book of Revelations predict Armageddon, and the final showdown. This looks into John’s visions of the war Satan fights against good and the coming of the four horsemen.

“Doomsday Hieroglyphs”
Original Air Date: December 2, 2009
The Ancient Egyptians, their hieroglyphic language and the Giza Plateau of Egypt might have a connection to the end of the world

“Armageddon Battle Plan”
Original Air Date: December 9, 2009
When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, so were the War Scrolls. This episode examines the truth behind this scroll and it’s potential prophecy of the end of the world.

“Rapture”
Original Air Date: December 16, 2009
When Christ returns, the Christians will rise up to meet him. The show pretends The Rapture is true and examines signs that it is going to happen.

Storyline/Plot: 0 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0 out of 5 stars
Acting: 2 out of 5 stars
Directing: 0 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The History Channel releases Nostradamus Effect in a basic, bare bones quality that would be more disappointing had I really took to the series. Unfortunately, if you did, this quality is not going to thrill you. It’s about what you would expect if watching it on television, but even now the quality could certainly be more impressive than this is. What you receive is a full-screen transfer that is not overly detailed and leans towards the softer side of video. Things are generally inconsistent, which is a letdown for anything that is considered newer. It’s watchable, but that does not make it pleasing.

The audio is just about what I would expect from this type of television show presentation. The audio comes to you via a Dolby Digital 2.0 presentation. It succeeds in the fact that things like volume toggling are not necessary and you can hear the dialogue and other elements with relative ease. Still, the dialogue rests mainly on the front channels and the sound effects never really pop in that pleasing way that better audio allows them to do.

Visual: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The only bonus feature here, if you want to call it that, is available on the third disc of the set. “Strange Facts about Nostradamus” is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a textual special feature that offers a series of factoids about Nostradamus. This is the only thing that qualifies as a special feature and it’s not much.

Bonus Features: 1 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One is the worst thing I’ve seen from the History Channel. Next to typical Disney fare my nephew has made me watch, I’d have to say Nostradamus Effect is the worst television show I have seen in a long time, and that’s saying a lot. I grew up in the 80s, when television was cool, so there is a lot of crap out there on TV today. I do not recommend you purchase Nostradamus Effect – The Complete Season One. I don’t even recommend you rent this. It’s just that bad. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!

Overall Rating: 1.14 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The History Channel, DVD Review, Nostradamus, The Complete Season One, Documentary, TV on DVD

Release Info:
Episodes Original Air Date: September 16, 2009-December 13, 2009
DVD Release Date: March 30, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.99

I was really excited about getting MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One. The topics covered by the first season of this show are of interest to me. I was hoping to find out more than I had known before and come to some sort of conclusion to these mysteries. What I was not expecting was to be told all these interesting scenarios and then have absolutely no conclusions made about them. The MysteryQuest viewer is left to make their own conclusions and those of us who have a little bit of conspiracy theorist in us have minds that race with potential possibilities.

I ended up being disappointed by MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One. This is the History Channel. History should be rooted in fact, and part of the goal of discovering history is uncovering those potential facts, theories if you will, and finding evidence to support them. Don’t get more wrong. Some of what was explored was very interesting. I especially enjoyed the episodes on Hilter’s Escape, the Bermuda Triangle and Atlantis. I wanted to know more about these topics and I wanted those researching them to come to some sort of solid conclusion about these topics. What the viewer ends up getting is more questions.

I also want to point out how hokey it is to include psychics on shows exploring history. The series lost ALL credibility when it put Carla Baron on its show. Just do a search on the woman and you will see her credentials as a “psychic” are more than suspicious. Does the woman even realize how insane she truly acts and sounds? I could barely get through the episode because the woman is horrible in every show she is on and she always says the same things about feeling cold and unsettled and something not being right wherever she is. Yet, she gives no conclusive evidence as to what she is supposedly feeling or seeing. It’s all very dramatic. Her presence is unwelcome in this series and made me reconsider the validity of all of the research done on this series. Way to go History Channel for making yourself and this show look uneducated and douche-y.

I wanted much more than MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One had to offer. I wanted new leads explored and I wanted to have a better understanding of possible conclusions to each scenario. I did not get that. In most cases, no real, new evidence was presented. In others, I had to question how valid the sources were and how historically accurate the research was. I do not like having to question the validity of shows I am watching from a network called the History Channel. The point of these shows is not to question, but to learn and realize. I didn’t get that from this series.

MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One Episode Synopsis’
There are ten episodes included on the MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One DVD. The series is supposedly a spinoff of the History Channel show MonsterQuest, though I have never seen that show, so cannot comment on it.

Here is a list of the episodes:

“Hitler’s Escape”: Did Hitler really commit suicide or did he escape to some hidden location, such as South America, where he lived out the rest of his days?

“Devil’s Triangle”: The Bermuda Triangle has claimed many ships, boats, and aircrafts. The Triangle is examined to see why these boats, ships, planes and their crews seem to virtually disappear into thin air.

“San Francisco Slaughter”: New forensic evidence is looked at and suspects are re-examined as MysteryQuest attempts to unveil the Zodiac Killer.

“The Lost City of Atlantis”: Investigators try to prove or disprove the existence of the Lost City of Atlantis.

“Alien Cover-Up”: Do aliens exist and have they come to our planet? Investigators look into possible military cover ups and the infamous Area 51.

“Rise of the Fourth Reich”: This explores whether ODESSA, a secret Nazi organization, and the Catholic Church helped members of the Third Reich escape. This also explores their possible hope for creating the Fourth Reich.

“Devil’s Island”: Alcatraz is supposedly haunted, and psychic, Carla Baron, wants you to know it. This also looks into the three prisoners who managed to escape, and were never heard from again.

“Jack the Ripper”: The infamous Whitechapel murders are examined with new suspects that include a woman and an American.

“Stonehenge”: Why was this massive, rock formation built in England? Investigators look into a theory involving sound waves.

“Return of the Amityville Horror”: Two homes in California believed to be haunted, in the same fashion as Amityville,are examined.

Content: 2 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One is passable, but again, it leaves some things to be desired. For a television show of this type I do not have too many complaints. This falls in the middle of what I have seen from The History Channel. There have been some much better releases, but there have certainly been worse. Occasionally, grain is present, but the coloring is good and the detail is usually fair if not better.

The audio is a fair, but never truly appealing Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. I’ve said this on The History Channel sets before and I am sure I will say it again; this quality leaves a lot to be desired. The dialogue is audible, though it often rests on the front channels and the sound effects are fair considering the transfer you’re dealing with. The music is handled in a capable manner as well. Again, this is, by no means, a perfect transfer, but it will get fans through whether they love it or not.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There is only one bonus available in this set and it comes in the form of Additional Footage. My big problem with this is the way that the footage is presented. Rather than offering the footage in the episodes it is put in this special bonus section. It’s essentially an extension of the episode, with the exception that it’s on a different disc, making it wholly inconvenient at times. However, I will admit that some of it is actually worth watching.

Bonus Features: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I wasn’t in love with this series. If you are like me and want answers or at least more conclusive theories on these fascinating mysteries then I suggest avoiding MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One. It will only serve to make you more frustrated and compelled to want to know more. Further, if you think that self-professed psychics, especially Carol Baron, are ridiculous, the entire series will be ruined by their presence in this series. MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One is not recommended.

Overall Rating: 2.38 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: MysteryQuest: The Complete Season One, TV on DVD, The History Channel, A&E, Home Entertainment, Documentary, DVD Review

Release Info:
Episodes Original Air Date: September 24, 2009-December 3, 2009
DVD Release Date: February 23, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

In the last few years, as I’ve gone more in depth with my reviewing, I have started seeking out television shows to watch before receiving them for review in Blu-Ray or on DVD. ABC is the favored network in my house, though we do occasionally watch some of the shows on both CBS and NBC. ABC heavily promoted a few of its new shows. In particular, they really pushed FlashForward and V, which both premiered in Fall 2009. Both have not done as well as the hype would have you believe and rumor has it, ABC is considering the fates of both shows, concluding their return mid-first season in the next few weeks.

I watched both shows and liked them both. I DVR the shows I watch, merely because I now watch so much television and would have no time to watch anything if I watched episodes when each show aired. I know that the number of total viewers DVRing are added to the ratings for viewership, but I don’t know how heavily this weighs in or if it may affect a show’s popularity. I also worry about net viewers not getting as much of a say when it comes to who is considered a viewer. This is how good shows get canceled.

One thing I’ve noticed from viewers of FlashForward is that there have been complaints about how great a show it is. Message boards concerning the show are clustered with theories on a major plot hole and the unlikelihood of the events truly happening. I don’t know about anyone else, but I watch television to escape reality. The major plothole concerns being unable to suspend belief and not have a realistic view on the world, based on the world we know. Television shows like this are not supposed to be viewed in such a context. In fact, that is the biggest problem I have with both viewers and movie goers. Not everything is supposed to follow the laws and rules of the world we live in. That is what makes it television/fiction not reality.

I find the show to be fairly intriguing. I’m interested in finding out what happens to all of the characters as the date of the first Flash Forward looms. The acting for this show is stellar. I expected nothing less from Joesph Finnes and John Cho. The supporting actors mesh well together. I have little to complain about when it comes to the actual show, and I hope ABC continues to keep it around for at least another season. When it comes to this Blu-Ray, my main complaint is that this is only half of season one, the half that has aired on television and we will have to wait for a part two set to be released later this year. I’m not fond of splitting a show up in the middle of the season. I know I am not the only one bothered by this.

FlashForward: Season One, Part One Episode Synopsis’
There are ten episodes in this Season One, Part One box set. These are the only episodes that have aired on ABC, to date, for the series. It seems kind of silly for ABC to release a show mid-season, but my guess is they are trying to get more interest in the show.

Here is a list of all of the episodes in this set, with a brief synopsis of each episode that has aired:

#1.1 – “No More Good Days”: It’s just a regular day around the world, when suddenly, everyone in the world has a blackout at the exact same time. The blackout occurs for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. This is shown through the lives of a few different people in Los Angeles. The majority of people who blacked out end up viewing a flash forward of events happening six months in the future, on April 29, 2010. Members of the L.A. FBI, which includes agent Mark Benford, start investigating the blackouts, all while dealing with their own visions. While FBI agent Janis Hawk discovers a man was awake in a stadium in Detroit during the flash forward, Mark’s wife, Dr. Olivia Benford, and their daughter, Charlie must deal with visions they don’t want to understand.

#1.2 – “White to Play”: The FBI investigation into the flash forwards goes full steam ahead, as more clues about the blackout emerge. They are sent to Utah, and they learn another person was awake during the blackout. Mark learns about Olivia’s vision, and he believes it will happen. Her flash has her in their home with another man. When she treats the man, Lloyd Simcoe’s, autistic son, things become awkward. Olivia insists she won’t leave Mark, but he starts pushing her away. It is discovered Demetri never had a flash forward, and Charlie’s flash forward is revealed to Mark.

#1.3 – “137 Sekunden”: The FBI sends Mark and Janis to Munich. There they speak with an incarcerated Nazi, who taunts them with the knowledge that he apparently knows why the blackout happened for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Demetri gets anonymous information about his lack of flash forward. Aaron believes his daughter, Tracy, is alive thanks to his flash forward. He asks Mark to help him get the a-ok on exhuming her body for a DNA sample. A little boy saw something important and apparently a blackout happened in 1991. The sign is in the crows.

#1.4 – “Black Swan”: Bryce suggests that Olivia follow a man’s flash forward when diagnosing and treating him. Demetri and Mark fight about Mark’s flash forward and Mark accepting the fact this his flash forward is going to happen, without a doubt. Mark believes Demetri has let the fear of dying eat at him, due to the fact that he had no flash forward. Mark and Olivia’s babysitter, Nicole reveals that in her flash forward she is being drowned to death by a man she does not know.

#1.5 – “Gimme Some Truth”: The Senate holds an Intelligence Committee meeting concerning the flash forwards, the blackout, and the FBI’s investigation into it. When they find out about Mark’s flash forward and that he’s started drinking again, the validity of the work the FBI is doing is called into question. Olivia learns that Mark, a former alcoholic, is drinking in his flash forward. Janis, Mark and Demetri are attacked in two different locations.

#1.6 – “Scary Monsters and Super Creeps”: Mark and Demetri work with the Assistant Director of the FBI office, Stanford Wedeck, to find out how the attack on Mark and Demetri are related to the attack on Janis, who has been hospitalized. Olivia confronts Mark and the two argue about whether his vision and her vision are truly going to happen. Demetri and another agent, Al Gough, find a clue Mark saw in his flash forward. Dylan Simcoe, Lloyd’s autistic son, leaves the hospital without telling anyone, boarding a bus to go “home.” A mysterious, ruthless man named Simon Campos is introduced.

#1.7 – “The Gift”: The Blue hand club is investigated by the FBI and M16 agent, Fiona Banks. Aaron is visited by Tracy’s former military buddy, Mike, who he offers a job. Demetri tells his fiancee, Zoey about his flash forward or lack thereof. Bryce has a flash forward about a Japanese woman, and Nicole tries to help him decode its meaning. An FBI agent who believes he is destined to hurt others commits suicide. This gives the others the message that they may be able to change their futures. Tracy returns.

#1.8 – “Playing Cards with Coyote”: Mark and Olivia attempt to re-ignite the romantic fires, but their rendezvous is cut short when Mark is informed that the tattooed man trying to kill him in his flash forward might have been found. Janis has recovered, but learns she cannot have children, which puts into question her flash forward where she is pregnant, an already dubious future considering she is a single lesbian. Simon and Lloyd play poker, with high stakes. The scientists are playing to determine whether to reveal what they may know about the black out. Tracy lets Aaron know where she has been and why the military said she was dead.

#1.9 – “Believe”: Encouraged by Nicole’s help, Bryce heads to Japan where he learns the woman in his vision is named Keiko. Unfortunately, she is heading to L.A. due to her flash forward, as he searches for her in Japan. Tracy is clearly an alcoholic, which disturbs Aaron, who is a recovering alcoholic and Mark’s sponsor. Mark finds out who told Olivia about his flash forward. Demetri and Mark try to track down the caller who had information on Demetri’s death.

#1.10 – “A561984″: Demetri and Mark head to Hong Kong, despite Stanford’s orders not to, to discover who the woman is who knows about Demetri’s death. They learn she is a very powerful woman and that Demetri knows his killer. Zoey learns the truth about her own flash forward, which upsets her. Lloyd holds a press conference, against Simon’s wishes, that sets the world ablaze with anger. Olivia tries to help Lloyd get Dylan out of the hospital safely, but things do not go as planned.

Storyline/Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
FlashForward is a brand new show with only a few episodes appearing on each of the discs in this set. So, you should be able to expect a pretty good quality. Luckily that is just what you receive. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen quality is well worth watching. It’s about what you get when you watch these episodes on television.

Due to the nature of the show, there are some spots (especially during flashbacks) that vary in the type of quality that you receive. However, it’s obvious in some of the spottier flashback moments that the appearance of the quality is done that way on purpose. All in all, the detail is high, the quality is good, and the colors are adequate. In short, there isn’t much to complain about here.

The audio comes in with your standard new television program, Dolby Digital 5.1 track. There is a lot of action in FlashForward and luckily the sound effects come through without a hitch. The car crashes, gun shots, and other bangs and booms come through loud and clear. Likewise, the dialogue comes through perfectly, allowing all parts of the sound to work on each necessary level. In addition there are subtitles in English, French, and Spanish should you need them.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
With this being a selection of episodes from the first season, I honestly was not expecting a lot of special features. It was a good thing that I wasn’t because there really is not a whole lot here. You get to see a short promo piece and then there is a preview and a featurette. The featurette is a behind the scenes look at the show.

“Creating Catastrophe: The Effects of a Global Blackout” lasts for about seven minutes. The goal here is to show a lot of the special effects work that went into the devastating aftermath of the blackout. This is pretty interesting, but it’s not going to be anything that convinces you to buy this set. Other than that the only thing you have is a preview of the next episode. “FlashForward: A look Ahead” gives you five minutes of the next episode to air once the show returns. The point is to get you hyped up and excited about the upcoming episodes. It does a fair job, but again, this is nothing to make you purchase this set.

Bonus Features: 2 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
It seems kind of silly to purchase FlashForward: Season One Pt.1, when it is only half of the season and the entire season has yet to air. I guess if you missed some of the episodes and want to get caught up before the show starts airing again in March, then you have the opportunity of purchasing this in DVD or Blu-Ray. Otherwise, there is bound to be a full, season one offering at some point. The only problem is that nobody knows when that will be. My advice is unless you are a die hard fan who cannot wait until a full season one set comes out, you are better off renting this, if you need to catch up. Otherwise, just wait for a more definitive release of the first season.

Overall Rating: 3.71 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: FlashForward, TV Show, Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray Review, TV Show on DVD, Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Courtney B. Vance, ABC, Season One, Part One

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: July 19, 2009 – Present
DVD Release Date: January 26, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $17.49

The best part of my job is when I receive something that I have never heard of and it ends up being one of my favorite things. This happens occasionally with product reviews, but it is rare that it occurs with movies and television shows. However, it did happen with Pawn Stars. When the show was offered to me for review, I decided to get it, thinking it would be entertaining and it would kill some time. I didn’t think I would become addicted to it after one episode, but that’s just what happened. Even though I am not a fan of reality television, there is just something about this show that I enjoy. In fact, once I finished watching these DVDs, I promptly began watching season two of Pawn Stars which is currently airing on The History Channel.

Dom hates reality television more than I do, so I thought it would be fun to get him to watch at least one episode with me. Come to find out, he enjoys the show much more than I thought he would. He actually got mad when he thought I was going to watch more of the show without him. He made me wait, so that he could watch the rest of the episodes with me. I think this is the first reality show, minus something like American Idol where that has happened. Even with other reality shows that I adore, like Operation Repo, he has me watch them alone because he likes them even less than I do. Apparently, Pawn Stars is the exception to that rule.

The show has a relatively simple format. Everything takes place in Las Vegas at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. Rick and his dad, “The Old Man” own the shop together, though Rick seems to be the main guy in charge while the Old Man is more behind the scenes. These two guys are training Rick’s son, Corey, “Big Hoss” to run the show when Rick is ready to retire. Big Hoss is Chumlee’s boss and then there is Peaches, though some people wonder why she has a job since she rarely, if ever, shows up on time. The main players are the three Harrison men and Chumlee with a selection of lively and interesting patrons looking to pawn and sell their goods. The format works and the show has gained thousands of fans as a result.

The Pawn Stars Episode List
The first season of Pawn Stars sets the stage for the way things work at the Gold and Silver pawn shop in Vegas. The shop holds its share of hard to find goodies and they make a decent amount of money as a result. Sure, they have the usual offerings you can find in any pawn shop. They have watches, jewelry, and music equipment. They also carry fine art, gold records, sports memorabilia, and war memorabilia. Along with this there is a huge selection of guns, other weapons, and more expensive items like classic cars, old fashioned Coke machines, and the occasional boat and/or airplane.

The first season contains fourteen episodes that last between 20-25 minutes. If anything, these episodes go too fast. The time literally flies as you watch these episodes.

“Boom or Bust” – Rick has his eye on a Civil War cannon that could be worth upwards of $40,000. Other hot items include some Roman armor (or not so hot as the case may be) and a huge table saw that will take more than a couple men to move.

“Confederate Conundrum” – A guitar signed by Chuck Berry comes in and the guy trying to sell it is shock when he finds out how little his guitar and the attached signature are worth. An antique cash register and a Civil War saber that may or may not be real also come in.

“Sink or Sell” – Big Hoss buys a Chris-Craft boat despite the fact that Rick hates boats and wants nothing to do with the shop owning one. Big Hoss could end up in tons of trouble as a result if the boat ends up costing the shop money. A loaded Colt also comes in for sale.

“Knights in Fake Armor?” – Chumlee gets the distinguished duty to find out if an 1884 Trapdoor rifle will fire like it should. An old Pac-Man game comes into the shop and needs restoration, too. The big item, a medieval jousting helmet could cost upwards of $30,000 if it is real, unfortunately a bolt makes the deal seem shady.

“Gangsters & Guitars” – A 1962 Continental comes into the shop and it’s got suicide doors! The only thing that can stop Rick from picking up this car is the price. Some Confederate money comes in, as well as a 1942 Gibson guitar that needs to be checked for authenticity.

“Damn Yankees” – A 1951 World Series baseball is brought into the shop and it was signed by the Yankees. Naturally, the signatures need to be verified before a price can be negotiated. A West Point jacket that was worn by a famous local general is also brought in.

“Brothels & Busses” – It’s trade time in the shop when a man brings in a 1750 Blunderbuss and trades it for an engagement ring. The most interesting attempted sale comes from a guy bringing in an ejection seat. A Schwinn bicycle is also featured.

“Time Machines” – A 1950s Coke machine comes into the store needing plenty of restoration. This is followed by an old radio and a flintlock pistol from the 18th century.

“Rope a Dope” – The guys try to make a deal on a 1929 Ford Coupe, but the real interesting sale comes from a calf-roping machine that Chumlee ends up riding. Rick puts Peaches on the graveyard shift with Chumlee for constantly being late. After one night she swears that she won’t be late again, though no one believes her!

“Rick’s Big Bet” – A gas pump is brought in and purchased that needs quite a bit of work done to it to make it look like new. Big Hoss is unable to recognize a Faberge crystal glass so he ends up having to take a quiz about various items in the shop. If he cannot identify something he will be forced to work graveyard.

“John Hancock’s Hancock” – A document with multiple signatures from John Hancock is brought in and Rick looks to make sure the signatures are authentic on this exciting item. An Indiana Jones bullwhip is brought in, but there is a question as to how close the whip ever made it to Harrison Ford’s hand.

“Plane Crazy” – Rick gets angry at Chumlee when he buys fake art. A map of Colonial Boston is examined and the guys might have a chance to purchase an airplane for the first time.

“Peaches & Pinups” – The big items brought in for this episode include a wooden crossbow and a selection of old adult magazines.

“Old Man’s Gamble” – A 1979 KISS pinball machine is checked out as a potential buy for the shop. Chumlee looks to raise money for a 1982 Harley shovelhead.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Viewers will be pleased to know that the DVDs for Pawn Stars come out looking identical to what you would normally see on your television. The picture is clear, the colors are strong, and things look good. I did not notice any compression errors, dirt, noise, or any artifacts. With this being a show that is currently airing you should be able to expect a good picture and that’s what you get. Sure, it doesn’t stand out, but for reality television it looks just fine. Regular viewers will be satisfied with what they see.

Much like the video, there isn’t much to complain about when it comes to the audio. Things sound as standard as they get in this Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track. The music is catchy when it plays, the sound effects are effective, and the dialogue is always easy to hear. Sure, it’s not going to blow your surround sound up, but I don’t know many standard television shows that will.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are only three featurettes that have been included with this box set of Pawn Stars. That being said, they are all pretty entertaining and in most cases this is a lot more than you will receive on similar box sets, so I don’t see much worth complaining about. The featurettes are listed below.

“Meet the Pawn Stars” – This is pretty self-explanatory. It includes biographies of the four main people that are involved in the show.

“Real or Fake” – Again, this sounds pretty easy to figure out, right? It’s all about the guys offering tips on how to spot the real items from the fake ones.

The only other thing on here is some additional footage of moments and transactions not featured on the show. All in all, not too bad for a set of bonuses. These are simple, to the point, and worth watching.

Bonus Features: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I am not a big fan of the standard reality television show, but I have to admit, there is just something about Pawn Stars that I absolutely love! If you haven’t seen this show you should check it out. Season two is currently airing and it’s just as fun and interesting as the first season, if not more. I am glad to own this box set and was pleasantly surprised that I liked this show as much as I do. All it took was one episode to make me a fan. If you like reality shows then I am sure you’ll enjoy this. Even if you don’t, chances are you will probably find it pretty amusing. Check out an episode and buy it if you like it. This one, at least for me, comes highly recommended!

Overall Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: TV Box Set Review, The History Channel, Pawn Stars, Season One, Pawn Shop, Chumlee, Rick Harrison, Corey Harrison, Richard Harrison, television, DVD Review

Release Info:
Original Air Dates:
DVD Release Date: January 26, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $21.49

The History Channel puts out some of the most interesting shows on television. If you’re not into educational television you may be a bit hesitant to make the trip over to see what’s on THC, but I can assure you it’s well worth it. I was thrilled to find out that we would have a chance to work with the folks at THC reviewing their DVDs, because I love a lot of their shows. Often, I am stuck in the trap where I want to see something and I forget to DVR it so I miss it. Working with them gives me a chance to see numerous shows that I wanted to see and even more that I didn’t even know existed.

One of the shows that I didn’t know existed is Cowboys & Outlaws. This great show features six episodes in a two disc, bare bones set. The bare bones part is one of the only bad things about this set. The audio and video are basic, which you will see in their respective sections, but the worst thing is that there are no special features. The shows on their own though, make the set well worth watching. That being said, I should admit I do not know tons about cowboys and outlaws. In fact, I know very little. I know the basics that everyone seems to know, but I’m not exactly overly knowledgeable about cowboys or outlaws.

The layout of each show is going to be similar to what you’ve seen on other documentary/fact-style shows. The show offers some dramatizations for excitement purposes and to keep things lively and there are experts that include historians and ranchers that are able to fill in the blanks about the people being discussed. It makes for an interesting show and while I can’t say you will learn as much as I did, you will probably learn something that makes watching these episodes worthwhile. My other complaint is that there are only six episodes here. I would have loved to see a lot more, which was quite surprising to me. Being that I am not normally into cowboys I wasn’t expecting to want to keep watching this. I don’t know if THC has more episodes planned, but I hope they do and if so, I look forward to watching them.

The Cowboys & Outlaws Episode List
Pop culture has a way of skewing history for dramatic purposes. It’s more interesting to assume that Billy the Kid always led the Regulators, but that isn’t really the case. There are a lot of things from the decade of true Cowboys and Outlaws that were this way. Facts about Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, and even Tom Horn are unknown or ignored for the sake of creating a better story. This is probably what makes this series so interesting. The creators of it made their goal to offer a true glimpse at each man that they talk about. Learning the difference between the legend and the real man makes for an eye-opening experience in some cases.

The goal of The History Channel seemed to be to separate the fiction from the true facts that are known about each person or event that is spoken about. While the series is short, it is effective. There are two main objectives in each episode from what I can tell. The person is explored as is/are the event(s) that he is most known for in history. Another fun aspect is that the documentary-makers look at the technology and time period more than you might expect. You get to learn all about the formation of a city, the saloons, true cowboy behavior, and even some information about cattle ranching and chuck wagons.

Each episode is in the 45 minutes long range. There is plenty of information provided here, including things you would think you might not want to know. For example, one of the episodes talks about how an infestation of maggots helped slow an infection that one of the cowboys had. Despite the fact that it sounds kind of gross, it is handled in a way that makes it tolerable and even educational. Of course, we don’t have the same medical issues as we once had so this might not be necessary knowledge at this point, but it’s still interesting.

The episodes in the Cowboys & Outlaws set include:

“The Real Lonesome Dove”: The novel of the same name was inspired by a dangerous, long, yet exciting cattle drive to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, run by Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving.

“The Real McCoy”: Abilene, Kansas offers a new way to transport cattle via railroad, and it is all thanks to Joseph G. McCoy.

“The Real Billy the Kid”: Plenty of exaggerations exist about known killer and outlaw, Billy the Kid. In this episode, you’ll find out what exactly is true and what is pure fiction.

“The Real Wyatt Earp”: Wyatt Earp is one of the most famous lawmen of the old west. Known for his part in the OK Corral showdown, this episode examines just how much of a cold blooded killer Earp really was.

“Range War”: Home on the range never was quite as dangerous as when the homesteaders and the cattle barons went head to head.

“Frontier Hitman”: He was a detective that turned bad. Tom Horn’s name was infamous with death. If he wanted you dead, he would be, but what isn’t known about this ferocious killer from the Wild Wild West?

I should also mention that this set is hosted by Kenny Rogers. Rogers could make any set fun and he certainly added his charm to this Cowboys & Outlaws set.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The video here is standard DVD quality for television. The colors are adequate, the blacks are fine, and the detail is good but not overly impressive. The video won’t win any awards, but it certainly gets the job done. I did not notice any glaring issues like noise, dirt, or compression errors, which is good. This is more or less your standard basic quality for a show on cable these days.

Like the video, you have your basic Dolby Stereo track. It’s not meant to wow you, but you will be able to hear everything with ease. The sound effects are pretty basic, the music sounds decent in most spots, and the dialogue is always easy to hear. If you’re expecting Blu-ray you will be let down, but if you come in with a normal expectation of what you will find you should not have any problems with this mix.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There is not so much as a single special feature available here. This is probably one of the few bad things about this set. It would have been nice to see something added, but nothing is here.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Cowboys & Outlaws was incredibly interesting, though I have to admit, I am not overly familiar with the subject matter. If you are a fanatic when it comes to the cowboys and outlaws this information might be comprised of things you’ve seen and heard before. When it comes to me, a lot of it was new. I love the way the information was presented and I thoroughly enjoyed each of the six episodes. If you’re new to the Cowboys & Outlaws scene you should definitely pick this up. If it’s old hat for you, then you might want to rent it or catch it on television first to make sure you’re not just repeating things you already know. In any case, for me, this comes highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 3.3 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: TV Box Set Review, The History Channel, Cowboys & Outlaws, History, Westerns, True Story, Lonesome Dove, Billy the Kid, television, DVD Review