Diana’s DVDs: Sept. 8, 2009
A couple of weeks ago, I introduced a new format designed to make this column more user-friendly. With so many great titles flooding store shelves, I wanted to make sure all you lovely readers were able to sort through it without giving yourself a major migraine. The same info I’ve always included is still there (the five Ws, plus brief episode descriptions, guest stars and bonus features), just in a more accessible format.
My original intent was to keep this going for just the next month until the fall mayhem died down, but now I’m thinking it will be a permanent column feature. So, if there’s any other DVD scoop you’re dying to know, drop me a line at diana@tvguide.ca and I’ll do my very best to add it in!
PICKS OF THE WEEK
The Office: Season 5 [Blu-ray and DVD]
Who does it star? Steve Carell (as Michael Scott), John Krasinski (as Jim Halpert), Jenna Fischer (as Pam Beesly), Rainn Wilson (as Dwight Schrute), B.J. Novak (as Ryan Howard), Angela Kinsey (as Angela Martin), Brian Baumgartner (as Kevin Malone), Oscar Nuñez (as Oscar Martinez), Leslie David Baker (as Stanley Hudson), Ed Helms (as Andy Bernard), Creed Bratton (as a fictionalized version of himself), Phyllis Smith (as Phyllis Lapin), Mindy Kaling (as Kelly Kapoor), Kate Flannery (as Meredith Palmer), Paul Lieberstein (as Toby Flenderson), Craig Robinson (as Daryl Philbin), Amy Ryan (as Holly Flax) and Melora Hardin (as Jan Levinson).
What’s the premise? A film crew documents the everyday lives of office employees working at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Penn.
When can I see it? Season 6 premières Sept. 17 at 9 p.m. ET.
Where does it air? Global and NBC.
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Why is it worth my time? This is one sitcom that always drums up watercooler talk amongst my colleagues Friday mornings. A remake of the original BBC series of the same name (created by and starring Ricky Gervais), this half-hour mockumentary is downright hysterical, plain and simple.
From the realistic characters (i.e. normal body sizes, non-designer clothes and bad haircuts) headed by the talented Steve Carell and a strong supporting cast, to the outlandish pranks, parodies, insults and jokes that take place within Dunder Mifflin’s walls, The Office is guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of anyone who’s ever worked inside, well, an office!
The winner of several Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Awards, this comedy has consistently garnered high praise, not only for its knee-slapping storylines, but for forging its own identity while still keeping the basics of the original Office series intact — a feat that’s not often possible in the competitive and critical TV world.
For more on The Office, check out TVGuide.ca’s exclusive promotion here. |
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In Season 5 … Michael purses a relationship with the new HR rep, Holly; Angela continues her affair with Dwight; Jim proposes to Pam; Darryl teaches Michael to sing the blues; Michael, Andy and Oscar travel to Winnipeg for business; Toby returns from Costa Rica; Ryan breaks up with Kelly; Meredith’s hair catches on fire during a Christmas party; and Michael and Dwight go undercover to investigate a rival paper company.
Guest stars: Amy Ryan (as Holly Flax), Jack Black, Jessica Alba and Cloris Leachman (as themselves), and Idris Elba (as Charles Miner).
Bonus features: Deleted scenes, episode commentaries, a gag reel, The Office promos, webisodes and featurettes titled “100 Episodes, 100 Moments” and “Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Presents The Office.”
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Number of discs: 5
Number of episodes: 26
Running time: 608 mins |
Criminal Minds: Season 4
Who does it star? Joe Mantegna (as David Rossi), Thomas Gibson (as Aaron Hotchner), Shemar Moore (as Derek Morgan), Matthew Gray Gubler (as Dr. Spencer Reid), Paget Brewster (as Emily Prentiss), A.J. Cook (as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau) and Kirsten Vangsness (as Penelope Garcia).
What’s the premise? A team of highly skilled agents from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit profile murderers to solve crimes.
When can I see it? Season 5 debuts Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. ET.
Where does it air? CTV and CBS.
Why is it worth my time? I’m not one for slasher flicks. My last two attempts were The Hills Have Eyes and the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and both times I wound up with a serious stomachache and finger cramps from clenching my pillow so hard. (If you’ve ever caught a glimpse of The Hills’ mutants or Chainsaw’s running-through-the-laundry scene, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Shudder.)
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So it may come as a surprise that I love Criminal Minds, a drama that delves into the minds and murders of America’s worst serial killers. But it’s one of my absolute favourite shows and has been for the last few years. To me, it’s more fascinating than frightening — even though most of the storylines never fail to give me the creeps, it's not in a graphic, slice-and-dice way. Rather, the show intrigues me to discover the reasons behind the crimes and why they were committed in the first place. |
I know I’m not the only fan of this police procedural either. Aside from the addicting storylines,
CM boasts northern talent in the likes of Whitby, Ont., native A.J. Cook, features renowned actors such as Thomas Gibson (
Chicago Hope, Dharma & Greg) Paget Brewster (
Friends, Huff) and the yummy Shemar Moore (
The Young and the Restless), and it ranks amongst the Top 10 most-watched shows in Canada.
Need I say more?
In Season 4 … Hotch copes with the after-effects of a car bomb explosion; Prentiss and Reid infiltrate the underground compound of a Colorado cult; Reid comes face-to-face with his estranged father; JJ gives birth; Morgan takes it personally when a killer targets cops; Prentiss confronts her troubled past; the notorious murderer of Hotch’s very first case returns; and the team travels to Canada to investigate a string of deaths.
Guest stars: Luke Perry (as Benjamin Cyrus), Jason Alexander (as Prof. Rothchild), Michael Boatman (as William Harris), C. Thomas Howell (as George Foyet a.k.a. The Reaper), Jackson Rathbone (as Adam Jackson), Alex O’Loughlin (as Vincent), Dan Lauria (as General Lee Whitworth) and Cybill Shepherd (as Leona Gless).
Bonus features: Deleted scenes, character profiles, a gag reel and a look behind-the-scenes of 11 episodes.
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Number of discs: 7
Number of episodes: 26
Running time: 1,107 mins |
Fringe: Season 1 [Blu-ray and DVD]
Who does it star? Anna Torv (as Olivia Dunham), Joshua Jackson (as Peter Bishop), John Noble (as Dr. Walter Bishop), Lance Reddick (as Phillip Broyles), Jasika Nicole (as Astrid Farnsworth), Kirk Acevedo (as Charlie Francis), Blair Brown (as Nina Sharp) and Mark Valley (as John Scott).
What’s the premise? An FBI team uses unorthodox “fringe” science to investigate a series of unexplained occurrences, known as “the Pattern,” worldwide.
When can I see it? Season 2 premières Sept. 17 at 9 p.m.
Where does it air? A and Fox.
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Why is it worth my time? Everything that TV producer J.J. Abrams (Felicity, Alias, Lost) touches seems to turn to gold and this hour-long sci-fi thriller is no exception. Touted as one of the best new shows of the 2008-09 season, Fringe — which has also been compared to The X-Files, The Twilight Zone and Dark Angel — has been inundated with praise for its ambitiousness, excitement and unusual paranormal plots since it debuted a year ago on Sept. 9.
Like Criminal Minds, Fringe also promotes fantastic Canadian talent thanks to the ever-charming Joshua Jackson (Dawson’s Creek), and his solid performance as a mad scientist’s skeptical son is only further enhanced by stunning Australian beauty Anna Torv (who made TVGuide.ca’s hot women of fall list) and the likable John Noble (the Lord of the Rings trilogy. |
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Unfortunately, the series’ new Thursday night timeslot doesn’t bode well for its future. Thanks to back-to-back seasons of
So You Think You Can Dance, Fox booted
Fringe from Tuesdays, pitting the drama against such network heavy-hitters as
Grey’s Anatomy, CSI, Supernatural and the aforementioned
Office. Translation: If you want
Fringe to stick around, make sure to tune in this fall!
In Season 1 … Olivia’s partner is infected with a flesh-dissolving toxin; the team looks into the significance of a mysterious cylinder that emerges from beneath New York City; Peter’s past catches up with him when his enemies discover he’s back in Boston; Broyles puts his friendship with Harris on the line to defend Olivia; Charlie encounters a man-made chimera; and Walter visits a gravesite that suggests his son has died.
Guest stars: Leonard Nimoy (as William Bell), Michael Gaston (as Sanford Harris), Ari Graynor (as Rachel) and Richard Short (as Bob Dunn).
Bonus features: A gag reel, unaired scenes, three full-length commentaries, a Gene the Cow montage, a production diary from producer Roberto Orci and featurettes titled “Evolution: The Genesis of Fringe,” “Behind the Real Science of Fringe,” “A Massive Undertaking: The Making of Fringe,” “The Casting of Fringe,” “Fringe Visual Effects” and “Deciphering the Scene.”
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Number of discs: 7
Number of episodes: 20
Running time: 1,272 mins |
Harper’s Island: The DVD Edition
Who does it star? Elaine Cassidy (as Abby Mills), Christopher Gorham (as Henry Dunn), Katie Cassidy (as Trish Wellington), Cameron Richardson (as Chloe Carter), Adam Campbell (as Cal Vandeusen), C.J. Thomason (as Jimmy Mance), Jim Beaver (as Sheriff Charlie Mills), Richard Burgi (as Thomas Wellington), Victor Webster (as Hunter Jennings), Matt Barr (as Christopher “Sully” Sullivan), Dean Chekvala (as J.D. Dunn), Harry Hamlin (as Marty Dunn), Gina Holden (as Shea Allen), Cassandra Sawtell (as Madison Allen), David Lewis (as Richard Allen), Claudette Mink (as Katherine Wellington), Brandon Jay McLaren (as Danny Brooks), Chris Gauthier (as Malcolm Ross), Sean Rogerson (as Joel Booth), Amber Borycki (as Beth Barrington), Sarah Smyth (as Lucy Daramour), Ben Cotton (as Shane Pierce), Anna Mae Routledge (as Kelly Seaver), Ali Liebert (as Nikki Bolton) and Beverly Elliott (as Maggie Krell).
What’s the premise? A couple plan to marry on Harper’s Island, but one of the guests is haunted by the horrible murders that occurred there several years ago. Suddenly, members of the wedding party begin to die one by one and everyone is a suspect …
When can I see it? On DVD! This 13-part miniseries wrapped up in July.
Where does it air? Global and CBS picked up this thrilling mystery.
Why is it worth my time? Although the notion of watching this horror series initially made me queasy (see the above Criminal Minds review), my inner detective soon won out over my weak stomach once I realized the clever mystery involved — I just had to try and decipher who was behind the Harper’s Island killings.
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Could it be Henry’s dark and sullen adoptive brother, J.D. (“The Black Sheep”)? Perhaps bitter, local fisherman Shane (“The Townie”)? Or what about broke beer entrepreneur Malcolm (“The Hustler”), Chloe’s bumbling British boyfriend, Cal (“The Outsider”) or depressed island native Kelly (“The Outcast”)?
And seriously, although she’s far too young and powerless to commit any of the murders herself, what’s up with creepy little Madison (“The Flower Girl”) and her ominous premonitions?
It has to be said Harper’s failed in the ratings, initially airing on Thursday nights (TV’s prime real estate) before quickly being moved to Saturdays due to low viewership. However, CBS still aired the series in its entirety rather than cancelling it mid-way, much to the delight of fans. |
If, like me, you never caught this thriller during the summer months, the DVD version makes it easy to catch up, especially since you don’t have to impatiently wait a week between eppys for the tale to unravel. And, as an aside,
Harper’s Island will make a great gift for Halloween lovers — the holiday may seem far away now, but it’s bound to creep up.
In this miniseries … Guests and local townies meet their demise, as those left alive struggle to figure out who is dying.
Guest stars: Callum Keith Rennie (as John Wakefield), Jay Brazeau (as Doctor Campbell) and Sarah-Jane Redmond (as Sarah Mills).
Bonus features: CBS network on-air promos, commentaries, Harper’s Globe webisodes, deleted scenes and featurettes titled “Casting Harper’s Island,” “One By One: The Making of Harper’s Island,” “Guess Who?” and “The Grim Reaper.”
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Number of discs: 4
Number of episodes: 13
Running time: 541 mins |
VIDEO: Harper's Island and Office clips
OTHER TV AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Questions or comments? diana@tvguide.ca
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To escape from the daily chaos of life, Diana enjoys curling up on the couch to watch a good movie, and is guilty of partaking in the current TV-on-DVD trend. From documentaries and dramas to comedies and animated flicks, no genre is off-limits.
Before her current editorial gig, Diana worked in TVGuide.ca’s listings department, so she’s a pro at getting the most up-to-date info to keep fellow movie buffs in the know with the latest TV and film releases. Now a content specialist, Diana graduated from the Broadcast Journalism program at Seneca College in Toronto. |
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