TV on DVD for July 14th – Leverage, The State

Just a day before season two starts, season one is available on DVD. That little move has always annoyed me. Why wasn’t this DVD out a month ago, so fans that missed the first season have time to get up to speed? Despite the questionable timing, Leverage is excellent television, and easily my pick of the week. If the DVD does finally get you on the Leverage train, you can follow along with the weekly posts from the Leverage category. And for those of you already enjoying the ride, look for a review of the season two premiere on Thursday. And don’t forget, you can enter to win a shiny copy Leverage: The First Season from CliqueClack.

The State is one of those odd shows in the history of TV that has developed a cult following despite the fact that there just weren’t that many episodes, and they weren’t seen by that many people originally. Still, those that count themselves as fans are devoted, and they have been longing for a proper DVD release for years. That idea has been hampered, as with so many other shows, by the dreaded clearing of the music. MTV’s unique position at the time gave them an easy route to get music for the show, but that use didn’t extend to future DVD releases. Fortunately, it’s all been hammered out finally, and a whole new generation of fans can be amused by Ken Marino wanting to dip his balls in things.

With all of the reality craziness that has come and gone over the past decade, Joe Schmo is often forgotten, and it really shouldn’t be. It was a fantastic parody of just how outlandish many of those shows were becoming. That’s something that makes it work for those that are fans of the genre, as well as those that loathe it. Season two isn’t quite up to season one, for the simple fact that the first time was so original. But season two does offer a very fun twist half way through that I won’t spoil for you now. If you get a chance, this one is well worth a look.

Go Joe! With a big screen movie coming next month, now seems like a perfect time to bring back what I think of as a classic cartoon. Season 1.1 brings with it “The M.A.S.S. Device”, “The Revenge of Cobra”, and “The Pyramid of Darkness.” In addition, all three of those feature segments with writer Ron Friedman, looking back at the series. If that’s not enough, the set also includes a big bucket of nostalgia, in the form of the original ‘Knowing Is Half The Battle’ PSA’s, the 1963 Toy Fair presentation of G.I. Joe, and Hasbro Toy Commercials.