Man, it’s a big week for DVD releases. I mean, really, who hasn’t been waiting for Charles In Charge Season 5 and that Knight Rider reboot? OK, maybe they’re not all blockbusters. But after that, the list is mighty impressive. You may find the shelves at your local DVD purveyor in danger of collapsing under all of the awesome. Joining The Middleman, we have Dollhouse, Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead, Battlestar Galactica 4.5, and Torchwood: Children Of The Earth. Crikey. And that’s not all. There are even more releases, links, and me prattling on about all manner of nonsense, after the jump.
The Middleman: The Complete Series
This is the one I’ve been waiting for. If you haven’t seen it, I don’t even know how to explain the show. It’s just crazy. But crazy in that really good way. The cast is terrific and the writing is fantastic. There are so many clever references and gags that you can’t possibly catch them all on the first go. The only downside to this little gem of a show is that this is ‘the complete series.’ Damn. Of all the shows that have taken the one-season jack-boot to the crotch, this one was probably the most disappointing. And not just because the next script featured Wendy in the Slave Leia costume. Although, let’s be honest, that does factor in. |
Dollhouse: Season 1 (Also available in Blu-ray)
Well, by this point we all know the story, right? The latest effort from Joss Whedon struggled mightily in the ratings department, but was somehow saved in the 11th hour (heh, yet Eleventh Hour wasn’t saved) to return in the fall. The show opened to mixed reviews, but most agree that business picked up toward the end of the season. The set also includes the unaired episode, “Epitaph One.” And really, if you haven’t seen that one, that alone is worth the price of admission. |
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5
The epic conclusion to Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar. Taken on the whole, in that big picture perspective, it truly is an amazing creation. To think that this show came from the original is almost laughable looking back now. Sure, the big finale was rather controversial, and people are still analyzing and talking about whether or not it actually worked. That’s the thing though, they’re talking about it. It’s the kind of show that even when you hit a rough spot, you want to keep watching, because you just don’t see TV like this very often. |
Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead (Also available on Blu-ray)
Ahhh, the Doctor, and his crazy U.K. television production schedule. I’m sure I’ll never understand the machinations behind the scheduling for each new series, or how they decide on when to do the specials, but at this point I just don’t care. I’ve long since been won over by the updated Doctor Who, and eagerly await each installment, whenever it happens to show up. This time, surprisingly enough, the Doctor is tasked with saving the world. I know! Fortunately, he has the aid of Lady Christina, played by Michelle Ryan. I was all for the idea of Lady Christina returning for a stint as the Doctor’s companion, but apparently that’s a no go. They haven’t ruled out the idea of her returning at some point in the future though. So we have that going for us, which is nice. |
Also in stores today:
I’m buying “The Middleman” ASAP and not just because of the rumored chance that high DVD sales might bring it back. I’m buying it because it’s at least ten times more awesome than any other DVD set I’ve purchased.
Brett, did you *have* to bring up the Leia slave bikini? I just drool-ruined another good keyboard.
*POST AUTHOR*
As a matter of fact, yes, I *had* to. It’s just how I’m wired. :D
That’s… um… quite the screencap you’ve chosen there. The only one that came close was Wendy in the Dr. No Middle-bikini on which she, of course, snarked.