The Couch Potato Report - May 31st, 2005
This week The Couch Potato Report features TV on DVD!
All winter long many of us stay indoors to avoid the cold. A very popular companion while we are inside is the television.
As summer approaches and the weather continues to get nicer, many people turn their televisions off and head outside.
If you are one of those people, then I doubt you could call yourself a "couch potato."
Now, since this is "The Couch Potato Report" I don't have a list of things or activities you can do outside. No, my friend, I just have a series of things you can watch inside.
In fact, I have a series of series you can watch!
One of the greatest things about the DVD boom of recent years has been the amount of TV shows for years and eras gone by that are now available to own.
Some of the most watched programs of all time - such as I LOVE LUCY, THE SIMPSONS and SEINFELD are available. Some of the least popular shows of all time like SPORTS NIGHT, GET A LIFE, THE TICK and THE BEN STILLER SHOW are available.
And some shows that made a comfortable home in between are also now available on DVD.
From its debut in 1985 until it went off the air in 1989 MOONLIGHTING was a Top Ten show.
In my house during that time, it was Number One!
Bruce Willis and Cybil Sheppard starred in the very funny romantic comedy, yet interesting detective drama that was a mid-season replacement.
There were only six episodes in the first season, including the two-part pilot, but 18 were produced for the second.
Now, all 24 episodes from seasons 1 and 2 are available on DVD in a six-disc box set.
At its best MOONLIGHTING had witty wordplay, real chemistry between Willis and Shepherd and some good mysteries to boot.
I was and remain a huge fan of MOONLIGHTING and as I watched this box set I was surprised at how many things I say on a daily basis are direct quotes from the show.
MOONLIGHTING - SEASONS 1 AND 2 is a very welcome addition to my library!!
So is LAW & ORDER: THE THIRD YEAR.
Since LAW & ORDER - with its various incarnations and casts - is on TV at least two or three times every day, I had yet to bother with any of the DVD sets that have been released from the show.
But when I had the opportunity to pick up LAW & ORDER: THE THIRD YEAR, I jumped at the chance.
That is because this is the season that introduced Jerry Orbach as the cynical, wise-cracking Detective Lennie Briscoe.
Everyone who watches LAW & ORDER has their favourite characters and actors, Orbach is mine.
And since Orbach died last December, I really enjoyed seeing his work again!
Also, I think the writing and source material also got stronger during the third year of LAW & ORDER. Plus, they didn't win every case or solve every mystery.
I will always give more respect to shows that feature characters who don't always win then I will to shows that do.
The three-disc, 22 episode box set of LAW & ORDER - THE THIRD YEAR covers the 1992-1993 season and it also includes a five minute interview with Jerry Orbach and a six minute tribute to him from his fellow cast mates. It is a memorable tribute to a great actor.
His work in the 1999-2000 season of LAW & ORDER gave Orbach a third Emmy Award nomination -- his first as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
He lost to James Gandolfini for his work in THE SOPRANOS.
In 1984 the nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series were:
John Forsythe for DYNASTY, Daniel J. Travanti, HILL STREET BLUES, Tom Selleck for MAGNUM, P.I. and William Daniels for ST. ELSEWHERE.
And the winner was Tom Selleck for MAGNUM, P.I.
Selleck's Emmy winning 1984 season of his hit show isn't out on DVD yet, but THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON is.
This four disc box set has all 18 episodes from the 1980-81 season plus four bonus episodes - the two "Simon & Simon" crossover shows and two 1984 episodes guest starring Sharon Stone.
MAGNUM, P.I. was a staple of Thursday night TV viewing from 1980 to 1988 because it had the right combination of smart and interesting scripts, beautiful locations and guest stars, and one Mr. Tom Selleck.
He is still regarded today by many as the only man who looks good in a mustache.
I must admit that I never watched MAGNUM, P.I. when it was originally on the air. I always watched THE COSBY SHOW and FAMILY TIES.
But over the years, I have watched the show in reruns and I really enjoyed this complete first season box set.
I also really enjoyed the friendships that Magnum and his friends T.C., Rick and Higgins share.
MAGNUM, P.I. is a great show and MAGNUM, P.I. - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON was fun to watch.
As I am speaking about these DVD box sets of old TV shows that are all now available on DVD I am going under the assumption that you have heard of them.
If you are a fan of any of the shows I mentioned, you know what they are about, and you don't need me to explain them.
For instance, if you enjoyed the show KNIGHT RIDER from 1982 to 1986 when it was on, you don't need me to tell you that the show was about a lone crimefighter who battles the forces of evil with the help of an indestructible and artificially intelligent supercar.
And you certainly don't need me to tell you that David Hasselhoff starred as Michael Knight before he went on to bigger successes as Mitch Buchannon on BAYWATCH.
So I won't tell you any of that.
I will just tell you that KNIGHT RIDER - SEASON ONE is a four-disc box set with all 22 episodes from the 1982-83 season and that KNIGHT RIDER - SEASON TWO is a three-disc set with all 21 second season episodes.
The final thing I will say about the show KNIGHT RIDER is I liked it when it was on, and I like it now!
All of the series I have been speaking about so far are ones that have entered the public consciousness and atone time during their run they were Top Ten shows.
The final series I am going to talk about this week differs from the others as it has never been a top ten show. In fact, during the season that is now available on DVD the show was ranked Number 26.
Like LAW & ORDER, LAS VEGAS is actually still in production and the show can be seen on Monday nights.
LAS VEGAS is a high polished, very fast paced show that revolves around the life and loves of a group of people at a fictional resort and casino in the titular town.
Hollywood legend James Caan from THE GODFATHER and MISERY leads the cast.
The very attractive cast!
LAS VEGAS might not be the best written show on TV, or DVD for that matter, but lead by Nikki Cox - the most beautiful woman on television - it sure is the prettiest, and that includes the men.
LAS VEGAS is a mix of eye candy, humor, and drama and its high pace is infectious.
The three-disc SEASON ONE UNCUT AND UNCENSORED DVD set features all 23 episodes from the 2003-04 season, several with unseen footage.
Enjoy! Unless you like to go outside when the weather warms up. But that is okay too! As long as you have a little couch potato in you, you are welcome here!
LAS VEGAS, KNIGHT RIDER, MAGNUM, P.I., LAW AND ORDER and MOONLIGHTING are all available now at a store near you.
COMING UP IN THREE WEEKS ON THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT
The Extended Version of the classic Bill Murray film STRIPES has 18 minutes of extra footage, a one-hour documentary with interviews with the cast and a tribute to the late John Candy.
IN BE COOL hitman-turned-movie producer Chili Palmer gets into music. John Travolta returns as Chili Palmer, but you will wish he didn't. Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn and The Rock also star.
BEYOND THE SEA is Kevin Spacey's biography of 1950s pop singer Bobby Darin and his wife. I say it is Spacey's as he co-wrote and directed it and he stars alongside Kate Bosworth and John Goodman.
In HITCH Will Smith plays a "Date Doctor" who has trouble landing the woman of his dreams. The very beautiful Eva Mendes is that woman.
Finally, the aforementioned Bruce Willis stars in the surprisingly entertaining action film HOSTAGE. He is a man who has to rescue a mob accountant that is being held captive in his fortified house.
I'm Dan Reynish and I will have more on HOSTAGE, HITCH, BEYOND THE SEA, BE COOL and THE EXTENDED VERSION OF STRIPES, and some other releases, in twenty-one days.
For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!
All-star lineup unveiled for Live 8
LONDON (AP) -- London's Hyde Park, Circus Maximus in Rome and the Philadelphia Museum of Art are among the venues for Live 8, a series of concerts being organized by Bob Geldof, the driving force behind the 1985 Band Aid and Live Aid campaigns for African famine relief.
The July 2 concerts, which will be free, also will be held near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and in Paris. Performers will include Madonna, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Duran Duran and Brian Wilson.
"We don't want people's money. We want them," Geldof told a news conference Tuesday. He said negotiations for the Paris venue were continuing.
Performers will include Elton John, Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Madonna, McCartney, R.E.M., Sting and U2 in London; Will Smith, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Wonder, Jay-Z and P. Diddy in Philadelphia; Crosby, Stills and Nash, Lauryn Hill and Wilson in Berlin; Jamiroquai, Youssou N'Dour, Yannick Noah and Craig David in Paris; and Faith Hill and Duran Duran in Rome.
The concerts are aimed at raising world awareness of poverty in Africa just days before G8 leaders meet in Britain.
Geldof said the G8 meeting provided a "unique opportunity for Britain to do something unparalleled in the world ... to tilt the world a little bit on its axis in favor of the poor."
John said he was "very proud to be involved."
"Now I'm fully aware of what's going on and seeing the injustices going on," John said. The 58-year-old pop star said he hadn't been mature enough to appreciate the last concert 20 years ago and its ramifications.
Geldof said that in the two decades since the Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia, Africa had gone into economic decline.
"The result of that is we see people dying on TV screens every night," he said. "This is to finally, as much as we can, put a stop to that."
Live 8 is not going to be "gloomy and doomy," Geldof said, and is "not for charity but for political justice."
The concert in Philadelphia will be held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. John is set to headline an AIDS-relief concert for July 4 on the parkway. The site of the 1985 concert, JFK Stadium, was torn down to make way for an arena.
The June 13, 1985, concert in London took place at Wembley Stadium, which has also been demolished to make way for a new sports stadium. Fans enter a lottery by cell phone text message to obtain a ticket.
A look at the Live 8 concert lineups announced Tuesday by organizers:
LONDON:
Mariah Carey
Coldplay
Dido
Keane
Elton John
Annie Lennox
Paul McCartney
Muse
Razorlight
REM
Scissor Sisters
Snow Patrol
Stereophonics
Sting
Joss Stone
Robbie Williams
U2
Velvet Revolver
Bob Geldof
The Killers
Madonna
The Cure
BERLIN:
a-ha
Bap
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Lauryn Hill
Die Toten Hosen
Peter Maffay
Brian Wilson
PHILADELPHIA:
Will Smith (host)
Bon Jovi
Maroon 5
Dave Matthews Band
Sarah McLachlan
Rob Thomas
Keith Urban
Jay Z
Stevie Wonder
50 Cent
Kaiser Chiefs
P. Diddy
PARIS:
Andrea Bocelli
Craig David
Calo Gero
Jamiroquai
Kyo
Yannick Noah
Youssou N'Dour
Placebo
Axelle Red
Johnny Halliday
Manu Chao
Renaud
ROME:
Irene Grandi
Faith Hill
Jovanotti
Tim McGraw
Nek
Laura Pausini
Duran Duran
Vasco Rossi
Zucchero
LOSING COUNT ON 'THE 4400'
The future returns to haunt the past this week on the highly anticipated second season of "The 4400."
The USA Network series, which in just six episodes last summer became the breakout cable drama of the season, is finally back on Sunday at 9 p.m..
"It's a show that has sci-fi elements, but also relatable, human stories and characters that have problems that the average viewer can get behind," says Ira Steven Behr, the show's executive producer and one of its main writers.
"The 4400" of the title refers to the number of people who mysteriously disappeared over the course of about 50 years only to return to Earth all together on one night transported on a comet that turns into a big ball of light just before it lands.
None has aged a day since they were taken.
After spending months in a government quarantine, the 4400 are released back into the world. Many learn they have acquired superhuman powers and don't understand why. Some are alone, without relatives or friends because they've either died years before or moved on.
Of the 4,400, each episode has focused on the storylines of a handful of the returnees.
Among the important players are:
* Richard and Lily (played by Mahershalalhashbaz Ali and Laura Allen), an interracial couple from different decades who met in quarantine and now have Isabelle, a mysterious baby.
* a spooky little girl with ESP named Maia.
* and a super-rich businessman who has appointed himself the spokesman for the 4400 and now started a quasi-religion around them.
Despite its record-shattering ratings, "The 4400" almost didn't come back this year because of angry network politics.
A dispute over rerun rights was eventually settled and Behr was given the green light to start working on new episodes.
"Once the smoke cleared and we were told the show would be back, it was just a matter of figuring out how big a hole they had dug for us," says Behr who was worried that there would not be enough time to write season two.
Most of the ideas for new season, he says, were thought up well before the show was renewed, over "pinball games" and walks on the Warner Bros. lot when he was working on another show.
Lucas, Spielberg OK 'Indy 4' script
The script approval for a fourth "Indiana Jones" film has cleared two major hurdles -- but still has one more to go.
Variety.com reports George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have given the green light to writer Jeff Nathanson's draft of "Indy 4," but star Harrison Ford, who has to give the thumbs up in order for the film to move forward, has yet to read the script.
Nathanson ("The Terminal," "Catch Me If You Can") took over the writing duties from Frank Darabont, ("The Shawshank Redemption," "Collateral") who had originally been brought in to script a concept the trio liked, but sources said Lucas was unhappy with the draft.
Scheduling the filming for "Indiana Jones 4" may hit a snag due to Spielberg's busy schedule -- he is heading to Europe to begin production on an untitled drama about the aftermath of the terrorist incidents at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and will follow it with a movie about Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. Cival War, starring Liam Neeson.
Oasis, Aaliyah on 90s Box
Rhino set packs 130 ditties . . . and a few coffee beans
Rhino Records will release the seven-disc box set Whatever: The '90s Pop Culture Box on July 26th. The 130-song collection follows in the tradition of the label's Have a Nice Decade: The '70s Pop Culture Box (1998) and Like, Omigod! The '80s Pop Culture Box, Totally (2002).
Whatever captures last decade's diverse sounds, from MC Hammer's hip-hop novelty song "Can't Touch This," to lighter-flicking ballads like the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" and Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train," to Moby's sample-drenched and commercial ready "Natural Blues."
The set also moves easily from international superstars to the relatively obscure with Oasis, Busta Rhymes, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Aaliyah and En Vogue appearing alongside the likes of Luscious Jackson, Dinosaur Jr., Babes in Toyland and the Flaming Lips.
And, of course, Sir Mix-a-Lot's cultural touchtone, the booty-shaking party staple "Baby Got Back," made the cut. "I was dating this girl -- she's the girl that's actually doing the 'Oh my god' part -- and she had a huge ass," the rapper told Rolling Stone of the song's inspiration. "Little tiny waist, just a Coke bottle body. And I always liked it . . . I wanted J. Lo before J. Lo was popular."
The box set's packaging will feature a clear plastic bag of coffee beans secured by a thermal sleeve as well as an eighty-four-page book with track-by-track commentary, photos and essays
'Wonderwall' tops best British song poll
LONDON (AP) — Britpop group Oasis' 1995 hit Wonderwall topped a radio station's poll of the best British songs of all time on Monday.
Listeners to Britain's Virgin Radio voted the anthem by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher's band their all time favorite British hit.
Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody came in second place and Led Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven placed third. Queen and the Beatles had the most entries of eight each in the poll of the best 100 songs, as voted by 8,300 listeners to the radio station.
Here are the Best British Songs, as voted by Virgin Radio listeners:
1. Oasis —Wonderwall
2. Queen —Bohemian Rhapsody
3. Led Zeppelin —Stairway to Heaven
4. The Beatles —Let It Be
5. John Lennon —Imagine
6. The Police —Every Breath You Take
7. The Jam —Going Underground
8. Verve —Bittersweet Symphony
9. Robbie Williams —Angels
10. The Stranglers —Golden Brown
Surfacing in time for summer
Summer brings breezier fare to the multiplex, from special-effects blockbusters to silly comedies and wholesome offerings aimed at families. And why shouldn't your DVD player get the same respite from the heavier fare of fall and winter?
USA TODAY has selected five movies with summer themes that get new treatment on DVD this season:
1. 'Jaws'
Why it says summer: This 1975 summer blockbuster was the first movie to gross more than $100 million. The hunt for the great white shark that terrorizes the resort town of Amity enlists a sailor, Quint (Robert Shaw), a police chief (Roy Scheider) and a scientist (Richard Dreyfuss). Plenty of beach scenes and jump-out-of-your-seat chills.
What's new: A 30th anniversary DVD arrives June 14 (Universal, $23, rated PG) with a new two-hour documentary, The Making of Jaws, and From the Set, a feature that has a previously unavailable interview with director Steven Spielberg. Also: a 60-page photo booklet.
2. 'Stripes'
Why it says summer: Released in the summer of 1981, this comedy about two down-on-their-luck friends who join the Army to get in shape secured ex-Saturday Night Live-r Bill Murray's status as a leading man.
What's new: It has been on DVD since 1998; an extended cut out June 7 (Sony, $20, rated R) has 18 minutes of new footage. A one-hour documentary includes interviews with the cast and a tribute to the late John Candy.
3. 'Father of the Bride'
Why it says summer: Got wedding issues? This remake of the 1950 Spencer Tracy-Elizabeth Taylor best-picture nominee should take your mind off of them for 105 minutes or so. Steve Martin is Dad, Diane Keaton is Mom and Kimberly Williams the bride. Martin Short is a fussy, funny wedding planner.
What's new: A 15th-anniversary edition out June 7 (Disney, $20, rated PG) includes Martin and Short interviewing each other.
4. 'The Sandlot'
Why it says summer: The 1993 Sandlot is a beloved tale of a new kid in town who makes friends on a pickup baseball team.
What's new: A direct-to-DVD sequel to the original film (Fox, in stores, $20, rated PG; with The Sandlot in a $25 double-pack), this is an updated take on the tale about baseball and a scary neighborhood dog that thwarts the kids. A special feature includes interviews with both casts and writer/director David M. Evans.
5. 'Summer Magic'
Why it says summer: Longing for the homey summertime films of days gone by? This oft-forgotten 1963 live-action Disney film will transport you back.
What's new: Just out on DVD (Disney, $20, rated G), the movie stars Hayley Mills — two years after appearing in the summer hit The Parent Trap— as a teenager whose family moves from Boston to the country. Burl Ives provides musical accompani- ment.
NEW CD RELEASES FOR MAY 31, 2005
Alio Die & Jack or Jive MEI-JYU (Projekt)
Autumn's Grey Solace Riverine (Projekt)
Better Than Ezra Before the Robots (Artemis)
Björk Army of Me (One Little Indian)
blink-182 Boxset (three CDs; interviews, audio biography and collectors' memorabilia) (Chrome Dreams)
Blowfly Fahrenheit 69 (Alternative Tentacles)
Peppino D'Agostino and Stef Burns Bayshore Road (Favored Nations)
Death in Vegas Satan's Circus (two CDs; new album and live greatest hits) (The LAB)
Electronicat Voodoo Man (Disko)
Four Tet Everything Ecstatic (Domino)
Connie Francis Sings the Standards - Live! (Artemis)
Glass Joe Glacious (Felonious)
Guru Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures (7 Grand)
GWAR Live from Mt. Fuji (enhanced CD w/bonus tracks and video) (DRT Entertainment)
High & Mighty 12th Man (guests Sean Price of Heltah Skeltah and Princess Superstar) (Eastern Conference)
Hot Karl The Great Escape (guests MC Serch, Will.I.Am and 9th Wonder) (Headless Heroes)
The Hurt Process A Heartbeat Behind (Victory)
Kottonmouth Kings Kottonmouth Kings (guests Cypress Hill and Tech N9ne) (Suburban Noize)
Layzie Bone It's Not a Game (w/Snoop Dogg, Twista and more) (Cleopatra)
The Levellers Truth and Lies (Eagle Rock)
Lost Boyz Forever (updated versions of previously unreleased material; w/production by Erick Sermon) (Contango)
Malente Rip It Up (remix album) (Unique)
Maximo Park A Certain Trigger (Warp)
Meshuggah Catch 33 (Nuclear Blast)
Oasis Don't Believe the Truth (Epic)
Vidna Obmana Noise/Drone Anthology 1984-1989 (Projekt)
Oppera (w/singer Martika of "Toy Soldiers" fame) Oppera (Dunda Chief)
Sean Price (of Heltah Skeltah) Monkey Barz (w/members of Boot Camp Click) (Duck Down)
Shadow Gallery Room Five (InsideOut)
Sherwood Sing, but Keep Going (SideCho)
Smog A River Ain't Too Much to Love (Drag City)
Supagroup Rules (Foodchain)
Templars Out Remmer (Victory)
Thrones A Day Late, a Dollar Short (Southern Lord)
Tosca J.A.C. (!K7)
Twisted Tower Dire Crest of the Martyrs (Cleopatra)
XDoaneX West Coast Filmcore (Victory)
VA Clubber's Guide to Deep House (Cleopatra)
OST Rock School (documentary of students playing hits w/Alice Cooper, Dave Mustaine, Billy Idol, Stewart Copeland and more) (Calvin)
DVD Made in Sheffield (documentary on early new wave scene; w/Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, ABC and more) (Plexifilm)
DVD Moog (documentary on inventor of modern synthesizer; w/performances by Stereolab, Rick Wakeman, Money Mark, Bernie Worrell and more) (Plexifilm)
DVD Chic Live at Montreux 2004 (Eagle Rock)
DVD George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic Live at Montreux 2004 (Eagle Rock)
DVD Imperial Crowns Preachin' the Blues: Live! (Music Video Distributors)
DVD Ana Popovic Ana! (Music Video Distributors)
DVD Puddle of Mudd Live at the Key Club - Striking That Familiar Chord (from November 2004; w/bonus acoustic set) (Eagle Rock)
DVD Sadaharu New and Alternative Careers in Dance (two live 2004 concerts; w/music video and interviews) (Music Video Distributors)