The Bob Newhart Show: The Complete First Season
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
www.foxhome.com

During the last few decades classic, well done television shows have been replaced with inferior programs ending up with the current glut of reality shows on TV. Fortunately, many of the best television shows are becoming available on DVD – and without the commercials! Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has just released two of the greatest television shows of all time on DVD – The Bob Newhart Show: The Complete First Season and M*A*S*H: Season Eight Collector's Edition (see below).

The Bob Newhart Show ran from 1972-78 (a total of 142 hilarious episodes) and featured Bob Newhart as psychologist Dr. Robert (Bob) Hartley. As with all successful TV shows the cast of characters had a lot to do with the show's popularity. The regular actors consisting of Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, Bill Daily, Marcia Wallace and Peter Bonerz worked well together and those actors who appeared less frequently, such as Tom Poston as "The Peeper" and Jack Riley as "Elliot Carlin," were also excellent.

Along with the wonderful cast, the writing was top-notch. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the episodes from the show's first season. What struck me was the frequency of the funny parts – and the jokes were witty and in good taste. Newhart's telephone conversations are particularly humourous. The Bob Newhart Show: The Complete First Season contains all 24 episodes on three discs and is a "must have" for fans of Bob Newhart – or quality comedy.

M*A*S*H: Season Eight Collector's Edition
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
www.foxhome.com

Arguably the best television show of all time is M*A*S*H* (winner of 12 Emmy Awards, 7 Golden Globes and 6 People's Choice Awards.) M*A*S*H* was on television from 1972 to 1983 and was set in South Korea during the Korean War. The show criticized war and was a brilliant comedy as well. Over the course of the series the show was composed of numerous excellent actors who went through the 4077^th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital including: Alan Alda, Harry Morgan, McLean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit, Gary Burghoff, Jamie Farr, Larry Linville, Mike Farrell, David Ogden Stiers and William Christopher.

M*A*S*H*: Season Eight Collector's Edition is a 3-disc DVD set containing all 25 episodes of season eight which aired during 1979-80. The episodes can be viewed with or without the laugh track. Season eight featured the popular two-part episode "Good-Bye Radar" where Gary Burghoff left the show. The poignant show can be played in one continuous viewing. M*A*S*H* fans will enjoy this DVD collection.

Vincent Price Double Feature
VCI Entertainment 
www.vcientertainment.com

Vincent Price is synonymous with horror movies back when they didn't rely on graphic, violent special effects to frighten the audience. The Vincent Price Double Feature by VCI Entertainment (black & white, widescreen format) contains The House on Haunted Hill (1958) and The Last Man on Earth (1964). The House on Haunted Hill features a millionaire who throws a "house party" in a creepy old mansion and offers $10,000 to anyone who remains in the house until sunrise.

The Last Man on Earth has Vincent Price surviving in a world that has been decimated by a plague. Zombie-like creatures come out each night to try and kill Price. During the day Price looks for the creatures so that he can drive stakes through their hearts. This film is based on Richard Matheson's I Am Legend and was later remade as Omega Man.

Lost in Space: Season Two Volume One
Lost in Space: Season Two Volume Two
Lost in Space: Season Three Volume One
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 
www.foxhome.com

"Danger, Will Robinson!" How many of you remember these words spoken by The Robot in the  television series Lost in Space which ran from 1965 to 1968 (83 1-hour episodes in all)?

Recently this popular television show  was released on DVD by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and, unlike most of today's television, this Sci-Fi adventure is good family entertainment. Journey with the crew of the Jupiter 2 which includes Maureen Robinson (June Lockhart), Will Robinson (Bill Mumy), Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris) and The Robot.

Special features for the second and third seasons include numerous  video clips with cast members. Lost in Space  will bring back nice memories for those who watched the show four decades ago and provide new ones for those who watch it for the first time now. I'm certainly enjoying watching them and so are our children Liam, 6, and Gleannan, 10.

Star Wars Trilogy (4 DVDs, widescreen)
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 
www.foxhome.com

 The incredible popularity of the Star Wars movies continues with Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith now playing in theatres. Recently, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment released the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. This 4 DVD box set contains Episode IV: A New Hope (originally released in 1977), Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983).

Recently my wife Lynn and I along with our two children, Liam and Gleannan, thoroughly enjoyed watching the Star Wars Trilogy. In A New Hope Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) attempts to rescue Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) with the help of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and the droids R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and help the Rebellion overthrow the Empire.

The Empire Strikes Back finds Luke Skywalker seeking out Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz – voice)  while Darth Vader (David Prowse, James Earl Jones – voice) tries to convert Luke Skywalker to the dark side. Return of the Jedi has Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia travelling to Tatooine to try and free Han Solo while Darth Vader continues to try and convert Luke Skywalker to the dark side.

All of the movies were digitally restored and remastered. A fourth DVD, Star Wars Trilogy Bonus Material features Empires of Dreams: The Story of the Stars Wars Trilogy, a two-and-a-half hour documentary which traces the evolution of Star Wars. The bonus disc includes never-before-seen footage from the making of all three films as well as interviews with George Lucas and more than 40 members of the cast and crew.

 The Star Wars Trilogy is a classic galactic adventure for the whole family which features incredible special effects, wonderful characters and an exciting good versus evil storyline.

One Step Beyond
VCI Entertainment 
www.vcientertainment.com

 Before The Twilight Zone there was One Step Beyond. This series, which debuted in 1959 and was directed and hosted by John Newland, deals with ghosts and other supernatural subjects. The show ran for 96 half-hour episodes and this 2 disc set contains 12 complete episodes from season two. Fans of the more popular The Twilight Zone will enjoy One Step Beyond which features several entertaining episodes including "Delusion," "Doomsday" and "The Clown."

Crosby, Stills & Nash: Long Time Comin' (DVD)
Rhino/Warner  
www.rhino.com

 My wife, Lynn and I had the good fortune of seeing Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young perform in Toronto in 2000. These four musicians have made great music for the past four decades. Fans of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young will enjoy Crosby, Stills & Nash: Long Time Comin'  which includes 20 of the group's songs along with performances by The Byrds, The Hollies and Buffalo Springfield as well as rare television appearances and interviews. "Marrakesh Express" and "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" were recorded at Woodstock while the film footage of dolphins and whales that accompanied the song "To the Last Whale…" is itself worth the price of the DVD.

 Fans of CSN will enjoy this DVD which includes many of their classics including "Wooden Ships," "Carry On" and "Teach Your Children" as well as "Down by the River" and "You Don't Have to Cry" with Neil Young.

Apollo 13: 2-Disc Anniversary Edition (widescreen)
Universal Studios Canada
http://homevideo.universalstudios.com

"Houston, we have a problem." And a big problem it was. Apollo 13 is the true story of a space mission where thoughts turn from travelling to the moon to simply surviving after the spacecraft undergoes serious problems more than 200,000 miles from Earth. This mission occurred in 1970, less than a year since the lunar landing which I remember watching on television at the cottage.

Directed by Ron Howard and featuring Tom Hanks as astronaut Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 was nominated for nine Academy Awards. Other actors in the excellent cast include Ed Harris, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon and Gary Sinise.

After the problems occur on the spacecraft's flight to the moon, the astronauts and the ground crew work together in a desperate and heroic attempt to get safely back to Earth.

Besides the entertaining movie, this 2 DVD anniversary edition offers several special features including the making of Apollo 13, commentary with Ron Howard as well as Jim and Marilyn Lovell, "Conquering Space: The Moon and Beyond" (a recap of the last 45 years in space) and "Lucky 13: The Astronauts' Story" (recounting the events of the mission).

Night Gallery: The Complete First Season
Universal Studios Canada (ISBN: 1417018496) 
http://homevideo.universalstudios.com

 From 1970 to 1973 those who enjoy scary stories could tune in to Night Gallery every week. This television series was hosted by Rod Serling who also wrote many of the 44 episodes. Every week the viewer was entertained with a new horror story represented by a painting in an old museum.

 I remember being entertained, and frightened, by these tales of terror when I was a boy. Directors of this television series included Leonard Nimoy and Steven Spielberg. The list of actors who appear on Night Gallery is also impressive and includes: Roddy McDowall, Tom Bosley, Joan Crawford, Diane Keaton, Burgess Meredith, John Astin, Phyllis Diller, Leslie Nielsen, Patty Duke, Carl Reiner and Buddy Ebsen.

 Night Gallery: The Complete First Season includes the episodes from the first season as well as "The Pilot" and six "bonus stories."

Back to the Future: The Complete Trilogy (full screen)
Universal Studios Canada 
http://homevideo.universalstudios.com

 The entertaining adventures of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) as they journey into the past and future are available in the recently released Back to the Future: The Complete Trilogy. In the first movie (released in 1985) Marty McFly travels back to 1955 on the plutonium-powered DeLorean created by Dr. Emmett Brown. McFly's future is put in jeopardy when he accidentally keeps his parents from falling in love.

 Back to the Future Part II (1989) sees McFly and Dr. Brown travelling to 2015 and then back to 1955 in order to "fix the present." The final movie of the trilogy (1990) has Marty McFly going back to the year 1885 where he needs to save Dr. Brown, who has fallen in love with schoolteacher Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen), from being murdered.

 Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are excellent throughout the trilogy (which has been remastered in 5.1 digital surround) making for three very entertaining, and funny, movies about time travel. For those who enjoy watching the special features included with many DVDs, this trilogy features more than 10 hours of special features including the making of the three movies, outtakes, visual special effects, deleted scenes, a conversation with Michael J. Fox and much more.

Murder, She Wrote: The Complete First Season (ISBN: 1417023694)
Universal Studios 
www.universalstudios.com/home

Detective shows have been very popular on television for decades and Universal Studios has released some very good ones including Murder, She Wrote.

Murder, She Wrote is the popular detective show that ran on television from 1984-1996 (264 episodes) and featured Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, a famous mystery writer who is also good at solving murders. Murder, She Wrote: The Complete First Season (ISBN: 1417023694) includes all 21 episodes from the first season as well as the pilot movie for the series "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes." The pilot movie introduces the viewer to Jessica Fletcher who has just had her first murder-mystery novel published. When a guest dressed as Sherlock Holmes at a costume ball is murdered, Ms. Fletcher sets to work solving the mystery. The 21 entertaining episodes feature such guest actors as Martin Landau, Lynn Redgrave, Peter Graves, Milton Berle, Jerry Orbach and Linda Blair. Tom Bosley starred as Sheriff Amos Tupper from 1984-88. In her wonderful role as Jessica Fletcher, Angela Lansbury earned 12 consecutive Emmy nominations.

Columbo: The Complete First Season (ISBN: 1417014326)
Columbo: The Complete Second Season (ISBN: 1417035188)
Universal Studios 
www.universalstudios.com/home

Another excellent detective show was Columbo and featured Peter Falk as the cigar-chomping police lieutenant who usually wore a trench-coat. Falk won four Emmy Awards in his likeable role as the persistent Lieutenant Columbo. Columbo: The Complete First Season  features all of the episodes from the first season (7) as well as the two original movies – Prescription: Murder (1968) and Ransom for a Dead Man (1971). The television series ran from 1971-78 (43 episodes in all.) I enjoyed watching this show more than three decades ago and I'm enjoying watching it even more now on DVD. Some of the guest actors appearing on the show in season one include Ray Milland, Eddie Albert, Suzanne Pleshette, Don Ameche and Roddy McDowall. Columbo: The Complete Second Season contains eight more quality episodes as Lt. Columbo hounds his suspects until the case is solved. Some of the actors appearing in these episodes are Robert Culp, Valerie Harper, Martin Landau and Leonard Nimoy. Anyone who enjoys the acting of Peter Falk or a good detective show will enjoy these boxed sets of Columbo.

Monk: Season One (ISBN: 0783286104)
Monk: Season Two (ISBN: 1417007370)
Monk: Season Three (ISBN: 1417054697)

Universal Studios 
www.universalstudios.com/home

A more recent television show that features an effective detective is Monk. Tony Shalhoub is Mr. Monk and this obsessive-compulsive (and hilarious) detective is fun to watch as he sets out to solve mysteries. Sort of a cross between Lieutenant Columbo and Inspector Clouseau, Adrian Monk is a former police detective who suffers from various phobias since his wife was murdered four years earlier. Although a brilliant detective, Monk is on psychiatric leave and working as a detective/consultant with the help of his assistant and friend Sharona Fleming when Monk: Season One begins. Season one includes 12 episodes including the pilot "Mr. Monk and the Candidate." The second season contains 16 more funny and entertaining episodes. The third season contains another 16 episodes of what is one of the best television shows to be created in years.

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 
www.foxstudioclassics.com

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) stars Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones and Fredric March as well as Lee J. Cobb and Keenan Wynn. Peck is a husband and father who must choose between climbing the corporate ladder of success or being a successful family man. This entertaining film is set after the war and looks at issues that are just as relevant today.

In Old Chicago
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 
www.foxstudioclassics.com

 In Old Chicago was filmed in 1937 and deals with the great fire of 1871 and how two sons, played by Don Ameche and Tyrone Power, achieve power in 19^th Century Chicago. This film, which won two Academy Awards, also features Alice Faye. Special effects of the fire by Fred Serson are noteworthy. Some of the features include an extended version of the movie as well as a biography of Don Ameche.

Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 
www.foxstudioclassics.com

 If you like scary, suspense, thrillers then you'll like Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte. This 1964 movie features Betty Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Agnes Moorehead and Joseph Cotton. Charlotte Hollis (Davis) has been a recluse in her mansion since she was accused of killing her married lover many years earlier. Now she is being evicted so that a road can be built through her property. Weird and frightening things occur when her friends and relatives show up to lend their support. This classic will make a nice addition to any movie buff's collection.

Land Before Time: Invasion of the Tinysauruses
Universal Studios Canada (ISBN: 1417003618)
http://homevideo.universalstudios.com

Children like "The Land Before Time" movies (this being Volume 11 attests to that) featuring Littlefoot and his friends Cera, Spike, Ducky and Petrie. The Land Before Time: Invasion of the Tinysauruses sees a series of little lies occurring after Littlefoot accidentally knocks all of the "tree sweets" (blossoms) from a tree before "nibbling day." This results in the tiny dinosaurs (tinysauruses), who ate the tree sweets after they were knocked from the tree, being blamed. As a result, the dinosaurs set out looking for the tinysauruses with the idea of exterminating them.

Littlefoot's grandpa is a voice of reason stating that the tiny longnecks have just as much right to live there as anyone else does and wisely points out that "Every living thing has a role to play." Unfortunately, virtually everyone else wants to hunt down the tiny dinosaurs who Littlefoot helps by sneaking them food at night. Circumstances occur whereby the tiny dinosaurs and the larger dinosaurs end up protecting each other and becoming friends.

As with the other "Land Before Time" movies, Invasion of the Tinysauruses is entertaining and contains wise messages. Special features of the DVD include three new sing-along songs as well as sing-along songs from other Land Before Time movies as well as a Land Before Time music video. Our children, Liam and Gleannan, thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Because of Winn-Dixie
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 
www.foxhome.com

 There aren't enough good "family movies." Fortunately, Because of Winn-Dixie is being released by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and it is an excellent movie. Not only is the movie entertaining and provides positive, important messages about life, but it accurately describes the positive and far-reaching effects that dogs (and other animal companions) have on their humans.

 Because of Winn-Dixie is adapted from the popular novel of the same name and tells the heartwarming story of how a young girl, Opal (Annasophia Robb), rescues a stray dog (played by two dogs – Lyco and Scott) in a supermarket and how her generous act is returned numerous times as the dog, named Winn-Dixie after the supermarket where he was found, brings together people in a small town enriching their lives. Winn-Dixie also plays an important role in Opal and her father (played by Jeff Daniels) healing their troubled relationship. Other actors in this film include Cicely Tyson, Dave Matthews and Eva Marie Saint.

 Special features for this highly recommended film include a "behind-the-scenes featurette" as well as a segment on how the dogs were trained entitled "Diamond in the Ruff."

Garfield and Friends: Volume One
Garfield and Friends: Volume Two
Garfield Travel Adventures
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 
www.foxhome.com

For fans of the Saturday morning television series "Garfield and Friends," Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has released Garfield and Friends: Volume One and Garfield and Friends: Volume Two. Each volume contains 24 episodes (576 minutes) and each episode contains two "Garfield" cartoons featuring Garfield, his canine sidekick Odie and their human guardian Jon. Each episode also contains a cartoon of "U.S. Acres" featuring "Garfield's farm-fresh friends."

And if these DVDs don't contain enough of Garfield for you there is Garfield Travel Adventures which contains three television specials: "Garfield in the Rough," "Garfield in Paradise" and "Garfield Goes Hollywood." Children of all ages will enjoy the funny antics of this hilarious cat.

Once Upon a Forest (full screen)
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 
www.foxhome.com

 You can never have too many quality films for the whole family and you can never have enough good movies about the environment. Once Upon a Forest is good animated family entertainment and it carries with it a powerful message regarding the importance of preserving the natural world and the tragic consequences that occur when we don't.

 When a truck carrying a poisonous gas crashes and destroys Dapplewood Forest, three friends, Abigail the wood mouse, Edgar the mole and Russell the hedgehog set off on a vital, dangerous journey to find plants needed to save their friend, Michelle the badger, who was made sick by the chemical spill.

 Once Upon a Forest is an entertaining adventure that shows how destructive our species is, how precious life is and how it is vital to preserve the environment and the health of the planet.