NEW RELEASE TUESDAY (9/2/2014) - TV ON DVD

New Release Tuesday (9/2/2014)

September is typically a busy month for TV-on-DVD releases, aiming for the fans and binge watchers before the new season begin. The 2014-2015 television season doesn't officially kick-off until September 22 but many shows are returning and/or debuting before that date.

Season 2 of Chicago Fire and the first season of its procedural spin-off, Chicago P.D. both hit the shelves today.

Grey's Anatomy fans can relive the final season featuring Cristina with the complete tenth season set. New Girl's see-saw romance that defined Season 3 comes out on DVD.

Additionally, The Originals (spin-off of The Vampire Diaries) and Person of Interest see multiple format releases today. Fans can pick up the DVD/Blu-ray combo of the freshman supernatural series or repeat the death that shocked viewers on the third season of the CBS drama.

FX Networks gets in on the action with the ninth season release of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Season 5 of The League, which comes out just in time for its sixth season premiere this Wednesday.

Summer pirate adventure Crossbones releases its first season on DVD. The fate of the show that follows Blackbeard still remains in the air but viewers can repeat that incredible season (or series) finale.

On the retro TV front, Mill Creek Entertainment continues re-releasing previous Sony sets. This time around, 1970s hits Soap and What's Happening!! each receive a Season 1 & 2 combo release. Individual sets of both shows' seasons are also released.

The first and second seasons of Benson become available as well, and in both combo or individual sets. While Season 1 was originally released to retail in 2007, this is the first time Season 2 gets a retail release. A previous set was offered but only as a Sony MOD DVD-R.

Finally, western TV show fans will be anxious to pick up The Official 7th Season of Bonanza.

#TVonDVD #NRT 

FALL 2013: THE CW TO REBOOT '80s "TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE"

Remaking old shows has become the latest trend for networks. Following previous news of Remington Steele, Murder, She Wrote, and Charmed reboots, it was revealed yesterday that The CW is interested in bringing back Tales from the Darkside.

Tales from the Darkside was a syndicated horror anthology series from George A. Romero. The series ran for four seasons during the mid-1980s and frequented the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Following similar formats seen on The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, each episode of Darkside was an individual short-story that typically ended with a plot twist.

(The episode "Halloween Candy" is considered one of the scariest episodes from the series)

The CW is interested in rebooting Tales from the Darkside to boost its current horror/fantasy line-up that has generated viewers and ratings over the years. Joe Hill (Stephen King's son) has been tapped to pen the project.

FALL 2013: COMING TO TV TONIGHT (10/17)! THE CW PREMIERES A DISASTROUS 'REIGN'

New on TV tonight is a costumed historical period drama gone wrong.

The CW premieres Reign, a historical drama set in 16th Century France. 1557 to be exact. The series follows teenager Mary, Queen of Scots as she is called out of isolation in a French convent and ordered back to the French court to prepare for her arranged marriage to Prince Francis. Francis, however, isn't so pressed for the wedding since he has his own sidepiece but his mother, Queen Catherine, and bastard half-brother Bash have other plans. The opulent setting, lavish location shoots, and period costuming are used to hide the numerous historical inaccuracies of The CW's modified history lesson.

So what exactly is wrong with this story? Well the ages of Mary and Francis are way off since the real royals married at age 15 and 14, respectively. While The CW clearly found a dashing, handsome Francis, the real prince was in fact a sickly, frail boy who expired a short time after the arranged marriage. But of course that story wouldn't generate ratings! Also, Mary, Queen of Scots was never exiled to a French convent; there never existed a half-brother named Bash; and Francis' family actually adored Mary rather than plot against her. But real history is just boring.

Yeah right.

Reign airs tonight at 9 pm on The CW, and will face stiff competition from ABC's Grey's Anatomy and FOX's MLB Playoffs in this timeslot.

FALL 2013: COMING TO TV TONIGHT (10/7)!

Another week begins in La La Land and Thew CW continues to roll out its returning television shows.

The Rachel Bilson drama, Hart of Dixie, kicks off its third season with the end of summer, and Zoe's stint in New York City. While she is ready to make her move more permanent, another New Yorker decides to relocate to the heart of Bluebell. 8 pm on The CW.

The second season of Beauty and the Beast begins several months after Vincent was hauled away by the mysterious men in a helicopter. Catherine is reunited with Vincent but not exactly in the way that she planned, and what role does her father play in all this kidnapping? A lot will be revealed in the 60-minute premiere. 9 pm on The CW.

Also on TV tonight

The Voice continues blind auditions while Dancing with the Stars eliminates another dance couple. Bones investigates the murder of someone close to Booth and on Sleepy Hollow, Abbie and Icky learn more about the evil they are facing. CBS has new episodes of its comedy block, with slow-starting Hostages rounding out the night. The Blacklist continues the intrigue and another elimination on NBC.

NEW RELEASE TUESDAY: SUPERHEROES, MONSTERS, AND DUELING DIVAS

With the start of the fall television season this week, we almost forgot that today is New Release Tuesday. We'll highlight some of the TV-on-DVD releases hitting shelves today.

Superhero Pick-of-the-Week

Arrow - The Complete First Season (BD/DVD)

Filling the gap left by the departure of Smallville, Arrow tells the story of Oliver Queen, his life on a stranded island for five years, and ultimately his evolution to the superhero based on The Green Arrow. Ollie Queen is definitely unique since there is nothing super about his hero persona. Having no special powers or abilities, Arrow is a vigilante by night trying to salvage Starling City from the wrongs of his father. The freshman season establishes the story and cautiously dips into the DC Comics universe, setting it up for the new sophmore season.

Horror Pick-of-the-Week

Grimm - Season 2 (BD/DVD)

NBC's fantasy horror fest Grimm really broke away from the original premise and formed its own shell in the second season. Moving away from direct references to the Grimm Fairy Tales that we have known since childhood, and some that were completely obscure, Grimm delves further into the realms of evil supernatural forces when an ultimate plan to rule the world is revealed. Nick continues hunting down the wicked in Portland while struggling in his home life. Truths, revelations, and bigger baddies were just a few highlights of the sophmore drama.

Drama Pick-of-the-Week

Nashville - The Complete First Season

ABC brought back the primetime soap with Nashville last season. Well, sort of. The drama centers around the veteran and newbie country music divas as they try to keep their careers afloat while watching their personal lives crumble before their very eyes. Lots of singing, sex, drinking, and fighting marked the rookie season, and leading to the explosive season finale that left the fate of several characters up in the air.

Crime Pick-of-the-Week

The Mentalist - The Complete Fifth Season

The Mentalist is one of those shows picked up during the height of the medium-crime fighter dramas that has remained one of CBS' stable staples. Fans of the show will want to catch up with the fifth season since the "Red John" killer is slated to reach its apex during the upcoming fall season. It's also the last season that will feature Agents Rigsby and Van Pelt in a full-time capacity before they are written off later this year.

Canceled-Too-Soon Pick-of-the-Week

Vegas - The DVD Edition

The short-lived period drama Vegas premiered on CBS with decent ratings and positive reviews. The 1960s drama that focused on the battle between a Las Vegas sheriff and a Chicago mobster slowly fizzled as it progressed through the year, and after being moved around in several time slots, the show was completely scrapped. Fans of the show can own the collection which pits good versus evil at the heart of America's Sin City. (Sidenote: Stay Tuned is curious about the use of the phrase "The DVD Edition" instead of "The Complete Series." That only tells us that CBS and Paramount have edited the series from the original broadcasting. The culprit most likely would be music rights).

The Marlon Copeland Pick-of-the-Week

Adventure Time - Volume 5: Jake the Dad

Fraternity brother Marlon Copeland swears up and down that Adventure Time is one of the best animated shows currently airing on Cartoon Network. He would be excited about this Jake and Dad set. Fans of the show, like Marlon, don't need much information about the DVD set. They'll just purchase it.

Are there any releases you are looking forward to in particular?

FALL 2013: 'ARROW' CASTS ITS VILLAINOUS AMANDA WALLER

The CW's superhero series Arrow is digging into the DC Comics vault and integrating one of the top villains into its sophmore season.

Cynthia Addai-Robinson, most recently seen in Starz's Spartacus, has been cast as Amanda Waller. DC Comics fans will recognize Amanda Waller as the big baddie who heads the Suicide Squad. In Arrow, Waller will be part of A.R.G.U.S., a covert agency that has vital information about the Arrow. The character will be introduced during the sixth episode of the series, just weeks after Bronze Tiger, another Suicide Squad member, is introduced. It appears that the Suicide Squad will play heavily into the show's second season. 

Last month, we posted the news of The Flash being introduced in episodes 8 and 9 of the show, and returning towards the end of the season in a backdoor pilot episode.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

FALL 2013: 'VAMPIRE DIARIES' IAN SOMERHALDER 'NOT THRILLED' ABOUT SPIN-OFF 'THE ORIGINALS'

It's been quite some time since the last time fans eagerly anticipated a television spin-off. Fans of The CW's The Vampire Diaries are counting down the days for the premiere of its spin-off, The Originals. Set in New Orleans, the upcoming new show will focus on the world's original vampires, the Mikaelson siblings: Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. One cast member from the flagship show, however, is not necessarily thrilled at the idea of a spin-off.

Ian Somerhalder, who portrays evil vamp Damon Salvatore, is less than excited for the spin-off. In an interview with Digital Spy, Somerhalder was happy for his co-stars' latest success but is worried how the loss of these actors will impact his character. "I'm excited for Julie Plec, and for Joseph Morgan, and all my people, but I'm a selfish actor --I'm not a producer on the show, I'm not a writer. My only concern is Damon, and my show." Somerhalder further expressed his concern over removing these pivotal characters from The Vampire Diaries and leaving a villainous void that has to be filled. The actor even took an apparent shot at network The CW, "Who are the other people who are gonna be coming on the show? Are they gonna be good? Because it's The CW, and everyone has to be pretty, and there aren't a lot of pretty people that can act well." Ouch!

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out but Somerhalder isn't too far off the mark regarding television spin-offs. Efforts and talent are removed from the flagship show and focused primarily on the new venture, and often results in a decline in quality for the original show.

The Vampire Diaries returns October 3 at 8 pm. The Originals premieres the same night at 9 pm.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

FALL 2013: A SNEAK PEEK AT THE CW'S 'THE TOMORROW PEOPLE'

One of the CW's newest fall shows has released an intriguing sneak peek. The Tomorrow People is based on the British series of the same name and follows a group of adults who possess powers as the result of human evolution. Whether the show will follow in the steps of Heroes or X-Men remains to be seen. You can watch the sneak peek and judge for yourselves, and share a comment below if this new show piques your interest.




The Tomorrow People premieres October 9.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

SUPERHERO SCOOP: IS THE FLASH HEADING TO HIS OWN SHOW ON THE CW?

It appears that The CW wants to capitalize on the superhero momentum its currently experiencing in its programming line-up. News has leaked out that the network is interested in expanding the DC Comics universe by bringing The Flash back to the small screen. The network generated great ratings (at least in The CW terms) when it originally aired Smallville, and last year's sleeper hit Arrow has proven that they can attract a key demo with the right product.

Arrow presents the story of Oliver Queen, and his superhero persona Green Arrow, combating crimes and injustice in Starling City. The show was presented last year in attempts to fill the void left when Smallville ended its 10-year run on The CW. While Arrow has deviated from the origins of the comic books, it retained the darker, grittier tone that is characteristic of the Green Arrow. During the first season run, Arrow introduced other DC Comics characters that are involved in the Green Arrow universe. It is precisely using this gimmick that the network wants to bring The Flash into the fold.

The CW has green-lighted the planned Flash series, which co-creators anticipate will take place after The Scarlet Speedster is introduced in an episode (and possibly multi-episode arc) on Arrow. While it's too soon to tell who may be potentially cast, the same writing team behind Arrow will helm Flash along with DC Entertainment's Geoff Johns (a name most comic book fans will be familiar with...we believe). More information should be provided at The CW's TCA presentation today.

If this project succeeds in taking off, it wouldn't be the first foray into live-action television for The Flash. In 1990, CBS premiered The Flash starring John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen a.k.a The Flash. The premise of the short-lived series was Barry Allen adapting to his superhuman powers after a lab accident and becoming The Flash to avenge his brother's murder. Considered a series before its time, the show's high costs and frequent pre-emptions from its regular time slot were factors in its cancellation. The Flash had a similar gritty tone to today's Arrow and midway through the season began incorporating villains from the superhero's rogues gallery.

We've included an episode from the 1990 show where The Flash faces off against Captain Cold. When the new Flash series materializes next year we just hope that the powers-that-be consider bringing back our pal John Wesley Shipp for a cameo. You know...just because.

Oh, and the complete series is available on DVD if you want to check it out. We recommend it.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates of anything and everything television.

Update: 7:52 PM

We have learned that The Flash will be introduced in episodes 8 and 9, which will set up his origin story. Barry Allen/Flash will return in episode 20 to launch the spin-off. Everything indicates that the show is a go. In other news, The Wonder Woman plans have been paused indefinitely.

WINNER: THE CW ORDERS A SECOND HELPING OF IMPROV

Reviving cancelled television shows is always a risk and The CW hedged its bets when it decided to bring back Whose Line Is It Anyway? from the graveyard. The show originally aired from 1998 to 2004 on ABC, and from 2005 to 2007 on ABC Family. The CW was able to reunite most of the original cast members (Wayne Brady, Ryan Stiles, and Colin Mochrie) for the revival and introduced the wonderfully talented Aisha Tyler into the fold.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? has barely been on for three weeks and news today has broke that The CW will be renewing the show for a full 24-episode second season. Apparently fan response of the improvisational show has been mostly positive and The CW wants to capitalize on the success in order to bring back the comedy genre to its line-up. Currently The CW has garnered a reputation for producing hour-long dramas and action-adventure series.

No date has been set for the second season return of Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

SDCC: 'SUPERNATURAL' SPIN-OFF

Supernatural is the latest show to plan a spin-off. According to the information revealed at Comic-Con, the spin-off will anchored by a character introduced on Supernatural around the 20th episode. The episode will serve as the pilot of the proposed spin-off, which hopes to become a picked-up series for the 2014 season.

The spin-off is proposed to take place in a city landscape, as opposed to the current setting of Supernatural. It will be interesting to see if The CW will go through with these proposed plans. Meanwhile, Supernatural will begin its ninth season on October 15, and no word yet if one or both Winchester boys will be making an appearance in the proposed spin-off.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for information on anything and everything television.