Not dead yet _ that's DVD. True, the growth of streaming has curtailed disc sales for many TV hits. But fans of offbeat shows are learning there's no guarantee that sites won't drop their cult/vintage faves. They still seek physical product for titles they want to revisit, binge, or deep-dive into through on-disc extras.
This summer's release lineup includes oddball must-buys, old-time favorites newly spruced-up, best-of collections, and enduring family fun.
BoJack Horseman: Seasons 1-2 ($55 Blu-ray/$35 DVD for 25 episodes, Shout) You want weird? How about a dissolute talking horse who's also a washed-up sitcom star? Netflix's acclaimed adult cartoon anti-hero lives with a slacker human "houseguest" in the Hollywood hills. He's wrestling with a showbiz comeback (playing Secretariat), many deep-seated neuroses, media/political craziness, and other aspects of modern life best satirized by animated animals. (Plus all-star voices like Will Arnett.) Yee-haw extras: cool crew/cast commentaries on all episodes, animatics, more.
Broad City: Complete Series ($56 DVD for 50 episodes, Comedy Central) BFF creator-stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer hit semi-fame as New York City "girls" forging semi-adult lives, with help from the likes of Hannibal Buress, Fred Armisen and producer Amy Poehler. Their five hedonistic seasons come in one thick Epik case, with originating web series, outtakes, making-ofs, and a new bonus disc with a great look-back.
I Love Lucy: Colorized Collection ($30 DVD for 16 episodes, CBS) You've seen these in prime-time specials. Now you can own colorized gems from Lucille Ball's classic black-and-white sitcom (Vitameatavegamin, Superman, Harpo Marx, John Wayne). This is no icky '80s colorization, but a vastly improved technique approximating a '50s reality. There's no Blu-ray (only Season 1 is out in HD, in monochrome). But let's pray it's on the way once more episodes are adapted to capture Lucy's flame-haired glory (that process is explained in a bonus half-hour).
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: Would You Be Mine Collection ($20 DVD for 30 episodes, PBS) _ The preschooler's uber-reassuring best friend is played by Tom Hanks in November's feature film. But first, here's the real Fred Rogers, welcoming '80s and '90s guests like skater Peggy Fleming, cellist Itzhak Perlman, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, paramedics, and more. These memorable outings help kids learn to cope with feeling angry, making mistakes, and other childhood anxieties.
Space: 1999: Complete Series ($110 Blu-ray/$70 DVD for 48 episodes, Shout) A new HD transfer and surround sound really pop in this 1975 sci-fi hour, made by Britain's Gerry Anderson with TV "Mission: Impossible" stars Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, in the wake of the original "Star Trek." A sturdy box holds separate cases with Season 1, Season 2, and an extras disc with fresh commentaries/interviews (Bain, others), plus retained extras.
The Brady Bunch TV & Movie Collection ($85 DVD for 31 discs, CBS) Sure, all five seasons of the '70s familycom have been boxed before. But not alongside the original-cast TV movies and three sequel series ("Brady Kids" cartoon, "Brady Brides," "The Bradys"), plus the '90s film sendups with Gary Cole and Shelley Long. It's all in one Epik Pak for the show's 50th anniversary, Sept. 26.
