Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 7

 

The 24-episode seventh season of Frasier aired during the 1999/2000 TV season. All of the main cast members returned for this season. The character of Bulldog was once again made a recurring character, so Dan Butler made fewer appearances this season than in the past couple of seasons. The guest cast this season includes Rita Wilson, Jane Adams, Marg Helgenberger, Jean Smart, Robert Loggia, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Anthony LaPaglia. There were fewer guest callers this season, as the show's focus was mostly outside the radio station. Gloria Estefan was the most recognizable caller this season. Bebe Neuwirth and Trevor Einhorn also reprised their roles as Lilith and Frederick in a great Thanksgiving episode. 

As of this writing, the Blu-Rays are only available in a complete series set. In the set, each season is packaged in its own keep case, and the seventh season has three discs. There are no bonus features on the seventh-season discs, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The individual seasons are available on DVD, and season 7 is a four-disc set with no bonus material.

The show remains very funny in season seven, with many laugh-out-loud moments. It continues to mix story-of-the-week procedural storylines with longer serial arcs. This season, the main serial arc involves Daphne's impending wedding to Simon, and the ongoing teasing of Niles and Daphne getting together. The writers keep finding ways to keep the characters apart; however, the season-ending scene takes a huge leap forward in advancing their storyline. David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves continue to be outstanding in their roles as Niles and Daphne, but all the characters are given great material this season, and all of the primary characters get at least one episode centered around them. Ultimately, if you have enjoyed the series up to this point, season 7 is well worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: The Complete Series – 60th Anniversary Special Edition

 

Bewitched is a sitcom that aired for eight seasons beginning in 1964 and running until 1972. It was created by Sol Saks and produced by Harry Ackerman (and, in effect, by William Asher (who also directed several episodes) and his wife and series star, Elizabeth Montgomery). Along with Montgomery, the main cast included Dick York (for the first five seasons), Dick Sargent (for the final three seasons), Agnes Moorehead, David White, and Erin Murphy (from season three onward). The supporting cast included George Tobias, Alice Pierce, Sandra Gould, Irene Vernon, Kasey Rodgers, Marion Lorne, Maurice Evans, Mabel Albertson, Paul Lynde, Bernard Fox, and Alice Ghostley. It also featured several guest stars, some of whom would go on to larger roles on other shows, such as Adam West and James Doohan, and others who would appear in several different roles on the show, such as Parley Baer, Bernie Koppel, and Dick Wilson. Willie Mays, Tommy Boyce, and Bobby Hart also played themselves in guest-starring roles. 

In the series, Montgomery plays a witch named Samantha who falls in love with a mortal man named Darrin Stephens (initially played by York, then by Sargent after York left the series due to a back injury). Darrin wants to live a normal, middle-class life and objects to Samantha's use of magic. Samantha's relatives object to her marriage to a mortal and constantly interfere in their lives, using various spells on Darrin (especially Samantha's mother, Endora, played by Moorehead). The series is mostly a story-of-the-week procedural, with a handful of longer story arcs every so often. Most episodes involve Darrin making a snarky comment to one of Samantha's relatives, who then casts a spell on him, making his day miserable and making him look foolish until he apologizes. 

This is a complete series released in 2025 to commemorate the series' 60th Anniversary. It is a 22-disc set. The packaging is not great. The discs are packaged in a large keep case (which requires the discs to be stacked on top of each other) that can be held in a decorative outer slip box. As of this writing, the individual seasons are only available on DVD. There are multi-season bundles on Blu-Ray, and this complete series set. The bonus features are exclusive to this release. The A/V quality is good, but some episodes definitely look better than others. The first two seasons are in black-and-white (as they aired), and the rest are in color. The bonus content is mostly audio commentaries on select episodes. Each commentary features historian (and Elizabeth Montgomery biographer) Herbie J. Pilato and a surviving cast member (usually one of the guest-starring children) or a surviving crew member.  Dick York's son appears on some of the commentary tracks to offer perspective on what he remembers about his father's time on the series. On the final disc, there is a half-hour documentary about the series, hosted by Pilato, featuring interviews with some of the people who appeared on the commentary tracks. Finally, there is a booklet written by Pilato that provides information about the series, the people who starred in or appeared in it, and an episode guide. Unfortunately, Murphy, who is the only living main cast member, does not appear on any of the commentary tracks or in the documentary.   

The series is good but dated. Some of the things that occurred on the show (like the roles of men and women, casual smoking, etc.) would never be included in a series (especially a sitcom) made today. Other things about the series were very progressive for its time. The show used the witch-mortal relationship as a metaphor for real-world social issues of the time, such as civil rights and women's rights. The series also featured several black guest stars and extras and had an episode that directly tackled racism. People who are big on continuity in a TV series will probably get frustrated while binge-watching it, as the writers often recycled storylines and used many of the same guest stars in different roles. Ultimately, while it is not without its flaws, the series is good and will definitely be a blast from the past for those old enough to have watched it when it originally aired or in reruns. Some of the humor in the show is very different from what you see on modern sitcoms, but even so, there are some very funny moments, even if the show may not have younger audiences laughing out loud regularly. So, if you are a fan of older TV series, this is absolutely worth picking up. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 8

 

The 26-episode 8th and final season of Bewitched aired during the 1971/1972 TV season. All the main cast members, including Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, Agnes Moorehead, and David White, returned for the final season. Erin Murphy appeared in most episodes as Tabitha, and the combination of twins David and Greg Lawrence played Adam, the Stephens' son. Some of the "regular" recurring cast members who have appeared throughout the series (Alice Ghostley, Bernard Fox, and Maurice Evans) do appear during the season; however, characters like Abner, Gladys Kravitz, and Uncle Arthur do not. The guest stars this season include Julie Newmar (in a role that is a funny nod to her Catwoman character in the Batman TV series), Peter Lawford, and Al Molinaro, and actors such as Bernie Koppel, Parley Baer, and Charles Lane (who have all appeared in various roles throughout the series) make appearances. 

As with season 7, the episodes at the beginning of the season are set on location, this time in Europe. The show retains the story-of-the-week format with the usual hijinks (sometimes characters going into the past, sometimes bringing a historical figure into the present, etc.) occurring. The writers definitely recycle storylines this season, and it seems the show's budget was reduced, as the effects are not as good as in past years.

As of this writing, the Blu-Rays are only available as a complete series release or bundled seasons. The individual seasons are only available on DVD. The 8th season episodes are on the final two discs. There are episode commentaries on three of the season's episodes, each featuring Bewitched historian and Elizabeth Montgomery biographer Hebie J. Pilato and usually one of the cast members who appeared in the particular episode (which was usually one of the younger guest cast members). On the final disc, there is a half-hour documentary entitled Behind the Magic, which features Pilato, Dick York's son, one of the twins who played Adam, and a couple of guest stars who were children when the series aired. The bonus content was made specifically for the Blu-Ray release and is not available on the DVD releases.

By the 8th season, the show had become stale, and ratings were down because the network kept moving its time slot around. The network was willing to pick up the show for three more seasons; however, Montgomery was ready to move on, and it was not picked up. The downside is that the series never received a proper finale, as the cancellation decision was not made until after the season ended, so the final episode just felt like any other episode. Ultimately, the season was not as good as prior seasons. That said, there are still some good moments, and the show continued to use the witch-mortal stories as a metaphor for issues like women's and civil rights. So, if you liked the prior seasons, this one is worth checking out to see how the series ends. 

Blu-Ray/TV series review: Frasier: Season 6

 

The 24-episode sixth season of Frasier aired during the 1998/1999 TV season. All of the primary cast members return for the sixth season, as do several of the "regular" recurring cast members. The notable guest stars this season include Teri Hatcher, Amy Brenneman, Eva Marie Saint, Virginia Madsen, Christine Baranski, and Piper Laurie. This season would also mark early roles for Timothy Omundson (who would later star in the great series, Psych) and Erika Christenson. This season's tie to the parent series Cheers includes a guest appearance by Woody Harrelson, returning to the franchise as Woody Boyd, who contacts Frasier during a trip to Seattle. The guest callers this season include Ron Howard, William H. Macey, Phil Donahue, Beverly D'Angelo, Gillian Anderson, and Yo-Yo Ma. 

This season, the series continues to blend the story-of-the-week procedural format with longer story arcs. The beginning of the season centers on the fallout from the radio station employees being fired at the end of season five, as everyone tries to find new jobs. It is not spoiling anything to say that the radio station eventually switches back to the old format and everyone gets their job back, but the writers do a good job of drawing out the storyline for a handful of episodes. The other big storyline this season involves Niles and the still-unseen Maris finalizing their divorce, and the writers were still teasing a Niles-and-Daphne romance. 

The Blu-ray set is, as of this writing, still only available as a complete series release, with individual seasons available only on DVD. In the blu-ray set, the season is a three-disc set packaged in its own keep case. The DVD set is a four-disc set. There are no bonus features this season, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good. While it did not get a "reference quality" HD transfer, the blu-rays are a significant upgrade from the DVDs. 

The show continues to be very funny this season, with many laugh-out-loud moments. As he has for most of the series, David Hyde Pierce steals nearly every scene he is in as Niles, but all of the cast members have great moments throughout the season. Christine Baranski's episode was one of the best of the season, as she made a great foil for Fraiser, dispensing "tough love" advice to callers. Ultimately, if you liked the first five seasons, the sixth season is absolutely worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched Season 7

 

The penultimate 7th season of Bewitched aired during the 1970/1971 TV season.  This season was shorter than past seasons, having just 28 episodes. All the main cast members (Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, Agnes Moorehead, and David White) returned, as did several of the major recurring and supporting cast members, including Erin Murphy, George Tobias, Sandra Gould, Alice Ghostley, Mabel Albertson, Paul Lynde, and Bernard Fox. Guest stars this season included Cesar Romero and Parley Baer. The show mostly retained the story-of-the-week procedural format, but the first 8 episodes were set in modern-day and 17th-century Salem (and filmed partially on location in Salem, Massachusetts). The most notable episode of the season was the Christmas episode titled Sisters at Heart, which was created from a story written by students at a Los Angeles high school, and was the first episode to directly tackle the subjects of racism and prejudice (although the series had always used the marriage of Samantha and Darrin as a metaphor to comment on those subjects). 

As of this writing, the individual seasons are only available on DVD, and the blu-ray set is only available as a complete series release. In that set, the seventh season episodes are on discs 19 and 20. The A/V quality is very good, but in a couple of episodes, the video quality is significantly lower for part of the episode (most likely due to the condition of the original film). There are two commentary tracks on the Christmas episode and one on episode 24, each including Herbie Pilato. Notably missing on the Blu-Ray is the introduction to, and season's greetings message at the end of, the Christmas episode filmed by Montgomery, which are included on the DVD release. 

The series was definitely getting a bit stale by this point in its run. This season would mark the final appearances by Lynde, Tobias, and Gould, and the writers were using recycled storylines in some episodes. That said, there are several good episodes and funny moments during the season. Ultimately, it is not the best season of the series, but it is still worth checking out. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 5

 

The 24-episode fifth season of Frasier aired during the 1997/1998 TV season. All members of the main cast/series regulars returned for the season, as did recurring cast members such as Edward Hibbert (who plays Gil Chesterson) and Marsha Mason (who plays Sherry). Bebe Neuwirth also reprised her role as Lilith in a hilarious episode later in the season. The notable guest stars this season included Sela Ward, Lisa Edelstein, Larry King, and Leslie Stahl. There were fewer radio station segments this season, so there were fewer celebrity callers, but those who did appear included Cindy Crawford, John Waters, Rob Reiner, Halle Berry, and John McEnroe.

As of this writing, the individual seasons are available only on DVD in a four-disc set. The Blu-Rays are available in a complete series release, with each season packaged in its own keep case. The fifth season set is a three-disc set on blu-ray. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is excellent and absolutely a step-up in quality from the DVD release. There are no bonus features this season, but the episodes can be played with or without English captions. 

The show remained primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, but there were some ongoing storylines throughout the season, including the ongoing saga of Niles and Maris's marriage, hints of Niles and Daphne getting together, and a pregnancy storyline for Roz. This season also included the series' 100th episode, with a storyline in which Frasier celebrated 1000 episodes of his radio show. The show continues to be very funny in season five, with many laugh-out-loud moments. The episode in which Lilith returns was hilarious, with standout performances by David Hyde Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth. The Niles-Maris storyline is finally resolved this season, and the season ends on a significant cliffhanger going into season six. While some elements of the series are very dated by today's standards, it remained well-written and well-acted, and if you liked the first four seasons, this one is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 6

 

The 30-episode 6th season of Bewitched aired during the 1969/1970 TV season. This season saw the largest cast shakeup, with Dick Sargent taking over the role of Darrin following Dick York's exit after season 5 due to a long-term back injury. David White was promoted to a series regular and added to the opening credits, and Alice Ghostley (who played a guest role in season 2) joined the cast in a new recurring role as Esmeralda, a part-time housekeeper/babysitter who is a witch with spotty powers (much like Aunt Clara). Elizabeth Montgomery returned (albeit begrudgingly) as Samantha (and occasionally Serena), Erin Murphy returned as Tabitha, and Agnes Moorehead returned as Endora. The guest stars this season included NFL star Deacon Jones, Bernie Koppell (who appeared as several different characters), Danny Bonaduce, J. Edward McKinley (who also made multiple appearances as different characters), and Jay Robinson (who also made multiple appearances). Bernard Fox, Maurice Evans, George Tobias, Sandra Gould, and Paul Lynde also made appearances in their recurring roles.  

The blu-rays are, as of this writing, only available in the complete series set, and the 6th season episodes span three discs. The epsisodes can be played with English captions, but the only bonus feature is a commentary track on the season premiere by Herbie Pilato and Johnny Whitaker (who guest-starred in the first episode of the season). The DVD set is a four-disc set. 

The series continues to mostly be a story-of-the-week procedural sitcom. Some elements (such as Samantha's pregnancy) spanned multiple episodes, but for the most part, the episodes are stand-alone. The writers do recycle storylines every so often, and as mentioned above, some of the same guest stars play totally different characters in different episodes. Interestingly, the writers did not address the fact that Darrin looked totally different after recasting the role, even though it would have been easy to explain with a spell gone awry that could not be reversed. The series was getting a bit stale by this point in its run. Montgomery had to be coerced to return (and given a significant raise in the process). Even so, there were definitely some funny moments, and it remained well-acted. Sargent did a good job making the role of Darrin his own, incorporating some of what Dick York did with the character without being a carbon copy of York. Ultimately, if you liked the prior seasons of the series, this one is worth checking out. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 4

 

The 24-episode fourth season of Frasier aired during the 1996/1997 TV season. All of the main cast members returned for the fourth season, with Dan Butler (who played Bulldog) being promoted to a series regular. The guest and recurring cast this season included Robert Prosky, Marsha Mason, James Earl Jones, Linda Hamilton, Jane Lynch, Zeljko Ivanek, Lisa Darr, Megan Mullally, Pauley Perrette, Jane Kaczmarek, and Bobby Sherman. Bebe Neuwirth made another appearance as Lilith, and Harriet Sansom Harris made another appearance as Frasier's agent, Bebe. The guest callers this season included Marv Albert, Dr. J., Bob Costas, Kieran Culkin, John Cusack, Patty Duke, and Eric Roberts. The show remained a story-of-the-week procedural, with longer story arcs mixed in. The longer storylines this season included the "will-they-or-won't-they" get-together between Niles and Daphnie (including teasing that Niles would get back together with Maris) and a new love interest for Martin. The season ends on a bit of a cliffhanger with Frasier making an impulsive decision to head off to Mexico with a woman he meets in the airport.

As of this writing, the blu-rays are only available in the complete series box set. The individual seasons are available on DVD. In the blu-ray set, the fourth season is a three-disc set that is included in its own keep case. The DVD set is a four-disc set. There is no bonus material included on the fourth season discs, just the episodes that can be played with or without English captions. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is mostly very good, and a significant upgrade from the DVDs. 

By the fourth season, the show had found the format that worked and stuck to it. Some of the jokes are definitely more adult-oriented, but the sex jokes were toned way down from what was on Cheers, especially in the early seasons. The writing and acting continued to be great, and while some things about the show are a bit dated thirty-plus years later, it holds up fairly well. In one eerie bit of coincidence, in the season finale, there is a reference to American Flight 11, which is a flight that series creator David Angell often took when he flew back to Los Angeles, including on September 11th 2001. Of course, that was the first plane hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center that day. Ultimately, if you liked the first three seasons, you will like this one, and it is worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 5

 

The 30-episode fifth season of Bewitched aired during the 1968/1969 TV season. All of the main cast returned, including Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, and Agnes Moorehead. Erin Murphy, and/or Diane Murphy, and David White appeared in most episodes, and George Tobias and Sandra Gould appeared in a handful of episodes. Paul Lynde, Maurice Evans, and Bernard Fox also made several appearances throughout the season. Some of the guest stars this season included Isabel Sanford (best known for her role on The Jeffersons), Art Metrano (who would later star in some of the Police Academy films), and Danny Bonaduce.

As of this writing, the blu-rays are only available in the complete series release. In that set, the fifth season episodes are spread across three discs. The only bonus content is commentary tracks on a couple of episodes by Herbie Pilato and York's son. The restoration of the episodes is very good, but the HD format does show the limitations of 1960s effects. The individual season is available on DVD in a four-disc set, but does not have the commentary tracks that were done for the blu-ray release. 

The fifth season marked the start of the series' transition, as it would be the last season in which Dick York appeared due to a back injury that affected his ability to work. This season, he was absent for several episodes, and the writers found different ways to write excuses for Darrin's absence into the show. As a result, there were more appearances by characters like Uncle Author, Maurice, and Serena (with Elizabeth Montgomery pulling double duty). The writers continued to work in some real-world 1960s themes (including social themes like women's rights and civil rights) into the show from time to time (sometimes subtly, sometimes not), but mostly kept the show lighthearted and fictional. The show was definitely getting repetitive and recycling or repackaging old storylines. However, it was still very entertaining. The one issue I had with the show was that it would often reuse the same supporting actors in totally different roles. So, if you are big on continuity, there was not much in this show, as you would often see the same actors playing different characters just a few episodes apart. In one of the commentary tracks, Pilato mentioned that if Montgomery and William Asher (Montgomery's husband and one of the show's producers) liked someone, they would bring that person back multiple times. So you can definitely tell which actors they liked. 

Ultimately, the season is good, and the show continued to be funny in the fifth season, even if it was getting a bit stale. There are definitely some elements of the series that would likely not be used if it were made today, but it mostly holds up well. If you liked the first few seasons, this one is not as good as those, but it is still entertaining and worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 3

 

The 24-episode third season of Frasier aired during the 1995/1996 TV season. All of the primary cast members returned for season 3, and there was a new recurring character introduced in the season premiere: Mercedes Ruehl playing Kate Costas, the new station manager who immediately has tension with Frasier. There were several notable guest appearances this season, including Tony Shalhoub, Harris Yulin, and Jane Kaczmarek. Harriet Sansom Harris returned in her recurring role as Frasier's agent, Bebe, and Shelly Long made her second appearance in the series as Diane Chambers. This season, instead of a one-second, blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo like Long had in season 2, this time she actually has a storyline that makes another hilarious nod to Cheers and provides closure to Diane's and Frasier's relationship. And, of course, there is the usual cavalcade of celebrity voices playing characters who call into Frasier's show. This season, they include Matthew Broderick, Carrie Fisher, Terri Garr, Blair Brown, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Billy Crystal, Ed Harris, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, Jodie Foster, Randy Travis, Katarina Witt, Mrs. Fields, and David Duchovny. The series continues to primarily be a story-of-the-week procedural, with serial storylines intertwined. This season, the main storyline spanning the majority of the season involves Niles' relationship with the still-unseen Maris. David Hyde Pierce really stole the show this season, playing Niles. John Mahoney,  Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin also had several wonderful moments throughout the season.

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set that is, as of this writing, still only available in the complete series release. The individual seasons are only still available on DVD (which is a four-disc set). All the bonus content that was included on the DVD release is carried over. Those include interview segments with Grammer and Pierce discussing the brothers' storylines this season, an interview with the series' art director, a list of some of the celebrity voices, and another featurette on the mystery of Maris. All of the bonus features are included on the third disc, while on the DVDs, they are spread across the four discs. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is good and a significant upgrade over the DVDs. However, in some episodes, I did notice that the audio and/or video were not as good as in others. 

Ultimately, the third season was strong, especially once the Maris-Niles storyline (and the resulting consequences) took off. The two best episodes of the season were episodes 13 ("Moon Dance") and 14 ("The Show Where Diane Comes Back"). The spoof of Cheers characters in episode 14 was hilarious, and the chemistry between Leeves and Pierce in Moon Dance was wonderful. So, if you liked the first two seasons, this one is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 4

 

The 33-episode fourth season of Bewitched aired during the 1967/1968 TV season. All of the primary cast members (Montgomery, Moorehead, York, and White) returned for the fourth season, although Darren appeared in fewer episodes to give York a reprieve from filming due to his back injury that was causing him more problems as the series went along. Marion Lorne, Bernard Fox, and Paul Lynde also appeared in their recurring roles as Aunt Clara, Dr. Bombay, and Uncle Arthur, respectively. This would be the final season for Lorne, as she would pass away after the fourth season ended. Erin Murphy's role as Tabitha was expanded as she began to be given more lines as she got older, and the roles of both Abner and Gladys Kravitz were increased this season, with both George Tobias and Sandra Gould getting more screen time.

As of this writing, the individual seasons are still only available on DVD. The blu-ray release is only available in the complete series release. In that one, the fourth season episodes are on three discs. The episodes can be played in a play-all mode and with English captions. There are commentary tracks on two of the episodes featuring Herbie Pilato, who has written books about the series and a couple of biographies of Elizabeth Montgomery. The A/V quality is excellent; however, the upgraded video reveals the limitations of 1960s practical effects, as you can clearly see the strings used to make things fly and the makeup used for a missing tooth, which would not have been as noticeable in standard-definition.

In the fourth season, the show remained primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, although some storylines were referenced across multiple episodes. The show was not always great at continuity, however, as the writers would ignore events from a few episodes earlier (although some episodes were not aired in the order in which they were filmed, which could account for some of that). Also, since the series aired in the 1960s, there were jokes and story elements that would certainly not be included if it were made today. Even so, the writers used storyline elements as metaphors for the real-world political climate of the late 1960s and often slipped in metaphors for the civil rights and women's rights movements of the time. The highlights of the season were the Thanksgiving episode in which the characters were transported back to the first Thanksgiving and the episodes in which Montgomery appeared as Samantha's identical cousin, Serena.  Ultimately, the series was still good, but it was definitely getting repetitive by the fourth season. That said, it is still worth watching if you liked the first few seasons.

Blu Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 2

 

The 24-episode second season of Frasier aired during the 1994/1995 TV season. All of the main cast members returned for season two. The series also brought in several recognizable guest cast members, including Shannon Tweed, Tea Leoni, Nathan Lane, John C. McGinley, and Diedrich Bader. The series also continued to tie to its parent series, Cheers, with Bebe Neuwirth reprising her role as Lillith, Shelly Long making a blink-and-you'll-miss it cameo appearance, and Ted Danson reprising his role as Sam Malone. The guest callers this season included James Spader, Lilly Tomlin, Amy Madigan, Alfre Woodard, Art Garfunkel, Kevin Bacon, Macaulay Culkin, Carly Simon, Rosie Perez, and Mary Steenburgen. The series remains a story-of-the-week procedural, although some events from prior episodes are referenced in later episodes. 

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set that (as of this writing) is only included in the complete series release. The A/V quality is very good, and the episodes were remastered very well. Extras include a commentary track on one episode by series creators Peter Casey and David Lee, featurettes on Roz, Maris, and Eddie, and a short making-of featurette featuring interviews with cast members and the showrunners, filmed toward the end of the series' run. The episodes can be played with English captions and played in a play-all mode. The commentary track can only be accessed from the episode-specific page. 

The series remains a well-written and well-acted sitcom. David Hyde Pierce was the standout this season, really fleshing out the character of Niles. The writing is generally very good, although some of the jokes are dated now and would be reworked or omitted if the show were made today. The writers did a great job retconning Frasier's backstory from Cheers in the episode in which Ted Danson appeared, explaining why Frasier never mentioned having a brother and said his father was a research scientist who had died. And, there were some good jokes about the characters Paul and Cliff from Cheers. Ultimately, if you liked the first season, this one is absolutely worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 3

 

The 33-episode third season of Bewitched aired during the 1966/1967 TV season. It was the first season to be broadcast in color and the first season with significant cast turnover, with Sandra Gould taking over the role of Gladys Kravitz after Alice Pearce passed away during season 2. As a result, the role of the Kravitzes was significantly reduced in season three, although George Tobias and Gould appeared more toward the end of the season. The series continued to be primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, but some storylines extended throughout the season. The most significant arc this season was whether and to what extent Tabitha (who was aged between seasons and played by the combination of Erin and Diane Murphy) inherited Samantha's powers. Aside from Pearce, the other casting change was Kasey Rogers taking over the role of Louise Tate. Of course, Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, Agnes Moorehead, and David White all reprised their roles. Marian Lorne, Maurice Evans, and Paul Lynde all reprised their recurring roles, and Bernard Fox made his first appearance as Doctor Bombay in the season finale.

The 33 episodes are spread across three discs. As of this writing, the individual seasons are only available on DVD. The DVD set is also a three-disc set. The blu-rays are only available in bundled sets, such as the complete series set. The A/V quality is outstanding, and the episodes look wonderful in HD, especially now that they are in color. There is no bonus material on the third season discs, but they can be played with English captions. 

The series continues to be a good, but very dated, sitcom. Some of the jokes that were acceptable in the 1960s would probably not be used in a show made today, just as some jokes that can be used in today's sitcoms would not have been used when Bewitched was made. Some of the themes and jokes can be very misogynistic, but the show used the witchcraft elements as a metaphor for equal rights for women and minorities. Ultimately, if you liked the first two seasons, this one is absolutely worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 1

 

The 24-episode first season of Frasier aired during the 1993/1994 TV season. It stars Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, and Peri Gilpin. It is the second (and most successful) series directly spun off from the long-running sitcom, Cheers. The first series, the Tortellis, was a short-lived spin-off in 1987 set around the characters of Carla's ex-husband Nick and his new wife Loretta (both of whom made several recurring appearances on Cheers). That one bombed and was canceled after a handful of episodes. The series Wings, which was not a direct spin-off of Cheers, but existed in the same universe as several characters from Cheers, made guest appearances. 

Frasier, of course, is set around the character of Frasier Crane, who was originally a secondary recurring character on Cheers and eventually became a series regular, but was still one of the secondary characters. In the pilot, we learn that Frasier's attempted reconciliation with Lilith did not work out, so he moved back to his hometown of Seattle and began hosting a call-in radio show. Gilpin plays Roz, the producer of his show; Pierce plays his brother, Niles, who is an even more nerdy and stuck-up version of Frasier (and also a psychiatrist) and who is married to a woman named Maris, who we never actually see, but hear crazy stories about; Mahoney plays Frasier's dad, Martin, a retired police officer who  (along with his dog Eddie) has to move in with Fraiser after becoming disabled when he is shot in the hip; Leaves plays Daphnie Moon, Martin's live-in caregiver and the object of Niles' obsession. 

The DVD set is a four-disc set. The bonus features include a commentary track on the pilot episode by two of the series creators, Peter Casey and David Lee, a behind-the-scenes featurette featuring cast interviews (filmed near the end of the series' run), a tour of Frasier's apartment, and clips of some of the various celebrity voices who called the radio show. In season one, they included Linda Hamilton, Christopher Reeeve, Joe Mantegna, Jeff Daniels, Eddie Van Halen, Bruno Kirby, Carl Reiner, Jay Leno, Ben Stiller, Mel Brooks, Eric Stoltz, Rosemary Clooney, Henry Mancini, Elijah Wood, Malcolm McDowell, Reba McEntire, Christine Lahti, Tommy Hillfiger, Mary Tyler, Moore, and Piper Laurie.  

The show is set up as a procedural, story-of-the-week sitcom. It has a much different look and feel from Cheers, and the character of Frasier is a bit different than how he was portrayed on Cheers. The writers do a good job separating the show from the parent series, but they do call back to events that happened on Cheers. Bebe Neuwirth is the only character from Cheers to appear during season 1, in a hilarious episode in which she returns to try to get back together with Frasier. It is well-written and very well acted. The writers were not concerned with strict continuity with Cheers. On Cheers, Frasier was portrayed as an only child and stated that his father had passed away. And, Mahoney and Gilpin both appeared in the later seasons of Cheers as entirely different characters. Of course, this is nothing new for TV series (especially sitcoms), as the same actors are often cast in different roles. Grammer, as crazy as he has become in real life (especially when it comes to politics), is excellent as Frasier and picks the role back up with ease. Mahoney and Gilpin do a wonderful job with their respective characters, and Pierce and Leeves compete for stealing every scene they are in. Ultimately, while it is a much different series than Cheers, if you enjoyed Cheers, especially the later years, you will probably like Frasier.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 2

 

The 38-episode second season of Bewitched aired during the 1965/1966 TV season. All of the main cast members (Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, Agnes Moorehead, David White, Alice Pierce, and George Tobias) returned for season two; however, Alice Pierce's role was reduced throughout the season as she was sick with cancer and passed away before the season finished filming. Mary Grace Canfield was cast as Abner's sister, Harriet, who was house-sitting while Abner and Gladys were out of town, and filled a similar role to Pierce's nosy neighbor who sees Samantha using magic. The guest cast included several notable guest stars. Paul Lynd returned in a completely different role from his first-season role, now playing Samantha's uncle, Arthur. Bernard Fox and Alice Ghostley made their first appearances in the series in roles different from the ones they would play as recurring characters in later seasons. Other guest stars included James Doohan (who would go on to play Mr. Scott in Star Trek), Maureen McCormick (who would later play Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch), Eve Arden, and Richard Dreyfuss. Marion Lane and Maurice Evans reprised their roles as Aunt Clara and Maurice, respectively.

As of this writing, the Blu-Rays are only available in the complete series release. The individual seasons are available on DVD. In the Blu-Ray set, the second season episodes are spread across three discs. They are all in black-and-white as originally filmed and aired. The only bonus material on the second-season discs is commentary tracks for a couple of episodes, created for the Blu-Ray release. It has been released on DVD a few times, including one version with the episodes in color and another with them in black and white.

The series continues to be a story-of-the-week sitcom, but every so often, the writers do reference earlier plotlines. There is one major ongoing serial arc this season: Samantha's pregnancy and the birth of Tabitha. This was done to write Elizabeth Montgomery's real-life pregnancy into the show. A couple of the episodes this season were repeats of season one episodes (the Christmas Episode and the episode in which Samantha meets Darrin's parents), with the opening scenes reshot, but the bulk of the episodes playing as they aired in season one. This may have been done to give Montgomery time off toward the end of her pregnancy. The episodes are mostly good, but some of the material is very dated (and outdated now). As is the case with many older sitcoms, some of the jokes would never be used today, but overall, it is a very family-friendly sitcom. Ultimately, it is a good season that is worth watching, especially if you watched it when it originally aired or watched the reruns as a kid.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Good Place: Complete Series

 

The Good Place was a comedy series that aired over four seasons on NBC from 2016 to 2020. The primary cast included Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D'Arcy Carden, Manny Jacinto, and Ted Danson. The supporting cast included many recognizable actors, including Tiya Sircar, Adam Scott, Marc Evan Jackson, Jason Mantzoukas, and Maya Rudolph. The show was created by Michael Schur, who was a writer on The Office (and also played Dwight's cousin Mose), as well as an executive producer of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. While this show is totally different from either of those, you do get some cameo appearances by some of the actors from those shows, as well as some SNL alums. The series was relatively short, with 13 episodes per season, and just 4 seasons. 

It was a show about the afterlife that managed to avoid discussing religion or its implications. The premise is that during your time on Earth, you earn or lose points through your actions and that depending on your point total at death you end up in The Good Place, or The Bad Place. Bell stars as Eleanor Shellstrop, a person who was essentially a horrible human being and ended up in The Good Place due to a clerical error. Ted Danson plays Michael, the architect of the neighborhood that Elanor lives in during the afterlife. D'Arcy Carden plays the afterlife version of Alexa or Siri, named Janet. William Jackson Harper plays Chidi, a recently deceased professor of ethics and moral philosophy. Jameela Jamil plays Tahani, a rich British socialite. Manny Jacinto plays Jianyu, a monk who has taken a vow of silence. There are a lot of twists and turns throughout the course of the series, and not everything, and everyone, is as they seem. I will not go into too much detail to keep from spoiling anything, but the show (and the characters) go through a ton of change and development over the course of the series. However, the main themes narrow down to what it means to be family, what it means to be friends, and what it means to be a soulmate. The show also explores what makes a good person good and a bad person bad, and whether a person can improve themselves to become better. And of course, a take on what happens after we die. It is primarily a serial comedy, where events in each episode build upon those in previous episodes, but it also includes some drama, especially in the final season. The series finale was one of the best I have seen for any show. The writers found a way to perfectly end the series and give a great send-off to all the characters. The finale was the one episode of the series with almost no comedy. It was really an hour-long, very sad goodbye to both the fans of the show and the characters and actors who played them.

The Blu-Ray set is a nine-disc set stored in a large keep case that can be stored in a slip cover. The set contains two discs per season, each featuring only the episodes, and a ninth disc with bonus material. The extras were carried over from the individual season DVD releases and include gag reels, special effects reels, a 50-minute long portion of the 2019 Comic-Con panel, and the after-show that ran on NBC after the series finale. Apparently, the extended episodes that are included here are not the same as those that can be streamed on the NBC website or that were included in the UK Blu-Ray releases, nor were there the episodes (which sound like web shorts) that bridged seasons three and four. So, while what was included was good, it is not complete. In the US, the show is only available on Blu-ray as a complete series set; individual season sets are only available on DVD.

The series itself was fantastic. The show was well served by having a shorter run of episodes per season, and it ended before it got stale and repetitive. The acting and writing were top-notch. It was very cleverly written, and the writers did a good job making a series about the afterlife that managed to steer clear of any real discussion of religion and never endorsed or took shots at any particular religion. I think a special shout-out has to go out to D'Arcy Carden, who not only had to play different versions of her own character but, in one season-three episode, had to play most of the other characters on the show as well. I would describe the show as PG-13 plus, as there were definitely sex and drug references, although the show did cleverly find a way to get around swearing. Although, the gag reels had a ton of swearing in them. While I cannot guarantee that everyone will love the show, if you are looking for a good comedy to check out, this one is definitely worth it. And, while getting this Blu-Ray set does require a lot of people to double-dip who likely bought the individual season sets on DVD for seasons 1-3, and the extras are not as good as they should have been, I believe it is still worth picking up on Blu-Ray.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Good Place: Season 4

 

The 13-episode fourth and final season of The Good Place aired during the 2019/2020 TV season. All of the main cast members return for the final season, as do several of the major recurring cast members, including Marc Evan Jackson, Jason Mantzoukas, Maribeth Monroe, Tiya Sircar, Adam Scott, and Mya Rudolph. The guest stars this season included Timothy Olyphant and Nick Offerman playing themselves, Lisa Kudrow, and Mary Steenburgen (Ted Danson's real-life wife). The main plot of the fourth season revolves around the group attempting to prove that the point system, which determines whether someone ends up in The Good Place or The Bad Place, is fundamentally flawed. They are allowed to test their hypothesis through a series of experiments and, as has been the case in prior seasons, things do not always go as expected. 

The DVD set is a two-disc set. The bonus features include a gag reel and extended episodes. The season puts a very nice bow on the series. While it does stick to the comedy that worked for the first three seasons (and there are many laugh-out-loud moments), this season includes a lot more emotional drama, especially in the final episode. The series finale was an absolutely perfect ending to the show and was one of the best final episodes of any series I have watched. Because the show is essentially one long serial arc, you need to watch the prior seasons to fully follow what is happening in this one and get the most out of the experience. Ultimately, if you enjoyed the first three seasons, this is definitely worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Cheers: The Complete Series

 

Cheers was the long-running sitcom that aired for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, starring Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Shelly Long, Nicholas Colasanto, Woody Harrelson, Bebe Neuwirth, Kirstie Alley, and Kelsey Grammer. Long left the series after five seasons (in the classic 'trying to move on to greener pastures' move that did not work out as planned), save for a guest-starring role in the series finale. Alley joined the series in the sixth season to essentially replace Long's character. Grammer joined the series as a recurring character in season two and was promoted to a series regular in season five. Harrelson joined the cast in season four after the death of Nicholas Colasanto toward the end of season three. Ratzenberger appeared in every season and most episodes, but was not promoted to a series regular until the second season. Neuwirth joined the series in season four, making a couple of guest appearances, then was a recurring character in seasons five through nine and a main character for the final two seasons (although her role in the final season was significantly scaled back). 

The series also featured many recognizable actors in guest and recurring roles, including Dan Hedaya, Jean Kasem, Fred Dryer, Jay Thomas, Roger Rees, Tom Skerritt, Frances Sternhagen, John Cleese, Emma Thompson, Leah Remi, Tom Berenger, Kate Mulgrew, Christopher Lloyd, Marcia Cross, and Harry Anderson. Many celebrities and politicians also made cameo appearances in the series, including Harry Connick Jr., Bobby Hatfield, Bill Medley, Wade Boggs, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Alex Trebek, Arsenio Hall, Dick Cavett, Robber Urich, Johnny Carson, Gary Hart, Tip O'Neil, John Kerry, and Michael Dukakis.

In the series, Danson played Sam Malone, a skirt-chasing ex-major league pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and recovering alcoholic. Depending on the season, he either owned or was an employee of the Boston bar, Cheers. The series was primarily a story-of-the-week procedural about the goings-on at the bar, the lives of the employees and patrons, and so on. It did, however, include serial storylines and occasionally referred back to prior episodes or had running jokes throughout the series (such as the Bar Wars episodes). During the first five seasons, the prominent serial storyline involved the relationship between Sam and know-it-all waitress Diane Chambers (played by Long). They had one of the original toxic love-hate relationships (at least from the 1980s onward), and the writers constantly teased the tension between them. After Long left, Alley came in to play Rebecca Howe, the manager of the bar, who initially despises, but then eventually warms up to Sam. Perlman plays a snarky waitress named Carla who hates (or is at least annoyed by everyone, and Ratzenberger and Wendt play regulars who seem to almost live at the bar (which becomes a running joke throughout the series). Grammer plays Frasier Crane, who is initially brought in as a rival for Sam and a love interest for Diane, who eventually becomes a regular patron, and Neuwirth (who steals nearly every scene she is in) is brought in as a love interest for Frasier.

The blu-ray set is a 33-disc set. Each season is packaged in its own keep case consisting of three discs, and then the keep cases are packaged in a decorative outer box. As of this writing, the seasons are not available individually on blu-ray, just as a part of this set. The A/V quality of the set is excellent, especially for an older TV series. The HD transfer, although not always perfect, is extremely good, and the difference in quality is noticeable when watching the bonus features, which are in standard definition. The only weakness in the set is the bonus features. All the bonus content from the previously released DVDs is included with this set. Most of the bonus content is located on the discs for seasons 1-3 and features cast interviews, behind-the-scenes material, a trivia game, and featurettes on specific characters. The discs for Season 11 include episode promos for each episode, which would play at the end of the prior week's episode as a "next time on Cheers" promo. What the set does not include, however, are things like the Super Bowl promo or the 30th anniversary reunion special.

Some parts of the show and the writing are very dated. There were some jokes (especially in the early seasons) that would never make it to air today. Other aspects of the show are remarkably timeless. Some cringeworthy moments have not aged well, but there are many laugh-out-loud moments to be found. The writers did a good job of balancing the storylines for the large ensemble cast, and every main character received at least one episode per season centered on them. In a prophetic twist, the writers inserted several jokes about the (unfortunately, the 45th and 47th) president, essentially mocking him as a joke. Alley's character (who was portrayed as a loser) was always saying how she wanted to marry him. In the final season, Fraiser was horrified when he helped get Woody elected to the Boston City Council because of how stupid and unqualified Woody was. Of course, both Alley and Grammer would go on to become t***p supporters. Ultimately, it is an iconic series that, whether you have never seen it before, were very young when it originally aired, or have seen every episode, is worth watching and adding to a physical media collection. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Cheers: Season 11

 

The 28-episode 11th and final season of Cheers aired during the 1992/1993 TV season. In it, the writers both continued to develop the various characters and incorporate new storylines, while also wrapping up existing storylines and bringing many cast members from prior seasons back. All of the primary cast members returned; however, Bebe Neuwirth's role as Lilith was reduced to a recurring role (she was included in the main credits in the episodes she appeared), with her last appearance being in the 17th episode. The guest cast this season included Eddie Jones, John Mahoney, and Peri Gilpin (who would both go on to play different characters in the spin-off series), Dana Delany, Pat Hingle, Peter MacNicol, Tom Berenger, and Spanky McFarland (from the Little Rascals TV Series). They also brought back Dan Hedaya, Jean Kasem, Leah Remi, Roger Rees, and Harry Anderson to reprise their recurring characters. And, of course, Shelly Long made her long-awaited return in the series finale. 

The blu-rays are again, as of this writing, only included in the complete series release and are not available individually. The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. The only bonus features are promos for each episode that play in standard definition. The episodes can also be played with English captions.

The final season wraps up the series very well. There are some very good storylines, such as the bar partially burning down, the group tearing apart the rebuilt bar to look for another one of Robin Colcord's money belts, Lilith cheating on Frasier and running away with a colleague to live in a bio-dome and Woody running for city council, much to Frasier's horror since he considers Woody totally unqualified to hold any political office (which is a bit ironic or at least humorous since Kelsey Grammer is a huge t***p supporter in real life and there is no bigger unqualified buffon in the history of politics than him). Rebecca finally finds love (kind of), Cliff gets promoted, and Norm finally gets a job (and finds out that Woody is not as much of a pushover as he seems). And, the final resolution to Sam and Diane's relationship, where they continue to try to one-up each other, and we learn why Diane did not return after six months as she promised. Ultimately, the writers do a good job of wrapping up the series and sending it out on a good note. While it wasn't a perfect season, if you liked the series up to this point, it is worth watching to see how it ends.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Killing: Season 4

 

++++Warning, this will contain spoilers about the end of season 3, but no major giveaways from season 4++++

The fourth and final season of The Killing aired on Netflix in the summer of 2014. As most readers will know, AMC canceled the show for a second and final time after season 3, which left it with a massive cliffhanger with the reveal that Skinner was the Pied Piper serial killer, and Linden basically executed him. Netflix revived the show for a 6-episode wrap-up that essentially features two parallel storylines. Holder and Linden's subsequent cover-up of Skinner's murder, and then trying to last out the investigation, and a final case to solve involving the murder of the family of a student at a military boarding school. Mirelle Enos and Joel Kinnaman both returned as Linden and Holder, Gregg Henry also returned, and Billy Campbell and Jewel Staite reprised their roles in what amounted to guest appearances. Joan Allen played the headmaster of the military academy, and Tyler Ross had a central role in the season's big murder mystery.

The DVD set is a two-disc made-on-demand set. So you just get the episodes alone, with no extras or captions, commentaries, etc. I think people who buy the set are going to be physical media collectors who just want it to complete their series collection.

My main complaint about the season is that the 6 episode run really made things feel rushed. They had to introduce tension into the Linden-Holder relationship that wasn't given enough time to play out, so it just felt very forced. They also had to quickly tell and wrap up the case, which in some ways was good in that they could not put in all the ridiculous twists that plagued seasons 2 and to some extent 3. The standout of the season was Joan Allen, who played the commander of a military academy that is involved in the second storyline of the season. It was clear from episode 1 that she played a large part in the case, and she did very well with the material. The last few minutes of the final episode flash forward years into the future and end the series on a satisfying note. Ultimately, while the season is not perfect, I do think they did as well as they could in the short amount of episodes they were given.