Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 1

 

Bewitched is the classic 1960s sitcom about a witch who marries a mortal while trying to keep up appearances as a traditional 60s suburban family. It starred Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, and Agnes Moorehead in the leading roles and David White, Alice Pearce, and George Tobias in the primary supporting roles. The 36-episode first season aired during the 1964/1965 TV season. In it, Montgomery plays a witch named Samantha who falls in love with and marries a mortal named Darren (played by York), much to the dismay of her mother, Endora (played by Moorehead). He is an ad executive and she is a housewife. They live a fairly typical suburban life, aside from the fact that she uses magic (sometimes unwittingly in front of her nosy neighbor, Gladys Kravitz, (played by Pearce)), and his mother-in-law uses magic to try to make his life miserable. The show also featured several guest stars (some of whom would become recurring characters in the series, like Maurice Evans, Marian Lorne, and Paul Lynde) and others who had early roles (or even got their start) on the series and would become big stars themselves, like Adam West, Raquel Welch (in a blink-and-you-will-miss-it background appearance), and Peggy Lipton. 

The individual seasons have been released on DVD, both in the colorized version and the black-and-white version (which the first couple of seasons of the series aired in). The series has been released on blu-ray in a complete series release and in two-season sets (with seasons 1 and 2 packaged together, seasons 3 and 4 packaged together, etc.). On the complete series set, the first two seasons are in black and white, as they were originally aired. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is good, but not outstanding (especially the audio). The HD video restoration does look very good, most of the time, but can be uneven. One big drawback to watching the episodes in HD, however, is that when they are using prosthetics (such as fake noses) it is extremely obvious in HD, as you can very clearly see the makeup lines. On the complete series release, the first season episodes are spread across three discs. There are commentary tracks on a few episodes featuring Dick York's son, Chris, Herbie Pilato, who authored several books about the series and a biography of Elizabeth Montgomery, and historian Rob Ray. The episodes can also be played with English captions. The commentary tracks are somewhat informative and provide some information about the series (like the fact that rehearsals for the pilot started on the day JFK was assassinated) and the cast (like the fact that Alice Pearce took the role of Gladys despite having a terminal cancer diagnosis). Chris York also tells stories about his dad.

The series is primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, but sometimes events in prior episodes are referred back to. The acting is good and the cast all play their roles well. Of course, the series is the product of the 1960s, so some things about it are very dated and would not be used if the series were made today. Some of the storylines were very chauvinistic about the roles of men and women. But the show also included themes of inclusion and acceptance of differences, and included black and asian actors, and had actors that would later be known to be homosexual. It is a very nice blast from the past for people who are old enough to have watched it when it aired initially or those who watched the reruns in syndication. Ultimately, it is a good, but dated, sitcom that is worth watching, especially if you watched it when you were younger.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Killing: Season 3

 

The 12-episode third season of the series The Killing aired during the summer of 2013. It is set one year after the events of the Rosie Larsen case, which was the focus of Seasons 1 and 2, and is tied to a case that Linden (played by the returning Mireille Enos) had referred to during the Larsen case. At the beginning of the season, Linden had left the police department and was working for the transit authority. When Holder (played by the returning Joel Kinnaman) and his new partner discover a string of murders involving runaway teenagers, which points to Linden's prior case and brings into doubt the guilt of the man she arrested, Ray Seward (played by Peter Sarsgaard), who is on death row. The rest of the cast includes Elias Koteas, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Aaron Douglas, Jewel Staite, Ben Cotton, and Gregg Henry. 

The DVD set is a very bare-bones three-disc set. It just includes the episodes. There are no bonus features, and the episodes are not captioned. The actual episodes are very good. It is well-written and very well acted. It is a serial drama in which the storyline builds throughout the season. It does not have much action, but it does have some psychological thriller elements. The series maintains the gritty, real-world tone that the first two seasons had. Like the first two seasons, this one has its share of twists and turns, but the mystery is ultimately resolved by the end of the season, and it does not carry over into the fourth season (although the fallout from the season finale's events certainly does). It does contain some swearing, violence, and sexual content, so it is not appropriate for young kids. While events from the prior seasons are mentioned, you do not need to have watched the first two seasons to follow what is going on in this season. Ultimately, if you are a fan of murder mysteries, especially if you watched and enjoyed the first two seasons of the series, this one is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Cheers: Season 10

 

The 26-episode penultimate 10th season of Cheers aired during the 1991/1992 TV season. All of the series regulars returned for the 10th season, and Bebe Neuwirth was finally promoted to a series regular. The recurring cast this season included Jackie Swanson, who played Woody's girlfriend, Kelly, Paul Wilson, who is another regular patron of the bar, Frances Stenhagen, who played Cliff's mother, and newcomer to the show, Keene Curtis, who played John Allen Hill, the new owner of the restaurant Melville's above Cheers, who delighted in making Sam's life miserable and having a love-hate relationship with Carla. The guest cast this season included Leah Remi, Emma Thompson, Milo O'Shea, and Harvey Fierstein. The show also included several guest appearances and cameos by celebrities and politicians, including Harry Connick Jr., Kevin McHale, John Kerry, Johnny Carson, and Doc Severinsen.

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. As has been the case with the previous seasons, the A/V quality is good overall, but varies from episode to episode or even within episodes. There are no bonus features, but the episodes can be played with English captions. As of this writing, the seasons are not available individually on Blu-ray, only in a complete series release. 

The series continues to be a blend of procedural stories-of-the-week and serial arcs. The biggest arc this season involved the continuation of the Season 9 ending storyline, in which Sam and Rebecca agreed to have a child. There were a handful of funny moments around that storyline throughout the season. As in prior seasons, the writers do a good job of balancing the storylines of the various characters and providing each cast member with good material throughout the season. Bebe Neuwirth continued to shine as Lillith, but did not have as many standout moments as she did when she was a recurring character. This season, Keene Curtis was the one who stole most of the scenes he appeared in. The season finale is a hilarious two-part wedding episode that is one of the best episodes of the series. Ultimately, the series continued to be good. Although the writing was still somewhat dated, it did not feel as dated as it did in the earlier seasons. So, if you liked the prior seasons, this one is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Black Sails: The Complete Series

 

Black Sails is an action-adventure series that aired on Starz for four seasons from 2014 to 2017. It starred Toby Stephens, Hannah New, Luke Arnold, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tom Hopper, Zach McGowan, Toby Schmitz, Clara Paget, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Louise Barnes, Luke Roberts, and Ray Stevenson. The series is set in the Bahamas during the early 18th century. It was written as a prequel to the 1883 novel Treasure Island, providing backstories for characters who were either in or referred to in the book, such as Captain Flint, Long John Silver, and Billy Bones. It blended fictional characters from the book with depictions of real-life historical figures and fictionalized accounts of historical events. 

The series is essentially one long story about the quest for control of New Providence Island, which involves a war between the English royal navy and the pirates who control the island and threaten trade in the region, and the search for (and control of) gold from a Spanish shipwreck that becomes the basis for the buried treasure in the novel.

The blu-ray set is a 12-disc set included in two keep cases, which are held in a cardboard sleeve. Each of the keep cases holds six discs, with the discs for seasons 1 and 2 in one keep case, and the discs for seasons 3 and 4 in the other. The A/V quality is outstanding, with the episodes looking and sounding wonderful in the HD format. The episodes for each season can be played in a "play all" mode that allows you to pick up where you leave off and remembers your audio and closed caption preferences. The bonus features are on the third disc for each respective season. Those include the "Inside Black Sails" recaps that played after the episodes aired, as well as several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes corresponding to events that occurred in each season, cast interviews, and more. 

The series is well-written and very well-acted. It is absolutely not family-friendly, as it is very violent, has a lot of sexual content and nudity, and swearing. The sexual content and nudity are most prolific in the first two seasons, but every season is very violent. The writers do a good job of balancing the storylines for the large ensemble cast and providing all the cast members with good material to work with. Additionally, the backstories of the characters discussed in the book Treasure Island make the novel even more interesting to read. Ultimately, it is an excellent series that is absolutely worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Black Sails: Season 4

 

The 10-episode fourth and final season of Black Sails aired during the winter and spring of 2017. All of the main cast members, aside from Zach McGowan, whose character was killed off at the end of Season 3, return for the final season. The plotline this season is centered around the battle for control of New Providence Island between various groups of pirates and the English, with Spain getting involved (to recapture the stolen cache). The writers also tie events in the series to the book Treasure Island, for example, explaining why Long John Silver is the only one that Flint fears, the island's mysteriousness, and the idea that people are always searching for Flint's treasure. 

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. The A/V quality is excellent, and episodes look and sound fantastic in the HD format. As with the prior seasons, the episodes can be played in a "play all" format that allows you to pick up where you leave off and will keep your audio and caption selections, even when switching discs. Also, as with the prior seasons, all the bonus features (totaling around half an hour) are on the third disc. The longest bonus feature is the set of ten episode-by-episode recaps titled "Inside the World of Black Sails," which aired after each episode. That runs about 18 minutes, then there is a short featurette on the production design, and then three different roundtable discussions with members of the cast. 

The series remains excellent in its final season. While there is not as much sexual content or nudity in this season, there is a lot of violence and adult language, so it is still not a family-friendly show. It remains well-written and very well-acted, and the writers do a great job of tying up the storylines for the various characters (and, as you can imagine, not every character makes it out unscathed or receives a "happy ending"), while also tying the events of the series to the book. Ultimately, if you liked the prior seasons, this one is absolutely worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Cheers: Season 9

 

The 26-episode 9th season of Cheers aired during the 1990/1991 TV season. All of the main cast returned for the ninth season, as did some of the major recurring cast, led by Bebe Neuwirth, who reprised her role as Lilith, and included Jackie Swanson as Woody's girlfriend, Kelly, and Roger Rees as Robin Colcord. The celebrity guest stars/cameos this season included former Boston Celtic Kevin McHale, Arsenio Hall, Bobby Hatfield, former Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, and John McLaughlin. McLaughlin hosted the 200th episode anniversary special, which included a cold open, but then was essentially a panel discussion with the cast and showrunners. The panel did include Shelly Long, but at least as it was presented on the DVD, she did not say anything; they just had a couple of reaction shots of her. Otherwise, the show continued to mainly be a story-of-the-week procedural with some serial arcs included. The most prominent serial arcs were the tease of whether Sam and Rebecca would get together, and Frasier and Lilith becoming parents. 

The Blu-ray set is a three-disc set, and as of this writing, it remains available only on Blu-ray in the complete series release. The individual season is only available on DVD (which is a five-disc set). The A/V quality of the episodes is good, but not outstanding. There are times when the video looks closer to DVD quality than what you would expect from Blu-Rays. There are no bonus features, although the 200th episode is more akin to a bonus feature than a regular episode. The episodes can be played with English captions. 

The series continues to be good, but the storylines absolutely became repetitive by the 9th season. The writers did a good job of balancing the storylines to give all the cast members good material to work with, and Bebe Neuwirth continued to steal nearly every scene she was in. Some of the jokes are still outdated and cringeworthy, but not as much as those in the early seasons. Ultimately, if you liked the prior seasons, you will probably enjoy this one (unless you really only liked Long's character, Diane).

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Black Sails Season 3

 

The 10-episode third season of Black Sails aired in the winter and spring of 2016. All the main cast members return for season three, and there are two notable additions to the main cast. First, Luke Roberts, the newly appointed Royal Governor of the Bahamas, named Woodes Rogers, who travels to Nassau to take control of the colony from the pirates, with Eleanor Guthrie serving as an advisor, who has agreed to help him in exchange for a pardon. The other is Ray Stevenson, who plays Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. Much of the season involves various groups aligning in the bid to control Nassau.

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. All the bonus content is on the third disc. There is about 50 minutes, give or take, of bonus content, including a season 2 recap, several behind-the-scenes featurettes, and featurettes on the new characters, Woodes Rodgers and Blackbeard. The A/V quality is again excellent this season, with the episodes looking and sounding wonderful in HD.

The show continues to be excellent. While there is less violence and nudity/sexual content on the whole this season, there is still some of each, so it is definitely not family-friendly. A couple of major characters are killed off this season, which will have reverberations into season 4. I will not spoil who they are, but if you have read the book Treasure Island, you know who it cannot be. Ultimately, if you enjoyed the first two seasons of the show, you will like this one. It remains well-written and very well acted, and is absolutely worth watching.

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

 

The 26-episode 8th season of Cheers aired during the 1989-1990 TV season. It can be argued that this was the season in which the series peaked, earning multiple awards. All of the main cast members returned for Season 8. Unfortunately, Bebe Neuwirth was still just a member of the recurring cast, despite stealing every scene she was in as Lilith. She won the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy that year. The other significant recurring cast member this season was Roger Rees, who played an English mogul named Robin Colcord, who was brought in as a love interest for Rebecca and a partial foil for Sam. The guest cast this season included Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Conroy, Alex Trebek, and Bill Medley. The show continues to blend a story-of-the-week procedural format with serial arcs. This season, the big serial arcs are Sam's quest to buy back Cheers from the corporation that owns it and Rebecca's relationship with Robin (and sexual tension with Sam). 

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. It does not include any bonus content, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The A/V quality is overall very good, but there are times when the picture looks more like standard definition than an upgraded HD transfer. 

The series continues to be good. As the show transitioned from the 1980s to the 1990s, some of the more outdated comedic elements were less prominent. The writers did a very good job balancing storylines for the large ensemble cast, with each cast member getting at least one episode centered around him or her. There are a couple of hilarious Lilith and Frasier episodes, including ones involving Lilith's pregnancy and giving birth. Cliff also has a very good episode in which he is a contestant on Jeopardy. Ultimately, if you have liked the series up to this point, season 8 is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Black Sails: Season 2

 

The ten-episode second season of Black Sails aired in the winter and spring of 2015. Most of the main cast members from the first season, including Toby Stephens, Hannah New, Luke Arnold, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tom Hopper, Zach McGowan, Toby Schmitz, Clara Paget, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, and Louise Barnes, return for the second season. Additions to the cast this season include Rupert Penry-Jones, Tadhg Murphy, and Nick Boraine.

There are several intertwined storylines this season, but the main story arc involves Flint's plan to retrieve the Urca Gold. His plan gets sidetracked several times throughout the season, once in a major battle with Captain Vane, who has taken the fort on Nassau. The second involves the other major storyline that extends throughout the season, including via the use of flashbacks that reveal both Flint and Miranda's backstories, and culminates in a very explosive finale. Other storylines include Eleanor trying to keep control of the island, Max scheming and playing everyone against each other, and Jack angling for respect. We also learn more about Bonny's backstory. 

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. All the extras are included on the third disc. Those include a making-of featurette that runs about 20 minutes. Four shorter featurettes focus on aspects of the season, such as building the Man 'O War ship set, the new characters introduced this season, the training regimen the actors went through, and a discussion of the real-life history of piracy in the region. The A/V quality is outstanding, and the episodes look and sound excellent in the HD format.

The season starts out a bit slow and intertwines a lot of drama with the action. When the action picks up, especially late in the season, it is jam-packed. The show is still not family-friendly as there is a lot of violence, sexual content, nudity, and swearing. Ultimately, however, if you enjoyed the first season, you will likely enjoy the second season. 

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

 

The 22-episode seventh season of Cheers aired during the 1988/1989 TV season. The beginning of the season was delayed by the 1988 writers' strike, which also resulted in a lower overall number of episodes. All of the main cast members returned as series regulars. Bebe Neuwirth was still a recurring cast member, but she had a larger role and more appearances this season, and continued to steal most of the scenes she appeared in. Jay Thomas also recurred this season as Carla's husband, Eddie, but only made a couple of appearances during the season. There are not as many notable guest stars this season, but the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, William Crowe, appeared in episode 17, and Marcia Cross (probably best known for her role on Desperate Housewives in the early 2000s) appeared in episode 21 playing Rebecca's sister, Susan.

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. As of this writing, the individual seasons have only been released on DVD. The blu-ray set is only available as a complete series set. As with the previous few seasons, this one does not have any bonus content; however, the episodes can be played with English captions. The show continues to be funny, but some of the comedy is very dated. If it were made today, the character of Sam would probably be written much differently than he was back then, since he is basically a "lovable" pervert who sexually harasses every hot woman he meets. The writers do a good job of balancing the storylines for the large ensemble cast, giving each character at least one episode devoted to them. This season, both Cliff and Woody get love interests, Frasier and Lilith have a significant storyline, and Norm finally finds his calling career-wise. Ultimately, if you liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one, as long as you are not easily offended by non-politically correct humor. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 12

 

The 24-episode 12th and final season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2018/2019 TV season.  It does a good job tying up storylines for most of the characters in a way that gives a "life will go on" feel to it. The major storyline of the season revolves around Sheldon and Amy's research on Super-Asymmetry and the possibility of winning the Nobel Prize in physics. That leads to a few great appearances by Kal Penn and Sean Austin as rivals to Sheldon and Amy. Raj also gets a major love interest story, while the other characters receive mostly one-off story arcs.

The show continues to get a great slate of guest stars. There are some old favorites (Will Wheaton, Christine Baranski, Bob Newhart, etc.) and some new faces, like Kevin Smith and a great cameo by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the series finale. They also figured out a clever way to do a crossover with Young Sheldon via the magic of VHS.

The Blu-ray set is a two-disc set that is almost identical to the prior releases. The 24 episodes are spread out across the two discs, as are the extras.  This season, the bonus content includes a feature on the scholarship fund the show set up for STEM students in the UC system of colleges, a portion of the Comic-Con panel, and several behind-the-scenes features and retrospectives on the show's impact. Much more extras than you get from most shows DVDs or blu-ray releases these days.

By now, pretty much everyone knows what the show is and is not. If you are a fan of the show, then you will likely enjoy this season. If you hated it, then there is nothing about this season that is going to change your mind. The writers do a good job of continuing to develop the characters, even after 12 years, and manage to balance the large ensemble cast well. Yes, the show uses a laugh track as well as genuine reactions from a studio audience, which will turn some people off, but it is pretty standard sitcom fare. It was, after 12 years, definitely getting "long in the tooth" as a show, and I think it was a good time to end it, even though it could have likely gone on for as long as the main actors wanted to return. However, when Jim Parsons indicated, going into the 12th season, that this one would be his last on the show, it was right to end it instead of trying to keep it going without the most popular character, especially with the spinoff series going strong. Ultimately, it is worth the pick-up, especially if you have the prior season releases on the physical discs and worth watching to see how the series wraps up.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 11

 

+++Warning, this will spoil the cliffhanger from the end of season 10, but no major giveaways from season 11++++

The 24-episode 11th season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2017/2018 TV season. It would be the second-to-last season of the show. It was announced over the summer, after the 11th season aired, that season 12 would be the final season when Jim Parsons decided he would not return to the show.  Ultimately, I think it was a good decision, as the show was getting long in the tooth.

The main theme of this season is the build-up to Sheldon and Amy's wedding. As most know, the 10th season ended on the cliffhanger of Sheldon proposing. To the shock of no one, she says yes. The rest of the season is much the same as it has been for the first 11 seasons, where a story-of-the-week is meshed with ongoing story arcs. The other main storyline involves Howard and Bernadette having another child, incorporating Melissa Rauch's real-life pregnancy into the show and allowing her to be on bed rest. For much of the season, she was filmed in bed, and then, eventually, you just heard her voice, much like Howard's mother was. Of the main cast, I would say Raj took more of a back seat this year, only really having one episode centered around him (which guest-starred Beth Behrs and Walton Goggins. Other notable guest stars this year (aside from Wil Wheaton) were Bob Newhart, Kathy Bates, Teller (of Penn and Teller fame), Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, and Mark Hamill. The writers also found a way to honor Stephen Hawking after his death.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The A/V quality is excellent, and the episodes look and sound very good, much like the prior seasons. The set includes about an hour of bonus features, including part of the Comic-Con panel discussion, a couple of behind-the-scenes features, and a gag reel. Ultimately, the season was good, but the show was getting stale at this point. While there were some funny moments during the season, it wasn't as funny overall as it was in the beginning. That said, the season was still enjoyable, was worth watching, and provided a good setup for what will now be the final season.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Black Sails: Season 1

 

Black Sails was an action-adventure series that blended a fictional pirate story with real-life historical figures. It was written as a prequel to the novel Treasure Island. It aired on Starz for four seasons, from 2014 to 2017. The eight-episode first season aired in the winter and spring of 2017. It starred Toby Stephens, Hannah New, Luke Arnold, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tom Hopper, Zach McGowan, Toby Schmitz, Clara Paget, Mark Ryan, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Sean Cameron Michael, and Louise Barnes. The story is set in the 1700s on New Providence Island, in what is now the Bahamas, where pirates threaten trade in the region. The plot of the first season involves several pirates hunting for the treasure from the shipwreck of the Spanish ship Urca de Lima, which was a part of the Spanish treasure galleon. 

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. The A/V quality is terrific, with the episodes looking and sounding great in the HD format. All the bonus features, which consist of several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes. The longest is a nine-minute inside look at the series. The rest are shorter (ranging from a minute and a half to about three minutes). All totaled, the bonus content runs a little less than half an hour.

The series has an excellent mix of action and drama. There are a lot of characters and several storylines going on, and it can be hard to keep everything straight, especially if you have it on in the background. It is absolutely not a family-friendly show, as it has a lot of violence, sexual content, nudity, and adult language. The series does not have wall-to-wall action; indeed, in many episodes, there is minimal action and almost all political maneuvering. However, when it does include action, the action sequences are exceptionally well done. Ultimately, if you are a fan of pirate stories and/or the real-life history of the region, it is worth watching.

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

 

The 25-episode 6th season of Cheers aired during the 1987/1988 TV season. It saw the most significant shift in the show up to that point. Shelly Long was written out of the series at the end of the fifth season (although the writers did leave the possibility of her return open). To replace her, the show cast Kirstie Alley. Aside from Long, all of the series regulars returned. This season, George Wendt and John Ratzenberger each direct an episode.

Along with Alley, Tom Skerritt was brought in for a significant recurring role. Jay Tomas returned as Carla's husband, Bebe Neuwirth's role as Lilith was expanded (although she was still a recurring character), and Harry Anderson made a cameo appearance, reprising his role as Harry the Hat in one of the cold opens (despite starring in Night Court by that time). Robert Urich and Wade Boggs made special guest appearances. 

The season picks up months down the line from the events that ended the fifth season. We discover that Sam has gone sailing around the world, selling the bar to a large corporation run by Skerritt's character, Evan Drake. Alley plays Rebecca Howe, who runs the day-to-day operations at the bar, and is totally in love with Drake, who barely notices her. When Sam's boat sinks, he returns to Cheers looking to be the boss again, but is only able to be hired on as a bartender, with Rebecca as his boss. The show continues the format that it used in prior seasons, blending procedural one-off storylines with serial arcs. The writers attempted to replicate the Sam and Diane "will-they-won't-they" storyline with Sam and Rebecca, but it mostly involved Sam hitting on Rebecca and her turning him down (or messing with him). The writers did a good job balancing the storylines for the large ensemble cast, giving all the characters good material to work with. There were more good Lilith and Frasier moments, with Bebe Neuwirth stealing pretty much every scene she was in. 

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. Like those for seasons four and five, this one does not have any bonus features, but the episodes can be played with English captions. As of this writing, the only way to get the blu-ray versions is to purchase the complete series set. The individual single-season sets are only available on DVD. The A/V quality of the episodes on blu-ray is very good, and the episodes look and sound great in the HD format, especially given the age of the show.

The season is good, and the introduction of the new characters gave the show a fresh boost. Whatever you think of Alley in real life, especially her politics toward the end of her life, she was hilarious in the show, and even though the writers tried to give her character a similar dynamic with Sam that Shelly Long's character had, she did not copy what Long did with the character of Diane. The comedy is still a lot different than today's sitcoms. In some ways, it is tamer (even though there is sexual banter and innuendo, nothing beyond kissing is shown). On the other hand, some of the jokes would definitely not fly in today's PC climate, especially the character of Sam sexually harassing the character of Rebecca every episode. Ultimately, if you liked the style and tone of the prior seasons (unless you only liked the character of Diane), you will probably like this season as well.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory Season 10

 

The 24-episode 10th season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2016/2017 TV season. All the series regulars returned for the 10th season, and many of the significant recurring cast members, such as Christine Baranski, Laurie Metcalf, Keith Carradine, and John Ross Bowie, returned. Dean Norris joined as a recurring cast member, and Katey Segal and Jack McBrayer were cast as Penny's mother and brother, respectively, and Judd Hirsch was cast as Leonard's father. Other guest cast members included Christopher Lloyd, Kate Micucci, and Alessandra Torresani. 

I will not review the series itself, as anyone purchasing the DVDs or Blu-Rays, or considering doing so, is already familiar with the show. The writers continue to develop the characters, but the series has fewer cameo appearances by guest stars than in prior seasons (the most are in the season premiere, with a few others scattered throughout the season). The show continues to blend story-of-the-week procedural storylines with serial arcs. The big serial arc that runs throughout the season involves a guidance system that the group invented for the military. The other significant arc involves the relationships between Leonard and Penny and Sheldon and Amy. The season ends on a major cliffhanger that will reverberate into the next season.  

The blu-ray set is a two-disc set, and the show looks and sounds great in the HD format. The extras include the Comic-Con writer's panel, a featurette in which the cast responding to Twitter questions, a short feature on the new family members introduced this season (Leonard's father, and Penny's mother and brother), a feature on Howard's and Bernadette's baby, highlights from the cast Comic-Con panel, and a gag reel. The episodes can be played with English captions, but they cannot be played in a "play all" mode that allows you to pick up where you left off. If you stop watching before completing every episode on the disc, you'll need to find where you left off. 

The series remains good, but it is not as strong as it was in its early seasons. There are certainly those who think it is time for the series to end, and I think an argument can be made that it is becoming stale. But given that it is now going into its 11th season, I think it continues to develop the characters pretty well and come up with interesting stories, even if some of the jokes are getting recycled. Ultimately, if you liked or loved the prior seasons, this one is worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 9

 

The 24-episode ninth season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2015/2016 TV season. This season saw another milestone episode for the show, specifically the 200th episode. All the main cast members returned, as well as many of the "regular" recurring cast members such as Laurie Metcalf, John Ross Bowie, Wil Wheaton, Christine Baranski, Sara Gilbert, Bob Newhart, and Stephen Hawking. Keith Carradine also returned to reprise his role as Penny's father, and we get to meet two more family members of the main characters: Leonard's father, played by Judd Hirsch, and Sheldon's grandmother, played by June Squibb. BBT is indeed a rather formulaic show. It found what works, and it definitely sticks to it. That said, even in season 9, the main characters are still developing and evolving, as are the relationships between the various characters. Yes, the requisite science and nerdy pop culture references are there. There is another Star Wars-centric episode, which got to see the return of Bob Newhart decked out in Jedi robes, and Wil Wheaton attending The Force Awakens premiere dressed as a Vulcan, but the show continues to be very humorous and entertaining, even though it may not be as much for some people as it was in the first couple seasons.

The relationships of the characters continue to be the centerpiece of the show. All the couples on the show go through a period of transition in their relationship, and even Raj does a complete 180 from his days of not being able to talk to women unless drunk, with pretty humorous results. Overall, I think if you have found the show enjoyable in the past few seasons and have not felt it getting stale, then you will also enjoy this season. If it has been getting stale for you, then you may not.

The blu-ray set is a two-disc set. The extras include the comic con panel, a few short behind-the-scenes features, including one devoted to the 200th episode, and a gag reel. Definitely good for what is there. Unlike one of the other reviewers, I had no problems with episode 12 not playing or missing in my set, so it is not a problem that affects the entire lot of blu-ray sets out there.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 8

 

+++Warning: The review contains spoilers from prior seasons and hints, but no major giveaways, from season 8. If you have not seen the previous season, proceed with caution. +++

The 24-episode 8th season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2014/2015 TV season. All of the main cast members return for the 8th season, as do many of the primary recurring cast members such as Carol Ann Susi, Regina King, John Ross Bowie, Wil Wheaton, Laurie Metcalf, Christine Baranski, and Stephen Hawking (in another voice appearance). This season's notable guest stars include Stephen Root, Billy Bob Thornton, LeVar Burton, Nathan Fillion, and Kevin Smith (in a voice appearance). 

The show seems to be one that people either really love or really hate. It has been around long enough that most people know where they fall. It continues to focus on the relationships between the main characters, then tells various ancillary stories of the week while working in some larger ongoing themes. This season the big stories are Leonard and Penny's ongoing engagement and not setting a date for the wedding, Leonard and Sheldon co-authoring a physics paper that gets them some notoriety, and Sheldon and Amy's relationship. There are other stories about Stuart mooching off Howard's mom following the destruction of the comic book store last season, Raj's parents, and Raj's new relationship that develops now that he can actually talk to girls without being drunk. A couple of the stand-out episodes of the season are the Billy Bob Thornton guest appearance, Sheldon and Leonard's mothers meeting each other, and the season finale, which ends on a pretty big Sheldon/Amy cliffhanger. There is also a storyline about 2/3 of the way into the season that leads to some great Howard and Bernadette scenes and shows off the acting chops of Simon Helberg.

The blu-ray set is a two-disc set. The A/V transfer is very good, and the show looks and sounds great. For extras, on disc one, there is a relatively short writer's panel (and Wil Wheaton's appearance) from Comic-Con and a behind-the-scenes feature on Billy Bob Thornton's guest appearance. The second disc has a feature on a group of contest winners who were taken to the set and sat in the studio audience, a short feature on Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, and Chuck Lorre getting stars on the Walk of Fame, a tribute to Carol Ann Susi, and a gag reel. Definitely good for what is there.

If you have loved the show and do not think it has gone stale then you will love this season. If you have hated the show either because of the laugh track or any other reason, this season is not really going to do anything to change your mind. Thankfully the show is popular enough that the studio is still released on blu ray, for those of us who get the discs and prefer that format. The show definitely lays the groundwork for where it is going next season. As other reviewers have said it would be good if the show took some of the focus off the relationship of the main characters and incorporated more of their families into some episodes. That said, however, if you love the show this is definitely worth adding to your collection.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory Season 7

 

The 24-episode seventh season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2013/2014 TV season. All the main cast members return for the seventh season, and many regular recurring and guest cast members, such as Regina King, Christine Baranski, Kate Micucci, John Ross Bowie, Kevin Sussman, and Laurie Metcalf, also appear. The celebrity cameos/guest appearances this season are Bob Newhart reprising his role as Professor Proton (in a hilarious Star Wars-themed episode), James Earl Jones, Carrie Fisher, Bill Nye, Stephen Hawking (in a voiceover), and, of course, Wil Wheaton. 

The show continues to use a blend of procedural and serial storytelling. By this point in its run, the show found a formula that worked and stuck to it. That is not to say the show has not evolved. In fact, much of this season is spent pointing out exactly how the various characters have changed. Almost all the characters end up in very different places by the end of the season than where they were at the beginning. Howard and Bernadette are the exceptions, having settled into a fairly stable married life. Toward the end of the season, comic book store owner Stuart begins to take a larger role in the series.

There are a couple of different blu-ray sets out there. The original release was a five-disc set with two blu-rays and three DVDs. It was later re-released as a two-disc blu-ray set. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is outstanding. My only critique is that the "play all" feature does not allow you to pick up where you leave off if you do not watch all the episodes on the disc in one sitting. As far as extras go for those who get the Blu-rays (or DVDs), there is a lot of behind-the-scenes material, a Comic-Con panel with the writers, a making of the Star Wars day episode, and a gag reel. All in all, probably around an hour's worth of bonus material. Definitely enough to make those who like going through that stuff happy.

Ultimately, the show continues to be well-written and acted. The brand of comedy will certainly not appeal to everyone, but if you were a fan of the first six seasons, you will probably like or love this one. On the other hand, if you did not like the earlier seasons, this one is not likely to convert you. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 6

 

The 24-episode sixth season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2012/2013 TV season. All the main cast members returned for the sixth season, with Kevin Sussman being upgraded to a series regular and put into a "bromance" storyline with Raj. Many of the often recurring and guest cast members appeared this season, including Wil Wheaton and John Ross Bowie. Stephen Hawking made another guest appearance (via the phone), as did LeVar Burton. The "new" guest and recurring cast this season included Howie Mandel, Buzz Aldrin, Kate Micucci (who had a multi-episode arc as a love interest for Raj), and Bob Newhart, playing the Professor Proton character that would be used several times on The Big Bang Theory and the spin off series, Young Sheldon. 

The original blu-ray release was a five-disc set with two blu-rays and three DVDs (back when the studios thought people purchasing blu-rays wanted the DVDs too). Later sets have been released with just the two blu-ray discs. The extras included cast interviews, a portion of the PaleyFest panel discussion with the cast and showrunners, and a gag reel. The show continued to be well-written and acted. As in past seasons, the writers blended serial arcs with procedural stories of the week. The serial arcs mostly involved the relationships between the various couples. However, early in the season, the first few episodes showed Howard on the International Space Station, and later in the season, Raj had a couple of different storylines. The show mostly sticks to being a traditional sitcom, but also has some dramatic and emotional moments. The show is not entirely family-friendly as there are some very adult jokes, and Kaley Cuoco is put in some skimpy outfits from time to time. Ultimately, if you liked the first five seasons, you will probably like this one. If not, nothing about this season is likely to change your mind. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 5

 

The 24-episode fifth season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2011/2012 TV season. All of the main cast members returned for the fifth season, with several of the prominent recurring cast members such as Christine Baranski, Aarti Mann, Wil Wheaton, Kevin Sussman, Laurie Metcalf, and John Ross Bowie appearing throughout the season. This season's notable guest appearances included Brent Spiner, Leonard Nimoy (in a voice role), Stephen Hawking, real-life astronaut Mike Massimino, Courtney Ford, and Lance Barber. Of course, Barber would later be cast as Sheldon's father in the series Young Sheldon, but his appearance in this season was very funny. 

This set is a five-disc set, containing two blu-rays and, for some reason, three DVDs. This set was released at a time when studios thought people purchasing blu-rays of TV series would also want the DVDs. The bonus content includes a featurette on the show's one hundredth episode, a gag reel, a featurette on the production crew, and interviews with the cast about the season's storylines. The season continued to blend procedural stories of the week with longer serial arcs. The season picks up with the fallout, with Raj and Penny ending up in bed at the end of season 4. This season's major serial arcs involved the relationships between Penny and Leonard, Amy and Sheldon, and Howard and Bernadette. Howard probably has the most character development of any of the characters this season, but all of the characters were given good storylines, and the cast was given good material to work with. If you liked the prior seasons, you will probably like this one. If you didn't like the previous seasons, this season is not likely to change your mind. Ultimately, the show continues to be well-written and acted and is worth the time to watch.