
Man, it’s a big week for DVD releases. I mean, really, who hasn’t been waiting for Charles In Charge Season 5 and that Knight Rider reboot? OK, maybe they’re not all blockbusters. But after that, the list is mighty impressive. You may find the shelves at your local DVD purveyor in danger of collapsing under all of the awesome. Joining The Middleman, we have Dollhouse, Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead, Battlestar Galactica 4.5, and Torchwood: Children Of The Earth. Crikey. And that’s not all. There are even more releases, links, and me prattling on about all manner of nonsense, after the jump.
![]() |
The Middleman: The Complete Series
This is the one I’ve been waiting for. If you haven’t seen it, I don’t even know how to explain the show. It’s just crazy. But crazy in that really good way. The cast is terrific and the writing is fantastic. There are so many clever references and gags that you can’t possibly catch them all on the first go. The only downside to this little gem of a show is that this is ‘the complete series.’ Damn. Of all the shows that have taken the one-season jack-boot to the crotch, this one was probably the most disappointing. And not just because the next script featured Wendy in the Slave Leia costume. Although, let’s be honest, that does factor in. |
| Dollhouse: Season 1 (Also available in Blu-ray)
Well, by this point we all know the story, right? The latest effort from Joss Whedon struggled mightily in the ratings department, but was somehow saved in the 11th hour (heh, yet Eleventh Hour wasn’t saved) to return in the fall. The show opened to mixed reviews, but most agree that business picked up toward the end of the season. The set also includes the unaired episode, “Epitaph One.” And really, if you haven’t seen that one, that alone is worth the price of admission. |
![]() |
![]() |
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5
The epic conclusion to Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar. Taken on the whole, in that big picture perspective, it truly is an amazing creation. To think that this show came from the original is almost laughable looking back now. Sure, the big finale was rather controversial, and people are still analyzing and talking about whether or not it actually worked. That’s the thing though, they’re talking about it. It’s the kind of show that even when you hit a rough spot, you want to keep watching, because you just don’t see TV like this very often. |
| Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead (Also available on Blu-ray)
Ahhh, the Doctor, and his crazy U.K. television production schedule. I’m sure I’ll never understand the machinations behind the scheduling for each new series, or how they decide on when to do the specials, but at this point I just don’t care. I’ve long since been won over by the updated Doctor Who, and eagerly await each installment, whenever it happens to show up. This time, surprisingly enough, the Doctor is tasked with saving the world. I know! Fortunately, he has the aid of Lady Christina, played by Michelle Ryan. I was all for the idea of Lady Christina returning for a stint as the Doctor’s companion, but apparently that’s a no go. They haven’t ruled out the idea of her returning at some point in the future though. So we have that going for us, which is nice. |
![]() |
Also in stores today:
- Torchwood: Children Of The Earth – If I ever meet Russell T. Davies, I may punch him for the evil deeds he’s done with regards to the Torchwood cast. That said, “Children Of The Earth” was a good 5 episode run.
- Knight Rider: Season 1 – Season 1? You have to love the optimism. I joke about the show, but once they trimmed down the cast, it wasn’t bad.
- Life On Mars: Series 1 – The OG Life On Mars from across the pond. See how it all started, and what went wrong with the reboot.
- Early Edition: The Second Season – Just think of it as a FNL prequel. Coach Taylor in his carefree newsgathering days.
- Charles In Charge: Season 5 – Don’t you want to know how it all ends? We know Jamie got that sweet life guard gig, and Buddy made those crazy Bibleman movies, but does Charles get into Princeton?
- The Donna Reed Show: The Complete Second Season – More good family fun with the Stones.
- The Judy Garland Show: Volume 1 – The first 13 episodes from the 26 episode run of her critically acclaimed variety show.
- Armchair Thriller: Set 1 – Four installments from the British series. “How do ordinary people react when confronted by extraordinary circumstances?”
- A Touch Of Frost – Season 14 – David Jason is back as Detective Jack Frost, with three new episodes.
- Doc Martin: Series 2 – Think of it as House, if House had to go to work in a Cornish fishing village.
- The Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete 1st Season – Really, who doesn’t like Spidey?
- The Red Hand Gang – I’m told it was hugely popular in the ’70s and ’80s, but I totally missed it. It sounds to me a lot like The Three Investigators, if that helps.
Tags: A Touch Of Frost, Armchair Thriller, Charles In Charge, Children Of The Earth, Doc Martin, Doctor Who, donna reed show, Early Edition, judy garland show, knight rider, life on mars, Matt Keeslar, natalie morales, Planet of the Dead, Red Hand Gang, The Middleman, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Three Investigators, Torchwood





I’m buying “The Middleman” ASAP and not just because of the rumored chance that high DVD sales might bring it back. I’m buying it because it’s at least ten times more awesome than any other DVD set I’ve purchased.
Brett, did you *have* to bring up the Leia slave bikini? I just drool-ruined another good keyboard.
As a matter of fact, yes, I *had* to. It’s just how I’m wired. :D
That’s… um… quite the screencap you’ve chosen there. The only one that came close was Wendy in the Dr. No Middle-bikini on which she, of course, snarked.