GIFT GUIDE for TV LOVERS: ‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Victoria,’ ‘SNL’ and more
Image courtesy of Paramount / Provided by press rep with permission.
It may be that time of year again, but of course 2020 is different than years past. This holiday shopping season will likely feature many more online purchases as brick-and-mortar businesses are struggling to attract a crowd with the raging coronavirus.
Still, there’s a lot to enjoy, especially from the comforts of self-quarantine. Here’s a smattering of interesting and thoughtful gifts for the TV lover in the family:
Arthur: The Ultimate Friendship Collection, PBS Kids, DVD, $19.99 — Arthur the aardvark is still teaching children and families so many different lessons, and the beloved cast of characters have stuck around for many years of funny and touching episodes. In addition to the title character, there’s D.W., Arthur’s sister, and his best friends, Francine and Buster. Personal favorites: Binky Barnes, Mr. Ratburn and the Brain. This new DVD collection features 48 “friendship-filled stories” over the course of more than 10 hours of content. That’s a lot of Arthur. The three-disc set is a fitting homage to Marc Brown’s original creation. Click here for more information.
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Seasons 1-5 — 1975-1980: The Early Years, Time Life, DVD, $100 — Time Life has put out many box sets of classic television shows, and their recent collection of early Saturday Night Live memories is a big plus for lovers of comedy. These “early years” were also the golden years with hilarious sketches and a cast of unforgettable actors: Chevy Chase, Jim Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd, among others. The laughs have not lost any of their effect in the intervening 45 years. Play an episode featuring “Land Shark” or the Blues Brothers, and the guffaws are still well-earned. This particular collection, which is more economical than the complete seasons boxset, runs 33 episodes on 12 discs. Click here for more information.
Masterpiece: Victoria: The Complete Seasons 1, 2 & 3, PBS, DVD, $74.99 — At the current moment, there are many TV shows that delve into British royalty, and one that stands near the top of the list is Masterpiece’s Victoria, an exquisitely acted and carefully lensed drama about Queen Victoria (Jenna Coleman). Set in the 19th century during, well, the Victorian era, the series tracks the monarch’s life from her coming of age to her dominance on the throne. In addition to Coleman, the cast features Tom Hughes, Nicholas Audsley, David Bamber, Peter Firth, Eve Myles, Diana Rigg, Rufus Sewell, Anna Wilson-Jones and Bruno Wolkowitch, among many others. This is truly an ensemble piece, and PBS and ITV Studios spare no expense on the costumes, the sets or the scenery. This particular collection amasses more than 21 hours of Victoria on nine discs, encompassing seasons 1, 2 and 3. Click here for more information.
Ben 10 vs. The Universe: The Movie, Cartoon Network, DVD, $19.98 — The Ben 10 franchise is a legendary staple for Cartoon Network. There have been plenty of TV episodes and a few successful movies over the years, and the latest feature film finds the title character taking on perhaps the biggest challenge of his young life: the universe — metaphorically speaking. For diehard fans, this Ben 10 adventure features the beloved (or hated) Vilgax, and it’s up to Ben to save the day (as he always seems to do in the end). Interestingly there’s also some court-proceeding drama in this animated feature, which came as a pleasant surprise and points toward Ben 10 growing up a bit with its intended audience. Click here for more information.
Mission: Impossible: The Original TV Series, Paramount, Blu-ray, $145 — This Blu-ray set may be the gift of the year for TV lovers. It is released Dec. 1 (a bummer for the Black Friday holiday), but it includes everything for Mission: Impossible lovers. Here are some of the specs: 46 discs, seven seasons, 171 episodes, all bound together in an attractive box that won’t take up too much space on that DVD/Blu-ray shelf. Fans can enjoy the acting talents of Peter Graves, Steven Hill, Peter Lupus, Greg Morris, Martin Landau, Leonard Nimoy, Lesley Warren, Sam Elliott and Barbara Bain. So many iconic phrases came from this influential TV series (“Your mission should you decide to accept it.), and many spy thrillers owe a debt of gratitude to this groundbreaking show, least of all the movie franchise starring Tom Cruise. Click here for more information.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
