Traditionally, Labor Day weekends can be hell on loyal television enthusiasts. If it's not another gun-to-the-head boring college football game, then it's probably a full-day marathon for a series you've already seen a million times. On the networks (and on several of the premium cable channels) the last of the reruns are getting their final airings as networks prepare for the first episodes of the new season (of returning faves) and the debut of completely new series, many to start the day after Labor Day. So, for television lovers, this weekend is much like spending time in purgatory – when it's over you'll be in heaven with some great new series and the return of your favorites or you'll be in hell, having to sit through the networks' latest series misfires.But, I digress.
To keep you from smashing your plasma TV set out of total boredom, there are several new Blu-ray and DVD releases that will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Of course, you can always hit up Netflix or Best Buy for great mainstream best-sellers like
Supernatural,
State Of Play or
Heroes. But here are a handful of DVD/Blu-rays you might normally bypass while browsing online or going down the aisle, but after you watch them, you'll be so glad you found them. Why
CSI and
Two And A Half Men? Well, these are particularly pivatol, challenging seasons for both shows. Judge for yourself if
CSI is still just as exhilarating now that it has lost several of its longtime core cast members and added an award-winning icon to the mix, and if
Two And A Half Men can still keep it up (the laughs) after six seasons. You be the judge. Happy viewing.
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Although it’s been tough living life in the CSI unit of the Las Vegas police department without its one-time fearless leader Gil Grissom — and the incredible talents of actor William Peterson -- Season Nine demonstrates that the sensational charisma and creativity of award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne, and his character Dr. Raymond Langston, are more than enough to keep
CSI the best procedural crime drama on television today. With the crew now lead by Marg Helgenberger, the team has pulled together to solve even more bizarre and brutal crimes in Sin City. While we miss some old friends, the power and intensity of
CSI has only intensified with the new faces. On DVD & BD.
Bonus Features: Five featurettes (including the celebration of the 200th episode and “Goodbye Grissom) and audio commentary on two episodes.
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The latest “spoken word” creation from entertainment and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons,
Brave New Voices features a new generation of dynamic voices as teams of teen poets from across the country do verbal battle in a poetry competition. Narrated by Queen Latifah, the seven-part HBO series follows six U.S. teams as they prepare for a chance to compete at the 2008 Brave New Voices National Youth Poetry Slam Championship in Washington, D.C. An amazing blend of spoken word, hip-hop, poetry, music, voice and imagination,
Brave New Voices focuses on several members of promising teams, showing them fine-tuning their poems in practice sessions, sharing their individual backstories, reflecting on how the spoken word has changed them, and finally, traveling to the nation’s capital to join other teams for the final competition. On DVD.
Bonus Feature: “Rhyme & Reason” – ten complete performances from the New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Honolulu teams in the finals.
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Superbly narrated by the late, legendary Hollywood actor Paul Newman, this fun and informative journey to the Kalahari Desert chronicles the life of Kolo, a young meerkat who is trying to learn the ins and outs of surviving in such harsh surroundings. Charming, intense and family-friendly, the James Honeybone-directed
The Meerkats in an inspiring look at how one family’s connection to each other and their surroundings is a model of resilience and fortitude for all. A cinematic treat for the young and the young-at-heart. On DVD.
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In you enjoy seeing the human race on the verge of annihilation then you will love
Meteor. In the former two-part NBC mini-series — starring Christopher Lloyd, Jason Alexander, Billy Campbell, Stacy Keach and Marla Sokoloff — life, as it has existed for over 200,000 years, hangs in the balance as two massive rocks collide in space and head for Earth. In a remote observatory, a scientist discovers a meteor approximately three times the size of Mount Everest barreling its way towards the Earth, and alerts the military to avert the impending disaster. With a series of smaller meteorite fireballs plummeting toward Earth, a renowned scientist, his assistant, and an on-target conspiracy theorist race against time to expose a government cover-up, reveal the truth, and prevent a massive meteor from destroying the planet. On DVD.
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An NAACP Image Award Winning Series,
The Game (a BET hit series) is a hip, sexy and lighthearted comedy that follows the glamorous yet stressful lives of three women — each with a boyfriend, husband or son playing on the same professional football team. Starring Tia D. Mowry, Brittany Daniel, Hosea Chanchez, Coby Bell, Pooch Hall and Wendy Raquel Robinson, the women of
The Game form an unexpected bond that carries them through their daily lives, as each uses their best "game" to deal with egos, groupies and image consultants in an effort to keep their men both on the field and on their arms.On DVD.
Bonus Features: Spin-off episode from Girlfriends, two exclusive filmmaker interviews and audio commentary.
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Ready to begin it’s seventh season any day now, this Number One hit comedy (an Emmy-winning sitcom that averages 15 million viewers a week) enjoyed one of it’s most hilarious and creatively exciting seasons last year. Nominated for a total of thirty Emmys over its run, in Season Six of
Two and a Half Men a smart, independent brunette named Chelsea (Jennifer Bini Taylor) attempted to turn party-boy Charlie (Charlie Sheen) into a man. The kind of man who brings you tea when you’re sick, sleeps over at your place even if he can’t watch ESPN in bed, or makes the ultimate sacrifice: nukes the nudie pix off his cell phone. And that’s just Charlie. There are an endless stream of memorable, funny moments with Jake (Angus T. Jones) as he locks lips with the cute girl next door (the one whose football-star dad is named Mad Dog); with Judith (Marin Hinkle) as she prepares for a midlife baby who may end up looking a lot like Alan (Jon Cryer) — who is also dating his receptionist but ends up in bed with her frisky mom. On DVD.
Bonus Features: “Growing Up Harper” and “The Women of
Two and a Half Men” featurettes and gag reel.
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