TV on DVD

Check out the week's new releases in our latest installment of... TV on DVD!

Show: “Law & Order Criminal Intent: The Fourth Year” (Universal)
Format: DVD.
What is it? While many American TV shows are shown overseas, they're usually just dubbed into a country's native language. But on occasion, a show will actually get its own localized version. For example, “Law & Order Criminal Intent”—which follows Manhattan cops in the Major Crimes (i.e. high profile) division—has local versions in both France and Russia. What's odd is that the male lead in America is played by Vincent D'Onofrio, while in France, where the show is called “Paris enquêtes criminelles,” it's played by Vincent Perez, and his character's name is Vincent Revel. Further confusing matters, actor Richard Belzer, who plays Detective John Munch on “L&O: SVU” after playing him on regular “Law & Order,” “The Wire,” “The X-Files,” “Homicide” and the short-lived “Law & Order: Trial by Jury,” will make an appearance on “Paris enquêtes criminelles.” It's enough to make your head swim.
Number of discs/episodes: 5 discs/23 episodes.
Extras: An alternate ending for the episode “Great Barrier.”
Price: $59.98.
Buy, borrow or ignore: Borrow.


Show: “Melrose Place: The Fifth Season, Volume Two” (CBS/Paramount)
Format: DVD
What is it? What people who make TV shows often fail to understand is that a great show is made great by the chemistry between the people. Lose someone in the cast, and that chemistry is changed. Not necessarily for the worse, mind you, but it still changes. Take this '90s nighttime soap. By the end of this season it had lost original stars Grant Snow, Doug Savant and Courtney Thorne-Smith, and would be all the worse for it. It was like when The Who lost Keith Moon. Which isn't a slam on those who were still living in this Los Angeles apartment complex— such as Alyssa Milano, Lisa Rinna or David Charvet—but it still wasn't the same.
Number of discs/episodes: 3 discs/6 episodes.
Extras: None.
Price: $42.99.
Buy, borrow or ignore: Borrow.


Show: “Beverly Hills, 90210: The Eighth Season” (CBS/Paramount)
Format: DVD.
What is it? By the time this '90s nighttime soap— from which the aforementioned “Melrose Place” was spun off—got to this, its eighth season, it hadn't lost a lot of its original cast, but it had lost its original premise. No longer was it about a bunch of spoiled brats who go to high school in Beverly Hills, it was now about a bunch of friends who live together and hang out…near Beverly Hills. In other words, it became every high school kids perception of what life would be like after high school. Instead of everyone going their separate ways, never to see each other again—y'know, like real life—they moved to the beach and continued to date within their little circle of friends. Which oddly sounds like how cults gets started.
Number of discs/episodes: 7 discs/32 episodes.
Extras: None
Price: $61.99.
Buy, borrow or ignore: Borrow.


Other TV DVDs out this week:
“Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season Four” (Universal)
“Criterion Collection: The Golden Age of Television” (Criterion)
“Hogan's Heroes: The Komplete Series: Komandant's Collection” (CBS/Paramount)
“Laredo: The Complete Series 1965-1967” (Timeless)
“Naruto Uncut: Season 1, Volume 2” (Viz)
“Superman: The Complete Animated Series” (WHV)
“The Sopranos: The Complete First Season” (HBO) - on Blu-ray


(Actual releases may differ; Metromix is not responsible for injury, loss of life, or wasted time if you go to the store to buy one of them and the clerk says, “Uh, no, that’s not coming out until next week.”)