mst3k

Mad TV came along at a time in American television history when America had an excuse to get out of the house and live healthy and productive lives on Saturday night.

But eventually, the show evolved into a 60-minute scream fest of recurring characters spouting catchphrases over and over and celebrity satire that taught lessons about the proliferation of pop culture and ignorance. Important lessons, such as "Boy is Anna Nicole Smith dumb and fat!" and "Hey, is that Paris Hilton a whore or what?" Every episode felt like a hand was reaching out of the TV and rubbing a cheese grater across my face. Now 14 years after its inception, Fox has finally decided to pull the plug on Mad TV and let it die a slow horrible death instead of taking it out Old Yeller-style, the way God intended.

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

I know we all have our favorite shows that we buy on DVD, but I can't understand how anyone - anyone - would want to buy Gene Simmons' Family Jewels on DVD. Do buyers of these sets actually pop them into the DVD player and watch them over and over?

The Burke's Law sets continue with those annoying "Season/Volume" packages, but the last season of the Odd Couple season 5 set contains all of the episodes and completes the series.

• Bones - Season 3
• Burke's Law - Season 1, Vol. 2
• Charmed - Complete Series
• Daniel Boone - Season 6
• Death Note - Box Set 1
• Doctor Who - Season 4 and The Infinite Quest
  
• The Dog Whisperer - Celebrity Edition
• Fairly Oddparents - Season 6, Vol. 1
• Gene Simmons' Family Jewels - Season 3
• Hannah Montana - Season 1
• Hawaii Five-O - Season 5
• McHale's Navy - Season 4
• Monty Python's Flying Circus - Collector's Edition Megaset
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 - 20th Anniversary (Regular set)
• The Odd Couple - Season 5
• SpongeBob SquarePants - Season 5, Vol. 2
• Star Trek - Season 3 Remastered

I think I'm getting spoiled by special DVD sets. I have a lot of "complete series" sets and anniversary sets, and many of them are these massive, well put together sets that seem to be really complete and perfect. I'm thinking of sets that I own for such shows as The Twilight Zone, The West Wing, Friends, and The Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as season sets in shows like The X-Files and The Simpsons.

I say we're spoiled because I think that even die hard fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 might be a little disappointed by the packaging for their new 20th Anniversary DVD set (there's two actually - a limited edition tin box and a regular set; this review is for the limited edition box in the pic above). Not for the content, but for the way it is put together.

I got a great letter this week from a TV fan named Jim R.

"Dear TV Squad, About 15 years ago, I watched an episode of a scifi/fantasy TV show wherein an Elvis impersonator traveled back in time to meet (and eventually kill) the real Elvis. Could you please tell me the name of this program? Thanks"

Fa la la!

We told you last month about the new 20th anniversary DVD set for Mystery Science Theater 3000 that is going to be released later this year. The gang announced the details and the release date for the set yesterday at Comic-Con.

The 4 DVD set from Shout! Factory will be released on October 28 and will include four never-before-released movies: Laserblast, First Space on Venus, Werewolf, and Future War. Along with the movies will be tons of new interviews with everyone ever involved in the show, a documentary about the history of MST3K, footage of the Comic-Con Reunion panel, lobby cards, and even a collectible Crow T. Robot figurine! The set will come in a special 20th anniversary tin box (see pic above).

What's happening on other blogs via the interweb.

• Aaron Barnhart has some interesting thoughts on MSNBC.
• What is TidalTV?
• Star Trek: The Exhibition opens in San Diego today.
• More money problems for Ed McMahon: now Citibank is suing him.
• It was great to see Teri Garr on Letterman the other night.
• There's a 20th Anniversary DVD set coming for Mystery Science Theater 3000.
• Martha Stewart has been banned in the U.K.
• Seth MacFarlane spills the beans about what Family Guy has in store for viewers this fall, and reveals which celebrities are mad at the show.

We watch a lot of TV around this house -- hey, it's my job, man -- so the kids, ages 11 and 13, get to see a wide assortment of shows. Sure, there's a few I can't get them interested in (hard as I try), like Lost, Heroes, and Grey's Anatomy (probably just as well, with all the bed-hopping). Still, there are lots of shows I've had to recap or review over the years that they've gotten hooked on. Here are a few of our favorites.

1. House, M.D. There's something refreshing about an infectious disease specialist who walks with a limp, pops Vicodin like dinner mints, and has the bedside manner of a schoolyard bully. The kids and I can't wait to gather around the TV and watch the tortured doc hurl insults at colleagues and break into patients' homes looking for mysterious mold or a DNA sample. We like to place bets on how long it'll take somebody to start seizing and spewing blood. Last season broke the record when a drug-addicted rock star started puking blood during the first five seconds of the show. Sure, this show is rated PG-14, but it's still a family favorite around here. My kids especially love the scenes where the camera goes inside the cells and arteries of a patient (not). House, M.D. moves to Mondays at 9/8c, and returns with new episodes on April 28.

This letter brought back some memories for me...

Al writes, "Several years back...'90s I think, there was a show where they played classic old movies and the original dialogue was dubbed out and replaced with new dialogue. What comes to mind is the original Night of the Living Dead as one of the episodes. Do you know the name of this show?"

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations - Collection 2
• Beauty and the Beast - Season 3
• Charlie and Lola - Vol. 7
• Dirty Jobs - Collection 2
• The Drak Pack - Complete Series
• The Jerry Springer Show: Undressed, Unleashed and Uncensored - Vol. 1, 2, and 3
• McLeod's Daughters - Season 5
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Vol. 10.2
• Perfect Strangers - Seasons 1 and 2
• Route 66 - Season 1, Vol. 2
• Slings and Arrows - Complete Collection
• Soul Food - Season 3
• Third Watch - Season 1
• The Whitest Kids You Know - Season 1

Are you a Mike person or a Joel person? And of course by Mike I mean Mike Tyson, and by Joel I mean singer/piano man Billy Joel.

OK, I'm actually talking about Mystery Science Theater 3000 hosts Mike Nelson and Joel Hodgson. Some people like Joel, who was the original kidnapped guy stuck on a ship with robots, but other people are loyal to Mike, the guy who took over for Joel when he left the series. I liked them both of course, though I think Mike grew on me a more. The commentary on The Brain That Wouldn't Die had me in tears.

Fans of Joel will be happy to know that he's coming back with a very MST3K-sounding project called Cinematic Titanic.

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

• Angel - Collector's Set
• Arrest and Trial - Best Of
• Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book 3
• The Benny Hill Show - Thames Years 1969-89 Megaset
• Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes - Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 5
• CSI: Miami - Season 5
• Checkmate - Best Of Season 1
• Cimarron City - Best Of
• Dark Shadows - The Beginning, Vol. 2
• Everybody Loves Raymond - Complete Series
• Family Affair - Season 4
• Family Guy - Freakin' Party Pack
• Hardcastle and McCormick - Season 3 (Canada)
• Laredo - Best Of Season 1
• Magnum, P.I. - Season 7
• The Mickey Rooney Show - Hey Mulligan
• My So-Called Life - Complete Series
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Vol. 12
• October Road - Season 1
• The Outer Limits - Vol. 3
• The Real McCoys - Season 2
• Riptide - Season 2
• Riverboat - Best Of
• Scrubs - Season 6
• Sgt. Preston of the Yukon - Complete Collection
• Tate - The Complete Series
• Twin Peaks - Definitive Gold Box

We went giveaway crazy this week, not only giving you the chance to win a great prize from Friday Night Lights, but also a complete season DVD of Hex and one of Mystery Science Theater 3000!

You've still got today to enter if you haven't already. Make sure you comment on the applicable post (linked above) before 5:00PM Eastern today or be left out.

Good luck!

Congratulations to Tony, Larry, Hollie, Terry and James for winning a copy of The Outer Limits Volume One on DVD!

Let's continue with the giveaways this week! In this post we're giving out three copies of the Mystery Science Theater 3000, Volume 11 DVD set. We'll give one copy away to five randomly chosen commenters to this post. Just post a comment below and make sure you confirm it. We'll randomly choose ten winning entries from all eligible comments.

Some basic rules and clarifications:

- To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
- The comment must be left before July 13, 2007 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
- You can only enter once.
- The winning entries will be chosen completely at random.

And now we present you with the legalities of the contest. (Read them. Please.)

New TV DVDs, on sale tomorrow.

• Bozo's Circus - Bozo The World's Famous Clown
• Captain N and The Adventures of Super Mario Brothers - Complete Series
• Casper: Best of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
• Gomer Pyle, USMC - Season 2
• Hannah Montana - Vol. 2
• Miami Vice - Season 5
• Monk - Season 5
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Collection: Vol. 11
• The New Adventures of Batman - Complete Series
• The New Adventures of Superman
• Psych - Season 1
• Reno 911 - Season 4
• Spenser: For Hire movies - Ceremony and Pale Kings

Fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 like myself (or "Misties" as we're sometimes called) remember a half-hour special dedicated to the show that aired on Comedy Central back in the early '90s called This is MST3k. The special was hosted by comedian/musician Penn Jillette and featured a handful of celebrities praising a series that folks like myself fell in love with the very first time we saw it.

One of those celebrities was Neil Patrick Harris, so it should come as no surprise that Harris will be joining former Mystery Science Theater 3000 host Michael J. Nelson on the RiffTrax recording for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. RiffTrax are downloadable audio commentaries you play in sync with your DVD. Nelson, and sometimes his former mates from MST3k, provide a hilarious commentary much like they did back on the Satellite of Love.