The River: The Complete First Season DVD Preview

The River premiered on ABC at midseason and was produced by Oren Peli (the director of the terrifying film Paranormal Activity) and Steven Spielberg. It had a very interesting premise and plot: months ago, Dr. Emmett Cole (Bruce Greenwood) disappeared deep in the Amazon. An adventurer and television star by trade, Emmett spent his life exploring the world's uncharted territories with his film crew, his wife Tess (Leslie Hope), and his son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson).

As time went on, Lincoln pulled away from his nomadi father, preferring to settle down in a steady job, and Emmett and Tess encountered problems in their marriage. Fast-forward to six months ago, when Emmett and his crew disappeared, and to present day, when Tess approaches Lincoln, saying that Emmett's beacon is once again transmitting a signal from deep within the Amazon. Lincoln and Tess head down there with one of Emmett's producers, his trusty mechanic and his daughter, the daughter of one of Emmett's friends (who disappeared with the crew), a cameraman and a security expert.

The Amazon is a dangerous and sometimes horrifying place, filled with dark magic and creepy occurrences. At least, it is on The River. Filmed in a documentary-style format with "found" video footage, the show takes us through the Amazonian jungle and waterways while the crew attempts to retrace Emmett's steps and track him down. Each episode brings one paranormal/supernatural situation after the other which, in a sense, makes it a bit procedural, but always fun and scary to watch.

Bonus features for the DVD include:

Magic Out There: Fans get an inside look into the origins of The River, including a firsthand look at how the Amazon was recreated for the show, the fascinating and bizarre shooting locations used in the series and how the visual effects team created the mystery and suspense seen in each episode.

Deleted Scenes: Includes 13 never-before-seen deleted scenes.

Audio Commentary: Producers Michael Green, Zack Estrin and director Jaume Collet-Serra offer unique insight into this season's "Magus" episode. For the "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" episode, producers Michael Green, Zack Estrin and star Bruce Greenwood provide commentary.

Take a look at some clips below from various episodes in the series. You can also buy your own copy (and you should!) of The River: The Complete First Season on Amazon.