January 12 is a great day for DVD collecting television fans, because there is one box set that is unmissable -- especially if you have the other nineteen sets in the series. Of course, more nostalgic fans will have an option, as will fans of hospital dramas.
The unmissable box set I mentioned earlier was in fact The Simpsons: The Complete Twentieth Season. The animated series is one of television's longest-running, and twenty years is indeed a milestone (Homer and Marge also recently celebrated their 450th episode on January 3rd). The season twenty box set will include all twenty-one episodes of the series over four discs. The DVD edition is marketing on Amazon for $28.99, and the Blu-Ray set for ten dollars higher.
Next up is an also rather long-running, show, though it ended its run last year. The DVD sets for ER are a bit behind, though, and even though season fifteen completed its run in April 2009, the box set coming on Tuesday is the twelfth season, roughly a year and a half after the season was released on DVD in the UK, which currently has the entire series on DVD. The seasons' twenty-two episodes are housed on six discs and are selling on Amazon for $31.99.
It seems Ted Danson is everywhere on television these days -- Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bored to Death, and Damages are examples of his small-screen omnipresence (not that it's a bad thing -- Danson can really act). And it's always shocking to see Becker, because Danson is sporting brown hair into his now trademark white hair. However, the acting chops still remain, and you can now watch them on DVD with the third season release of Becker. The twenty-four episode season is on three discs and is retailing on Amazon for $27.99.
The new gymnast series Make It Or Break It will be hitting DVD on Tuesday as well. The first half of season one (being marketed as Volume One) contains ten episodes on two discs, and is selling for $20.00. The show has resumed its first season on ABC Family, and will air another ten episodes.
Check back next week for the DVD releases -- I've heard they're pretty damaging.
Sam's Pick: The Simpsons, Season 20. It is, after all, a landmark season in a landmark show. It's a testament to the show's staying power, and might even be a collectors' item in a few years.
