IT'S A SHOOT : Weekly Ramblings From Ken Tuccio

You know what NGE was missing ... a weekly editorial . So here we go with the first installment of " It's A Shoot " where I'll bitch, complain, rant, and rave about anything in the world of DVD's ( since that's my role here at NGE ).

I quickly find myself becoming a fan of all the TV to DVD sets. In the past few weeks alone , all the great companies that support us here at NGE have sent us a ton of different sets. Fox most notably have sent us copies of Son of the Beach , American Family , The Family Guy , Futurama , NYPD Blue . Tristar has jumped in the mix with Dawson's Creek and Mad About You ... and more and more are on the way in the coming months . Some of those titles have already been reviewed, so click those links ... the others will be looked at in the coming weeks so be on the lookout !!!

Anyways , I think the reason I love the TV to DVD genre so much is twofold .

One : I can familiarize myself with a series within the span of one day. Now , in some cases the results are good. The Shield comes to mind, I had never seen the show but spent close to 15 hours in a row watching it, now I never miss an episode.

In some cases it's bad , Dawson's Creek for example. I gave it a chance, just didn't like the show ... now I'll be sure to flip through it.

Two : The episodes are great filler. No matter what show you like, or which set you love , the episodes are perfect for killing a half hour or an hour when you don't want to watch a movie and there's nothing on TV. I come to this conclusion after wearing thin my copy of Family Guy almost a week after I got it. I watch that during lunch when I'm not out, in the evening when nothings on TV, late at night before I go to bed. Heck , one time I woke up at 3 am since I was feeling sick ... I sat down , popped in the disc , and the time I was awake during the midnight shift flew by.

Think about it, you can't watch a movie on a whim ... you can't always catch something on TV ... TV to DVD sets are a perfect fit.

I do have to question alot of the sets that have been released. With shows like Star Trek The Next Generation , or The Simpsons ... releasing those is understandable since they have had, and always will have , a loyal following. Shows like The Shield and Malcolm In The Middle also make sense, since they're newer to the screen and successful. They can be brought to the attention of those not already watching it through the solid treatments they have been given.

Then there are releases that just boggle my mind ... why release on DVD shows like Sports Night and Son of the Beach ... do either have a following ?!?! Heck, you can't really gain a new audience for either since Sports Night is cancelled and Son of the Beach airs at random times throughout the midnight hours . So much time is wasted on these sets while classic shows are never given the DVD treatment.

Where's a Seinfeld DVD set ? That's arguably the best show in the history of TV ... why not have that line the shelves ... I mean , it's better than Felicity !!! What about giving a decent treatment to Married ... With Children. Married was a groundbreaking show, and it was given a half ass , embarassing " Most Outrageous Episodes " treatment by Columbia Tristar ... why not put time and effort into releasing that in a respectable set ? Shows like Everybody Loves Raymond , Home Improvement , The Daily Show , and I can list more for hours ... those are quality shows that deserve to be on DVD ... why not give them to us ?

In the coming months we do have some classics being brought our way though. Paramount is bringing out Cheers and Frasier . It has been announced that in the coming months Saved By The Bell will be brought to the DVD world , King of The Hill is also on it's way. So the TV to DVD world is going to keep on growing, and it's an experience I highly reccomend giving a chance.

I know , alot of you don't think you'll have the time to sit through all the episodes or to justify your purchase ... but trust me , you will . Regardless of the series ( since shows I love you might hate, and vice versa ) they are a great bargain and well worth adding to your collection. With time the selection , quality, and genre will grow to even greater heights ... it's going to be exciting to see where it goes from here.

So be sure to check out next weeks installment of " It's A Shoot ".

Caviar wishes and champagne dreams ...

- Ken Tuccio