I am – Hercules!!

One of the show’s virtues is its transparency. Notes Penn Jillette during the fourth-season episode “Reparations,” “Man, we are so glad we found John McWorter, an African-American, to make these points - because we’re just too fuckin’ white to say some of this stuff! We’re even too white to say ‘black’ comfortably.” To underscore Gillette’s discomfort, two scowling black men wearing postal uniforms and toting bags of hate-mail arrive on stage to stare at him. “So we’re saying ‘African-American’ no matter how many syllables it adds to the show!”

The “Reparations” episode deals with the “black reparations movement” seeking recompense for slavery, as well as Indian casinos and Japanese-American internment camps. We also meet a strange black man, H.K. Edgerton, who looks like something out of a “Chappelle’s Show” sketch as he marches around downtown Asheville, N.C., in a rebel uniform ferrying a massive Confederate flag. Edgerton says he’s doing this to force the U.S. government into paying reparations to the South for warring with it 145 years ago - but we’re ultimately left with the impression Edgerton’s mostly just trying to meet girls.

The “Prostitution” episode starts by telling us sex-for-hire is perfectly legal in many parts of the world, and until 1910 was legal also in most parts of the United States. A biblical scholar and theologian in a green pullover informs us the Christian church owned its own brothels and supported a legal system of prostitution until the Reformation of the 16th century. A visit to the not-seedy Wild Horse Resort & Spa outside Reno, Nev., demonstrates that legitimizing the trade almost certainly makes life a lot easier on everybody, especially the girls. Legalization dramatically reduces or eliminates violence, rape, exploitation, and even human rights violations. Disease too; monthly physicals at the ranch have never turned up a single case of HIV, at least according to the doc overseeing the check-ups. This episode is unusually fun for two reasons: a) loads of female nudity and b) Penn repeatedly making hilarious sport of the episode’s director.

“The Boy Scouts” episode looks at how the organization – when it isn’t teaching knot-tying or tent-pitching – has been discriminating against atheists and homosexuals since the early 1980s, allegedly due to the latent influence of the Mormon church. When a producer posing as an preteen asks if his status as an atheist would prohibit him from joining the scouting ranks, a BSA rep wrote back with this:

“The Boy Scouts maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God.”

Man! I, a former Scout myself, am now a substandard citizen because I harbor doubts about the existence of a supreme being? The rep couldn’t have written “God or gods” out of a little love for Titus Pullo or those stressed-out polytheists over on the Galactica?? It turns out the BSA’s new policies may be particularly unsavory because the organization has long been supported by taxpayer dollars. (Happily, we’re told the Girl Scouts eschew such discriminatory practices.)

$22.49 gets you ten season-four half-hour chunks of “Bullshit,” which also tackle Ground Zero, the death penalty, cryptozoology, pet love, manners, numbers and abstinence. It is much recommended.

Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry

II. Lions Gate’s $16 Sale:
$15.97 ALF: Season One
$14.97 ALF: Season Two
$15.97 ALF: Season Three
$16.47 ALF: Season Four
$15.97 Boomtown Season One
$14.97 Buffalo Bill: Seasons One and Two
$15.97 Dead Zone: Season One
$15.97 Dead Zone: Season Two
$14.97 Dead Zone: Season Three
$15.97 Dead Zone: Season Four
$14.97 Moonlighting: Seasons One and Two
$16.47 Moonlighting: Season Three
$15.97 Moonlighting: Season Four
$15.97 Saved by the Bell: Seasons One and Two
$16.47 Saved by the Bell: Seasons Three and Four
$15.97 Saved by the Bell: Seasons Five
$15.47 Weeds: Season One
$15.97 Wildfire: Season One
$15.97 Will & Grace: Season One
$15.97 Will & Grace: Season Two
$15.97 Will & Grace: Season Three
$15.97 Will & Grace: Season Four

TV-on-DVD Calendar


Last Week
All in the Family 6.x
Ballykissangel 5.x <--- NEW!!
Beauty and the Beast 1.x
Emergency 3.x
Fat Friends 1.x
The Golden Girls 7.x
The Hills 1.x
Hustle 2.x
Last of the Mohicans: The Complete Miniseries
Masters of Horror: Pelts
Men Behaving Badly: The Complete Series
Reno 911! Most Wanted Uncensored
Sonic X: 6.x
Zoey 101 1.x

This Week

Alias Smith & Jones 1.x

Bullshit! 4.x

Curious George: Zoo Night

Family Ties 1.x

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 2.x Vol. 2

What's New Scooby Doo 1.x

Next Week
Captain N: Gamemaster: The Complete Series
Da Vinci's Inquest 1.x
Dog The Bounty Hunter: Best of 3.x
The Doris Day Show 4.x
The Flip Wilson Show: Best Of <--- NEW!!
Ghostbusters Vol. 1
Girlfriends 1.x
The Immortal: The Complete Series
Magnum, P.I. 6.x

The Rockford Files 3.x

Secret Agent AKA Danger Man Complete Collection Megaset 2007
The State Within: The Complete Series

March 6
Doctor Who: The Invasion
Doctor Who: The Sontaran Experiment
Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends 1.x
Hawaii Five-0 1.x

The Loop 1.x
Moonlighting 5.x
Northern Exposure 6.x
Sabrina The Teenage Witch 1.x
SNL: The Best of Steve Martin

South Park 9.x
Stargate Atlantis 2.x

March 13
Baby Looney Tunes Vol. 3
Bosom Buddies 1.x
Cool McCool: The Complete Series
Match Game '73: Dumb Dora Edition
Loonatics Unleashed 1.x
I Love Lucy 7.x-9.x
Mile High 1.x
The Pretender: The Movies
Robin of Sherwood Vol. 1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4.x
Without A Trace 2.x

March 20

Batman Beyond 3.x
Christy: The Complete Series
Deadliest Catch 1.x
Garfield: Ode To Odie
JAG 3.x
JAG 1.x-3.x
The Jeffersons 6.x

Justice League Unlimited 2.x
Maude 1.x
McHale's Navy 1.x
Miami Vice 3.x
Miami Vice 4.x
Milton The Monster: The Complete Series

NewsRadio 5.x
Run's House 1.x/2.x
Sleeper Cell 2.x
The Wild Wild West 2.x

March 27
The Addams Family 1.x Vol. 2
Family Affair 3.x
Fantastic Four Vol. 1
Full House 6.x
The Jeffersons 6.x
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Vol. 1
Mind of Mencia (Uncensored) 2.x
New Adventures of He-Man Vol. 2
One Foot in the Grave 1.x
One Foot in the Grave 2.x
The Shield 5.x
7th Heaven 4.x
Sonic The Hedgehog: The Complete Series
Touched By An Angel 4.x Vol. 1
Whose Line Is It Anyway U.K. 1.x-2.x

April 3
Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure

The Brady Bunch: The Complete Series ($99.69 Deep Pile Shag Edition>
Defenders of the Earth Vol. 2
Entourage 3.1-3.12
Law & Order 5.x
Galapagos: The Complete Series
Happy Tree Friends Vol. 2
Roseanne 7.x
She-Ra 1.x Vol. 2
Tom Goes To The Mayor: The Complete Series

Twin Peaks 2.x

April 10

Avatar: The Last Airbender 2.x Vol. 2

The Batman 3.x
Daniel Boone 3.x <--- NEW!!
Scooby-Doo Where Are You 3.x
The Streets of San Francisco 1.x Vol. 1

Teen Titans 3.x
The Untouchables 1.x Vol. 1

April 17
Highlander: Best Of <--- NEW!!
The George Lopez Show 1.x/2.x
Happy Days 2.x
Larry King Live: Greatest Interviews

The Larry Sanders Show: Not Just the Best Of
Laverne & Shirley 2.x
Mork & Mindy 2.x
Murder She Wrote 6.x
Shadow Warriors 1.x
SpongeBob SquarePants: Friend Or Foe?

The Venture Bros. 2.x

April 24

Columbo 1989
The Drew Carey Show 1.x
Ed, Edd & Eddy 2.x
Flipper 1.x
Ironside 1.x
Kidnapped: The Complete Series <--- NEW!!

The Lost Room: The Complete Miniseries
Moral Orel: Vol. 1
NCIS 3.x
NCIS 1.x-3.x
The Odd Couple 1.x
One Day At A Time 1.x <--- NEW!!
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series (HD-DVD)
Shameless 1.x
Tsunami: The Aftermath

WKRP in Cincinnati 1.x

May 1
Beverly Hills 90210 2.x

Dinosaurs 3.x/4.x <--- NEW!!
The King of Queens 8.x
Melrose Place 2.x
Michael Palin: Around The World In 80 Days
What I Like About You 1.x
Will & Grace 6.x

May 8
Cagney & Lacey: The First Gless Season <--- NEW!!
Everybody Loves Raymond 8.x

The 4400 3.x
Jason of Star Command: The Complete Series <--- NEW!!

McLeod's Daughters 2.x <--- NEW!!
That '70s Show 6.x <--- NEW!!
Voltron Vol. 3
The Waltons 5.x
The Waltons 1.x-5.x

May 15
American Dad Vol. 2
ER 7.x
Frasier 9.x
Home Improvement 6.x <--- NEW!!
Monarch of the Glen 6.x <--- NEW!!
Monarch of the Glen 5.x/6.x <--- NEW!!
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Vol. 6

The Rockford Files 4.x
Tom & Jerry Tales Vol. 2
The War at Home 1.x
Wings 4.x

May 22
Airwolf 3.x
The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series

Avatar: The Last Airbender 2.x Vol. 3 <--- NEW!!
Instant Star 1.x <--- NEW!!
Kitchen Confidential: The Complete Series <--- NEW!!
The Magnificent Seven 2.x <--- NEW!!
Martin 2.x <--- NEW!!
Roots: 30th Anniversary Edition <--- NEW!!

May 29
The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series
Big Train 1.x/2.x
Charlie & Lola Vol. 4 <--- NEW!!
The Closer 2.x
The Closer 1.x/2.x
F-Troop 2.x
M*A*S*H: Goodbye, Farewell and Amen <--- NEW!!

June 5
CHiPs 1.x <--- NEW!!
Wait Till Your Father Gets Home 1.x
What's New Scooby-Doo? 2.x <--- NEW!!

June 12
That Girl 3.x <--- NEW!!
Waiting For God 2.x <--- NEW!!

Selected season-sets containing
some of Herc’s all-time favorite TV!!

$14.97 Moonlighting 1.x/2.x (25 episodes)
$17.99 ER 1.x (26 episodes)
$18.49 Wonder Showzen 1.x (eight episodes)
$18.99 Friends 1.x (24 episodes)
$19.99 The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1.x (24 episodes)
$19.99 Firefly: The Complete Series (14 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$20.49 Hill Street Blues 1.x (17 episodes)
$20.99 The Bob Newhart Show 1.x (24 episodes)
$20.99 Buffy The Vampire Slayer 4.x (22 episodes)
$21.99 The Tick: The Complete Series (9 Episodes)
$22.99 Soap 1.x (25 episodes)
$22.99 The Venture Bros. 1.x (13 Episodes)
$23.99 Murder One 1.x (23 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$23.49 The Tick Versus 1.x (12 episodes)
$24.97 Seinfeld 3.x (23 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$24.99 Rocky & Bullwinkle 1.x (26 episodes)
$27.99 Angel 5.x (22 episodes)
$27.99 Oz 1.x (eight episodes)
$28.49 St. Elsewhere 1.x (22 episodes)
$29.49 Columbo 1.x (nine TV-movies)
$29.49 Newsradio 1.x/2.x (29 episodes)
$29.49 The Rockford Files 1.x (22 episodes)
$29.99 The Simpsons 2.x (22 episodes)
$29.99 Wonderfalls: The Complete Series (13 episodes)
$29.99 South Park 1.x (13 episodes)
$30.99 The Andy Griffith Show 5.x (32 episodes)
$31.49 Cheers 1.x (23 episodes)
$31.49 Taxi 1.x (22 episodes)
$31.99 Curb Your Enthusiasm 1.x (10 episodes)
$32.99 Futurama Vol. 2 (19 episodes)
$33.99 Kung Fu 2.x (23 episodes)
$34.99 Mission Impossible 1.x (28 episodes)
$34.99 24 1.x (24 episodes)
$35.49 The Wild Wild West (28 episodes)
$36.99 Northern Exposure 3.x (23 episodes)
$36.99 Undeclared: The Complete Series (17 episodes)
$39.99 Gilmore Girls 4.x (22 episodes)
$42.49 Veronica Mars 1.x (22 episodes)
$42.49 Fawlty Towers: The Complete Series (12 episodes)
$43.95 The Larry Sanders Show 1.x (13 episodes)
$44.99 The West Wing 1.x (22 episodes)
$44.99 Battlestar Galactica 1.x (13 episodes plus 4-hour mini)
$45.49 The Sopranos 1.x (13 episodes)
$45.99 Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series (18 episodes)
$46.99 Lost 1.x (24 episodes)
$47.99 The Wire 1.x (13 episodes)
$50.49 Star Trek: The Next Generation 3.x (26 episodes)
$50.99 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 3.x (26 episodes)
$51.99 The OC 1.x (27 episodes)
$54.99 Once and Again 1.x (22 episodes)
$54.99 Six Feet Under 1.x (13 episodes)
$55.49 The Dick Van Dyke Show 1.x (31 episodes)
$58.49 SCTV Network 90 Vol. 1 (Nine 90-minute episodes)
$64.99 Monty Python: The Complete Series 16-Ton Megaset (45 episodes)
$67.99 Deadwood 1.x (12 episodes)
$69.98 Star Trek 2.x (26 episodes)
$73.99 Carnivale 1.x (12 episodes)
$87.99 The Twilight Zone 1.x (36 episodes)
$109.99 The Prisoner: The Complete Series (17 episodes)
$130.00 My So-Called Life: The Complete Series (17 episodes)
$156.78 Twin Peaks 1.x minus pilot (seven episodes)