GHOSTBUSTERS!! GEEKS!! COLBERT!! SNL!! 24!! PANTHER!! Pre-Black Friday Bargains!! HercVault!!

I am – Hercules!!

“The Real Ghostbusters,” the 1986-1991 animated TV series that served as a sequel to the 1984 movie, had to use “Real” in its title because Filmmation owned an old, unrelated Saturday-morning kid show by the same title. The series continued two years beyond “Ghostbusters II,” chalking up 134 half-hour episodes and another six and a half hours of its “Slimer!” spin-off series (all included here). Harold Ramis didn’t write the scripts, and Bill Murray didn’t play Peter Venkman, and Egon was blonde, but at least somebody was willing to pony up for the Ray Parker song. The new box set is a pricey ($179.99) but handsome affair, replete with a lenticular-endowed package fashioned after the Ghostbusters’ firehouse HQ, emobossed metal cases for each of the series’ five volumes, and a staggering 12 hours of bonus features. Per the set’s website, extras include:
- The original promotional pilot for The Real Ghostbusters, NEVER BEFORE AIRED - 21 on-camera commentary tracks with producers, voice actors, writers, animators and production personnel - 5 exclusive documentaries - 86 episode introductions - 16-page booklets include episode synopses, trivia and art for every episode! - Plus scripts, storyboards, image galleries, music & effects audio tracks, and much more! - Interviews with J. Michael Straczynski (Writer & Story Editor), Maurice LaMarche (Voice of "Egon Spengler"), Laura Summer (Voice of First "Janine Melnitz"), Kath Soucie (Voice of Second "Janine Melnitz") and many others
The 86 very brief episode introductions are real headscratchers. Each is typically somebody on videotape saying, “Hi, I’m John Doe. I co-wrote this episode. I hope you enjoy it.” The on-camera commentary tracks are better. I learned the production didn’t know at first at Slimer would be the crew’s sidekick in the series, which is why he appears more menacing in the earliest promotional materials. For those curious, the dialogue-free four-minute promotional pilot is essentially an animated music video for the Parker song.

Freaks And Geeks: Yearbook Edition is the spectacular “regular” edition with two bonus DVDs containing cast auditions, deleted scenes, a table read, behind-the-scenes footage, NBC promos, the Museum of Television & Radio panel, and “Mr. Russo Live in Concert.” If you never heard of the show, it was the first collaboration pairing “40-Year-Old Virgin” writer-director Judd Apatow with Seth Rogen (“Knocked Up”), James Franco (“Pineapple Express”), Jason Segal (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) and Linda Cardellini (“ER”). It was brilliant and hilarious. Watch it already.

"A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!" a special featuring songs composed by Broadway’s “Cry Baby” team of Adam Schlesinger (of Fountains of Wayne fame) and “Daily Show” executive producer David Javerbaum, aired Sunday on Comedy Central and hits DVD today. The high-concept premise: Stephen Colbert, snowed in at his Upstate New York cabin passes the time with Jon Stewart and guest musicians. Songs and performers: * "Another Christmas Song," Colbert * "Have I Got a Present for You," Toby Keith * "Little Dealer Boy," Colbert and Willie Nelson * "Hanukkah," Colbert and Jon Stewart * "Nutmeg," Colbert and John Legend * "Please Be Patient," Feist * "There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In," Colbert and Elvis Costello * "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding," everybody

Also making the transition from Sunday-night special to DVD is “24: Redemption.” Why pay $15.99 for something you just saw on Sunday? Extras include:

• Extended Edition "Creator’s Cut" featuring over ten minutes of never-before-seen footage (not shown in the television broadcast version) • Behind-the-scenes "Making Of" documentary • Children of War featurette • Cast / Crew Commentary • "24" Season 6 in Four Minutes featurette • Season 7 Sneak Peek – First 16 minutes of the premiere episode

MGM’s The Pink Panther Ultimate Collection contains the first six volumes of “Pink Panther” cartoons currently available separately, plus the next three cartoon volumes not yet issued. It also contains every Panther feature except for 1975’s Universal-owned “Return of the Pink Panther” (which one can buy separately for less than $10 new). The movies are the new editions MGM will issue separately on Jan. 27. The math: $10.99 The Pink Panther (1964) (Peter Sellers) (Collector's Edition) (115 min.) $11.49 A Shot in the Dark (1964) (Peter Sellers) (102 min.) $13.49 Inspector Clouseau (1968) (Alan Arkin) (119 min.) $13.49 The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) (Peter Sellers) (103 min.) $13.49 Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) (Peter Sellers) (99 min.) $13.49 Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) (Peter Sellers) (96 min.) $13.49 Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) (Ted Wass) (109 min.) $13.49 Son of the Pink Panther (1993) (Roberto Benigni) (93 min.) $10.49 The Pink Panther (2006) (Steve Martin) (93 min.) $113.91 Movies purchased separately. $9.99 Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 1 (158 min.) $10.49 Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 2 (155 min.) $3.99 Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 3 (158 min.) $13.49 Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 4 (171 min.) $9.99 Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 5: The Ant and the Aardvark (111 min.) $12.99 Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 6: The Inspector Vol. 1 (107 min.) $60.94 Six volumes of cartoons purchased separately. $174.85 all sets purchased separately. $149.99 Pink Panther Ultimate Collection price. $24.86 net savings, not counting three extra volumes of cartoons; see below. Included in this new set but as yet unavailable at any price: * Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 7: The Inspector Vol. 2 (119 min.) * Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 8: Roland and Ratfink (119 min.) * Pink Panther Cartoon Collection Vol. 9 (119 min.)

Just to lend a little context, Torchy The Battery Boy was the second puppet series produced by Gerry Anderson, after “The Adventures of Twizzle” and before “Supercar,” “Fireball XL5,” “Stingray,” “Thunderbirds,” “Captain Scarlet,” “Joe 90,” “UFO” and “Space: 1999.” It was about a boy who was also a flashlight. (They call flashlights “torches” over there in the United Kingdom).

Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry
Black Friday arrives this week, and prices on season sets are plummeting in anticipation.