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MAD MEN!! SHANDLING'S!! SCHMO!! SEEKER!! THE STATE!! THE UNIT!! LEVERAGE!! HercVault!!

Published at:  Jul 16, 2009 2:29:57 AM CDT



I am – Hercules!!





Only the final season of HBO’s “The Wire” rivaled the second season of AMC’s “Mad Men” last year. Endlessly surprising, always mesmerizing, one of the most compelling dramas ever forged. In season two American Airlines killed Pete Campbell’s dad and Pete’s wife couldn’t make babies. Duck Phillips set free his pooch and found fresh courage. Sterling Cooper unknowingly hired yet another homosexual. Betty Draper flirted with a horseman and branded her son a liar. Bert Cooper bought a painting. Roger Sterling took an interest in Don Draper’s new secretary. Joan Holloway went from the TV department to the floor of Don’s office. Peggy Olsen got skinny, Freddy Runsen’s office and her own secretary. Don saved a deal by angrily sticking his hand up the dress of Jimmy Barrett’s manager, then almost lost himself for good in the sunshine of Southern California.

Season one won the Emmy for drama series last year, and since the Emmys seem intent on ignoring “The Wire,” I’ve little doubt “Mad Men” will win again come September.


Season two comes in both DVD and Blu-ray.

AMC launches season three Aug. 16.


For $38.99, The State: The Complete Series supplies every episode from all four seasons, audio commentaries on every episode, the show’s original pilot, 90 minutes of unaired sketches with commentary, The State on “The Jon Stewart Show,” The State’s 1996 appearance on MTV's "Shut Up & Laugh, Panama City," Spring Break Safety Tips, the MTV Christmas Party Video, loads of outtakes, and promos.

Some “State” writer-performers have become giant forces in showbiz, notably Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, who co-created and star in Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!” and wrote the screenplays for “Taxi,” “Herbie: Fully Loaded,” “The Pacifier,” and the megablockbuster “Night at the Museum” and its sequel. Lennon and Garant also scripted “Reno 911! Miami” and “Balls of Fury,” both of which Garant directed.

David Wain wrote, directed and starred in the Comedy Central series “Stella” as well as the indie comedy features “Wet Hot American Summer” and “The Ten” before he scored a big hit with last year’s “Role Models,” a collaboration with writer-actor Paul Rudd.

Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black co-created and starred in two series for Comedy Central: “Stella” (co-created with Wain) and “Michael & Michael Have Issues.” Showalter co-wrote “Wet Hot American Summer” with Wain and wrote, directed and starred in the 2005 indie “The Baxter.”

Black wrote and directed the Jason Biggs indie comedy “The Pleasure of Your Company,” which hit DVD in 2007, and co-wrote (with Simon Pegg) 2007’s “Run Fatboy Run.” Black’s probably still best known for his supporting role as bowling alley employee Phil Stubbs on four seasons on NBC’s “Ed.”

The troupe’s only female, Kerri Kenney, co-created and starred in two Comedy Central series: “Viva Variety” (collaborating with Lennon, Garant and Black) and “Reno 911!” (with Lennon and Garant), and co-wrote “Reno 911! Miami.” She also co-starred on CBS’ short-lived 2001 sitcom “The Ellen Show” and recently turned up on “Pushing Daisies” in the memorable role of magician’s assistant Alexandria.

Ken Marino, one of the busier “State” alumni in front of the camera, is a regular on Starz’ “Party Down” and co-wrote for the big screen “Diggers,” “The Ten” and the aforementioned 2008 hit “Role Models.” “Veronica Mars” fans will always know him as sleazy rival private investigator Vinnie Van Lowe.

Michael Patrick Jann (a lot of Michaels worked on “The State”) went on to crank out a lot of gags for early episodes of “The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno.” He later directed the 1999 Kirsten Dunst beauty-pageant comedy “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” co-wrote (with Lennon and Garant) 2006’s “Let’s Go To Prison,” and directed at least 41 episodes of “Reno 911!”

Jo Lo Truglio has in the last two years been turning up in a lot of prominent big-screen comedies, among them “Superbad,” “Pineapple Express,” “Role Models” and “I Love You, Man.”

Cast members Kevin Allison and Todd Holoubek have maintained much lower profiles since “The State,” though both appeared in Wain’s “The Ten” and Garant’s “Reno 911! Miami.” The latter film reunited all 11 players.


A suspense drama from writer-producers John Rogers (“The Core”) and Chris Downey (“The King of Queens”), “Leverage” is about a vengeful former insurance investigator who leads a team of grifters to help the needy. It stars Tim Hutton (“The Good Shepherd,” “Kidnapped”), Christian Kane (“Angel,” “Close To Home”), Gina Bellman (“Coupling,” “Jekyll”), Beth Riesgraf (“Undressed”) and Aldis Hodge (“Friday Night Lights”).

Critics compare it to Robin Hood and “Ocean’s 11” and “The Sting” and “Mission: Impossible.”

The New York Times says:

… “Leverage” winds up seeming merely anachronistic, wrapping up with a cute resolution each week, the swine in handcuffs, not torn from the private hockey rinks of their Aspen vacation homes. The trouble with “Leverage” is that it isn’t nearly as angry as we are. …


The Los Angeles Times says:

… the show fails only when it wants to make you feel something warm about their mission, rather than just letting you enjoy the icy suspense and snappy dialogue. There is, of course, a lot of recycled material in this sort of thing: the crawling through air vents, the hanging on wires, the hacking into computers, the phony office, the beautiful woman vamping some middle-aged wealthy bad guy, the usual as-good-as-magic gadgets. But I am not complaining. …


The Chicago Tribune says:

… "Leverage's" sins and missteps, and there are a few, can often be excused, given that it works so hard to keep your attention. Even if you can spot the seams on this Frankenstein's monster, which is equal parts "A-Team" and "Ocean's 11," "Leverage" sprints along with such energy that you won't have time to dwell on them. … often makes up in moxie what it lacks in sophistication—the stories contain enough surprises and imaginative touches that you don't mind the occasional gaping plot holes or wobbly acting. …


The Washington Post says:

… Although it starts out on a glib, dopey note -- as "Mission: Preposterous" crossed with "Ocean's Eleven" -- the new TNT series "Leverage" develops with surprising swiftness into a decent, watchable action drama about wrongs being righted and bad guys getting what's coming to them. …


The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… isn't worse than a hundred other shows that hang on despite lack of originality. … far from great TV and not even close to really good TV, but when the bad-turned-good guys team up to do their thing, it's a passably entertaining way to spend an hour. …


The Newark Star-Ledger says:

… isn't a great show, but it may just be the exact right show at the exact right time. …


The Boston Globe says:

… the latest addition to an old, durable con genre that reaches from "Mission: Impossible" and "The Sting" to "Ocean's Eleven" and "Catch Me If You Can." …


Entertainment Weekly says:

… fun … Hutton has moved into middle age with cool aplomb: He has done world-weary wiseguy and haughty malevolence. In Leverage, he combines both qualities with a certain disreputable seediness; the result is more appealing than ever. …


USA Today says:

… TNT leans toward the light and silly, and this witty, fleet-footed series ranks with The Closer as the network's best effort yet. …


The Hollywood Reporter says:

… manufactures fun viewing with its marriage of cutting-edge special effects to an attractive cast full of larger-than-life personalities. …


Variety says:

… aside from an easygoing quality and mild comic flair, there's not much here to steal the hearts of viewers; instead, it's another modest, lightweight addition to TNT's diner-style menu of comfort food for a weary nation. …



2003’s longform-prank series “The Joe Schmo Show” starred a pre-“SNL” Kristin Wiig, but 2004’s second season yielded a bumper crop of hot future stars: Valerie Azlynn, who played Piper the Bachelorette, became a regular on both “Smith” and “Welcome to the Captain”; Natasha Leggero, who played Rita The Drunk, went on to heavy rotation guesting on both “The Tonight Show” and “Chelsea Lately”; Jennifer Makinson, who played Eleanor The Weeper, went on to become a regular on Comedy Central’s “Halfway Home”; Kevin Kirkpatrick, who played Bryce the Stalker, now plays Officer Huck on “Greek”; Joe Huertas, who played T.J. The Playah, went on to regular roles in both “Generation Kill” and “Castle.”





Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry




Season two of “Mad Men” hits shelves today, and the first season, $26.99 last week, is momentarily only $17.99!! ($24.99 for Blu-ray!!)


Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen’s “Funny People” is out in two weeks, and their TV collaborations are on sale. “Freaks and Geeks,” $54.99 last week, is now $37.49!!


“Undeclared,” also from Apatow and Rogen (and guest starring Adam Sandler in one episode), was $36.99 last week but at the moment can be had for $26.99!!


The first four seasons of “Saturday Night Live,” $43.99/season last week, are now $27.99/season!!



The incredible first season one of “Veronica Mars” is $18.99!!


There’s a new edition of Stephen Cannell’s supercool and highly serialized FBI/mob drama “Wiseguy” arriving Aug. 25; you’d be smart to lock in its current Amazon price NOW at $9.99!! (Everybody who ordered it at $12.99 three weeks ago will now automatically be charged only $9.99!!!) Crazy cheap at either price for a 22-hour first season; used copies of these same 22 episodes on the old half-season sets currently run you a minimum of $114.80!!!


“From The Earth To The Moon,” the entire extra-packed signature edition, has fallen to its lowest price ever: $11.49!! People were paying $49 for this set last year.


$19.99 Shield!!
(60% OFF!!)



$22.72 Complete Animated Trek!!




THURSDAY is the last day of the big Blu-ray Lost Sale!!







TV-on-Disc Calendar




Last Week
Callan Vol. 1
Chris Ryan's Elite Police
Doctor Who: Attack of the Cybermen
Doctor Who: The Rescue/The Romans
Kath & Kim 1.x
Matlock 3.x
Matlock 1.x-3.x
Moon Machines
Murder She Wrote 10.x
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. 15
Peanuts 1960s Collection
Petticoat Junction 2.x
Poirot Vol. 4
Power Rangers RPM Vol. 1
Reno 911! 6.x
Ruby: A Journey to Lose the First 100 Lbs.
Third Watch 2.x
Torchwood 2.x (Blu-ray)
The Universe 3.x (Blu-ray)



This Week


American Gladiators Vol. 1


Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Vol. 4


Arab Labor 1.x


Bewitched 8.x


The Color of Magic


Crime Scene University


ER 11.x


Faerie Tale Theatre: Princess Tales


Faerie Tale Theatre: Tales from Hans Christian Andersen


G.I. Joe (1983) 1.1


Guns of Will Sonnett 1.x/2.x


The Haunting: Twilight of Evil (Blu-ray)


Ironside: 6 Episodes


Joe Schmo 2.x


Leverage 1.x


Mad Men 2.x


Mad Men 2.x (Blu-ray)


McHale's Navy: 8 Episodes


Men Behaving Badly: 8 Episodes


Peyton Place Vol. 2


Punky Brewster: 8 Episodes


Red Skelton: 30 Episodes


The State: The Complete Series


Swamp Thing: 8 Episodes


Tales of Wells Fargo: Best Of


Tracey Takes On 3.x/4.x


Wild Pacific


Wild Pacific (Blu-ray)


Wire in the Blood 6.x


Zorro: Generation Z Vol. 1



Next Week
Charlie's Angels 4.x
The Donna Reed Show 2.x
Hotel 1.x
Jon and Kate Plus Ei8ht 4.x Vol. 2
The Lucy Show 1.x
The Mighty Boosh 1.x
The Mighty Boosh 2.x
The Mighty Boosh 3.x
Monk 7.x
Prison Break: Final Break
Prison Break: Final Break (Blu-ray)
Psych 3.x
Pushing Daisies 2.x
Pushing Daisies 2.x (Blu-ray)
Robot Chicken: Star Wars II
Route 66 3.x Vol. 1
The Secret Saturdays Vol. 1
Stargate SG-1: Children of The Gods (Final Cut)
SpongeBob SquarePants: To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants
This American Life 2.x
Voltron Vol. 8
Wolverine and the X-Men Vol. 2



July 28
Armchair Thriller Vol. 1


Battlestar Galactica 4.11-4.20
Battlestar Galactica 4.11-4.20 (Blu-ray)


Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series
Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
Charles in Charge 5.x
Criss Angel Mindfreak: The Most Dangerous Escapes
Doc Martin 2.x
Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead
Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead (Blu-ray)


Dollhouse 1.x
Dollhouse 1.x (Blu-ray)
Early Edition 2.x
The Judy Garland Show Vol. 1
Knight Rider (2008): The Complete Series
Life On Mars (UK): Season One
The Middleman: The Complete Series
Red Hand Gang: The Complete Series


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    Readers Talkback

  • Jul 16, 2009 8:23:16 AM CDT

    I love dvds

    by burnednotice_dude

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 16, 2009 9:05:03 AM CDT

    Is this the Emmy nominations TB?

    by big jim

    Kristin Chenoweth for Pushing Daisies!Can someone please explain to me the difference between "Outstanding Comedy Series" and "Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series"? Makes even less sense since 30 Rock was nominated in the former, and SNL in the latter, yet in "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series" you have both Jane Krakowski (30 Rock) and Kristin Wiig (Saturday Night Live).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 16, 2009 10:43:17 AM CDT

    "bumper crop of hot future stars"

    by jonquixote

    Remember when there used to be a difference between a "star" and a "working actor?" Wait. There still is, isn't there?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 16, 2009 11:07:53 AM CDT

    Due to the underwhealming DVDs......

    by rben

    there will be no talk-backs this week....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 16, 2009 11:09:45 AM CDT

    I love em too, BurnedNotice....

    by rben

    and my six credit cards love em even more! (yup, i'm one of those jackasses)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 16, 2009 11:46:15 AM CDT

    is Wiseguy uncut?

    by fried samurai

    Anybody know if season 1 of Wiseguy will have the original soundtrack?This was released before & the dvd's were terrible.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 16, 2009 3:16:49 PM CDT

    COUNT DUCKULA season 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    by soylentmean

    Goddammit!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 16, 2009 4:30:31 PM CDT

    How is everybody doing this fine Tuesday afternoon?

    by srh1son

    Wait a minute...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 16, 2009 11:40:18 PM CDT

    STOP THIS SHIT, Herc

    by nasty in the pasty

    Let us post in here on Tuesdays or just fucking WAIT to create the thread until Thursday. FUCK!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 17, 2009 2:05:12 PM CDT

    The State music changed alot

    by agentcoop007

    Almost all the 90s MTV music is gone, repleaced with generic rip offs. The reason I'm not running out to buy this set

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 19, 2009 10:48:47 AM CDT

    Yeah Herc, please keep the 24hr specials seperate.

    by shermdawg

    The talkback for your weekly dvd column is a must.

    Reply to Talkback

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