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CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM!! GOLD MONKEY!! A-TEAM!! SKINS!! DIARIES!! HITLER!! WWI!! HercVault!!

Published at:  Jun 10, 2010 5:00:31 PM CDT

SPOILER ALERT !!


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For all of us who bitched that “Seinfeld” indulged one of the worst series finales ever, Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season Seven provides the antidote: a funny, season-long faux coda that puts the band back together. I remain astonished by how few people actually tuned in for it.

The new set comes with four bonus features:

* “Rebuilding the Seinfeld Sets” (11:10) See the sets for Monk’s Diner and Jerry’s apartment pulled out of cold storage on the Radford lot (just walking distance from me here in Studio City). Learn the sets were rebuilt on stage 19, home to “Seinfeld” for its first three seasons. Learn that Jerry remodeled his kitchen with granite countertops and a stainless-steel fridge sometime in the last 11 years.

* “Larry David As George Constanza” (2:45) See Jason Alexander coach Larry David’s performance as George.

* “The Seinfeld Reunion” (8:13) Learn how the original “Seinfeld” cast was recruited into “Curb.” Learn Jason Alexander is nothing like the Jason Alexander portrayed on “Curb.” Learn it was confusing for some when someone on set would cut, because they’re went sure if the “Seinfeld” scene or the “Curb” scene was ending. Learn Cheryl Hines was surprised when the cast and producers actually began working to improve the “Seinfeld” reunion script during the table read.

* “A Seinfeld Moment on Curb” (7:37) Larry David sits down with the cast for a roundtable discussion. Learn they all felt like little time had gone by between the end of the real series and the start of the fake reunion show. Learn Alexander was uncomfortable improvising the dialogue in which he disparages the David-written “Seinfeld” finale.


Before he created “Tales of the Gold Monkey,” “Airwolf,” “Magnum, P.I.” and “JAG,” Donald Bellisario worked for Glen A. Larson, the TV king of “something like that.” Here’s how Larson’s career worked:

1968: Don Siegel’s “Coogan’s Bluff”
1970: Glen A. Larson’s “McCloud”

1969: George Roy Hill’s “Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid”
1971: Glen A. Larson’s “Alias Smith & Jones”

1973: George Roy Hill’s “The Sting”
1975: Glen A. Larson’s “Switch”

1973: Jack Starrett’s “Cleopatra Jones”
1974: Glen A. Larson’s “Get Christie Love”

1977: Hal Needham’s “Smokey and the Bandit”
1978: Glen A. Larson’s “B.J. and the Bear”

1977: George Lucas’ “Star Wars”
1978: Glen A. Larson’s “Battlestar Galactica”

1978: Hal Needham’s “Hooper”
1981: Glen A. Larson’s “The Fall Guy”

When Larson stopped doing this kind of thing, Bellisario struck out on his own:

1974-1980: Stephen J. Cannell’s “The Rockford Files”
1980-1988: Donald P. Bellisario’s “Magnum, P.I.”

1981: Steven Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark”
1982: Donald P. Bellisario’s “Tales of the Gold Monkey”

1983: John Badham’s “Blue Thunder”
1984: Donald P. Bellisario’s “Airwolf”

1992: Rob Reiner’s “A Few Good Men”
1995: Donald P. Bellisario’s “JAG”

Just as Larson contends he had the idea for “Galactica” long before “Star Wars” happened along, so does Bellisario point out that he pitched ABC a 1930s-set action series to the networks before “Raiders” hit cinemas.

ABC’s “Monkey” dealt with two-fisted Jake Cutter (a post-“Star Trek” Stephen Collins), a pilot and air-delivery operator who ran afoul of Nazis and a Japanese princess in the South Pacific. The biggest star of the series was Roddy McDowall, who played the French magistrate for fictional Bora Gora (Cutter’s base of operations) and the owner of the titular bar. Like “Galactica” before it, “Monkey” lasted but a single season.

Its pilot, shot in Hawaii and Los Angeles, was said to be the most expensive ever created to that point.

(CBS had its own single-year “homage” to “Raiders” that same season with “Bring ‘Em Back Alive,” which followed the ‘30s-set Far East adventures of real-life big-game trapper Frank Buck.)

COMMENTARIES:

1.15 “Force of Habit.” Writer-producer Tom Greene.

1.17 “Last Chance Louie.” Writer-producer Tom Greene.

1.18 “Naka Jima Kill.” Writer-producer Tom Greene.

1.19 “Boragora Or Bust.” Writer-producer Tom Greene.

1.20 “A Distant Sound of Thunder.” Writer-producer Tom Greene.


OTHER EXTRAS:

* “The Making of Tales of the Gold Monkey” (36:13) features September 2009 interviews with stars Collins and Caitlin O’Heaney, writer-producer Tom Greene and director Harvey Laidman. “We want this to be a ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ rip-off,” is how O’Heaney describes the network’s demands. Learn Collins did not see “Raiders” before he started the series, and see him express regret at having not done so. Hear Greene describe O’Heaney as “the find of the century.” Learn the pilot was shot partially in Hawaii while the series was shot on the Universal backlot. Learn seaplane was parked on the same Universal City lake where “McHale’s Navy” was shot. Learn Greene believes the Monkey Bar set is probably still standing on the lot. Learn the episodes went “terrifically over schedule,” according to Collins. Learn Collins never found out why Ron Moody was replaced by McDowall after the pilot. Learn Collins and McDowall had worked together previously on a miniseries titled “The Rhineman Exchange.” Learn the original dog cast as Cutter’s pet was run over by a car en route to the set. Learn Collins met his wife, Faye Grant (“V”), when she was cast as the illegitimate daughter of McDowall’s character. Learn John Hillerman nearly killed Collins in the pilot. Learn the show was growing in popular but cancelled anyway because Bellisario and ABC executives disagreed about the show’s direction. Learn O’Heaney believes the network offered Bellisario a second season but he turned it down because he was sick of arguing with executives. Learn Brandon Tartikoff told Collins NBC execs were relieved when ABC cancelled “Gold Monkey” because they believed it was so hard to program against. (Why ABC didn’t just replace Bellisario and why NBC didn’t pick the show up are questions not addressed.)

* A 24-page booklet which serves as an episode guide.





Hard to believe The A-Team came from the same guys who created the groundbreaking mob drama “Wiseguy” a few years later! I just rewatched the pilot (with Tim Dunigan in the Dirk Benedict role) and can tell you it was one strange mixture of “The Seven Samurai,” automatic weapons, vehicular mayhem, insults and threats of rape layered over characters silly enough for 8-year-olds to enjoy. Fugitive colonel Hannibal Smith is introduced emerging from a lagoon on the Universal lot wearing a lizard costume, Bosco Baracus is a jewelry-sporting muscleman genius terrified of flying, and Howling Mad Murdock is a hillbilly pilot who never heard of a gulfstream jet. It does leave you wanting more.

And I watched the first real (Dirk) episode, which was scripted solely by Cannell and is about the Jim Jones massacre, and it rocks plenty hard.

Did you know all 26 of the 1983 episodes feature supercute Melinda Culea (“Knots Landing”)as the team’s fifth member, reporrter Amy Allen? The Janice Rand of the A-Team? (Alas, Amy is not the supercute Jessica Biel character in the movie.)

All five seasons and 98 episodes unload out of the velcroed rear of the black van driven by Mr. T.

The new complete-series set goes for $90.49,which works out to $18.10 per season. Individual seasons sell for $35.99, so I judge this a deal.






Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry



My pick for the funniest half-hour series of the last decade, “TV Funhouse,” $24.49 two weeks ago, is momentarily $14.49/Each!! 46% Off!!


The wonderful, amazing and near perfect animated version of “Aeon Flux,” $35.49 two weeks ago, is momentarily $21.99!! 45% Off!!


All seasons of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” $50.49 two weeks ago, are momentarily $36.99/Each!! 47% Off!!


All seasons of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” $50.49 two weeks ago, are momentarily $36.49/Each!! 47% Off!!


All seasons of “Star Trek: Voyager,” $50.49 two weeks ago, are momentarily $36.49/Each!! 48% Off!!


All seasons of “Star Trek: Enterprise,” $50.49 two weeks ago, are momentarily $36.49/Each!! 47% Off!!


The first two seasons of “The Tick,” $22.49 last month, are momentarily $11.99/Each!! 50% Off!! Cheaper Than Used!!


The complete American “Life On Mars,” $23.99 last month, is momentarily $11.99!! 50% Off!!



With the Blu-ray version of “Twilight Zone” rolling out later this year, the Twilight Zone Definitive DVD Seasons sets, $69.99 last month, are momentarily Less Than $29.50/Each!!







TV-on-Disc Calendar




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This Week


The A-Team: The Complete Series


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iCarly: iSaved Your Life


Ice Road Truckers 3.x (Blu-ray)


Jim Henson's Dog City


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Oceans: The Complete Series
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Tales of the Gold Monkey: The Complete Series


Z-Rock 2.x



Next Week
American Dad Vol. 5
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Leave It To Beaver: The Complete Series
MacGyver: The TV Movies
My Three Sons 2.x Vol. 2
Raffles: The Complete Collection
Sanctuary 1.x (Blu-ray)
Sanctuary 2.x
Sanctuary 2.x (Blu-ray)
Secret Life of the American Teenager 4.x
Supernatural 1.x (Blu-ray)
Trial & Retribution Vol. 4



June 22
Avatar: The Last Airbender 1.x
Checkmate: The Complete Series
Entourage 6.x
Hung 1.x
Hung 1.x (Blu-ray)
Tom & Jerry Deluxe Anniversary Edition



June 29
Ben 10 Alien Force Vol. 7
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How the Earth Changed History (Blu-ray)
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Paranormal Cops 1.x (Blu-ray)
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13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo: The Complete Series
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Wycliffe 3.x



July 6
Doc Martin 4.x
Doctor Who: The Horns of Nimon
Doctor Who: Time Monster
Doctor Who: Underworld
Dragnet 2.x
ER: 13.x
The Game 3.x
The Game: 3-Season Pack
Have Gun Will Travel 4.x Vol. 2


Have Gun Will Travel: Four Season Pack
Life On Mars: The Complete BBC Collection
Project Runway 7.x
Rhoda 3.x
Squidbillies Vol. 3
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July 13
Ally McBeal 3.x
The Lucy Show 2.x
The Lucy Show: 2-Season Pack


Mystery Science Theater 3000 XVIII
Psych 4.x
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    Readers Talkback

  • Jun 10, 2010 2:34:07 AM CDT

    firsties

    by sirbiatchreturns

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 10, 2010 2:35:07 AM CDT

    and Matrix bluray?

    by sirbiatchreturns

    will think about it. Greatest action trilogy ever, even if Reloaded and especially Revolutions are complete misfires.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 10, 2010 5:29:17 AM CDT

    There's a talkback?

    by hst666

    Herc usually closes them for the new release notices. Maybe it's because of these deals.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 10, 2010 5:30:30 AM CDT

    Am I the only one

    by hst666

    who likes Revolutions more than Reloaded? I have only seen both movies once so maybe I would revise that if I watched them again.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 10, 2010 9:12:08 AM CDT

    I lvoved Reloaded.

    by hobocode

    Revolutions would have been awesome without the dorky man-boy running around being a doofus.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 10, 2010 9:34:51 AM CDT

    I got a blu john adams

    by peanutbutterslut

    at a strip club once HercVault!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 10, 2010 10:03:31 AM CDT

    I like Revolutions more than Reloaded

    by ripleys_nipples

    But both are lame.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 10, 2010 3:12:23 PM CDT

    Reloaded

    by zardoz5

    if only for the freeway chase, such a great action piece.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 11, 2010 4:28:54 AM CDT

    Jersey Shore has DVDs? what fucking idiot would

    by stalkeye

    waste time and money on those goombas? Yeah, Snooki is sooo loved, that she was heckled by residents in my area. Bitches, leave!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 11, 2010 10:25:46 AM CDT

    Reloaded and Revolutions = SUCK!!!

    by bilboring

    The 1st movie is a classic. Should have left it at that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 12, 2010 1:33:26 AM CDT

    Tales of the Gold Monkey is a great show!

    by lornsorrow

    I pre-ordered Tales of the Gold Monkey. And it showed a up a day or so ago. I loved this show a great deal when it came out. I was a kid then, almost a teen in 1982. Several years ago I bought a bootleg of the whole series, and it still held up great. It was exactly as cool as I remembered it. It was indeed like Raiders, but it had it's own particular take on things. You can't get much better than a WWII Flying Tiger for a hero. The whole show had a lot of class. Great acting, fun stories, great sets and camera work. It was a special time, and not just because I was young (I certainly was not too thrilled with my childhood days and don't have many great "growing up memories"). It was special though because the shows and films were so damn good. They knew how to have fun. They had good camera work, not a bunch of moving around spasmatic crap ("HEY, THIS WHOLE FILM LOOKS THROUGH THE EYE OF SOMEONE WHO IS LANDING ON THE BEACHES OF NORMANDY DURING WWII), and had not been overrun by abuse of computer special affects at the expense of story. And they were not afraid to put the gritty on the screen. And so much more. But as for Tales of the Gold Monkey, it was a great family show, and to this day has a legion of fans online and elsewhere. I highly recommend the series.

    Reply to Talkback

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