I share Harry Knowles’ love for the great John Hughes’ original “Weird Science” movie, which led the wave of August 1985 science-nerd sci-fi comedies precipitated by the precedent-shattering success of 1984’s “Ghostbusters.” The other entries that month, for those interested, were Jonathan R. Betuel’s “My Science Project” and Martha Coolidge’s brilliant “Real Genius,” co-written by Peter Torokvei (who would go on to co-write “Back To School”) and Pat Proft (who would go on to co-write the “Naked Gun” and “Hot Shots!” movies, as well as the two Wayans-free “Scary Movie” installments).
The “Weird Science” sitcom came along about a decade later and ran for 88 episodes between 1994 and 1997 on the USA Network. It remains the career highlight for Vanessa Angel (who played computer-dreamgirl Lisa), John Mallory Asher (who played Gary) and Michael Manasseri (who played Wyatt).
Lee Tergesen, who would go on to become memorably and repeated raped on “Oz,” inherited the Bill Paxton role of Wyatt’s evil older brother Chet. The Oingo Boingo theme song was retained for the series; I don’t know if it survived to this DVD set.
Series showrunners Tom Spezialy and Alan Cross (more recently scripting “Desperate Housewives”) got the job, no doubt, because they wrote for “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose,” the 1990 TV clone of Hughes’ big-screen 1986 smash “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
Speaking of the mid-1990s, “SeaQuest DSV’s” second season introduced Peter DeLuise as the idiotic genetically engineered superjanitor Dagwood, it’s true, but also the relentlessly fabulous model/actress Kathy Evison as seaman Lonnie Henderson:
“2010” star Roy Scheider (Capt. Nathan Bridger!) was reportedly displeased with this second season’s Trekkier plotlines, which is why actor Michael Ironside captained the series’ 13-episode third and final season. The Ironside episodes, considered by many the series’ best, are not on this set.
Here’s what the critics say about the first season of “The Tudors”:
The New York Times says:
… weaves its way through all kinds of court intrigue and bawdy sexual escapades, but for some reason it leaves the greatest romance of the Renaissance hazy. … enjoyable but not exhilarating, engaging but not hypnotic. At times, it’s closer to Mary Boleyn than Anne: beautiful to behold but not quite clever and beguiling enough to hold fickle viewers’ attention for 10 episodes. …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… if your big idea is that Henry VIII was an athletic, highly sexed stud muffin before he turned into the gluttonous caricature of popular imagination, that will not take you very far in and of itself — if television teaches us anything, it's that rich, good-looking young people can actually be extraordinarily tiresome. And though it starts out with a fair bit of energy, in spite of regular paroxysms of royal lust and pique, it becomes less engaging as it goes on and grows finally rather dull. …
The Chicago Tribune says:
… for all its ferocious ambition to be more than just another heavily corseted, respectful historical drama, "The Tudors" falls flat in more than one arena. Meyers certainly is easy on the eyes, but his portrayal of Henry consists of a smoldering glower and not much else. An hour or two of this fine-looking man glowering hotly is not exactly cruel and unusual punishment. Ten hours? Too much. It's not all the actor's fault; the script is so thin and obvious that it borders on self-parody at times. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… a wonderful romp. Not only is the pilot, which airs Sunday -- the first of 10 episodes -- glossier, sexier and more triumphantly colorful than anything, say, "Masterpiece Theatre" could deliver, it's also hugely entertaining, thanks in large part to Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who just flat-out exudes sexiness and virility as the young King Henry VIII. …
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says:
… It's difficult to put into words how brain-numbing this series is. Considering how tumultuous Henry VIII's reign was, the level of tedium permeating this work is astounding. When even the raunchy scenes make you yawn -- scenes airing on a channel known for primo soft-core smut, no less -- something's terribly wrong.…
The Boston Globe says:
… Alas, the lead actor isn't the only disappointment in this expensive 10-part series, which arrives on the crest of a massive promotional wave. The script is thin, too, rarely penetrating the surface of its many 16th-century emotional, religious, marital, and political situations. Written by Michael Hirst , who also wrote about Henry's daughter in Cate Blanchett's "Elizabeth," the series goes only rock-opera deep, moving full-steam ahead without much accounting for character motivation.…
USA Today says:
… Whether the effort works depends, in part, in whether viewers want a historical Masterpiece, along the lines of The Six Wives of Henry VIII, or whether they're in the mood for a soap romp with historical underpinnings, a sort of "Desperate Monarchs" or "Henry's Anatomy." If the latter will do, Tudors can offer many a royal pleasure, starting with Rhys Meyers' lusty performance, but including a mostly excellent supporting cast, high-class production values and an entertaining script from writer/producer Michael Hirst (the movie Elizabeth)…
Variety says:
… not the great series that it might have been, but it's certainly a watchable and diverting one … It's a rich, fascinating backdrop, which makes you wish that in the early going the story were a little stronger, the king's personality a little clearer. Despite Rhys Meyers' piercing gaze, preoccupied as he is with regal pleasures, he only comes into focus after a near-death experience that heightens his determination regarding Anne. On the down side, Dormer's Anne is a pivotal role, and she prowls and pouts like a contestant on "America's Next Top Model" but never proves particularly convincing. The story also drifts toward camp moments once Henry's sister Margaret (Gabrielle Anwar) arrives and is forced into a political marriage, leading to a sequence of breathy encounters that seem overly influenced by perfume ads. …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… The series, a feast for the eyes, boasts stellar performances and a historically authentic aura but only occasional flashes of the kind of action and suspense you might expect from such a period piece. … The consequences for the world are large, and the series acknowledges them, but the real business here is the passions of Henry. As for the tumult of conquest and intrigue in the rest of the world, it is mainly represented in tedious scenes of formal signing ceremonies and occasional dialogue between Henry, Cardinal Wolsey and a variety of ambassadors with varying levels of diplomatic skills. …
TV Guide says:
… robustly entertaining … Less lurid than HBO's Rome, yet still quite the pageant of pomp and friskiness, it's a throwback to the old-fashioned miniseries of yore, spiced with pay-cable frankness. It may not be one for the history books, but methinks Henry might even enjoy. …
Time Magazine says:
… does not inspire great passions. … How does the series show that Henry is a humanist? By having Henry say things like, "As a humanist, this pleases me." Later, Henry visits [philosopher Thomas] More (the author of the treatise Utopia) and mentions that he has been doing some reading. "I've received a gift from the Duke of Urbino," Henry says. "It's a book called the Prince, by a Florentine, Niccolo Machiavelli... It's not like your book, Utopia. It's less... utopian." Which is (a) lame and (b) anachronistic, since the general term "utopian" didn't exist before More wrote the book (More coined the title name) and wasn't in general use until years afterward. …
Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry
$29.99 (50% Off) Lost: Seasons One And Two!!
Fox and MGM have knocked 48-50% off a number of their series titles, including:
$15.49 The Die Hard Trilogy
$30.99 Rocky: The Complete Saga
$34.99 The Addams Family: The Complete Series
$69.99 Angel: The Complete Series
$74.99 Family Guy: Party Pack
$119.99 Land of the Giants: The Complete Series
$145.99 The James Bond Ultimate Collector’s Set
$164.99 Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series
Sony has organized a 2Fer sale. Buy two or more and you could get:
* MTV’s complete 2003 “Spider-Man” series for $9.50,
* the complete series of the “The Tick” for $11,
* “Soap” season-sets for $11 each,
* “All in the Family” season sets for $11 each
* “Newsradio” season-sets for $14.75 each,
* “Seinfeld” season-sets for $18 each, and
* “Not Just The Best of The Larry Sanders Show” for $18.75.
Lots of others too. Find 171 titles in the 2Fer Sale HERE!!
TWILIGHT ZONE: THE COMPLETE SERIES!!
$169.99!!
That works out to $34 Per Season!!
The extras-crammed Definitive Editions!!
They were going for close to $100/season not too long ago!
TV-on-DVD Calendar
Last Week
Galactica 1980: The Complete Series
This Week
SeaQuest DSV 2.x
The Tudors 1.x
Weird Science 1.x/2.x
Next Week
The All-New Superfriends Hour
All-Star Family Feud
Between The Lions 1.x
Bramwell 3.x
Clifford: Playtime With Clifford
Gunsmoke 2.x Vol. 1
Happy Tree Friends: The Complete Series
Jupiter Moon Vol. 2
Lovejoy 2.x
MI-5 Vol. 5
The Naked Brothers Band 1.x
The Riches 1.x
Rides 4.x Vol. 1
Rob & Big 1.x/2.x
Tropical Heat/Sweating Bullets 3.x
Tropical Heat/Sweating Bullets: The Complete Series
Two and a Half Men 2.x
Two and a Half Men 1.x/2.x
The Waltons 6.x
What's New Scooby-Doo 3.x
January 15
Alex Haley's Queen
All Creatures Great & Small: Complete Collection
'Allo 'Allo 7.x
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown: Deluxe Edition
Bump: Northeastern USA
Bump! Southern California
Criss Angel Mindfreak 3.x
Extras: The Complete Series Gift Set
Family Guy: Blue Harvest
Family Guy: Blue Harvest Special Edition
Medabots 1.x
The New Adventures of Old Christine
The Rockford Files 5.x
Royle Family 2.x
Sabrina The Teenage Witch 3.x
Storm Hawks: Hawks Rise Again
Storm Hawks: Tales From The Atmos
Thunderbirds: The Complete Series
January 22
Avatar 3.x Vol. 2
Banacek 2.x
Barney Miller 2.x
Edge of Darkness: The Complete Miniseries
ER 8.x
The Girls Next Door 3.x
Hawaii Five-0 3.x
Hustle 4.x
The Jeff Corwin Experience 1.x
Make Room For Daddy 6.x
The Odd Couple 3.x
The Simple Life 5.x
Swamp Thing 1.x
Torchwood 1.x
January 29
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Vol. 5
Blue Murder Vol. 2 <--- NEW!!
Chancer 2.x <--- NEW!!
Curb Your Enthusiasm 6.x
Damages 1.x
Damages 1.x [Blu-ray]
Emergency 4.x
Hannah Montana: One In A Million
JAG 5.x
Pioneers of Television
SpongeBob SquarePants: To Love A Patty
February 5
Beauty and the Beast 3.x
Charlie & Lola Vol. 7
The DL Chronicles 1.x
Jerry Springer: Undressed, Unleashed And Uncensored Vol. 1
Jerry Springer: Undressed, Unleashed And Uncensored Vol. 2
Jerry Springer: Undressed, Unleashed And Uncensored Vol. 3
Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 2
McLeod's Daughters 5.x
Perfect Strangers 1.x/2.x
Rides 4.x Vol. 2
Rosemary & Thyme: The Complete Series
Route 66 1.x Vol. 2
Slings & Arrows: The Complete Series <--- NEW!!
Soul Food 3.x
Strictly Confidential: The Complete Series
Third Watch 1.x
Wire in the Blood 4.x
February 12
Academy Award Animation Collection: 15 Winners
Academy Award Animation Collection: Winners & Nominees
The Beatrix Potter Collection
Blade: The Complete Series
Bump! Florida
Bump! Gold Coast North America
Chris & John To The Rescue 1.x
Chris & John To The Rescue 2.x
Dallas 8.x
The Equalizer
Family Ties 3.x
General Hospital: Night Shift
George of the Jungle: The Complete Series
Girlfriends 3.x
Hotel Babylon 1.x
Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive Vol. 4
Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive Vol. 5
Tell Me You Love Me 1.x
February 19
Coach 3.x
Cops: 20th Anniversary Edition
Dragonball Z 4.x
Father Ted: The Complete Series
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Vol. 1 (2002)
It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown: Deluxe Edition
Lillie: The Complete Miniseries <--- NEW!!
Rides 4.x Vol. 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2.x Vol. 1
Walker: Texas Ranger 4.x
February 26
B.L. Stryker 1.x
The Color Honeymooners Vol. 2
Dark Shadows: The Beginning Vol. 3
Family Affair 5.x
The Fugitive 1.x Vol. 2
Ghost Hunters 3.x Vol. 2
Highlander: The Source
The Invisible Man (2000) <--- NEW!!
Justice League: The New Frontier (1-Disc)
Justice League: The New Frontier (2-Disc)
Justice League: The New Frontier [Blu-ray]
Justice League: The New Frontier [DVD/HD-DVD]
Newhart 1.x
Punky Brewster 4.x
The Red Green Show 1999 <--- NEW!!
Smurfs 1.x Vol. 1
State of Play: The Complete Miniseries
March 4
Archie's Funhouse: The Complete Series
Ben 10 3.x
Doctor Who: Destiny of the Daleks
Doctor Who: Planet of Evil
Flight 29 Down 2.x <--- NEW!!
Flight 29 Down Hotel Tango: The Series Finale <--- NEW!!
The Hogfather
Human Giant 1.x
The Kill Point: The Complete Miniseries <--- NEW!!
The Love Boat 1.x Vol. 1
Magnum, P.I. 8.x
The Pink Panther Vol. 6
Rides 4.x Vol. 3
SNL: Best of 2006/2007
SNL: Lost & Found in the '80s
Storm Hawks: Collector's Set <--- NEW!!
Trading Spaces: Specials <--- NEW!!
March 11
Fantastic Four 3.x
Lil' Bush 1.x
Love American Style 1.x Vol. 2
Michael Palin: New Europe
The Mod Squad 1.x Vol. 2
One Foot in the Grave 3.x
One Foot in the Grave 4.x
South Park: Imaginationland
Stargate SG-1: The Ark of Truth
30 Days 2.x
Tin Man: The Complete Miniseries
Tom & Jerry Tales Vol. 4
March 18
Bump! European Highlights
Bump! Scandanavia
Dennis The Menace - Trouble, Trouble Everywhere
Greek: Chapter One
Pebbles & Bamm Bamm: The Complete Series
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 1.x
Steve Canyon: Special Edition
The Untouchables 2.x Vol. 1
The Wild Wild West 4.x
March 25
Arthur 10.x <--- NEW!!
Baldwin Hills 1.x
Frisky Dingo 1.x
The Invisible Man (2000) 1.x
John From Cincinnati: The Complete Series
Midsomer Murders 10.x <--- NEW!!
Sliders 4.x
Suburban Shootout: The Complete Series <--- NEW!!
The Vice 1.x
Wings 6.x
April 1
Doctor Who: Timelash <--- NEW!!
Doctor Who: Time Warrior
Law & Order Special Victims Unit 6.x <--- NEW!!
Murder She Wrote 8.x
That '70s Show 8.x
April 8
The Cosby Show 7.x
The Cosby Show 8.x
Fortysomething: The Complete Series <--- NEW!!
The Last Detective 4.x <--- NEW!!
Living With Ed 1.x
April 15
The House of Venus Show 2.x
I Remember Nelson: The Complete Miniseries <--- NEW!!
Melrose Place 4.x
Sea Hunters Vol. 2
SpongeBob SquarePants: Pest of the West <--- NEW!!
Woody Woodpecker Vol. 2 <--- NEW!!
May 27
Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything
August 19
Brotherhood 2.x
Selected season-sets containing
some of Herc’s all-time favorite TV!!
$12.95 Dinner For Five 1.x (10 episodes)
$16.99 Wonder Showzen 2.x (eight episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 ER 1.x (26 episodes)
$19.99 Rocky & Bullwinkle 1.x (26 episodes)
$19.99 The Bob Newhart Show 1.x (24 episodes)
$19.99 Angel 5.x (22 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 Carnivale 1.x (12 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 From The Earth To The Moon (12 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 Six Feet Under 1.x (13 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 Oz 1.x (eight episodes)
$20.99 Buffy The Vampire Slayer 4.x (22 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$21.99 Soap 1.x (25 episodes)
$21.99 The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1.x (24 episodes)
$21.99 The Tick: The Complete Series (nine Episodes)
$22.49 The Rockford Files 1.x (22 episodes)
$22.99 The Venture Bros. 1.x (13 Episodes)
$23.49 The Tick Versus 1.x (12 episodes)
$24.99 Moonlighting 1.x/2.x (25 episodes)
$24.99 Hill Street Blues 1.x (17 episodes)
$24.99 South Park 1.x (13 episodes)
$26.99 The Andy Griffith Show 5.x (32 episodes)
$26.99 Cheers 1.x (23 episodes)
$26.99 Friends 1.x (24 episodes)
$27.99 Murder One 1.x (23 episodes)
$27.99 Futurama Vol. 2 (19 episodes)
$27.99 Curb Your Enthusiasm 1.x (10 episodes)
$28.49 St. Elsewhere 1.x (22 episodes)
$29.49 Newsradio 1.x/2.x (29 episodes)
$29.49 Columbo 1.x (nine TV-movies)
$29.99 The Dick Van Dyke Show 1.x (31 episodes)
$29.99 Lost 1.x (24 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$29.99 The Simpsons 2.x (22 episodes)
$29.99 Wonderfalls: The Complete Series (13 episodes)
$30.49 The Larry Sanders Show 1.x (13 episodes)
$31.99 Taxi 1.x (22 episodes)
$32.99 Mission Impossible 1.x (28 episodes)
$32.99 The OC 1.x (27 episodes)
$33.99 The Office 3.x (24 episodes)
$33.99 Kung Fu 2.x (23 episodes)
$35.49 Seinfeld 3.x (23 episodes)
$36.99 Northern Exposure 3.x (23 episodes)
$37.99 Veronica Mars 1.x (22 episodes)
$37.99 My So-Called Life: The Complete Series (17 Episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$39.99 Gilmore Girls 4.x (22 episodes)
$39.99 The West Wing 1.x (22 episodes)
$39.99 Firefly: The Complete Series (14 episodes)
$40.49 Brideshead Revisited (11 hours)
$42.49 Fawlty Towers: The Complete Series (12 episodes)
$42.99 The Wild Wild West (28 episodes)
$44.49 Battlestar Galactica 1.x (13 episodes plus miniseries)
$44.99 24 1.x (24 episodes)
$44.99 Undeclared: The Complete Series (17 episodes)
$45.99 Alias 1.x (22 episodes)
$45.99 The Sopranos 1.x (13 episodes)
$47.99 The Wire 1.x (13 episodes)
$54.99 Once and Again 1.x (22 episodes)
$54.99 Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series (18 episodes)
$58.49 SCTV Network 90 Vol. 1 (Nine 90-minute episodes)
$62.99 Star Trek 2.x (26 episodes)
$62.99 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 3.x (26 episodes)
$62.99 Star Trek: The Next Generation 3.x (26 episodes)
$64.99 Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series (45 episodes)
$67.99 Deadwood 1.x (12 episodes)
$68.99 Rome 1.x (12 episodes)
$69.99 The Twilight Zone 1.x (36 episodes)
$72.99 Twin Peaks: The Complete Series (30 episodes)
$74.99 The Prisoner: The Complete Series (17 episodes)
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