I am – Hercules!!

A legal thriller from writer-producers Todd & Glenn Kessler (“The Sopranos”) about a law-school grad who finds herself caught up in a new firm and a case that could get those closest to her killed, “Damages” might be the best series ever offered up by FX.

It stars Rose Byrne (“Attack of the Clones,” “28 Weeks Later”), Glenn Close (“The Shield”), Ted Danson (“Body Heat”), Tate Donovan (“The O.C.”) and Jamie Bamber’s magnetic blonde sister Anastasia Griffith, who appeared in the little-seen remake of “Alfie.” Like her brother, Griffith is a half-American Britisher but musters a flawless American accent.

She’s as good as her more famous co-stars, who here are very good indeed.

The series will remind many of “Murder One,” because it’s enormously compelling and because it deals with a single case over the course of a season. It’s not a murder case, but many livelihoods are involved.

But what matters Herc’s opinion?

USA Today gives it three and a half stars (out of four) and says:

… From her opening appearance as Patty Hewes, New York's toughest, smartest, most famous attorney, Close makes it fabulously clear that the star and the material are perfectly aligned. Outmaneuvering an opponent and then parrying his insult with a far more devastating reply, Close needs only a few moments to convey her character and hook you into her. …

TV Guide says:

… Close, who spent a memorable season on The Shield, is in top form in Damages, a classic FX melodrama that frames its dark story in a sinister Hitchcockian mystery involving ambitious law-school grad Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne), whom we first see emerging bloody from an elevator. …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… Great dialogue, perfect delivery. Close is a big old-fashioned American movie star (thank heavens there are a few of them left), and in "Damages" she proves that genus is just as flexible as its British cousin. Like Helen Mirren and Judi Dench, her performance illuminates rather than outshines with its high wattage. …

The Washington Post says:

"Damages," making a sensational premiere tonight on the FX network, thoroughly justifies adding yet another high-powered law firm to the prime-time population. The firm is not only high-powered but it's also "high-stakes," we keep being told -- and so is the show. "Damages" is also emphatically, and almost torturously, high-tension, and the pilot script is one of the most artfully crafted since the debut back in the 20th century of "The Sopranos." ...

The Houston Chronicle says:

… FX has landed the next in a continuous line of can't-miss shows. Based on the first two episodes, Damages may be the best of a ballyhooed bunch that includes The Shield, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me and The Riches. …

The Seattle Post-Intellingencer says:

… could be the most meticulous and calculating show on television, constructed from perennially appealing television elements … The co-creators and writers, Todd and Glenn Kessler and Daniel Zelman, obviously have a talent for marrying challenging story to the high-level aesthetics of superior television, like artful cinematography and its enthralling plot. … "Damages" may be the best series in what's shaping up to be a bumper crop of high quality cable, and that's not a light statement. No piece is out of place here; the writing, the plotting, everything is in tune. …

The Portland Oregonian says:

… "Damages" promises to be long, complex and dark with bleak, absurd comedy.…

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says:

The idea of Glenn Close facing off against Ted Danson in a drama series - she as an aggressive litigator, he as the corrupt tycoon she's determined to bring down - sounded so intriguing that I couldn't wait to see "Damages." By the end of the second episode, the two hadn't even met. But this FX cable series is so suspenseful, twisted and sometimes downright terrifying that I barely noticed. …

The Orlando Sentinel says:

… the most striking thing is this vehicle's frame. Here's a legal thriller with the depth and structure of an engrossing novel. You probably wouldn't want to live in this dark, nasty world. But it's a fascinating place to visit …

Extras include commentaries, deleted scenes, a making-of doc, an interactive guide and something called “Insight From The Creators.”

Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry

$69.98 Star Trek Voyager: Season One <--- NEWLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$69.98 Star Trek Voyager: Season Two <--- NEWLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$116.99 Star Trek Voyager: Season Three
$116.99 Star Trek Voyager: Season Four
$116.99 Star Trek Voyager: Season Five
$116.99 Star Trek Voyager: Season Six
$69.98 Star Trek Voyager: Season Seven <--- NEWLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$377.99 Star Trek Voyager: The Complete Series <--- NEWLY ENCHEAPENED!!

Note that the biggest bargains are in those series-sets. That “Voyager” seven-season set works out to $54 per season. The “Enterprise” four-season set works out to $55 per season.

$19.99 24: Season One <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 24: Season Two <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 24: Season Three <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 24: Season Four <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 24: Season Five <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$37.99 24: Season Six

Those are especially good deals for seasons two through five, which are crammed silly with commentaries and other extras.

The third season was my number-one favorite series of 2006 and number-two favorite series of 2007. If you love or love someone who loves “Buffy” or “Freaks and Geeks” or “Cupid” (the first series masterminded by “Veronica” mastermind Rob Thomas), you really need to pony up that $20.

TV-on-DVD Calendar


Last Week
Avatar 3.x Vol. 2
Banacek 2.x
Barney Miller 2.x
Criss Angel Mindfreak 3.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
Thunderbirds: The Complete Series
Torchwood 1.x

This Week

Curb Your Enthusiasm 6.x

Damages 1.x

Damages 1.x [Blu-ray]

Next Week
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Vol. 2
Beauty and the Beast 3.x
Charlie & Lola Vol. 7
Dirty Jobs: Vol. 2
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

Mystery Science Theatre 3000 10.2

February 12

Academy Award Animation Collection: 15 Winners

Academy Award Animation Collection: Winners & Nominees

George of the Jungle: The Complete Series

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
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
Comanche Moon: The Complete Miniseries
The Color Honeymooners Vol. 2
Dark Shadows: The Beginning Vol. 3
Extras: Finale Special
Family Affair 5.x
The Fugitive 1.x Vol. 2
Ghost Hunters 3.x Vol. 2
Highlander: The Source
The Invisible Man (2000)

Justice League: The New Frontier (1-Disc)

Justice League: The New Frontier (2-Disc)

Justice League: The New Frontier [Blu-ray]

Newhart 1.x

March 4

Archie's Funhouse: The Complete Series

The Hogfather

Human Giant 1.x

SNL: Best of 2006/2007

SNL: Lost & Found in the '80s

March 11
Fantastic Four Vol. 3

Five Days: The Complete Miniseries

Michael Palin: New Europe

The Mod Squad 1.x Vol. 2

South Park: Imaginationland

Stargate SG-1: The Ark of Truth

March 18
Adventures of Robin Hood 1.x <--- NEW!!

Battlestar Galactica 3.x

Greek: Chapter One

Justice League: The New Frontier [DVD/HD-DVD]

The Untouchables 2.x Vol. 1

The Wild Wild West 4.x

March 25
Arthur 10.x
Baldwin Hills 1.x
The Catherine Tate Show 2.x <--- NEW!!
Day Break: The Complete Series
Frisky Dingo 1.x
The Invisible Man (2000) 1.x
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors Vol. 1
Midsomer Murders 10.x
Mike Douglas Show: Moments and Memories

The Shield 1.x (Slimset) <--- NEW!!

The Shield 2.x (Slimset) <--- NEW!!

The Shield 3.x (Slimset) <--- NEW!!

The Shield 4.x (Slimset) <--- NEW!!

The Shield 5.x (Slimset) <--- NEW!!

Sliders 4.x

Upright Citizen's Brigade: Asssscat

April 1
Becker 1.x
Dino Squad Vol. 1
Dino Squad Vol. 2
Doctor Who: Timelash
Doctor Who: Time Warrior
Father Knows Best 1.x

John From Cincinnati: The Complete Series

The Tomorrow Show: John, Paul, Tom & Ringo

April 8
The Cosby Show 7.x
The Cosby Show 8.x
Def Poetry 6.x
Fortysomething: The Complete Series
Hell's Kitchen 1.x <--- NEW!!
The Last Detective 4.x
Living With Ed 1.x
Matlock 1.x
Nanny 911 1.x
Perry Mason: 50th Anniversary Edition
Sense & Sensibility (2008)
Sense & Sensibility (2008): Collector's Edition
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 6.x

April 15

Alien Nation: Ultimate Movie Collection

A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila 1.x: Unrated <--- NEW!!

April 22
Laverne & Shirley 4.x

Tim and Eric, Awesome Show, Great Job! 1.x

April 29

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Vol. 3

Beverly Hills 90210 4.x

Cheers 9.x

Roswell 1.x (Heigl Edition) <--- NEW!!

Roswell 2.x (Heigl Edition) <--- NEW!!

Roswell 3.x (Heigl Edition) <--- NEW!!

May 6

The 4400 4.x <--- NEW!!

The Invaders 1.x <--- NEW!!

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie <--- NEW!!

May 13

Mission: Impossible 4.x <--- NEW!!

May 20
The Muppet Show 3.x <--- NEW!!
Robot Chicken: Star Wars

May 27
Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything
DeGrassi: The Next Generation 6.x <--- NEW!!

August 19
Brotherhood 2.x

October 14
Chris & John To The Rescue 2.x