Travicity
01-13-2011, 05:01 PM
No more waiting for reruns! Thanks to the invention of DVDs and the brilliant idea to put TV shows on them, we live in an age when most of our favorite shows are just a few moments away. As TV on DVDs has gotten more and more ubiquitous, that eventually led to some really cool box sets for the most essential shows of all time. Take a look!
The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16 Ton Megaset
Those Brits sure know how to make us laugh with their dead parrots, funny walks and cheese shops. The comedic masters behind movies like The Life Of Brian and The Holy Grail got their start on the ridiculously influential BBC series Monty Python's Flying Circus featuring some of the most famous comedy skits in the history of comedy skits. The box set itself has a total of 16 discs, most of which hold the episodes from the series, but the last two have the real gold in the form of four different live appearances by the Pythons. $42.49
Freaks & Geeks Yearbook Edition
Executive produced by Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, Freaks & Geeks might be the most important show of the '90s, and it only lasted 18 episodes. Not only did the show about two groups of friends growing up in the early '80s capture our hearts and minds with its hard-not-to-relate-to stories, but it launched actors like Seth Rogen, James Franco and Jason Segel into our consciousness. The Yearbook Edition of the box set comes with an actual yearbook full of pictures and essays you can't get anywhere else. The two discs of special features can be found on the basic version of the box, but true fans will want the one with all the bells and whistles. $132.49
Firefly: The Complete Series
Most folks will probably argue that the complete Buffy the Vampire Slayer should have made the list, but we chose Firefly for a very simple reason: it's Joss Whedon's best TV work. Lasting only 14 episodes, Firefly took familiar sci-fi space-faring elements and combined them with a wild west sense of exploration. With a little more time and some more network support, the show could have been a long-running sci-fi classic. Instead, we got the episodes, some comics and a movie in the form of Serenity, which should be, but isn't collected in the box set. $38.49
The Office Complete Series One & Two and the Special
The big difference between American and British television, aside from hard-to-understand accents, is that they know how to end a show while we tend to keep them running on the track until they're old and husk-like. Take the original Office for example, the show that spawned versions in the U.S., Germany, Chile, France and Canada, lasted only 12 episodes with an hour-long special. In that time you feel for Tim as he pines for Dawn, develop an intense dislike of Gareth and ride a roller-coaster of feelings towards the king of awkward, David Brent, played by show creator Ricky Gervais. The box set features commentaries along with behind-the-scenes documentaries and outtakes that are as funny as the show itself. $32.99
Seinfeld The Complete Series Refrigerator
Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer entertained viewers on NBC for nine years before bowing out gracefully -- while still on top of the ratings mind you -- leaving behind a legacy of reruns to play seemingly forever in syndication. But, sometimes you don't want to watch the episodes in the order they choose and you need to get all the discs yourself. What better way to do so than the refrigerator-themed box set which sports flip-open doors, every episodes of the series, extra features, magnets and a coffee table book? $224.29
Twin Peaks The Definitive Gold Box Edition
David Lynch's too-weird-for-TV Twin Peaks proved to be just that, but also a genius piece of work that will assuredly leave you simultaneously laughing, creeped out and scratching your head. Between dancing little people, unsolved murders, pie and plastic, Twin Peaks is one of those cultural touchstones that a lot of us missed out on the first time around. The Gold Box boasts remastered sound and picture that Lynch oversaw himself along with brand new documentaries looking back on the show's odd history. $69.99
The Sopranos: The Complete Series
Sure there's a more expensive all-black Gift Set version of this box, but it's almost twice the price and only comes with an extra episode guide, so save your money for some of the other products on this list. Otherwise, enjoy all six seasons of the acclaimed mobster program with plenty of extra features including creator David Chase responding to fan reaction after the series finale and a look at props taken from the set by the actors. $179.99
Deadwood: The Complete Series
HBO's Deadwood took a fairly basic concept like the wild west, stripped away a lot of the glamour Hollywood imbued the time period with, and dropped it in a huge pile of crap which more accurately presents things the way they were back then. With a cast of characters played expertly by fantastic actors, all of whom have their own dark sides and weaknesses, the show wallowed in the filth of its surroundings without becoming that which surrounds it. The set has every season of the 36 episode series along with extras, including a look at the finale as well as a historical look at the series, which features well-known wild west characters like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. $79.98
I Love Lucy The Complete Series Heart Box
Lucy might not seem like that big of a deal today, but that's only because nearly every sitcom you've ever seen has taken a few pages from its playbook over the years. Had there been an internet back in the '50s when I Love Lucy was on, the show would have completely broken it with its fresh take on life and focus on a strong, funny woman instead of yet another boring old dude. The complete series comes in a lovely heart-shaped box modeled after the show's logo complete with every episode of I Love Lucy and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour totaling 5,394 minutes of classic television along with a bonus disc featuring the famous TV couple's first on-air appearance and a color version of the episode "Lucy Goes To Scotland" among other extras. $138.99
M*A*S*H Martinis And Medicine Complete Collection
Taking a concept like war and making it both hilarious and compelling is no easy feat, but the folks behind M*A*S*H nailed it so well that the show outlasted the Korean War -- which it was set during --by eight years (not Vietnam). The adventures of Hawkeye Pierce and the doctors and nurses tasked with healing the injuries caused by a war far from home kept people glued to their TV sets for 11 years resulting in one of the highest rated events in television history when the series finale aired in 1983. The box set collects all 11 seasons, the movie the show was based on directed by Robert Altman, bloopers, reunion specials and a booklet full of extra information and pictures.$174.99
Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection
We're not quite sure what Faustian deal Rod Serling struck with the gods of science-fiction and fantasy to create his masterpiece, 156-episode version of the original Twilight Zone, but we absolutely love it. With this complete set of episodes, you not only get the classics that everyone remembers like "To Serve Man" and "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet," but also some episodes that you probably missed, even with the yearly marathons on SyFy. The set comes with a series of interviews and commentaries with the writers as well as guest stars like Leonard Nimoy. $151.99
UGO
The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16 Ton Megaset
Those Brits sure know how to make us laugh with their dead parrots, funny walks and cheese shops. The comedic masters behind movies like The Life Of Brian and The Holy Grail got their start on the ridiculously influential BBC series Monty Python's Flying Circus featuring some of the most famous comedy skits in the history of comedy skits. The box set itself has a total of 16 discs, most of which hold the episodes from the series, but the last two have the real gold in the form of four different live appearances by the Pythons. $42.49
Freaks & Geeks Yearbook Edition
Executive produced by Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, Freaks & Geeks might be the most important show of the '90s, and it only lasted 18 episodes. Not only did the show about two groups of friends growing up in the early '80s capture our hearts and minds with its hard-not-to-relate-to stories, but it launched actors like Seth Rogen, James Franco and Jason Segel into our consciousness. The Yearbook Edition of the box set comes with an actual yearbook full of pictures and essays you can't get anywhere else. The two discs of special features can be found on the basic version of the box, but true fans will want the one with all the bells and whistles. $132.49
Firefly: The Complete Series
Most folks will probably argue that the complete Buffy the Vampire Slayer should have made the list, but we chose Firefly for a very simple reason: it's Joss Whedon's best TV work. Lasting only 14 episodes, Firefly took familiar sci-fi space-faring elements and combined them with a wild west sense of exploration. With a little more time and some more network support, the show could have been a long-running sci-fi classic. Instead, we got the episodes, some comics and a movie in the form of Serenity, which should be, but isn't collected in the box set. $38.49
The Office Complete Series One & Two and the Special
The big difference between American and British television, aside from hard-to-understand accents, is that they know how to end a show while we tend to keep them running on the track until they're old and husk-like. Take the original Office for example, the show that spawned versions in the U.S., Germany, Chile, France and Canada, lasted only 12 episodes with an hour-long special. In that time you feel for Tim as he pines for Dawn, develop an intense dislike of Gareth and ride a roller-coaster of feelings towards the king of awkward, David Brent, played by show creator Ricky Gervais. The box set features commentaries along with behind-the-scenes documentaries and outtakes that are as funny as the show itself. $32.99
Seinfeld The Complete Series Refrigerator
Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer entertained viewers on NBC for nine years before bowing out gracefully -- while still on top of the ratings mind you -- leaving behind a legacy of reruns to play seemingly forever in syndication. But, sometimes you don't want to watch the episodes in the order they choose and you need to get all the discs yourself. What better way to do so than the refrigerator-themed box set which sports flip-open doors, every episodes of the series, extra features, magnets and a coffee table book? $224.29
Twin Peaks The Definitive Gold Box Edition
David Lynch's too-weird-for-TV Twin Peaks proved to be just that, but also a genius piece of work that will assuredly leave you simultaneously laughing, creeped out and scratching your head. Between dancing little people, unsolved murders, pie and plastic, Twin Peaks is one of those cultural touchstones that a lot of us missed out on the first time around. The Gold Box boasts remastered sound and picture that Lynch oversaw himself along with brand new documentaries looking back on the show's odd history. $69.99
The Sopranos: The Complete Series
Sure there's a more expensive all-black Gift Set version of this box, but it's almost twice the price and only comes with an extra episode guide, so save your money for some of the other products on this list. Otherwise, enjoy all six seasons of the acclaimed mobster program with plenty of extra features including creator David Chase responding to fan reaction after the series finale and a look at props taken from the set by the actors. $179.99
Deadwood: The Complete Series
HBO's Deadwood took a fairly basic concept like the wild west, stripped away a lot of the glamour Hollywood imbued the time period with, and dropped it in a huge pile of crap which more accurately presents things the way they were back then. With a cast of characters played expertly by fantastic actors, all of whom have their own dark sides and weaknesses, the show wallowed in the filth of its surroundings without becoming that which surrounds it. The set has every season of the 36 episode series along with extras, including a look at the finale as well as a historical look at the series, which features well-known wild west characters like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. $79.98
I Love Lucy The Complete Series Heart Box
Lucy might not seem like that big of a deal today, but that's only because nearly every sitcom you've ever seen has taken a few pages from its playbook over the years. Had there been an internet back in the '50s when I Love Lucy was on, the show would have completely broken it with its fresh take on life and focus on a strong, funny woman instead of yet another boring old dude. The complete series comes in a lovely heart-shaped box modeled after the show's logo complete with every episode of I Love Lucy and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour totaling 5,394 minutes of classic television along with a bonus disc featuring the famous TV couple's first on-air appearance and a color version of the episode "Lucy Goes To Scotland" among other extras. $138.99
M*A*S*H Martinis And Medicine Complete Collection
Taking a concept like war and making it both hilarious and compelling is no easy feat, but the folks behind M*A*S*H nailed it so well that the show outlasted the Korean War -- which it was set during --by eight years (not Vietnam). The adventures of Hawkeye Pierce and the doctors and nurses tasked with healing the injuries caused by a war far from home kept people glued to their TV sets for 11 years resulting in one of the highest rated events in television history when the series finale aired in 1983. The box set collects all 11 seasons, the movie the show was based on directed by Robert Altman, bloopers, reunion specials and a booklet full of extra information and pictures.$174.99
Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection
We're not quite sure what Faustian deal Rod Serling struck with the gods of science-fiction and fantasy to create his masterpiece, 156-episode version of the original Twilight Zone, but we absolutely love it. With this complete set of episodes, you not only get the classics that everyone remembers like "To Serve Man" and "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet," but also some episodes that you probably missed, even with the yearly marathons on SyFy. The set comes with a series of interviews and commentaries with the writers as well as guest stars like Leonard Nimoy. $151.99
UGO