What do Ellen, the Ninja Turtles, ALF, Bob Newhart, and Penn & Teller all have in common?

That's right! They're all getting another DVD release this fall!
(By the way, this is the second post I've made today... that's a first.)

The coming out season of Ellen (also known as the fourth) will be released from A&E Home Video on August 29. I think this show, almost entirely due to Ellen herself, is really funny, and I've enjoyed the first three season sets. I've heard that the last couple of seasons, in which Ellen tells the world that she is a lesbian both on the show and in real life, are not quite as funny and that the lesbian storyline changed the show for the worse. I'm sure, however, that this season will still be fun to watch, especially since Ellen Degeneres is so hilarious. It's great that A&E has been merciful enough to release this series. It must be a good seller. Only one more season to go!

Those radical teens, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, are back for more fun and adventures on DVD on August 29, as well. Of course, I'm talking about the original animated series from the late '80s and '90s, not the movies, live-action series, or the current animated show. Lionsgate has announced that it will release twelve more episodes of the original series on TMNT Volume 5. Twelve shows on one single-sided DVD is a bit much; however, it didn't seem to affect picture quality on the previous volumes. It's kind of pathetic that Lionsgate is not releasing multiple disc box sets of this classic series, but they do stick a large number of episodes on one volume, and they are trying to release three volumes a year, so it's not that bad. Only about nine or ten volumes left!! Cowabunga, indeed.

Everyone's favorite alien life form, ALF is back on DVD a week later (September 05) with the (not so) complete fourth and final season. The ALF DVDs have all contained the shorter, syndicated version of each episode, which means that about three to five minutes have been abruptly edited out of each episode. It's a sad state of affairs, but the low-priced first season set just showed me how cute and funny ALF really is, and it doesn't seem as if the sets will ever be released uncut, so how can I resist? The sets also have several short bonus features, as well as animated menus hosted by ALF himself!! Anyway, Season 4 is the final season, and the so-called reunion film, Project: ALF, which featured none of the characters from the show outside of ALF himself, has already been released in Canada, so this season set will be the final ALF release (unless somehow his recent TVLand talk show becomes available, and I really hope it will).

Speaking of how funny ALF is, has anyone else realized that he is the only funny character on the show. Is that common knowledge? The Tanner family is so boring and plain, and the neighbors seem as if they should be funny, although sadly, they are not. Willie is funny in his interaction with ALF, but honestly, couldn't they have given anyone else some witty or amusing lines from time to time? Oh well, I love the series anyway, and the DVD releases will be (somewhat) complete this September.

Next up on the list is The Bob Newhart Show, which is the oldest series on the list. This show is surprisingly likeable, although no one can honestly say that Bob Newhart is not a comedic genius, especially when he performs his patented telephone conversation shtick. That man is still hilarious today, and I only hope that one of his other series, Newhart, gets released soon, as well. That show was on for eight seasons, two more than The Bob Newhart Show. By the way, the fourth season of The Bob Newhart Show will be available for purchase on September 19. I'm so surprised and overjoyed to find that Fox has continued with this series and has even gone so far as to create bonus features, such as audio commentaries featuring major players in this show like Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, Peter Bonerz, Jack Riley, Marcia Wallace, and more. The three double-sided disc set will also include a gag reel, which is usually my favorite type of special feature. Can you believe that come September, there will only be two seasons of this classic '70s series left to be released? I think it's just about guaranteed that the series will be completed by late 2007.

Finally, those outrageous magicians/comedians, Penn and his silent partner Teller are supposedly bringing the third season of their controversial Showtime series, Penn & Teller: Bullshit! to DVD this October. This season set is long overdue, as the tenth episode of the fourth season has already aired; however, I personally cannot wait for another thirteen episoodes of Bullshit! that will include investigations into the topics of circumcision, family values, college, gun control, and heaven. Now that's a lot of Bullshit! (Yes, I love the title.)

Well, that's it for this update. Stay tuned for more information on the latest happenings in the DVD and entertainment -- blah, blah, blah... you know the drill.

Src 1: www.tvshowsondvd.com
Src 2: www.sitcomsonline.com/blog