TV on DVD

Check out the week's new releases in our latest installment of... TV on DVD!

Show: “Scrubs: The Complete Eighth Season” (Disney)
Format: Blu-ray
What is it? In many ways, the episodes in this collection—which came out on DVD in August, but are only now coming to Blu-ray—represent the true end of this sitcom. For starters, stars Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke will only appear in half of the episodes in season nine, which starts on December 1, while creator Bill Lawrence is currently producing, writing and directing his funny new show, “Cougar Town.” As if that wasn't enough, “Scrubs” is also switching focus and purpose, and will now be about Dr. Cox and Dr. Turk becoming professors at a medical college. Do you even wear scrubs to class? This would be like if everyone but Matt LeBlanc left “Friends” and they tried to keep it going by moving his character Joey to Hollywood…
Number of discs/episodes: 3 discs/19 episodes.
Extras: Deleted and alternate scenes; bloopers; webisodes; “My Bahamas Vacation”; “It's All in the Name”; “SeasonPlay.”
Price: $54.99.
Buy, borrow or ignore: Borrow.

Show: “Andy Barker, P.I.: The Complete Series” (Shout! Factory)
Format: DVD
What is it? It used to be that if you liked a show but it got canceled early on, you'd never see it again. But thanks to the miracle of DVD, shows that were beloved, but only by a few, get a second life on disc. “Andy Barker, P.I.” is a great example of this. A cult fascination from the get-go, the show featured Andy Richter—who also starred in the short-lived but long-loved “Andy Richter Controls the Universe”—as an accountant who, after being mistaken for a private investigator, decides to run with it. Adding to its cult appeal, the show was co-created by Richter's then former and now current boss, Conan O'Brien, and “How I Met Your Mother” writer Jonathan Groff. Not that it helped. Half a dozen episodes in and it was gone. Well, until now.
Number of discs/episodes: 2 discs/6 episodes.
Extras: “Going Where the Numbers Take You” featurette; “Writers Class 101” featurette; cast and crew commentaries; gag reel.
Price: $24.99.
Buy, borrow or ignore: Borrow.

Show: “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas” (Fox)
Format: DVD, Blu-ray.
What is it? There are those who feel the holidays are a magical time for love and family. This DVD is not for them. No, this DVD—a one off in which the crew from the nihilistic sitcom “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” tries to spread Christmas cheer, with their usual terrible results—is decidedly for people who think the holidays are funnier when you make fun of all the love and family crap. Y'know, people who've enjoyed the Christmas episodes of “South Park,” “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” and so on. Of course, people who like those shows are probably already fans of “Sunny,” or at least aware of it, though this could make a good holiday gift anyway since this episode won't be airing on TV anytime soon. Can't imagine why.
Number of discs: 1 disc
Extras: Deleted scenes; behind-the-scenes/making-of featurette; “Sunny sing-a-long.”
Price:
DVD: $29.99
BD: $26.98.
Buy, borrow or ignore: Borrow.


Other TV DVDs out this week:
“7th Heaven: The Ninth Season” (CBS/Paramount)
“Ben 10 Alien Force: Volume 5” (Cartoon Network)
“Bleach: Volume 22” (Viz)
“Farscape: The Complete Season 1” (A&E)
“Farscape: The Complete Season 2” (A&E)
“Farscape: The Complete Season 3” (A&E)
“Farscape: The Complete Season 4” (A&E)
“Farscape: The Complete Series Megaset” (A&E)
“Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Season 1, Part 3” (Bandai)
“Rome: The Complete Series” (HBO) - also on Blu-ray
“The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Volume Two” (CBS/Paramount)
“The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series: Volume Two” (CBS/Paramount)
“The Spectacular Spider-man: Volume Five” (Sony)
“Wagon Train: The Complete First Season” (Timeless)

(Actual releases may differ; Metromix is not responsible for injury, loss of life, or wasted time if you go to the store to buy one of them and the clerk says, “Uh, no, that’s not coming out until next week.”)