October 2013: The Month in Home Media

The Month in Home Media is a monthly column highlighting short-lived or rare television series, specials, miniseries or made-for-TV movies released on DVD or Blu-ray during the previous month, as well as recent additions to streaming services like Warner Archive Instant. The releases discussed in this column are encoded for Region 1 use in the United States and Canada. The Month in Home Media is published on the first Thursday of each month.

October saw the release of a 1958 syndicated Western and a short-lived 1993 sci-fi series on DVD, plus a handful of Alpha Video public domain manufacture-on-demand releases. Warner Archive Instant added two new shows, one from 1967 and another from 1981.

DVD/Blu-ray Releases

Tuesday, October 8th

Mackenzie’s Raiders – The Complete Series (DVD, Timeless Media Group)
All 39 episodes of this syndicated Western originally released between 1958 and 1959. Richard Carlson starred as the commander of a cavalry regiment in Texas during the 1870s.

Tuesday, October 15th, 2013

Space Rangers – The Complete Sci-Fi Cult Classic TV Series (DVD, Mill Creek Entertainment)
All six episodes (two unaired) of this short-lived CBS sci-fi series that was on the air for just four weeks in January 1993.

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – The Vault Series: Volume 2 (DVD, Carson Productions)
Two episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: from October 23rd, 1974 and October 23rd, 1984; plus a bonus segment from the October 23rd, 1987 episode.

Tuesday, October 29th

Rare TV Detectives, Volume 2 (DVD, Alpha Video)
Based on the cover, contains one episode each of Mr. & Mrs. North, Public Prosecutor,Colonel March of Scotland Yard and Detective Mark Saber. Manufacture-on-demand.

Rare TV Crime Classics (DVD, Alpha Video)
Based on the cover, contains one episode each of Martin Kane Private Eye, Public Prosecutor, In Paris Precinct and N.O.P.D.. Manufacture-on-demand.

Also from Alpha Video: Medic, Volume 12; Golden Age of Television, Volume 15; Man with a Camera; and Fury, Volume 3.

DVD/Blu-ray News

Kukla, Fran and Ollie: The First Episodes, Volume 3 will be released sometime in November 2013. The two-disc set will feature 24 episodes of the puppet series, including ten from the ABC years, long thought missing. (Source: The Kuklapolitan Website)

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – The Vault Series: Volume 3 will be released in December 2013. (Source: JohnnyCarson.com)

Streaming

Warner Archive Instant has added all 17 episodes of Hondo, an ABC Western that was on the air from September to December 1967. It starred Ralph Taeger as a former Confederate soldier roaming the West with his faithful dog, Sam.

Warner Archive Instant has also added all 15 episodes of McClain’s Law, which aired on NBC from November 1981 to March 1982. James Arness starred as a former police detective who returns to active duty after more than a decade in retirement. Marshall Colt and George DiCenzo co-starred.

Hulu has added six episodes of The New Soupy Sales Show, a half-hour series starring the famed comedian that was taped at KTLA in Los Angeles and syndicated nationally during the early months of 1979. The episodes available feature guests B.B. King, the Temptations, Alice Cooper, Dick Clark and others.

Hit the comments with any news about upcoming DVD/Blu-ray releases or additions to streaming services.


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One Reply to “October 2013: The Month in Home Media”

  1. I am interested in obtaining episodes of “Paris Precinct” starting Claude Dauphin & Louis Jordan
    on cd’s .
    Are any of those episodes available?
    Thank you~
    Gail McClain
    gailbop@ cox.net
    949.494.5590

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