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.
August 2014 saw the release of recent short-lived sci-fi series Almost Human, CBS one season wonder Now and Again, and NBC’s 1967-1968 adventure series Maya on DVD, plus some public domain episodes of Telephone Time and Cavalcade of America from Alpha Video. Plus, Nichols was added to Warner Archive Instant in high definition.
DVD/Blu-ray Releases
Almost Human: The Complete Series (TV Series, Warner Archive, DVD)
I’m surprised that this recent FOX sci-fi series, which ran for 13 episodes during the 2013-2014 season, is being released via Warner Archive. Also, there’s only this DVD set, no Blu-ray release. Personally, I enjoyed the show and would have liked to see it return for a second season. It just didn’t do well enough in the ratings. Although this is a manufacture on demand release, the Warner Archive website notes that “initial quantities of this release will be traditionally replicated (pressed) in anticipation of high consumer demand.”
Maya: The Complete Series (TV Series, Warner Archive, DVD)
This NBC series adventure series ran for 18 episodes during the 1967-1968 season. A spin-off of the 1966 film of the same name, it starred Jay North as a teenager searching for his missing father in India. Sajid Khan co-starred. Manufacture-on-demand.
Now and Again (TV Series, CBS Home Entertainment, DVD)
This CBS one season wonder ran for 22 episodes during the 1999-2000 season. I’m pretty sure I still have an episode on VHS somewhere. Eric Close starred as a man whose brain was transplanted into an body designed and grown by the U.S. government, turning him into something of a secret agent. Sadly, he is unable to contact the wife and daughter who believe him dead. In addition to all 22 episodes, the five-disc set includes a retrospective documentary as well as featurettes on the making of the series and the writing of the series.
Also, Alpha Video issued a number of single disc releases in August, including Cavalcade Theater, with four episodes of Cavalcade of America/DuPont Cavalcade Theater/DuPont Theater, and Great Television Series of the 50s, with four episodes of Telephone Time. Both are manufacture on demand releases.
DVD/Blu-ray News
Timeless Media Group will give “Once Upon a Starry Night,” the December 1978 telefilm held over from the end of The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams weekly series, a standalone DVD release on October 7th. The special was included in the Season Two DVD collection released in February 2013 (TVShowsOnDVD.com).
Mill Creek will re-release Square Pegs (CBS, 1982-1983) on DVD on October 21st. The series was originally released on DVD by Sony in May 2008 (TVShowsOnDVD.com).
Streaming
Warner Archive Instant has added Nichols: The Complete Series to its streaming service. The NBC Western starring James Garner ran for 24 episodes during the 1971-1972 season. The complete series was released on DVD in September 2013. The version available for streaming is advertised as being in high definition.
Hit the comments with any news about upcoming DVD/Blu-ray releases or additions to streaming services.
