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.
June 2016 was a good month for fans of short-lived TV shows. The big release was arguably Rod Serling’s The Loner (CBS, 1965-1966), which few people ever expected to see on DVD. Other releases included Custer (ABC, 1967), McClain’s Law (NBC, 1981-1982), and The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (NBC, 1968-1969). Also, Alpha Video released episodes of I’m the Law (syndicated, 1953) and Foreign Intrigue (syndicated, 1951-1955).
DVD/Blu-ray Releases
The Loner: The Complete Series (TV Series, Timeless, DVD)
NOTE: This release is currently a Walmart exclusive. Rod Serling’s short-lived Western is now available on DVD. It ran on 26 episodes during the 1965-1966 season. Lloyd Bridges starred as a former Union officer wandering the West shortly after the end of the Civil War hoping to find a place for himself in the world while helping to explore and tame the West. Bonus features include a new documentary called “The Wandering Man’s Burden: Making The Loner.”
Custer: The Complete Series (TV Series, Timeless, DVD)
NOTE: This release is currently a Walmart exclusive. Wayne Maunder starred in this ABC Western that ran for just 17 episodes during the 1967-1968 season. Co-starring were Slim Pickens, Michael Dante, Robert F. Simon, and Peter Palmer.
McClain’s Law: The Complete Series (TV Series, Warner Archive, DVD)
This 4-disc set contains all 16 episodes of this NBC drama that ran from November 1981 to March 1982. 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. Manufacture-on-demand.
The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: The Complete Series (TV Series, Warner Archive, DVD)
Michael Shea, LuAnn Haslam, Kevn Schultz, and Ted Cassidy starred in this animated/live action hybrid on NBC during the 1968-1969 season. All 20 episodes are included in this 3-disc set. Manufacture-on-demand.
The Eleventh Hour: The Complete First Season (TV Series, Warner Archive, DVD)
Technically, this medical drama ran for two seasons but it’s rare enough that I’ve covered it here at Television Obscurities before. Wendell Corey starred as a brilliant psychiatrist who advises the Department of Corrections. Jack Ging co-starred. The series ran on NBC from 1962 to 1964 for a total of 62 episodes; 30 episodes were aired during the first season. Manufacture-on-demand.
I’m the Law [Volume 1] (TV Episodes, Alpha Video, DVD)
This half-hour police drama starred George Raft as an NYPD detective. A total of 26 episodes aired in first-run syndicated in 1953. You get four of them in this single-disc. Manufacture-on-demand.
Cross Current [Volume 1] (TV Episodes, Alpha Video, DVD)
The four episodes included in this single-disc release actually aired as part of the fourth and final season of Foreign Intrigue. When they were sold into syndication, the title was changed to Cross Current. Gerald Mohr starred in these episodes as the owner of a Vienna hotel who gets involved in the drama of his guest’s lives. Manufacture-on-demand.
DVD/Blu-ray News
Prime time animated sitcom Where’s Huddles? (CBS, 1970) will be released on DVD by Warner Archive on July 26th (TVShowsOnDVD.com).
Chopper One (ABC, 1974) and Grady (NBC, 1975-1976) will be released on DVD on July 26th through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (TVShowsOnDVD.com); TVShowsOnDVD.com.
The release date for recent obscurity Limitless, which was cancelled by CBS a few months ago, has been moved to September 6th and will include a gag real, audio commentary, and four featurettes about the show (TVShowsOnDVD.com).
Bonus features for the first season of The Defenders (out on July 12th) will include the two-part Studio One episode that inspired the series. There will also be an extended version of the pilot episode, new interviews with associate producer Bob Markell and writer Larry Cohen, and an archival interview with the late E.G. Marshall (TVShowsOnDVD.com).
Streaming
There were no new additions to Warner Archive Instant last month but there were a few changes. The first season of The Eleventh Hour was removed, perhaps because it is now available on DVD. Beyond Westworld, The Yellow Rose, and Wizards and Warriors all returned.
Hit the comments with any news about upcoming DVD/Blu-ray releases or additions to streaming services.
