June 2014: 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.

June 2014 was a relatively light DVD month, with only two one-season wonders being released. There were a number of TV series and other programming added to streaming services, including The Lieutenant (NBC, 1963-1964) and Harts of the West (CBS, 1993-1994).

DVD/Blu-ray Releases

Barbary Coast (TV Series, Acorn Media, DVD)
This ABC spy series was William Shatner’s first post-Star Trek TV series. Co-starring Doug McClure, it ran on ABC for 13 episodes during the 1975-1976. Acorn’s 4-disc set also includes the original pilot telefilm that aired in May 1975. A review can be found at DVDtalk.

The Chisholms: The Complete TV Series (TV Series, Timeless Media Group, DVD)
This 3-disc set includes both the original 4-part CBS miniseries from 1979 and the weekly series that ran for nine episodes from January to March 1980, also on CBS. Both the miniseries and the weekly series starred Robert Preston as the patriarch of a family making their way westward during the mid-1800s.

DVD/Blu-ray News

For the first time since I started this column I’m not aware of any announcements or updates about upcoming releases relating to short-lived or rare television on DVD or Blu-ray.

Streaming

Warner Archive Instant has added The Lieutenant to its streaming offerings. The police drama peacetime military drama created by Gene Roddenberry and starring Gary Lockwood ran for 29 episodes on NBC during the 1963-1964 season. It was released on DVD in two half-seasons sets in August 2012. Also available through Warner Archive Instant is The Amazing Captain Nemo, the theatrical version of a 1978 three-part CBS miniseries called The Return of Captain Nemo, produced by Irwin Allen. The theatrical version was released on DVD in July 2010; the original TV version has never been officially released.

Hulu has added “The Jazz Singer” to its streaming service. The October 1959 episode of Startime (NBC, 1959-1960) starred Jerry Lewis in a remake of the 1927 film The Jazz Singer. It was released on DVD in February 2012. Also available on Hulu are Harts of the West (CBS, 1993-1994), which was released on DVD in October 2005; and all 21 episodes of Here’s Edie, the variety show starring Edie Adams that ran on ABC between April 1962 and March 1964, which was released on DVD in November 2013.

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


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