TVSquad

Stamp collecting is something I just never got into (don't worry, I have plenty of other obsessions), but this might be the first time I actually go to my local post office and get a sheet.

Yesterday, 20 new classic TV stamps were unveiled: I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, The Honeymooners, Texaco Star Theater, Perry Mason, The Lone Ranger, Burns and Allen, Ozzie and Harriet, Hopalong Cassidy, Lassie, Dragnet, You Bet Your Life, The Dinah Shore Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Phil Silvers Show, Howdy Doody, The Red Skelton Show, and Kukla, Fran, and Ollie,

If you're one of the few remaining dissenters who doesn't think Sonia Sotormayor is qualified to serve on the nation's highest ranking court, don't blame President Obama. Don't blame any of her law professors or mentors. Don't even blame the left wing media.

Blame Perry Mason.

The Supreme Court nominee said before the Senate and the Judiciary Committee that the old Perry Mason show inspired her to seek a life in upholding the law.

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

I sometimes enjoy watching Judge Judy, but it's one of those shows that I can't possibly imagine owning the DVDs. Once is enough for me. But if you're really into the show, there's a 2-Pack set being released this week.

But I have to get the Get Smart DVDs at some point. That's the only show being released that I have any interest in.

• The Cleaner - Season 1
• Corner Gas - Season 6
• Danny Phantom - Season 3
• Father Knows Best - Season 3
• Get Smart - Season 3

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

For some reason, I didn't know that Jake and the Fatman was out on DVD (or I knew at one point and just forgot). Is this something I want on DVD? I'm tempted, because it's a show that you'll probably never see in syndication again. It's probably way down on my list though. Password might be fun. I gotta start buying these game show releases at some point.

• Cannon - Season 1, Vol. 2
• Curious George - Leads the Band and Other Musical Mayhem
• Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist - Best Of
• Frost/Nixon - The Original Watergate Interviews
• Jake and the Fatman - Season 1, Vol. 2
• Law and Order - Season 6
• Metalocalypse - Season 2
• Mythbusters - Big Blasts
• Password - Best Of
• Perry Mason - Season 3, Vol. 2
• Saturday Night Live - Season 4

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

There's actually nothing on this list I want to buy. I'm not into Hannah Montana, I've never seen an episode of Bleach, I wasn't a big Married with Children fan, and I haven't bought any previous seasons of Perry Mason, so I might actually save some money this week.

I like Chelsea Handler though. Not sure if it's worth buying Girls Behaving Badly just for her.

• Are You Afraid of the Dark? - Season 7
• Bleach - Season 2
• Camp Rock - Extended Rock Star Edition
• Dexter - Season 2
• Galaxy Rangers - Vol. 2
• George of the Jungle - Season 1
• Girls Behaving Badly - Chelsea Handler Exposed
• Gossip Girl - Season 1
• Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus - Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert
• House - Season 4
• Justice League - Season 1 (Blu-Ray)
• Kenny vs. Spenny - Season 4 (Canada)
• Married with Children - Season 9
• Perry Mason - Season 3, Vol. 1
• Recount
• Spider-Man - Dr. Octopus
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season 1
• Transformers - Season 1
• Wayside - Season 1
• William Tell - Best Of

A roundup of TV people from in front of the camera and behind the scenes who have passed away.

• Iris Burton: She was a veteran Hollywood agent (and former Broadway/movie dancer) who represented such child stars as River and Joaquin Phoenix, Kirk and Candace Cameron, and Adam Rich. She died of complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer's. She was 77.

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

• The Cosby Show - Seasons 7 and 8
• Deadliest Catch - Season 3
• Def Poetry Jam - Season 3
• Fortysomething - Complete Series
• Hell's Kitchen - Season 1
• The Last Detective - Series 4
• Living with Ed - Season 1
• Matlock - Season 1
• Meerkat Manor - Season 2
• Mythbusters - Collection 3
• Nanny 911 - Season 1
• Perry Mason - 50th Anniversary Set
• Rock of Love with Bret Michaels - Season 1
• Sense & Sensibility - Miniseries
• Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles - Season 6

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow:

• The Addams Family - Complete Series
• Are You Afraid of the Dark? - Season 4
• Captain N and the New Super Mario World - Complete Series
• DaVinci's Inquest - Season 2
• DuckTales - Vol. 3
• Gilmore Girls - Complete Series and Season 7
• Kenny vs. Spenny - Season 3
• Masters of Horror - Dream Cruise and Season 1,Vol. 3
• Melrose Place - Season 3
• Miami Vice - Complete Series
• Northern Exposure - Complete Series
• Perrry Mason - Season 2, Vol. 2
• Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? - Treasure Chest Gift Set
• South Park - Christmas Time
• SpongeBob SquarePants - Atlantis SquarePantis
• Tale Spin - Vol. 2
• The Young Ones - Extra Stoopid
• Zorro: Generation Z - Return to the Future

New TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

• Animaniacs - Vol. 3
• Daniel Boone - Season 4
• Lovejoy - Season 1
• Perry Mason - Season 2, Vol. 1
• Picket Fences - Season 1
• Pinky and the Brain - Vol. 3
• The Powerpuff Girls - Season 1
• Reno 911: The Movie
• Silver Spoons - Season 1
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - Season 3, Vol. 1

Veteran character actor Jeremy Slate - you might not know the name but you definitely know the face - died of complications from throat surgery last week in Los Angeles.

Slate was known for his movie roles in Girls! Girls! Girls!, Lawnmower Man, and Hell's Angels '69, but he was even more known for the massive amount of work he did on the small screen, starting in the late '50s. Slate was a regular on the 1960 series The Aquanauts, and had guest roles on many shows, including Route 66, Perry Mason, Dr. Kildare, Naked City, Have Gun, Will Travel, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mr. Lucky, The Untouchables, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Bewitched, Combat, Tarzan, Bonanza, Ironside, Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Wonder Woman, The Wonderful World of Disney, and many others. Most recently he guest-starred on an episode of My Name Is Earl.

I remember him most from his two soap roles: he played Chuck Wilson, Asa's assistant, on One Life To Live for many years, and had a short-lived role as songwriter Locke Walls on Guiding Light in the mid-80s (he was involved with Alexandra Spaulding and her son Nick, if I'm not mistaken).

Our weekly roundup of new TV DVDs. Some noteworthy releases for today, July 11:

• Bridezillas - Season One and Season Two
• A Different World - Season Two
• The Ellen Show - Complete Series
• I Dream of Jeannie - Second Season
• ER - Fifth Season
• Masters of Horror - Homecoming
• Perry Mason - Season One, Volume One
• Reno 911! - Season Three
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - Season One, Volume Two
• Weeds - Season One

I guess this one would go in the "I thought he died years ago" category.

Franz was a character actor for several decades, appearing in such movies as Sands of Iwo Jima, Hellcats of the Navy, The Caine Mutiny (as the narrator), Invaders From Mars, and Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man. But he was also a familiar face on the small screen too, appearing in everything from Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible, McCloud and Rawhide to Mod Squad, The Waltons, Mannix, and The FBI.

Franz died Saturday in California of emphysema and pneumonia.