TVSquad

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

Now this is a DVD release week. Lots of stuff for every type of TV fan. I'm definitely getting Mad Men (and I'm going to watch all of the episodes again immediately to get ready for next month's launch of season 3), and I'm tempted to get the season 8 set of Bewitched, though I'll probably wait for the inevitable complete series set. I've never seen The Guns of Will Sonnett, but friends tell me it was good. Hopefully that's on Hulu or AOL Video or Retro TV so I don't have to actually buy it yet.

• American Gladiators - Season 1
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations - Collection 4
• Bewitched - Season 8
• Bleach - Uncut Box Set Vol. 3: The Rescue
• ER - Season 11

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

This is a rather confusing week for DVD releases. Besides the sets below, there are many limited edition "combo pack" sets being released this week, including sets for 30 Rock, The Office, Battlestar Galactica, House, Monk, and Psych that include two different seasons each. There are many Taggart sets being released too

• 8 Simple Rules - Season 2
• 24 - Season 7
• 24 - Seasons 1-7 set
• Classic TV Western Collection - Collector's Tin
• Dragon Ball Z - Season 9
• Friday Night Lights - Season 3
• Ice Road Truckers - Most Dangerous Episodes

I recently started watching Bravo. I'm not sure why. Something about those reality shows is strangely addictive. Like, no matter how screwed up my own life might be, it's nothing compared to most of the folks on those shows. I'm pretty sure that's why reality shows are so popular. It's because they make us feel so much better about our own pathetic lives.

There's a show on Bravo called The Real Housewives of Orange County. Remember that movie Peyton Place? Yeah, it's a lot like that. Only the women are a lot richer, and the problems are a lot more complex than they used to be in 1957. Still fascinating ... in a voyeuristic-stalker kind of way.

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

• Jeff MacKay: He was a veteran character actor who you know as Mac from Magnum, P.I. and his role as Bud's father on JAG. He was also a regular on Tales of the Gold Monkey and Baa Baa Black Sheep and appeared on other shows such as Diagnosis: Murder, Outlaws, Airwolf, The Greatest American Hero, Hardcastle and McCormack, and the original Battlestar Galactica. He also appeared in such movies as All The President's Men and The Wild, Wild West Revisited. He died of liver failure at age 60.

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

• Don S. Davis: The veteran actor appeared on numerous TV shows over the past 25 years, including Stargate SG-1 (he played Major General George Hammond), Twin Peaks, The X-Files, The Dead Zone, Psych, Highlander, Supernatural, Flash Gordon, The West Wing, NCIS, The Chris Isaak Show, Profit, M.A.N.T.I.S., MacGyver (also serving as Dana Elcar's body double), L.A. Law, Joanie Loves Chachi, and many others. He also appeared in dozens of movies, including A League of Their Own, Con Air, Miracle, The 6th Day, Hook, The Fan, and Best In Show. He died this week at age 65.

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

• Hazel Court: She was the actress known as the "Scream Queen." Besides appearing in such classic horror flicks as The Masque of the Red Death, The Raven, and The Curse of Frankenstein, she also did a lot of TV, including episodes of The Twilight Zone, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, Burke's Law, The Wild, Wild West, Gidget, Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Rawhide, McMillan & Wife, and many other shows. She died of a heart attack at age 82.

There's something really great about being able to buy an entire season of a TV show, or the entire run, on DVD. It can be addictive, too. But isn't it interesting that even though there are scads of great -- and some not-so-great -- series committed to DVD and readily available online or at the local superstore, there are a ton more that aren't? And what about great TV specials? When I read this list, it got me thinking about which TV programs I would buy in a heartbeat. My list is very subjective -- maybe even eclectic -- but here's my ten TV shows that need to be on DVD.

The Bob Newhart Show
Recently, when the American Masters did a special about Bob Newhart, they showed footage from The Bob Newhart Show. No, not the one with Suzanne Pleshette as Emily. They had clips from the 1961-62 Bob Newhart Show on NBC. It was a variety hour, showcasing many of his now classic routines. It looked really funny, filled with his inspired sketches and bits. And it was critically acclaimed, too, winning Emmy and Peabody awards. Naturally, NBC canceled it after just one season. I'd love to think that there's enough footage from those shows to create a DVD.