TVSquad

Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.

Wow, they're really coming out with DVDs really quickly these days, eh? A Colbert Christmas aired just last night, and 24 airs tonight, and both of them will be on DVD tomorrow. Will you buy them or just tape/Tivo them tonight?

Soon TV shows will be released on DVD before they're even filmed.

• 24 - Redemption
• Beverly Hills, 90210 - Season 6
• The Colbert Report - A Colbert Christmas
• The Doris Day Show - Complete Series
• Family Affair - Complete Series
• Freaks and Geeks - Complete Series
• George Carlin - It's Bad For Ya
• Gomer Pyle, USMC - Season 5
• The Mod Squad - Season 2, Vol. 1
• The Pink Panther Show - Ultimate Collection
• The Real Ghostbusters - Complete Series
• The Red Skelton Show - Complete Series
• Super Dave - Super Stunt Spectacular Vol. 1
• Superman Animated - Doomsday
• The Tudors - Season 1 Uncut

Truly, Hollywood is out of ideas and everything old is new again: The cartoon The Pink Panther will be getting a new show on the Cartoon Network for a 26-episode run.

Of course, this generation has to add their own little spin on the character so he's going to be a little younger (more like a teenager) and hilarity will ensue. Classic characters such as Ant and Aardvark will appear. Perhaps this time they could get the actual Jackie Mason to do the voice of Aardvark rather than having John Byner do an impression of him. He needs the work.

I am trying to withhold judgment on this new cartoon. Having seen this before, I am automatically cynical of any attempts to revive a fond franchise of my youth. It's likely my opinion is not impartial. However, simply hearing that they have to make the main character a teenager in this new version automatically fills me with dread. Will he be talking as well? Even though I'm not the target demographic, I may just skip this one.

I suppose by now I should have been prepared for this. Prepared to be let down... again. You wait for something and build it up in your mind and when you finally get it, it's so far from what you imagined you feel like you've been duped (although I think the technical term for that now is "James Frey-ed"). Am I painting a clear picture? Talk about a disappointment. This feels worse than finding out Santa Claus doesn't exist while at the same moment receiving a call from your doctor confirming your gonorrhea diagnosis.

Cold Open - See, now this was misleading, because I thought this was hilarious. It was a pre-taped segment where Steve Martin was on a date with Kelly Ripa. It seems her and Steve have been involved for a while and that she had plans to leave her husband for him. So Steve pops some Viagra. Subsequently, his ETB ("estimated time to boner") clock pops up. Suddenly he receives a call informing him that Alec Baldwin is going to host SNL tonight and break Steve's hosting record. He rushes to the NBC building, sneaks inside Baldwin's dressing room, strangles him, wraps him in some carpet, and chucks the body out a window where it lands on the Rockefeller ice rink. Favorite part? Steve rushes by Lorne with the body while Lorne stresses about not being able to find Baldwin. He tells Will Forte to get Tom Hanks on the phone. At this point, Steve punched Lorne. Doesn't that sound funny? Too bad they couldn't keep it up.