The television DVD set hasn’t been around for a long time, but in its short lifespan, it has changed drastically. Initially, the DVD set of a television series was merely a way to allow fans to watch their favorite episodes on-demand. But then, several series began to experiment with the form, notably The Simpsons and The X-Files, recognizing that DVDs could also convey original content. Then producers realized that the people shelling out $40 for a season’s worth of episodes of their favorite television series want to devour as much information as they can about these shows. Say hello to the birth of audio commentary and making of featurettes.
With that in mind, here are the television DVDs coming out that will give you the most bang for your buck.
The Office Season 5 (Available now)
Just released this week, the fifth season of The Office has an amazing amount of replay value, a feature not to be underestimated when you’re shelling out money for any series. Not only that, but it is also one of the strongest seasons of the show from beginning to end (certainly aided by the additions of Amy Ryan and Idris Elba to the cast for long arcs of the season).
In addition to the episodes, you get the standard cast commentary, but it’s the deleted scenes—often as funny as, or funnier than, those scenes that make it into the episodes—and a number of digital shorts and webisodes that really make the DVD version worth it.
Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Fifth Season (September 15, 2009)
The fifth season of ABC’s sudsy hospital drama is a true return to the form for a show that seemed to lose its way the past couple of seasons. Of course, there are still some missteps—I would’ve loved to have been in the writer’s room when someone suggested that Izzie has sex with a ghost—but on the whole, the show finally starts to develop some forward momentum for the perpetually stalled personal lives of these hyper-attractive doctors. Not much for extra features, these DVDs will be helpful to have around when the show inevitably falls back into a rut at some point this upcoming season.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – The Complete Second Season (September 22, 2009)
The second, and final, season of this underrated FOX series found the show finding its footing after a maddeningly inconsistent first season. The main draw for these episodes, which you, like most of the viewing public, were not watching during their original run, is Summer Glau as Cameron, the robot protecting John and Sarah Connor. The show ends on a frustrating cliffhanger that takes away from the experience, but not enough that it makes you regret getting hooked in the first place.
