This Week in DVD

Rhoda Season 1: Finally, this long-awaited series comes to DVD, and it's filled with chopped-up syndication episodes and crummy-looking prints! Now, you may not be a fan of this show, but all of us who collect TV on DVD lose when a company takes a significant television program and turns it into, as DVD Talk reviewer Stuart Galbraith puts it, "a major disappointment and an early contender for Worst DVD of 2009." As Bono once sang, "So tonight, thank God it's them instead of you."

Many argue who to blame, whether the culprit be Fox (who provided the materials) or Shout (who licensed the show). Put the blame on Mame for all I care. Blame Bono. Sean Hannity is probably trying to get a "grassroots campaign" started to blame Obama. It doesn't matter. It's clear this release is a travesty.

Frost/Nixon: A fictionalized telling of the famous Frost/Nixon interviews. But since Sadie Frost stubbornly refused to discuss Jude Law, and Trot Nixon wouldn't comment on steroid use on the 2004 Red Sox, I really don't see how Ron Howard gets any drama out of this.

The Wrestler: Mickey Rourke begins a late career renaissance with his Oscar-nominated performance, and Marisa Tomei continues her late career renaissance of getting naked in everything.

A lot of people say Rourke has huge grapefruits for delivering such a raw, emotional turn. I say he has huge grapefruits for daring to make a movie with the same title as a 1974 Ed Asner classic. You just don't screw with Ed Asner in Hollywood. Rourke may be flying high now, but he'll pay his bill eventually, trust me.

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Season One: I've only seen a few episodes of this as part of a TV Land special event a few years ago, but I was impressed, and I have heard enough good things about the series to be glad this is getting proper season releases--and not in "Rhoda"ized form. There are so many quality TV Westerns out there now that fans of that genre have to be happy...unless, of course, they happen to be fans of those obscure shows that are absent or stalled on DVD--you know, rarities like "Bonanza," "Rawhide," "Gunsmoke," "Maverick"...

Into the Blue 2: Supergirl from "Smallville" looks great on the cover, but you don't need me to tell you that. Also, the movie itself looks terrible, and you don't need me to tell you that.

Hawaii Five-O Season 6: As is customary at "This Week in DVD" when a season of this show comes out on video, I now take leave of you so that we may all hum the theme song and get down.