Television on DVD

Published by Toronto Mike on March 24, 2010 @ 14:13 in Television

My preferred way to view quality television is on DVD. I'm willing to wait a little in order to bang off a good series unedited without commercials and without waiting a week for a new episode.

Last year, I watched the entire series of The Wire on DVD. The Wire had such an effect on me, I've just bought all five seasons on DVD so I can watch it again and again. Yes, it's that good.

Last week, I decided I wanted to watch Mad Men. One tweet later, I was meeting Elvis to pick up season one on DVD. We're six episodes deep and digging it. It's not The Wire, but it's great television.

Prior to my purchase of The Wire on DVD, the only television show I've ever bought on DVD has been The Simpsons. What shows do you own on DVD?

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21 comments

21 Responses to "Television on DVD"

Mississauga Mike
March 24, 2010 / 15:08

Last December during Boxing Week I bought The Wire at Future Shop. Regular price was $249, brought down to $120, the woman manually typed in the barcode instead of scanning (for reasons unknown) and incorrectly keyed it in as some other movie and didn't notice. All five seasons of The Wire for a grand total of... $70. :)

McNulty
March 24, 2010 / 15:23

I own the Wire and bought each season as they came out. So I paid a lot, but I also have owned them for a long time.

I also have Lost.

I used to have Deadwood and Oz.

But the only one that really matters is The Wire.

Liz
March 24, 2010 / 15:50

Everyone here has been so consistent about The Wire so I'll have to check it out.

I've bought many seasons of the Sopranos, OZ and Sex in the City (yes, chick tv). I don't own but love watching rented episodes of In Treatment and The Office. Very schizophrenic tastes, I realize.

Toronto Mike
March 24, 2010 / 17:01

McNulty (the commenter, not the character from The Wire) is the man who lent me The Wire last year.

I miss it all the time. I had to buy it so I could revisit it. I can't wait to watch it again.

The_Voice
March 24, 2010 / 17:49

I thought the DVR was having an impact on your TV viewing?

J9
March 24, 2010 / 17:52

Battlestar Galactica, Rescue Me, Firefly, The Shield...and just purchased the first season of The Big Bang Theory.

David
March 24, 2010 / 18:27

nearly all HBO stuff:

The Wire, Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Rescue Me, The Shield, Deadwood, Homicide: Life On The Street, Extras and The Office (UK). Just got Season 1 of Hill Street Blues (never saw it on TV) for $12 at Costco. Dated, but interesting so far.

Shen a new HBO show comes out, you can save some serious coin if you can wait a bit. They're $80/season when they drop, but shortly after The Wire ended, the entire series (5 seasons) could be had for $150 or less.

Toronto Mike
March 24, 2010 / 18:45

@The_Voice

The DVR has had a huge impact. That's how I'm watching Lost, The Pacific, documentaries, 30 Rock, The Office and my Sunday night cartoons!

Rick2
March 24, 2010 / 19:24

I can't say that watching everything on DVD is the way to go for me, however, I have to look into the internet as a source for current programming. I'm not there yet... The less I have to rely on Bell or Rogers, the better (except for their internet service, of course!).

CQ
March 24, 2010 / 19:35

I'm so old school, sigh.
Wishing to own more than one episode of Miami Undercover! It is part of a 150 epsiode 50s~early 60s Detective Shows set. Also have Miami Vice seasons 1&2 ($15 combined,incl complete orig. music - bargain). Priciest non-gift dvd set might be 1st half season only for Streets of San Francisco. I'll need an over the air HDTV if RTN is still sub-stationed from Buffalo.
I also have a poor transfer [Walmart cheapie] of Wings 1st midseason & 2nd full, plus a Match Game set bought at the CNE last summer.

Digger
March 24, 2010 / 22:34

I have only bought one TV show on DVD - BBC's Spooks. A&E aired it here as MI-5; the DVDs are labeled accordingly, since they come from the US, and they lag the BBC's Spooks shows and DVDs by almost a year. The US being the only country in the world where "spook" does not mean "spy", the title had to be changed. Spooks started about the same time as 24. I find Spooks is more realistic, grittier without the language and overt violence of 24. Having said that, Spooks does have some typically British approaches (you don't see a person's head being put in the hot chip fryer, but you know it happened) and the writers don't seem to have any issue with killing off core characters. The acting is very good, with interesting, timely (at the time of broadcast) and sometimes provocative storylines. If I had to go buy another series on DVD, it would probably be something quality and lighter - like Corner Gas.

Pete McPhedran
March 24, 2010 / 23:39

X-Files, Millennium, Stargate SG-1 and Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Thinking I like Sci-Fi...

--Pete

Lorne
March 24, 2010 / 23:55

I used a gift certificate way back when to buy 24, Season 1 on DVD. I never watched all the way through it, but did get several people hooked on it. (Everyone I lent it to watched it all over a weekend. Season 1 was great).

My brother and I own all the Babylon 5s, since no one seems to show them on TV.

I picked up WKRP Season 1 at Costco. Enjoyed it, but was dismayed when a friend mentioned that they'd stripped all the original music from the episodes. =(

Carter
March 25, 2010 / 01:32

The BIG 3:
deadwood
breaking bad
rescue me

Paul
March 25, 2010 / 08:51

Well, I have two seasons of I Spy, which came in last night in remembering the restraint and passion of the great Robert Culp, a real role model for me. Also full complements of Veronica Mars, Rocky & Bullwinkle and Dr. Katz are indispensible around here.

elvis
March 25, 2010 / 10:02

Let's give thanks to those responsible for giving you the gift of Mad Men: ME.

I'm #1.

You're welcome.

Hobo Joe
March 25, 2010 / 12:13

A few years ago, Steven Speilberg put out a mini-series called Taken, about alien abductions. Not really a TV show I guess but still, I've been monitoring it on DVD, price-wise. The damn thing won't come down.

Jf
March 25, 2010 / 21:16

I agree with Digger. Spooks is great. There are so many great Brit shows (drama, comedy, etc) that don't get the airtime they deserve over here :( That's what DVDs (and the region-free players that play them) are for I guess :)

DVDs I would highly recommend though is the Aussie crime drama 'Underbelly'. It's based on actual fact (series one is set in the 90s-2005, and series two is set in the 70s). Very HBO-ish, not for the family, and very gripping. Pricey on import though :(

Bill
March 26, 2010 / 09:41

BattleStar Galactica (excellent with the exception of the 2nd hour of the series finale), From the Earth to the Moon (all excellent), Space Ghost talk show (intermittently brilliant and constantly out on loan), and Breaking Bad (quite possibly my favourite show of all time but it's only season 3 now).

Jill
March 26, 2010 / 23:47

Dexter, Nip/Tuck, The Office, Gilmore Girls, Three's Company, WKRP in Cincinatti, True Blood, Ugly Betty, Sex & The City, O.C. Have borrowed sets from family and friends......Rescue Me, Six Feet Under, Weeds, The Closer, Medium, Quantum Leap, Sopranos, Greys Anatomy, Trailer Park Boys.

Roshan
March 28, 2010 / 03:39

Owning your own copies of your fav tv shows is the best way and in case of India, the only way to enjoy your fav shows.

I have Friends, Firefly, Stargate Atlantis, Angel, Star Trek : Voyager & the original V. I'm currently downloading ReGenesis (only found a dvd of season 1), Star Trek DS9, TOS & TNG. There's a lot more shows that I want but DVD options are rare here so I'm getting them via Torrent files.

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