NewsRadio – The Complete Series (Sony DVD)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Extras: C+     Episodes: C+

 

 

NewsRadio is a show that you either like or you don’t, but for someone who is not as big a fan, the problem was that the show simply never stuck with me despite the talent involved.  Here is our coverage of the last two season sets on DVD:

 

Complete Fourth Season

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3916/NewsRadio+-+The+Complete+Fourth

 

Complete Fifth Season

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5134/News+Radio+-+The+Complete+Fifth

 

 

Now, Sony has issued all five seasons (four sets) in one of their controversial Complete Series boxes, where the discs from all the shows are on one spindle that all the discs are stacked on.  It is convenient, but others will find it annoying for those used to DigiPaks.

 

The early seasons are no better or worse than the later shows, all made more interesting by the fact that just about everyone in the cast continues to be successful.  Of course, Phil Hartman is no longer with us and even after all of this time, I still cannot believe he is gone.

 

Across all the seasons, the 1.33 X 1 image looks like it might have been shot on film, then (over-)processed on older analog video, the seemingly secondary sources for these transfers except the case claims HD remastering.  Something is wrong then, because the detail issues are odd and problematic throughout.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no surrounds and does not claim such.  Extras include gag reels and audio commentary tracks on all the sets, with featurettes and text on the show for the first two seasons, which were combined upon first release.  Too bad there were no new extras, but fans who don’t mind the packaging and had not bought the show on DVD will prefer this set.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo