CSI: Miami
Paramount Home Entertainment/CBS DVD

- It's the first series spin-off of the No. 1 drama on TV. The release of "CSI: Miami: The Complete First Season" on DVD will fascinate audiences because while the basic premise is the same as the original CSI forensic show, there are marked differences. First, Miami is a cosmopolitan, international city where people go to be noticed. While Las Vegas highlights the nightlife, Miami is a colorful, exotic daytime playground. The heavy Latin mix of the Florida beat adds to the look, the politics and sexiness of the show. There are several law enforcement jurisdictions that overlap and make the crime fighting even more intriguing. The desert has been replaced by the Everglades and alligators. And, of course, human greed, misery, decadence and corruption melts into some of the most vicious crimes imaginable.

"CSI: Miami" has a decent cast although David Caruso is a lackluster leader. He's too cool and dull. And, the writers have given him the annoying habit of being the only informed investigator in the show. This show is a godsend for Caruso, who near torpedoed his career several years ago by arrogantly walking about from another "NYPD Blue" after the first season because he thought he could be a film star. It never happened and when you see him walk through a lot of these episodes, you understand why. His emotional ranged is very limited. But, the rest of the cast is most young a fresh -- pretty, blonde Emily Proctor as the gun expert, sexy Khandi Alexander as the gentle medical examiner who talks to the dead, geeky Rory Cochrane and gorgeous Adam Rodriguez (from "Roswell") make up the other investigators. Kim Delaney, who also starred on
NYPD Blue," makes a brief appearance in some early episodes but vanishes with a couple lines of dialog. The producers never mention her in their commentary but the actress' personal life caused her to exit the show.

This procedural drama has several excellent storylines -- child kidnapping, mass murder, plane crashes, etc. -- and the produces have pushed the envelope with bloody gore. Frankly, I can't watch the show while munching on anything without looking away but apparently audiences love this aspect of the show. The Special features include tours conducted by the actors in the state-of-the-art Autopsy Theater, the Gun Lab which features a smiling Procter and several information documentaries about the creation of the Miami show by the producers, directors and writers. Fans will not be disappointed!

Harsh Realm
Twentieth Century Fox DVD

- This extraordinary sci-fi drama was created by Chris Carter of "X-Files" fame but failed to find a tv audience and may have also been perceived as a poor man's "Matrix." Based loosely on a comic book, "Harsh Realm" is about Tom Hobbs (Scott Bairstow) who is pressed into one last mission before leaving the Army. The military brass believe that because of his bravery Hobbs can defeat a renegade General called Santiago (Terry O' Quinn TV's "Millenium") who has hijacked a virtual reality war game. Of course, Hobbs has been duped by his superiors because once he enters the game, he can't escape. So, while searching for an exit, Hobbs must learn to survive in the nightmare world and also find a way to complete his objective: kill Santiago.

The innocent Hobbs is played with refreshing honesty, selflessness and innocence by young Bairstow. His guide is the wise and weary Han Solo-esque adventure Mike Pinnochio (D.B. Sweeney) and his side-kick Florence (Rachel Heyward), a mute female soldier . Hobbs discovers that the virtual world is a complete duplication of the real world that he came from but once someone is killed in the parallel virtual world, they disappear forever. He also discover that old friends (like Waters played by Maximillan Martini) from one world are enemies in the new world and that his fiancee, Sophie (Samantha Mathis) is the one true reason to fight to get back home. Carter has created an interesting scenario. Santiago's protected world is gleaming, clean and fascist. People are well cared for but they must obey him without question. Outside his control is a rough, post-apocalyptic world of misery.

This was a short-lived series that lasted barely three episodes before it was yanked off the air. The network didn't advertise the series very much and many people feel that the popularity of "The Matrix" may have crushed the series hopes. However, the ambitious show which had no obvious franchise may have scared the network and confused the tv viewers. Who knows why the series didn't fly? Nevertheless the producers filmed nine shows and they are all included on the DVD. The Chris Carter audio commentary of pilot is worth the price of the 3-disc DVD set. It is fascinating to see how such a creative, dark mind works. Fans of Carter and sci-fi themed shows with loads of intelligent input will be delighted with "Harsh Realm."

Dead Like Me
MGM DVD

- It took me several episodes to warm to the cranky heroine in "Dead Like Me." I couldn't understand why anyone would want to do a series about an 18-year-old who is accidentally killed before she can begin to "live" and enjoy life, and then follow her strange life after death. It seems after George (Ellen Muth) dies from a falling tiolet seat from a space station, she doesn't go to heaven or hell. Instead she's recruited by Rube (Mandy Patinkin) to be a grim reaper -- someone who guides a person's soul out of their body after death. In this world which exists in the one she just left, she doesn't look like her old self (but a sadder, older young woman) and she must do all of the things she was trying to avoid in her last life -- find a job, a place to live, etc. Furthermore, Rube introduces her to a whacky group of fellow grim reapers -- a transplanted Brit, an angry meter maid, a love-starved actress and a delightful bubble head. Meanwhile, George also witnesses her family's remorse and difficult adjustment to her death. She also learns to navigate office politics at a temp agency.

Life after life is a crazy idea for a cable series but after "Six Feet Under" how could Showtime's series fail to delight audiences as we watch George shed her passive behavior (which drove her mother nuts!) and become good at her job! This is twisted good fun! Newcomer Ellen Muth is delightful! Veteran actors Mandy Patinkin as the wise manager displays a dry wit and Jasmine Guy 's salty Roxy makes you laugh-out-loud. I quickly became addicted to this funny, funny show!

The 4-disc set has all 14 episodes of Season One and many special features including the music from the show, deleted scenes, a photo gallery, a behind the scenes featurette and a hilarious audio commentary with the cast.

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: The Complete Second Season
HBO Video

- He's back! He's the lovable curmudgeon who navigates Hollywood's shark-filled waters with relative ease because he challenges anyone who doesn't stand up to his personal set of rules -- i.e. no stop-and-chats or throngs on the beach. Who is he? He's Larry David, the writer famous for creating "Seinfeld" show. Larry never shies away from a shouting match especially when he thinks he's right. When an angry moviegoer asks him if he's Jewish because he's whistling a German composer that Hitler loved, Larry snaps "Do you want to see my penis!" He argues with an HBO executive who eats several shrimp out of Larry's Chinese takeout, Jason Alexander who refuses to meet in his office, an acupuncturist who insists he pay him $5,000 and various friends like Richard Lewis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the comedianne Wanda. Of course what Larry hates is the dishonesty of enormously rich and shallow people. Can you trust the word of a man who eats from a take-out meal and return it or claim that a sweater is 100% cashmere when it's not? The exception to this rule is his smart chubby agent Jeff who drives his wife around the bend with his adultrous behavior. Larry is loyal to him and his dysfunctional friend, Richard. And, he loves his devoted environmentalist wife along with Jeff understands Larry's angst and basic good nature.

It's bad behavior amid the comfy life of a Hollywood big-wig. Larry David has money, security, famous friends, a devoted agent (Jeff Garlin) and a nurturing wife, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) and yet, his life gets very, very messy. Of course, Larry doesn't fight with everyone -- an angry long-haired muscular wrestler, Thor scares him to death and he's stunned (and secretly delighted) by the harsh reaction he gets when he trips Shaq during a basketball game. And, Larry's situation is funniest when he's embarrassed -- being stuck in the car with Jeff's big-butt mother or alone with Jeff's angry wife -- and put on the spot in front of Cheryl when he tries to sneak out to play golf on her birthday or facing questions about a massage he got. This is the funniest show on TV.

Smallville: The Complete Second Season
Warner Video

- This extraordinary series about a teenage Clark Kent and his life before he becomes Superman is truly imaginative. It's my first introduction to the popular TV show and Season Two rocks! It's a mix of sultry teenage yearning, angst (like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and extraterristral wonderment (like "Roswell").

This season Clark (Tom Welling) discovers heat vision, tells his best friend Pete (Sam Jones III) his secret, challenges his adoptive father (John Schneider) and makes his first flying leap. He also meets a legend (Christopher Reeves) who reveals cruical information about his origin and home planet. The creators have assembled a handsome cast: veteran actors John Schneider, Annette O'Toole, John Glover and young actors, Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Sam Jones III, Allison Mack and Welling.

What's impressive are the heartfelt underlining themes of adolescent ackwardness about self, alienation, identity and unquenchable curiosity. Each week Welling and Kreuk generate enough sexual heat to light a small city and the pain of Chloe's (Mack) unrequited love touches a multitude of lovelorn fans. While Clark has a typically rebellious relations with his parents, his best bud Lex battles his scheming rich dad and tries to carve out a life with some love. And, Chloe does discover that she has an admirer but can his affection measure up to Clark's?

The six-disc set includes all 23 episodes and loads of behind the scenes documentaries like "Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The FX of Smallville" and "Christopher Reeve: The Man of Steel." There are also deleted scenes, a hilarious gag reel, The Chloe Chronicles and commentary on two key episodes by the producers and cast. You'll enjoy every single minute!

Wonder Woman: The Complete First Season
Warner DVD/Video

- Watching this DVD made me shutter and give thanks for the women's movement! But, then I remembered that many girls still strut their stuff at beauty pagnants all across the nation. Anyway, this hit show from 1970s made this former Miss USA, Lynda Carter a big star. Young girls and scores of guys fell in love with her innocence and beauty as she glided across the television screen in this tight bullet-proof outfit -- gold crown and whip at her side, red and gold strapless top and blue short-shorts with white stars. What may have looked good in a comic book, looks absolutely silly in the flesh. Anyway, she was one of the original comic book heroines and the stories happened during the WWII era with this immortal strong woman fighting the Nazi tyranny in America.

When US air pilot Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) mysteriously washes up on an unchartered island in the Bermuda Triangle, the Queen of the all female population decides he must be returned to the outside world. Wonder Woman/Diana Prince delivers him but decides to stay in this strange new world to fight evil. The episodes are simplistic plots with stars like Red Buttons, Henry Gibson, Stella Stevens and Roy Rogers. The material-- kick-action fights -- and ideas about women are dated but lovers of the comic books may find these early shows delightful.

The 3-disc set includes 13 episodes and an interesting retrospective look at women heroines, audio commentary by both Carter and Wagonner, and much, much more.

Edited by Veronica Mixon
images courtesy of HBO, Miramax, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner.

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