Tag: CSI: NY

Blu-ray Review: Human Target: The Complete First Season

Hi again!

When Human Target started airing on Fox television in January 2010, I was hooked. The series, loosely based on the DC Comics comic book of the same name, pits a problem solver – Christopher Chance (Mark Valley, Fringe) – against various threats and situations where he literally gets his clients out of harms way and cleans up after himself. The writing and acting manages to balance an intriguing backstory with fun action and humor without going overboard.

Starting with the pilot episode, we’re introduced a little at a time to the strange little security business that Chance and his buddy Winston (Chi McBride) have going. California’s new bullet train has a jealous husband and it’s Chance’s job to stop him. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have Tricia Helfer on board as your first damsel in distress either. Though Chance and Winston are the main operators of their security firm, they do call Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley) when his particular “skill set” is needed, though Winston would rather avoid it if possible.

Each episode, Chance, Winston, and Guerrero fight the good fight, helping people in need stay alive to stop whatever the current threat may be. It’s a common formula that kept the A-Team going for 5 seasons in the mid-1980s, so the “threat of the week” seems to work. And with the sarcasm found in every episode, it’s hard to go wrong.

Now, I do have to say that early on in the season some of the green screen work and enhanced action scenes were a bit cheesy. For example, there’s no way a motorcycle could leap quite as far as it did in the “Embassy Row” episode. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying every episode throughout the season.

A few of my favorites were “Rewind” where Chance rolls a passenger jet so it’s flying upside down for a while, “Embassy Row” which pitted Chance against the beautiful Emma Barnes (Emmanuelle Vaugier, CSI: NY, Two and a Half Men), and the season finale “Christopher Chance” featuring one of my other TV heroes from my childhood – Lee Majors (The Six-Million Dollar Man)..

Human Target: The Complete First Season captures all twelve episodes as well as a few great extras. From unaired scenes fro several episodes to the “Human Target: Confidential Informant” and “Human Target: Full Contact Television” features, which provide behind the scenes details from the cast and creators.

And I have to say that being new to Blu-ray, every episode is extremely crisp on screen. The quality is amazing. Though I have to say I was hoping for a few more extras. The Fringe season one DVD set included many more extras than did this set, so I was a bit disappointed.

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a few hours or an opportunity to catch up before season 2 airs in November 2010, you can’t do much better than this two disc Blu-ray set for season 1. Check out Human Target: The Complete First Season on DVD and Blu-ray at your favorite rental or retail counter!

For more details, check out the official site for the release – HumanTargetDVD.com.

This article first appeared at BlogCritics.org here.

–Fitz

p.s. Pick up this and other great TV on DVD & Blu-ray below!

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Too Much TV – Fall 2010

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Image by derekraugh via Flickr

We watch too much television at my house. We should probably seek professional help. Instead, we’re trying to figure out how to juggle DVR schedules and On Demand shows so we can watch everything we want to see… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA… [ahem]

Ok, now that I’ve had my nervous breakdown, let’s go through the list…

Last Thursday on the CW, I tried to watch the new Nikita. And though there were some good things (the action was cool, gadgets were cool, girls were beautiful) it just didn’t engage for me. I blame that not on Maggie Q, who plays Nikita in this incarnation of the story, but on the weak characters surrounding her. Shane West as Michael pales when compared to Roy Dupuis in the Peta Wilson-led La Femme Nikita of the late 1990s. And though I used to love Melinda Clarke, her Amanda pales against Alberta Watson’s Madeline from the ’90s series as well… I could go on, but suffice it to say that I won’t be watching again unless I’m very bored.

This week, we have only one show. It’s one my wife started watching and when I found time to see it, I actually enjoyed it…

  • Parenthood (ABC), Tuesday September 14, 2010 at 10pm CST/9pm MST

Next week is insane however…

Let’s start with Monday, September 20, 2010. Eight shows that we want to watch happen to air between 7pm and 10pm our time. Geez. And even if we only watch the first episode of a new series (I’m not convinced I’ll watch The Event, Chase, or Hawaii Five-O, but want to see the first episode to find out), that only reduces the list to 5 shows on a single night…

  • House (FOX), 8pm CST/7pm MST
  • Chuck (NBC), 8pm CST/7pm MST
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS), 8:30pm CST/7:30pm MST
  • The Event (NBC), 9pm CST/8pm MST
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS), 9:00pm CST/8:00pm MST
  • Castle (ABC), 10pm CST/9pm MST
  • Chase (NBC), 10pm CST/9pm MST
  • Hawaii Five-O (CBS), 10pm CST/9pm MST

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 is a little better…

  • Glee (FOX), 8pm CST/7pm MST
  • NCIS (CBS), 8pm CST/7pm MST
  • Raising Hope (FOX), 9pm CST/8pm MST
  • NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), 9pm CST/8pm MST

Wednesday, September 22, 2010, we only have a couple…

  • Undercovers (NBC), 8pm CST/7pm MST
  • The Defenders (CBS), 10pm CST/9pm MST

Then Thursday (September 23, 2010) explodes again… Even though I won’t watch Grey’s Anatomy or Private Practice (they’re my wife’s shows), that’s still seven out of nine shows…

  • Bones (FOX), 8pm CST/7pm MST
  • Big Bang Theory (CBS), 8pm CST/7pm MST
  • S#*! My Dad Says (CBS), 8:30pm CST/7:30pm MST
  • Fringe (FOX), 9pm CST/8pm MST
  • Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), 9pm CST/8pm MST
  • CSI (CBS), 9pm CST/8pm MST
  • Outsourced (NBC), 9:30pm CST/8:30pm MST
  • Private Practice (ABC), 10pm CST/9pm MST
  • The Mentalist (CBS), 10pm CST/9pm MST

And Friday (September 24, 2010) we only have a couple again:

  • Supernatural (CW), 9pm CST/8pm MST
  • CSI: NY (CBS), 9pm CST/8pm MST

So in the first big week of premieres, we’re looking at… 25 shows potentially.

To add insult to injury for our poor DVRs, there are more premieres scattered throughout October and November too…

  • No Ordinary Family (ABC), Tuesday, September 28, 2010, 8pm CST/7pm MST
  • Stargate Universe (Syfy), Tuesday, September 28, 2010,
    9pm CST/8pm MST
  • Human Target (FOX), Friday, October 1, 2010, 8pm CST/7pm MST
  • The Walking Dead (AMC), Sunday, October 31, 2010, 9pm CST/8pm MST
  • Lie to Me (FOX), Wednesday, November 10, 2010, 9pm CST/8pm MST

That’s a lot of television and I’m guessing a few will fall by the wayside before too long, but still… As Keanu would say – “Whoa.”

What are you planning on watching?
–Fitz

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If the WGA strike ends Tuesday, when will your favorite shows return?

The Big Bang TheoryImage via Wikipedia

Hey all…

TVThe WGA membership is voting on the updated agreements on Tuesday it seems. This should be good for all of us viewers should the majority approve it.

If that happens, TV Guide has been nice enough to put up a list of when our favorite shows will return…

Check it out here: @TV Guide

Have to say I’m most excited about:

The Big Bang Theory
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Bones
Four pre-strike episodes left. Unclear whether additional episodes will be produced for this season.

Chuck
No new episodes until fall.

CSI
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI: NY
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Heroes (though I saw a note today that makes me wonder about new eps until next fall)
TBD.

House
Expected to shoot 4 to 6 new episodes to air in April/May.

Life (the fact that it’s not cancelled yet is encouraging)
No new episodes expected until fall.

NCIS
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes, only three of which may air this season.

Numbers
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes, only three of which may air this season.

Reaper
Three pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Supernatural
Two pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot 3 to 5 additional episodes to air in April/May.

Two and a Half Men
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Hopefully that gives the rest of us some hope to salvage what’s left of the TV season. 🙂

–Fitz

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