‘Major Crimes’ stays solid, thanks to cast
Boxed sets of TV series dominate DVD releases this week.
• “Major Crimes,” • • • : The cable drama hasn’t missed a beat since Kyra Sedgwick moved on and the show became a morphed version of “The Closer.” That’s because the ensemble cast is good enough to make any show look good.
The support team includes Lt. Provenza (G.W. Bailey), Lt. Andy Flynn (Tony Denison), Lt. Mike Tao (Michael Paul Chan), Detective Julio Sanchez (Raymond Cruz), tech expert Buzz Watson (Phillip P. Keene), Dr. Morales (Jonathan Del Arco) and Assistant Chief Russell Taylor (Robert Gossett).
Mary McDonnell has been equal to the task of being the boss of the group.
• “The Nanny: The Complete Series” • • : The Fran Drescher comedy has its moments. It’s almost impossible to be on the air for 146 episodes and not have a few good ones.
The show about a blue-collar nanny taking care of white-collar kids never pushes too hard when it comes to comedy. Most of the time, the antics come out of Fran misunderstanding something.
It’s cute but doesn’t make for classic TV comedy.
• “Ray Donovan: Season 2” • • • 1/2: Golden Globe nominee Liev Schreiber and Golden Globe winner Jon Voight are back in one of the top series on Showtime. Their work, coupled with solid scripts for all 12 episodes, makes this a high-adrenaline drama.
In season two, Ray’s life erupts when the FBI, his father, Mickey (Voight), and his own family slip out of his control, testing his roles as protector, provider and patriarch.
This set includes several extras, including commentary from Schreiber on the episode he directed, “Walk This Way.”
• “The Saint: The Complete Series” • • • 1/2: Roger Moore is rarely mentioned as being the best actor to play James Bond. But there’s no doubt that his portrayal of Simon Templar in this series is first-rate work.
Templar is a modern-day Robin Hood created by Leslie Charteris in 1928. Since then the character has appeared in movies, novels and on radio. The TV version with Moore launched in 1962 and ran for 118 episodes (47 in color).
Bonus features include the featurette “Behind the Scenes with Roger Moore as Director.”
Also new on DVD
“Gun Woman”: Roosevelt High School graduate Kurando Mitsutake directed this action film.
“Sons of Liberty”: Cable mini-series that looks at events that sparked a revolution.
“Amazing Space”: Celebrates the 25-year anniversary of the Hubble.
“See You in Valhalla”: Sarah Hyland plays a young woman who must face secrets from her past.
“Cut Bank”: A get-rich scheme falls apart because of a murder investigation.
“Sword of Vengeance”: Prince seeks revenge for his father’s murder.
“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”: Daniel goes for a walk to explore where he lives.
“Ballet 422”: Peek behind the curtain of a prestigious ballet company.
“Da Sweet Blood of Jesus”: Spike Lee film that centers on an addiction to blood.
“Gold Rush: Season 4”: The hunt for treasure covers three countries.
“The Wonder Years: Season 3”: The education of Kevin Arnold continues in 23 episodes of the TV series.
“Cake Boss: Season 6”: Buddy Valstro continues to bake masterpieces.
“Red Army”: The Cold War is played out on the ice rink.
“So Bright is the View”: Middle class Jewish girl living in Bucharest faces a tough life decision.
“Looney Tunes Musical Masterpieces”: Includes 18 theatrical shorts.
“Mutant World”: Survivalists discover world of mutants.
“Hill Street Blues: Season 5”: Includes 23 episodes of the Emmy-winning drama.
“Nightlight”: Five friends face a fatal night in the woods.
“Tooken”: Spoof of “Taken” starring Lee Tergesen.
“Empire of the Ants”/“Jaws of Satan”: Double feature of classic horror films.
“Murdoch Mysteries: The Movies”: Includes three films based on the books by Maureen Jennings.