Time Life To Re-Issue ‘The Wonder Years: The Complete Series’ This Summer

Courtesy: Time Life Entertainment/StarVista

There is good news for fans of ABC’s classic family drama The Wonder Years.

Time Life Entertainment has announced that it will re-issue the series in a complete series box set next month.  It is currently slated to be released Tuesday, August 23^rd and will retail for MSRP of $119.95.  The new re-issue will feature all 115 episodes of the six-season series spread across 22 discs and 12 hours of new bonus material.  Those bonus features include: highlights from the cast’s first reunion in 16 years, a farewell set tour, Exclusive interviews and more.  It also features all of the songs originally used in the series’ 5 year, six season run including: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, The Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, James Taylor, Joe Cocker, and many others.  The series’ soundtrack in total comes to 300 songs.

Over the course of its six seasons on the air, The Wonder Years was one of television’s most popular series.  It earned a spot on Neilsen’s Top 30 in four of those seasons.  It earned an Emmy® for “Best Comedy Series,” and at age 13 lead actor Fred Savage became the youngest actor ever nominated for “Outstanding Lead Actor For A Comedy Series.”  The series would eventually go on to earn a total of 24 awards and be nominate for 70 more.  Those nominations and wins included: Emmy® Awards, A Golden Globe®, and in 1989 a Peabody® Award for pushing the boundaries of the sitcom format and using what were then new methods of storytelling.  Even after the show ended its run, its impact was still being felt.  In 1997 “My Father’s Office” was ranked #29 on TV Guide’s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.  The series’ pilot episode was ranked #43 on that same list.

The Wonder Years: The Complete Series will be released in stores and online on Tuesday, August 23^rd via Time Life Entertainment.  It will retail for MSRP of $119.95.  More information on this and other titles from Time Life Entertainment is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Time Life, StarVista Give Audiences The Time Of Their Lives Again In ‘The Wonder Years” Fifth Season

Courtesy: Time Life/ABC

Television has come a long way since its golden age.  That isn’t a good thing either.  During television’s infancy audiences were provided with so much variety in their programming options.  Now however, those options are far fewer.  Most of what audiences are being offered are either soulless “reality shows,” rebooted game shows, or any number of crime and medical procedurals, none of which even have any heart in themselves.  Thankfully, the variety once offered during television’s golden age have been resurrected by the increasing number of retro TV networks out there and home entertainment companies such as Shout! Factory, MPI Home Video, and the focus of today’s review, Time Life Entertainment.  Time Life and its subsidiary StarVista Entertainment have proven in recent years to be among the leading names in home entertainment thanks to the release of classics such as: Hee Haw, The Carol Burnett Show, and of course The Wonder Years just to name a few of those classic series.  Speaking of The Wonder Years, Time Life and StarVista released the fifth season of that series this past May.  The series’ penultimate season, it proves in its new home release why Time Life and StarVista are among the leading names in home entertainment beginning with the season’s writing; more specifically its stories.  The work of the series’ cast is just as important to note as the show’s writing.  The companion booklet that comes with the set is yet another important element to consider in the set’s presentation.  Each element plays its own part in Season Five’s overall presentation.  They are hardly the set’s only notable elements, too.  There is also the set’s collective bonus material and even the very listing of the episodes to consider in the set’s presentation.  All things considered Time Life and StarVista have once again proven with this release why they are among the leading names in the home entertainment arena.

Time Life and StarVista are among the very few leading names in the home entertainment arena today.  That has been proven time and again with every one of the companies’ previous home releases.  The recently released fifth season of ABC’s classic family drama The Wonder Years is just the latest title to prove that reputation.  The series is one of television’s best classic dramas.  That has already been proven over the course of the series’ first four seasons.  Now in its penultimate season it has proven this once again in large part through its writing.  More specifically that writing applies to the stories at the heart of each episode.  While this season’s stories take place in the 1970s their scenarios are just as relevant today as they were in their given age.  “Road Test” is just one key example of that continued relevance.  Kevin faces his driving test in this episode.  And it isn’t easy.  While everyone else is having an easy go of it, he can’t get over his issues with parallel parking.  That is until he finally faces his fears.  It also leads to a heartwarming father-son bonding moment between Kevin and Jack in the end.  This smaller element of the writing will be discussed later.  Of course driving tests have changed a lot since the days of Kevin’s test.  But that fear and uncertainty that new drivers feel is still very much the same, again proving its relevance to the world today.

The Story within “Day One” is another key example of The Wonder Years’ continued relevance to the world today.  This stories finds Kevin starting high school, which means a whole new environment including a new teacher who makes Kevin his personal target.  This comes about due to one joke that Kevin makes; a joke that Kevin finds harmless but the teacher in question doesn’t, thanks to his personal background.  In the process, Kevin learns a very important lesson not only about civics and government but about right and wrong.  It is an important story that progresses Kevin’s continuing coming-of-age that is just as relevant today as it was in its original broadcast.  Sure, there might not be protests along the line of what Kevin and his classmates did.  But it directly echoes that personal emotional growth that every teen goes through, even today.  So it proves, again, to be just as relevant to the world today as “Road Test.”

“Soccer” is one more example of what makes The Wonder Years so relevant to the world even today.  This time Kevin joins a band of misfit students to form his school’s new soccer team.  Of course the result is a classic underdog story that will put a smile on any viewer’s face.  Despite the differences exhibited by the team and its general lack of talent, it still comes together in the end to inspire both each other and its coach, a one-time soccer legend himself.  The coach had signed on very reluctantly and didn’t even show any real interest in the team throughout most of the story.  But the team’s determination inspired him even just a little bit.  So many stories along the lines on this one have been crafted by so many television and movie writers through the ages.  But they have all been so over the top that they are hardly believable.  This story is the polar opposite of those presentations.  It completely pulls in audiences and in turn makes itself entirely believable.  It is just one more way in which The Wonder Years maintains its relevance even today.  It is hardly the last story presented in this season that proves the series’ continued relevance.  “Private Butthead,” “The Lost Weekend,” and “Wedding” could just as easily be used to exhibit that continued relevance as could any of the season’s other episodes, too.  All things considered, the stories that are presented throughout The Wonder Years’ fifth season show from beginning to end the series’ continued relevance and the overall importance of the season’s writing.  The stories alone are just a portion of what makes the writing so important.  The life lessons that are presented within each episode are just as important to note as the stories themselves.

The stories at the center of The Wonder Years’ fifth season are in their own right hugely important to the writing within the season’s presentation.  They are just part of what makes the writing so important.  The life lessons that are presented within each episode are just as important to note as the stories themselves.  Case in point the lesson presented in “Day One.”  The lesson about standing up for one’s own beliefs is one that applies at any stage of life.  While the tyrant here might have been the teacher Kevin still realized that he had to stand up for himself just as people in general must stand up against tyranny, bullies, and the like.  It boasts a certain heart that few if any shows today can say they have.

“Grandpa’s Car” boasts just as much heart in its story and life lesson as that presented in “Day One.”  This story sees Arnold’s grandfather having to come to terms with his age and his waning abilities.  It presents yet another topic that is just as relevant today as it was in Kevin’s youth.  While the story is powerful in its own right, so is the lesson presented here.  The lesson centers on family.  It presents that important message about looking after one’s family even when family might not agree with certain decisions and actions.  It is one of those lessons (and stories) that will definitely touch audiences so deeply.  And it is hardly the last example of the importance of the lessons to the series’ writing in this season.  “The Wedding” provides one more example of the importance of the show’s lessons this season to its writing.

“Grandpa’s Car” and “Day One” both present lessons that are clearly important to the series’ writing.  They are lessons that ring just as true today as they did during Kevin’s youth.  They are not the only episodes to present such important lessons.  The lesson at the heart of “The Wedding” (no pun intended here) is yet another example of the importance of the show’s lessons to its writing.  It presents the message of social existence.  Just because Karen’s wedding isn’t the traditional wedding does not make it wrong.  It still allows her and her new husband to express their love to one another.  Sadly there are a lot of people who to this day still think that a wedding should be a certain way thanks to social norms and values.  Considering that, the lesson presented here is one from which so many audiences would benefit even today.  Keeping that in mind, the lesson presented here is yet one more example of the importance of the show’s lessons to its writing.  And as with the presented stories, it is hardly the last lesson that could be cited in exhibiting the importance of the show’s writing, too.  There are plenty of other lessons that could be cited here.  All in all they come together with the lessons noted here to show in full that the lessons presented within the episodes are just as important to the show’s writing as the presented episodes.  Now having considered all of this, the stories and lessons that are presented across The Wonder Years’ fifth season show unquestionably the importance of the season’s writing to its presentation.  As important as the writing proves to be to The Wonder Years’ fifth season it is not the only important part of its presentation.  The work of the show’s cast is just as important to note as that of the show’s writers.

The work of The Wonder Years’ writers proves to be unquestionably important to the series even in its fifth season.  That is because the writers have crafted stories that on one level are just as relevant today (yet again) as they were in their original broadcast.  On another level the lessons that are presented throughout give each episode (and the season in whole) just as much heart as the series’ previous four seasons.  While the writing proves to be so important to the series it is not the only important part of this season’s presentation.  The work of the series’ cast is just as important to note as the writing.  Their work shines through in every episode just as much as that of the writers.  One prime example of this comes midway into the season in “Private Butthead.”  When Wayne decides to join the Army, thinking he’s not smart enough to go to college, he and Jack butt heads over his decision.  What is evident on both parts is the love that Jack has for his son.  The emotion exhibited by Dan Lauria as he tries to persuade Wayne (Jason Hervey) to rethink his decision is so painful and heart-wrenching.  Lauria really makes audiences feel for him.  That is because he is not so much because Jack is mad at Wayne but rather because he is so scared for him and what might happen.  He explains to Wayne that it was different when he went to Korea.  He knows what happens in war.  He just doesn’t want that for his son.  It is a father’s love for his son.  And it shines here so brightly.  On the same note, Hervey is just as believable as Wayne butts  heads with Jack.  He makes audiences believe his performance just as much as Lauria does for Jack.  It would have been so easy for the pair to go over the top here.  But at no point does that happen.  It makes their performance one of the season’s best hands down.  It is just one example of how the cast’s work shines in this season.  Olivia d’Abo is just as impressive when she takes center stage in “The Wedding.”

Dan Lauria and Jason Hervey both exemplify the importance of the cast’s work when the pair take the lead in ‘Private Butthead.”  The duo expertly presents a situation that is just as prevalent today as it was so many decades ago.  The emotion exhibited by both men as they play their respective part in the story makes the story so emotionally gripping.  On another note, Kevin’s personal growth in “Day One” is another example of the importance of the cast’s work this season.  Audiences will find themselves completely enthralled in Fred Savage’s performance as Kevin goes from being a nervous high school “newbie” to being a proud, confident leader of sorts as he eventually leads his classmates in a protest against their tyrannical teacher.  It is so interesting to watch Kevin’s gradual personality change over the course of the episode.  That is thanks, again, to Savage’s attention to the story and control of Kevin’s growth.  It is yet another example of how the cast’s work shines here and most definitely not the last.  On another note, Olivia d’Abo is impressive in her own right during her time at the fore in “Stormy Weather.”

Dan Lauria, Jason Hervey, and Fred Savage all show in their own ways the importance of the cast’s work in this season of The Wonder Years.  Theirs isn’t the only notable work.  Olivia d’Abo deserves her own share of praise for her work as Kevin and Wayne’s sister Karen.  That is especially the case in ‘Stormy Weather.”  Here in this story is d’Abo portraying Karen as a grown woman yet someone who is still so vulnerable.  There is still that aspect of someone so young and inexperienced in life thanks to d’Abo’s performance.  D’Abo’s performance presents Karen as a young woman who is realizing that while she is an adult, she still obviously hasn’t completely found her way or herself.  And the moment at which she realizes this is one of the episode’s most powerful.  It is a subtle moment.  But those who pay close attention will catch it.  In doing so, those audiences will be so moved.  It is just one more way in which the cast’s work shines through in this season and shows its importance to the season’s presentation.  There are so many other moments that could be cited in exhibiting the importance of the cast’s work.  That would take far too much time, though.  Keeping that in mind, it would be safe to examine one more of the season’s important elements, its companion booklet.

Both the writing and acting behind the The Wonder Years in its fifth season do so much to make the show just as solid this time out as in its previous seasons.  They are not the season’s only important elements.  The companion booklet that comes with the set is just as important to note as the writing and acting.  Just as with the series’ previous seasons, this season’s companion booklet presents so much extra enjoyment for audiences.  It presents short but concise summaries for each of the season’s 24 episodes.  There are also some interesting tidbits included that range from behind-the-scenes information to some equally interesting history items.  For instance, in “Hero” it is noted that a then much younger James Caviezel actually had NBA aspirations in real life.  But an injury to Caviezel prevented those dreams from becoming reality, thus leading him to embark on an acting career.  It also presents a note about actor Paul Dooley, who played Kevin’s soccer coach, Pops in relation to the episode “Soccer.”  Audiences learn in watching this episode that Dooley was one of the creative forces behind PBS’ hit series The Electric Company.  There is even a note about author Jonathan Swift in relation to “Frank and Denise.”  It notes that Swift, who wrote Gulliver’s Travels, also wrote the 1,000 line poem “Cadenus and Vanessa,” that gets Denise so emotional in this episode.  The liner notes go on to state here that the poem in question was actually aobut his 17-year affair with Esther Vanhomrigh, whose parents were also friends of Swift.  It’s just one more interesting piece of information provided in the set’s companion booklet.  There is so much more that could be discussed including a little “pop quiz” related to Wayne’s SAT prep in “Private Butthead,” a brief history of the movie Carnal Knowledge and its impact upon its release, and even a little bit about actor Lyman Ward’s guest star appearance in “Of Mastodons and Men” among so much more.  Whether for these pieces of information, those more directly noted here or any of the others, it is clear that the companion booklet that comes with the fifth season of The Wonder Years is just as important to its presentation as the season’s writing and the work of the series’ cast.  Each element is important in its own right.  Heck, even the bonus material included on disc and the clear listing of episodes on the discs deserves being noted here, too.  All things considered, Time Life Entertainment and StarVista have proven once again with this collection why they are among the leading names in the home entertainment arena today.  It also shows why this recently released box set is one of the year’s top new box sets for grown ups.

The Wonder Years: Season 5 is yet another successful release from Time Life Entertainment and StarVista.  It shows once more why these two companies are, along with Shout! Factory and MPI Home Video, among the leading names in the home entertainment arena.  This is shown through the solid writing from the season premiere to the season finale.  This includes both the stories presented in each episode and the lessons (the heart) presented in each story.  The work of the series’ cast adds just as much enjoyment to each episode and the season in whole.  The companion booklet that is included in Season Five’s box adds just as much enjoyment to the set as its writing and acting.  The same can be said of the bonus material included on-disc and the clear listing of episodes on each disc.  Each element is equally deserving of being mentioned.  But there is just not enough time or space to do so.  All things considered Time Life Entertainment and StarVista have proven once again through all of these elements why they are among the home entertainment arena’s leading names.  Altogether they not only strengthen both companies’ reputations in the home entertainment arena but also show why this box set is one of the year’s top new box sets for grown ups.  It is available now in stores and online.  More information on this and other titles from Time Life Entertainment and StarVista is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

The Wonder Years’ Fourth Season Is 2016’s First Great Box Set For Grown-Ups

Courtesy: Time Life Entertainment

Time Life Entertainment has made quite the name for itself in recent years. That is thanks to the release of box sets from some of television’s greatest classic series. Those series include the likes of China Beach, The Carol Burnett Show, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts and a number of others. The release of said series is in itself just part of what has made the two companies quite the surprise in the home entertainment market. The overall presentation of said programs is really what has served to make Time Life such a surprising contender in that market.  Every one of the box sets released by the companies has offered not just the classic series in one capacity or another but a number of wonderful bonuses and smart packaging, too.  The series noted above are just some of the examples in which this has held true time and again. The companies’ release of ABC’s classic drama The Wonder Years in both its current standalone sets and its full series set are no exception to that rule, either. That can now also be said of the series’ upcoming fourth season DVD set.  There is so much more that could be noted of this set (just as with the series previous standalone season sets) than time and space allow. The stories that were crafted for Season Four are a good starting point, though.  Even as the stories were set against the backdrop of the then 1970s by that season, the experiences that Kevin, his family and friends go through in these episodes still remain as relevant today as they were to audiences in the show’s original broadcast.  The work of the show’s cast in interpreting the show’s scripts should be noted by relation.  From Fred Savage’s portrayal of the then awkward teenage Kevin Arnold to Josh Saviano’s portrayal of Paul as he matures to Dan Lauria’s continued impressive take on Kevin’s dad Jack, the cast’s work in whole is really what makes the stories so believable and in turn so entertaining. Looking at this new box set from another angle the episodes themselves are only a portion of what makes it another must have for fans of The Wonder Years. The companion booklet that is included in Season Four’s standalone set is yet another impressive addition to the show’s overall viewing experience. It offers extra tidbits on the season’s episodes from the music to behind-the-scenes extras, to even a recipe for a Mousse au Chocolat among so many other extras.  Collectively, the extras that are once again included in the companion booklet make it more than just a companion booklet but a bonus in every sense of the word.  Of course it is hardly the last element that could be presented in an examination of The Wonder Years’ fourth season.  There are also bonus interviews with the cast included in the set’s fourth disc that add even more insight into this season’s run.  One could even note the episode listings both within the set’s companion booklet and on the discs as a positive. Again, there is so much more here (as with previous standalone season sets of The Wonder Years) than could be tackled in a single setting.  Considering this, it can be said of The Wonder Years: Season 4 that this brand new box set from Time Life Entertainment is 2016’s first great box set for grown-ups.

The Wonder Years: Season 4 is 2016’s first great box set for grown-ups. That is not to say that the material contained within the set is improper for younger audiences. It just means that it will more likely reach older audiences than their younger counterparts because of the depth of the material that is presented. Though, some older youths might actually be able to relate to this series. Regardless, it can be said in going through the fourth season of The Wonder Years in whole, that this season is yet another hit for Time Life Entertainment. The central reason for that is the episodes that were crafted for this season. Right from the season premiere, “Growing Up,” audiences will be locked in as they watch Kevin’s personal growth and the changes that his family is beginning to see amongst itself. This episode sees Kevin beginning to…well…grow up.  His tenuous relationship with his father continues as he tries to get Jack to lighten up en route to the annual company picnic but then go man to man against him in the company softball game.  The tensions that the family has been experiencing have been reaching a boiling point, but still manage to work themselves out by the episode’s end.  While it all seems rather schmaltzy, audiences will be pleased to know that the writers didn’t allow it to take that route.  Rather, there is something about the episode’s writing that kept the episode wholly believable.  They didn’t really have to go to any extra lengths to make audiences suspend their disbelief.  That is because the situations presented in this episode were all so relatable to one extent or another for one audience or another.

“Road Trip,” which comes later in Season Four, is another example of the importance of the stories that were penned for this season.  Much as with the season premiere, it also focuses on Kevin’s relationship with his father.  This time the pair hit the road to purchase anew suit for Kevin.  Of course things don’t go exactly as planned, which leads to even more head butting and eventual reconciliation.  That reconciliation even leads to a certain emotional growth within both characters and between them.  Even now as the twenty-first century plods on, such a story is one to which so many fathers and sons can still relate today.  That is because both parties still face similar hurdles to this day in their personal and collective growth.

Of course the Arnolds aren’t the only cast members that get to take center stage in The Wonder Years’ fourth season. Coach Cutlip takes center stage in “A Very Cutlip Christmas.”  This episode sees Coach Cutlip taking on a second job as a mall Santa during the holidays so as to make ends meet.  In his efforts to keep his secret, Coach Cutlip treats Kevin better than his classmates, which then inadvertently leads to the revelation of Cutlip’s second job.  On the one hand, the boys’ initial reaction to the discovery is something very relatable.  In regards to Cutlip’s attempt to cover up having to take on extra employment, that is all too real especially today. There are some states in this country today that see teachers having to take on extra work over the summers and even weekends so as to make ends meet.  And the stigma that is attached to that process is just as real today as it would have been for a teacher even in the 1970s.  It is just one more way in which the episodes presented in The Wonder Years’ fourth season show themselves to be so important to the season’s overall viewing experience.  They are hardly the only episodes that could be cited in showing the episodes’ importance.  “Graduation” is another episode that could be cited as it sees Kevin, Paul and Winnie graduating from junior high and taking that first big step into the next stage of their lives.  It is a situation that still happens with middle school students to this day.  And for people of that age, it is a very difficult situation because it really is the first time that young people face such uncertainty.  It can be very trying for some.  “Who’s Aunt Rose?” is perhaps the season’s most powerful episode as Kevin and Wayne have to learn a very hard lesson about the importance of family, even distant family after the death of Grandpa Arnold’s cousin Aunt Rose.  It is yet another way in which the episodes prove to be so important to the whole of the season’s presentation.  Together with each of the season’s other episodes, all twenty-three episodes present a viewing experience that will move audiences to laughter and to tears from one episode to the next and even within the course of one episode or another.  The end result of this experience is twenty-three episodes that will keep audiences engaged from beginning to end and agreeing, once more, why this season’s episodes are so important to the season’s overall presentation on DVD.  The episodes that were crafted for the fourth season of The Wonder Years are in themselves more than enough reason for audiences to pick up this new box set when it becomes available next Tuesday, January 12th.  That is because the situations presented within each of the season’s twenty-three episodes are wholly believable.  They are situations that families encounter in one way or another even to this day.  The writers didn’t even have to get overly schmaltzy in any of this season’s episodes either in order to make them enjoyable.  That makes them all the more entertaining.  They are just one part of what makes this season such a hit for Time Life Entertainment, though.  The cast’s interpretation of each episode’s script is just as important to the episodes’ enjoyment as the episodes themselves.

The episodes that make up the body of The Wonder Years’ fourth season are in themselves a hugely important part of the season’s overall presentation.  Even as important as they are to the season’s standalone presentation, they are just one of the set’s elements that should be noted.  The work of the cast in interpreting each episode’s script is just as important to the show in its fourth season as the episodes themselves.  And just as with the series’ first three seasons, the cast’s work in front of the lens is completely entertaining.  Dan Lauria’s reaction as Fred Savage calls him out over his new boss at the company picnic in “Growing Up” is a prime example of how the cast’s work proves to be just as important to the show as the show’s scripts.  It is a classic moment.  Jack’s reaction here is a reaction that audiences familiar with the show have seen before in the show’s first three seasons.  Daniel Stern’s narration makes the moment all the more entertaining.  On another note, Savage’s presentation of Kevin’s bravery as he demands his locker back in “Ninth Grade Man” is another good example of the cast’s expert ability to interpret each episode’s scripts.  Here in this moment is Kevin acting more on hormones than on a clear head.  It’s something that every young person (especially younger boys) has done.  Someone says or does something that gets into a person’s head.  And that person in turn in what he or she believes is a brave manner.  In reality, it is a knee-jerk reaction that, just like Kevin realizes after the fact, probably was not the best course of action.  It’s part of that growth that everybody goes through even today.  Older audiences especially will look at this moment and laugh at it thanks to that understanding.  In the same vein, some older youths will find it an interesting moment because of their ability to relate to the moment in their own right.  On a completely different note, when Grandpa Arnold kicks Wayne and Kevin out of the car in “Who’s Aunt Rose?” both Savage and [Jason] Hervey are spot on in this moment.  It is a moment that stands out solidly against so many others throughout this season.  The look on the boys’ faces as they are left to walk the final two miles to their destination and their collective reaction in their collective epiphany is a gripping moment.  Considering the episode’s subject matter, their reaction will move audiences  deeply.  It’s just one more moment that shows why the cast’s work is just as important to The Wonder Years in its fourth season as the episodes themselves.  Even four seasons in, the cast shows its professionalism time and again.  Their collective interpretations and interactions make every episode wholly believable and engaging.  That professionalism partners with the work of the show’s writers to make the fourth season of The Wonder Years just as entertaining and engaging as the series’ first three seasons.  Of course it is hardly the only remaining element of this standalone season set that makes it worth the watch.  The set’s companion booklet once again proves to be just as important to the series here as in the series’ previous standalone season sets.

Both the episodes that are featured in the fourth season of The Wonder Years and the cast’s interpretation of said episodes are equally important in their own right to the season’s new standalone set.  While both elements exhibit great importance to Season Four’s overall presentation, they are not the only elements that should be considered.  The set’s companion booklet is just as important in its presentation as the episodes and acting this time out.  That is because of all of the extra information that is provided to audiences within the pages of the booklet.  That information includes insight into this season’s episodes from the writers, cast profiles, key episode specific quotes, and so much more.  In regards to the episode information, “Little Debbie” is one example.  Writer Mark B. Perry offers his insight in bringing the Pfeiffer family back in this episode and more specifically Debbie Pfeiffer.  Executive Producer Bob Brush also shares his thoughts on “The Accident” and what made this episode so pivotal in the grand scheme of the series’ six-season run.  The cast profiles include profiles on Robert Picardo, and guest stars Soleil Moon Fry and David Schwimmer.  There are also a few episode specific quotes, pop quizzes and more tossed in for good measure.  There is even a recipe for a Mousse au Chocolat (or chocolate mousse) that accompanies the episode summary and other information for It’s A Mad, Mad, Madeline World.”  It’s not just some play recipe either.  It is the real deal.  These are just some of the extras included in Season Four’s companion booklet that audiences will enjoy.  There is much more for audiences to discover for themselves when they purchase The Wonder Years: Season Four for themselves.  All things considered, the companion booklet that comes with The Wonder Years’ fourth season makes the show’s companion booklet once again not just a booklet but its own individual experience.  Together with the show’s writing this season and the work of the show’s cast all three elements come together to make The Wonder Years’ fourth season another must have for any of the show’s fans.  And it isn’t even the last element that could be noted to the set’s benefit.  The bonus cast interviews that are included in the set’s fourth disc and the episode summaries included inside the set’s companion booklet could just as easily be cited as positives to this set.  What’s more the fact that audiences get a full episode listing both within the set’s companion booklet and over the course of each disc.  The episode listing inside the set’s companion booklet includes not just a full listing of the set’s episodes but a short but concise summary of each episode.  The discs that make up the show’s fourth season each have their respective episodes listed on the discs.  What this means is that audiences can be doubly certain that they will know which episodes are on which disc and what’s more what each episode entails in terms of stories.  It might not seem like much on the surface.  But in the grand scheme of things this is a very important element in Season Four’s  overall presentation.  Together with everything else noted here, the overall presentation of The Wonder Years’ fourth season proves it to be in whole, another must have for any of the show’s fans and 2016’s first great new box set for grown-ups.

The fourth complete season of The Wonder Years is 2016’s first great new box set for grown-ups and another must have for anyone that grew up watching this standout drama.  Between its full complement of entirely engaging episodes and the work of the show’s cast, audiences are given more than enough reason to add this latest installment of episodes to their home DVD libraries.  The extensive bonus material included in the set adds even more enjoyment to the set’s overall presentation and viewing experience.  The interviews included in the set’s fourth disc and the extensive information included in the set’s companion booklet will impress audiences just as much.  Each element plays its own important part in the overall presentation of Season Four.  Altogether, they make The Wonder Years: Season Four, again, a collection that any of the series’ fans will want to have in their home DVD libraries and a collection that is 2016’s first great box set for grown-ups.  It will be available next week and can be ordered online via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Years-Season-4DVD/dp/B017KIRUC0/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1452289869&sr=1-1&keywords=the+wonder+years+season+4.  More information on this and other titles from Time Life Entertainment is available online now at:

Website: http://timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLIfeUS

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StarVista Shines Bright Again Thanks To The Wonder Years Season Two

Courtesy: StarVista Entertainment/Time Life Entertainment

ABC’s The Wonder Years was one of the most successful and popular programs on television in its original run on ABC from 1988 – 1993.  Even after more than two decades since it finally came to an end, it still remains one of the most beloved series in television’s modern history.  As beloved as the series continued to prove to be since it ended its original run, it wouldn’t be until last year that devotees of The Wonder Years would finally be rewarded for their loyalty to the series.  The complete first season of The Wonder Years finally got its first ever full, proper DVD release last fall courtesy of StarVista Entertainment.  And this week, StarVista Entertainment has followed up that release with the series’ complete second season.  Season Two picks up where the series’ first season left off in every sense of the phrase, presenting wonderful, timeless episodes that are just as relatable today as they were in their original airings.  The acting on the part of the cast remains just as impressive as in Season One.  And the mass of bonus material including the companion booklet and the on-disc bonuses impresses yet again in its own way.  Each of the noted elements—the writing, acting, and bonus material—that went into the second season of The Wonder Years plays its own pivotal role in making this long-awaited box set so impressive.  All three together make the second season of The Wonder Years another must have for any of the series’ original audiences.

When it was finally released last year, StarVista Entertainment’s release of The Wonder Years: Season One proved in so many ways to be well worth the two-decade plus wait.  One of the main reasons that it proved so well worth the wait was the writing behind its episodes.  Much the same can be said of the writing in Season Two’s episodes.  The series’ writers continued in Season Two to present a series that was a serial without actually being a serial.  It followed the Arnold family’s growth.  But unlike today’s series, it didn’t require audiences to dedicate the amount of time that said series require of audiences.  It’s a model that sadly hasn’t been seen since the days of Home Improvement, Wings, The Cosby Show, and 3^rd Rock From The Sun just to name a handful of series.  It’s just part of what continues to make the writing so impressive in the series’ second season.  The ability of audiences to so easily relate to the series concepts in these episodes makes the writing just as strong.  Every viewer will relate to the fallout from Kevin and Winnie’s breakup at the end of Season One because every viewer has navigated those same troubled waters in their own lives whether as children or teens.  In the same vein, the growing complexities of Kevin and Paul’s friendship throughout Season Two are just as real.  The strain put on the pair’s friendship when Paul starts dating in “Steady As She Goes” is a situation to which any viewer can relate.  It’s a situation to which both men and women can relate as both boys and girls go (have gone) through at some point in life.  And the emotional strain caused by a divorce as in “How I’m Spending My Summer Vacation” is just as much an issue to which so many audiences can relate.  It’s just one more example of how the writing behind Season Two makes its episodes just as enjoyable as those that made up the series’ first season.  There are plenty of other examples of why the series’ writing this season remains so solid.  From the special message in “Christmas” to the tensions which every married couple has had at some point even today in “Pottery Will Get You Nowhere,” to the already noted episodes, audiences will see from episode to episode just why the writing behind Season Two’s episodes is central to the set’s success and enjoyment.

The writing behind the second season of The Wonder Years is the center point of its success and enjoyment.  Even now in the twenty-first century, the situations presented throughout each episode are situations to which any family can relate.  That is because every viewer has found himself or herself in at least one of the given situations if not most.  That having been noted, the work of the show’s cast in terms of interpreting Season Two’s scripts adds to the episodes’ enjoyment.  At no one point does it ever feel like the cast is going over the top.  Maybe the reason for that is that the situations presented in Season Two were just as timeless then as they are today.  They were (and are) so real that it made interpreting their scripts that easy.  It is so easy to believe Kevin’s heartbreak when he learns that Winnie hasn’t fallen back in love with him and when he is struggling to keep his parents from fighting after Jack gives Norma no support as she takes a pottery course.  The frustration of the Arnolds in trying to keep up with the times in “Christmas” is just as real and believable.  Even today, it’s so easy for any family to see itself in the position of the Arnolds as they feel left behind by technology and those with the latest technology.  That reality made the acting just as easy for the cast just as the reality of divorce made the acting in the season finale so easy.  And because the acting in these (and all of Season Two’s episodes) is so believable, it makes the episodes in whole more believable and that much more enjoyable for audiences.  The believability of the cast’s acting coupled with the work of the script writers makes collectively for a big reason that The Wonder Years: Season Two is a must see for any fan of this classic series.

The work of the cast and the writers in The Wonder Years’ second season make up a big part of the reason that any fan of the show should check out this new box set from StarVista Entertainment.  While both elements are of equal importance to the set’s success, there is still one more element to note of the set that will impress audiences just as much.  That final element is the set’s collective bonus material.  The bonus material includes not just the bonus interviews and featurettes on the set’s fourth disc but the set’s companion booklet, too. The material included on the set’s fourth disc includes more interviews with Fred Savage’s TV parents Dan Lauria and Alley Mills as well as an interview with narrator Daniel Stern (Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Bushwacked). There is also a look back at the turbulent era in which The Wonder Years’ second season took place. The era in question was the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was a time of great social change for America, and as audiences will see in “The Times They Are A-Changin’: The Era” those changes were reflected directly in the episodes. They were part of the previously noted writing that made Season Two so enjoyable. Along with all of that, there is also a roundtable discussion with Fred Savage, Danica McKellar, and Josh Saviano in which the trio looks back on the events of Season Two and what those events meant to each one of them. The companion booklet that is included with Season Two maintains the standard set by the booklet included in Season One’s box. Simply put, it is more than just an episode guide. It outlines the episodes and gives some background on the episodes as well as some history behind the show and other little important tidbits such as current events and music history in relation to the episodes’ settings. The fact that the people at StarVista entertainment would strive to maintain that high standard even with the set’s companion booklet shows that they wanted to continue honoring the series and those that made it so great, and the show’s fans. Such an in-depth booklet coupled with equally in-depth bonuses included on-disc show together why the bonus material included in The Wonder Years: Season Two is just as important to its presentation as the episodes and the work of the cast. By themselves, the bonuses included in this set make for plenty of reason for the show’s original fans to add this set to their home library. Together with the work of the cast and the writers, audiences are presented with a set that is in every way a definite must have.

The Wonder Years: Season Two is available now in stores and online. It can be ordered direct online via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Years-Season-2-4DVD/dp/B00OGD8PX6/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1423063498&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Wonder+years+Season+2. More information on this and other titles from StarVista Entertainment is available online at:

 

Website: http://timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

StarVista, Time Life Announce Release Date, Specs For The Wonder Years Season 2

Courtesy: StarVista Entertainment/Time Life Entertainment

Kevin, Paul, Winnie and the rest of the characters from ABC’s beloved classic drama The Wonder Years are coming back.

StarVista Entertainment announced Monday that it will release the complete second season of The Wonder Years on DVD on Tuesday, February 3^rd, 2015. The series’ second season consists of seventeen half-hour episodes spread across four discs. Also included in the upcoming second season set are a number of bonuses for fans. There are also more than four dozen classic songs from artists such as: Bob Dylan, Carol King, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Cream, Bing Crosby, Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel, Traffic, Diana Ross and the Supremes, James Taylor, Nat King Cole, The Miracles, Judy Collins, Donovan, and a number of others. The full list of songs and artists featured in season Two is noted below.

“Heart of Darkness”

• You Make Me Feel So Young
• Sunshine of Your Love-Cream

“Our Miss White”

• Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)-The Temptations
• The Times They Are A-Changin’-Bob Dylan

“Christmas”

• Jingle Bell Rock-Instrumental
• White Christmas-Bing Crosby
• River-Joni Mitchell
• Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas-Instrumental

“Steady as She Goes”

• Yellow Bird-On-Screen Character Performance
• Somewhere-On-Screen Character Performance
• Ooo Baby Baby-The Miracles
• The Thrill Is Gone-B.B. King
• Will You Love Me Tomorrow-Carole King

“Just between Me and You and Kirk and Paul and Carla and Becky”

• I Am a Rock-Simon & Garfunkel
• Someday We’ll Be Together-Diana Ross and the Supremes
• Some Enchanted Evening-On-Screen Character Performance

“Pottery Will Get You Nowhere”

• It’s Not Unusual
• When I Fall in Love-Nat King Cole

“Hiroshima, Mon Frère”

• Wild Thing-The Troggs
• Brother, Brother-Carole King

“Loosiers”

• You’ve Got a Friend-James Taylor
• Sweet Georgia Brown-Brother Bones

“Walk Out”

• I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man-Muddy Waters
• The Tracks of My Tears-The Miracles
• I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag-Country Joe and the Fish
• Give Peace A Chance-On-Screen Character Performance

“Nemesis”

• My Girl-The Temptations
• Theme from The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

“Fate”

• Born under a Bad Sign-Cream
• Respect-Aretha Franklin

“Birthday Boy”

• Happy, Happy Birthday Baby-The Tune Weavers
• Bookends-Simon & Garfunkel
• Yummy, Yummy, Yummy-On-Screen Character Performance
• Hava Nagila-Karmon Israeli Singers

“Brightwing”

• Subterranean Homesick Blues-Bob Dylan
• In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida-Iron Butterfly
• You Can All Join In-Traffic
• Catch the Wind-Donovan

“Square Dance”

• Star Flicker-Houston Ramblers
• Turkey In The Straw-Ralph Pierce
• Comin’ round the Mountain-The Sundowners Band

“Whose Woods Are These?”

• Happy Days Are Here Again-The Banjo Barons
• In My Life-Judy Collins

“How I’m Spending My Summer Vacation”

• The Theme from “A Summer Place”-Percy Faith and His Orchestra
• Smoke Gets in Your Eyes-The Platters
• Never on Sunday-The Chordettes
• I Only Have Eyes for You-The Flamingos
• La Vie En Rose-Edith Piaf
• Scarborough Fair/Canticle-Simon & Garfunkel

The second season of The Wonder Years sees Kevin, his friends, and his family all grow together as throughout all of the turmoil of the age. Kevin’s personal growth comes as he starts standing up to his older brother Wayne (Jason Hervey) and as he takes part in a class walkout to protest the Vietnam War. He, Paul (Josh Saviano), and Winnie (Danica McKellar) also fight to stop developers from plowing over Harper Woods, where the trio shared many of their favorite childhood memories.

The bonus materials included on the upcoming Season 2 box set are noted below.

BONUS FEATURES 

• School Days: Roundtable with Danica McKellar, Fred Savage and Josh Saviano
• Featurette: The Times They Are A-Changin’: The Era
• Interviews with: Dan Lauria (Jack Arnold), Alley Mills (Norma Arnold), Daniel Stern (Narrator)

The Wonder Years: Season Two will retail for MSRP of $39.95. More information on the box set’s upcoming release and other titles from Star Vista Entertainment and Time Life Entertainment is available online at:

Website: http://timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUs

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

The Wonder Years Season One Is A Wonder-Ful Box Set

Courtesy: Time Life Entertainment/StarVista Entertainment

Twenty-one years ago, one of the greatest television series in the modern era of television came to an end after six seasons.  The series in question is none other than ABC’sThe Wonder Years.  The Wonder Years was and is today one of the greatest series in the network’s history.  Few shows have made as much of an impact for ABC as The Wonder Years before or since.  That’s not to say that there are none.  There are those that obviously have.  But for that network alone, The Wonder Years remains today one of the network’s absolutely most beloved series.  While The Wonder Years did see some VHS releases after it ended its initial run, it had not seen the light of day since then.  That is until now.  Next Tuesday, October 7^th, StarVista Entertainment and Time Life Entertainment will release the first season of this hugely acclaimed series to audiences alongside a pair of full series set for the series’ most diehard fans.  The complete series box sets are a bit pricey, needless to say.  That means that many fans will be aiming more for the first season box set that will be released alongside those boxes.  There is just as much to appreciate about the stand-alone Season One box set as those full series sets.  The most obvious factor that audiences will appreciate is the inclusion of all six (yes, six) episodes from the series’ first season.  The companion booklet included in the box set adds to the enjoyment factor even more.  And last but not least is the bonus material included with the set.  All three of these factors together make The Wonder Years: Season One one of the most welcome new box sets this year.

The Wonder Years was one of the greatest series to ever come to television.  It is still one of the greatest in television’s modern era to this day.  The series worked so well because like so many series of its time, it had such substance and originality.  There was also so much heart to the show.  It all showed through clearly thanks to the hard work of the series’ writers.  This is the case even in the series’ debut season.  Audiences that pick up Season One will hear the cast and crew discuss in the bonus features that heart and substance among many other topics.  That will be discussed at a later point.  Getting back to the point, the writing within Season One’s episodes is the most important of factors in this season’s enjoyment and success.  That’s especially the case considering the fact that Season One lasted all of six episodes.  Audiences are taken back to 1968, well before most of the show’s audiences had even been thought of.  Despite this fact, the themes carried within each episode are timeless.  Families having to deal with personal loss, young love, and the general coming-of-age themes are ones to which even today’s audiences can relate.  Given, times have changed.  So the situations portrayed in these episodes might have evolved in a manner of speaking.  But by and large, they still remain just as relatable today as they were in the episodes’ original broadcasts.

The themes presented within each of Season One’s episodes are timeless.  They are themes to which audiences of all ages can relate even today.  That in itself is quite the statement to the work of the series’ original writers.  Collectively, they make up what is just one part of the whole that is such a joy for all audiences in The Wonder Years: Season One.  Another part of Season One that audiences will appreciate is the set’s companion booklet.  Yes, that’s right.  The booklet carries just as much weight as the episodes themselves presented in this season’s set.  The reason that the set’s companion booklet is so important is that it serves as far more than just another ordinary, run-of-the-mill episode guide.  Audiences get in the double-disc set’s companion booklet an episode guide.  They get a thorough history of the show, too.  There are in-depth notes about the show’s production, from Kevin (Fred Savage) and Winnie’s (Danica McKellar) first kiss to personal thoughts on the episodes and even music listings from each episode and more.  Audiences that might not have known will be interested to learn that Kevin and Winnie’s kiss in this season was also the very first for Fred Savage and Danica McKellar.  Both actors offer more insight on that moment in the bonus features included with the set.  And the show’s runners offer their own insight into the episodes and specific characters throughout Season One both in this booklet and the bonus features included in the set.  Again, the bonus features will be touched on later.  The music listing included in the set’s companion booklet is especially important to the whole as it was in fact that music rights that held up the series’ release for so many years.  Now, audiences get to hear all the great classic music from the series’ setting and even learn about said songs thanks to their listing and a brief history on those that performed said songs in each episode.  The inclusion of that brief history on the songs makes for a great introduction to a whole new world of music for audiences of all ages.  It helps to introduce them to music to which they might not have otherwise previously had knowledge or interest in those songs.  All of the collective information and insight provided in Season One’s companion booklet enhances the overall viewing experience.  Together with the timeless, solidly written episodes, the two factors make this set all the more of a must have for anyone that grew up a fan of this modern classic.

The timeless, solidly written episodes that make up The Wonder Years: Season One are themselves more than enough reason for fans of this modern classic series to add this set to their personal collections.  The companion booklet that comes with the set heightens the enjoyment of the box set even more.  That is because of the amount of information and insight included throughout the booklet.  It isn’t just another run-of-the-mill episode guide.  In direct connection to both the episodes and the set’s companion booklet, the bonus material included in Season One’s box set rounds out the package.  The most important of the bonuses included in this set is “With A Little Help From My Friends: The Early Days of the Wonder Years.”  This feature includes interviews with the cast and crew, including the show’s creators Neal Marlens and Carol Black, and from lead actors Fred Savage and Danica McKellar.  There is also some insight from actor Daniel Stern (Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, City Slickers, Bushwhacked) in regards to narrating the series and how closely certain episodes actually mirrored his own personal life.  As noted before, both McKellar and Savage discuss that first kiss.  McKellar laughs as she discusses the slight discomfort at having an audience for the scripted kiss.  That was the case being that it was the first kiss period for both actors both on screen and off.  Co-stars Josh Saviano (Paul) and Jason Hervey (Wayne) share their own thoughts on the show’s early days alongside Dan Lauria and Alley Mills who played Kevin and Wayne’s parents Jack and Norma.  The cast reunion highlights and personal interviews also included as bonuses each offer their own enjoyment.  But the look back at the series’ early days offers the most enjoyment of the bonus features.  That is because it is a direct compliment to the episodes themselves and the set’s companion booklet.  Together with the booklet and Season One’s timeless, solidly written episodes, that one bonus feature alone serves to make this box set complete.  It is that proverbial cherry on the banana split that is The Wonder Years: Season One.  Audiences will see that for themselves when they purchase this box set or order it for themselves when it is made available next Tuesday, October 7^th.

The episodes that make up the first season of The Wonder Years are some of the most impressive from the debut season of any series in television’s modern era.  Their themes are timeless.  The result is a group of episodes that audiences of any age will appreciate today.  The companion booklet included with Season One makes this box set even more enjoyable because it isn’t just another run-of-the-mill episode guide booklet.  It offers an episode guide, yes.  But it also offers a history on the series, on the series’ music, and a certain amount of insight on the season’s episodes in particular.  That depth makes the episodes even more enjoyable for viewers.  And the bonus features pick right up where the companion booklet leaves off, rounding out the whole package.  The people at StarVista and Time Life obviously went to great lengths to make sure that each of these elements would make the biggest impact possible for fans of The Wonder Years.  They did that and more.  All three factors together prove The Wonder Years: Season One to be one of the most welcome new box sets of 2014.  The Wonder Years: Season One will be available in stores and online next Tuesday, October 7^th on DVD.  It can be ordered online via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Years-Season-1/dp/B00L9OPFTC/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1412286805&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Wonder+Years+Season+One.  More information on this and other releases from Star Vista and Time Life is available online at:

 

Website: http://www.timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUs

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.