Visitor, Nana

Star Trek Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season

Of all the spinoff TV incarnations of Star Trek, Deep Space Nine had the hardest job persuading an audience to watch. By all accounts, Gene Roddenberry had concerns about the idea before his death in 1991. It took two more years to develop, and when it finally aired in 1993 reasons for that concern were evident right away. The show was dark (literally), characters argued a lot, no one went anywhere, and the neighboring natives were hardly ever friendly. Yet for all that the show went against the grain of the Great Bird's original vision of the future, it undeniably caught the mood of the time, incorporating a complex political backdrop that mirrored our own.

In the casting, there was a clear intent to differentiate the show from its predecessors. Genre stalwarts Tony Todd and James Earl Jones were considered for Commander Sisko before Avery Brooks. The one letdown at the time was that Michelle Forbes did not carry Ensign Ro across from The Next Generation, but when the explosive Nana Visitor defiantly slapped her hand on a console in the pilot episode, viewers knew they were in for a different crew dynamic. In fact, the two-part pilot show ("The Emissary") is largely responsible for DS9's early success. Mysterious, spiritual, claustrophobic, funny, and feisty, it remains the most attention-grabbing series opener (apart from the original series') the franchise has had. The first year may have relied on a few too many familiar faces--like Picard, Q, and Lwaxana Troi--but these were more than outweighed by refreshingly detailed explorations of cultures old and new (Trill, Bajoran, Cardassian, Ferengi). As it turned out, Deep Space Nine was the boldest venture into Roddenberry's galaxy that had been (or ever would be) seen. --Paul Tonks

20 episodes on 6 discs: Emissary Part I, Emissary Part II, Past Prologue, A Man Alone, Babel, Captive Pursuit, Q-Less, Dax, The Passenger, Move Along Home, The Nagus, Vortex, Battle Lines, The Storyteller, Progress, If Wishes Were Horses, The Forsaken, Dramatis Personae, Duet, In the Hands of the Prophets.

The Sentinel

Broadway's Lost Treasures Collection (Broadway's Lost Treasures 1-3 & The Best of the Tony Awards - The Plays)

The Broadway's Lost Treasures Collection consists of the three volumes previously released on DVD plus a never-before-available fourth disc, The Best of the Tony Awards: The Plays. The first three discs deliver what the title promises: historic performances of great moments in American musical theater televised on the Tony Awards starting in the 1960s and into the new millennium. Unlike some other arts, theater has rarely been well-documented, so it's a treat to see these numbers performed by the original artists rather than experience them through audio recordings or tepid movie adaptations. Sure, sound and picture quality are only adequate, some of the numbers are minimally staged and some appear to be lip-synched, and some of the performances that do have excellent film counterparts seem rather lackluster here. But those are minor drawbacks compared to the chance to see Gwen Verdon performing "All That Jazz" and "Nowadays" from Chicago and "Whatever Lola Wants" from Damn Yankees; John Raitt singing The Pajama Game's "Hey There"; Alfred Drake singing Kiss Me Kate's "Where Is the Life That Late I Led"); a 33-year-old Jerry Orbach performing Promises, Promises' "She Likes Basketball"; and 12-year-old Andrea McArdle breaking hearts in Annie's "Tomorrow."

The second and third volumes feature newer, fully staged performances that are almost indistinguishable from an actual show, including scenes from splashy, high-energy revivals such as Anything Goes (Patti LuPone and company performing the title tune) and Guys and Dolls (the fabulous "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat"), and new shows such as Grand Hotel (Michael Jeter and Brent Barrett in a gloriously exuberant "Take a Glass Together"), Les Miserables ("One Day More"), La Cage aux Folles (George Hearn solo and with a chorus line in drag in "I Am What I Am"), Ragtime (the opening number), and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Kristin Chenoweth's "My New Philosophy"). The new generation of splashy dance-oriented musicals are also represented by the likes of the 42nd Street revival (the title tune and "We're in the Money"), Fosse ("Sing, Sing, Sing"), and Crazy for You ("I Can't Be Bothered Now").

The Best of the Tony Awards: The Plays features 19 of the dramatic and comedy excerpts showcased on the Tony Awards telecasts between 1969 and 2001. From 1969 are James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander in The Great White Hope and Art Carney in Lovers, and other performances include Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack in Lettice and Lovage (1990), John Lithgow and B.D. Wong in M. Butterfly (1988), Joan Allen and Peter Friedman in The Heidi Chronicles (1988), and Joe Mantegna and Ron Silver in Speed-the-Plow (1988). The performances aren't specifically organized by date or performer, but the collection concludes with four excerpts from August Wilson works followed by three Shakespearean works. The excerpts are brief, lasting 2-3 minutes each, and even though each segment is introduced by a narrator, this format clearly works better for musicals than it does for plays. Regardless, it remains a rare chance to see stage performances that for the most part are not available on home video. Collectors who already own the three musical volumes, however, will have to weigh how badly they want The Plays when they consider mostly duplicating their purchase with the Broadway's Lost Treasures Collection. --David Horiuchi

A comprehensive collection of great performances captured on film as part of the annual Tony Award® broadcasts. Broadway royalty and Tony® winners, including Lauren Bacall, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Goulet, and Harvey Fierstein, serve as hosts and share their own Broadway and Tony® memories.

Produced as PBS specials, Broadway's Lost Treasures I, II, & III feature legendary stars—including Patti LuPone, Nell Carter, Jerry Orbach, Gwen Verdon, Ethel Merman, Kristin Chenoweth, Angela Lansbury, Joel Grey, and many more—performing musical numbers from legendary shows—including Anything Goes, Man of La Mancha, Guys and Dolls, Ain't Misbehavin', Chicago, Fosse, Miss Saigon, Crazy for You, and many many more.

The Best of the Tony® Awards-The Plays features acting greats, such as James Earl Jones, Maggie Smith, Annette Benning, Kevin Kline, and Morgan Freeman, performing key scenes from 19 celebrated plays, including The Great White Hope, The Heidi Chronicles, Fences, Hamlet, and Long Day's Journey Into Night.

For theatre lovers, it doesn't get any better than this!

How William Shatner Changed the World

With tongue firmly in cheek, How William Shatner Changed the World makes an entertaining and altogether convincing case for the positive influence of Star Trek. While the title may be slightly misleading, we can forgive Shatner's light-hearted self-promotion (based on his book I'm Working on That: A Trek from Science Fiction to Science Fact, written with Chip Walter) because this Emmy-nominated Discovery Channel program is such a constant pleasure to watch, not just for devoted Trekkies but for anyone with a passion for exploration, innovation, and the promise of the future. Originally broadcast in November 2005, the program serves a dual purpose, chronicling the history of Star Trek since its TV premiere in 1966, and demonstrating how series creator Gene Roddenberry's hopeful vision of the future has affected millions of lives, influenced the development of modern technologies, and shaped our future by presenting an inspirational example of humanity's potential.

As he cruises around Los Angeles in a burgundy-colored Aston Martin DB8, Shatner (in the capable hands of director Julian Jones) introduces us to a wide variety of people whose bright, forward-thinking careers were inspired by Star Trek. Along with personal observations by Star Trek veterans George Takei ("Sulu"), Walter Koenig ("Chekov"), writer D.C. Fontana, and Next Generation alumnus Jonathan Frakes, these top scientists, inventors, and space explorers are combined with Shatner's lively narration and highly humorous editing of Star Trek film clips, archival footage, and expert testimonies to show how Star Trek's fiction has had a ripple effect on scientific fact. As a breezy primer on the cultural, technological, and scientific impact of Star Trek, How William Shatner Changed the World is more entertaining than purely educational, but it's still an excellent program for family viewing and classrooms alike, guaranteed to open bright, young minds to a dazzling universe of exciting possibilities. --Jeff Shannon

Broadway's Lost Treasures

Broadway's Lost Treasures delivers what the title promises: 21 historic performances of great moments in American musical theater televised on the Tony Awards between 1967 and 1986. (Five were not included when the program was broadcast on PBS in 2003.) Unlike some other arts, theater has rarely been well-documented, so it's a treat to see these numbers performed by the original artists rather than experience them through audio recordings or tepid movie adaptations. Sure, sound and picture quality are only adequate, some of the numbers are minimally staged and some appear to be lip-synched, and some of the performances that do have excellent film counterparts (Yul Brynner in The King and I, Robert Preston in The Music Man, Joel Grey in Cabaret) seem rather lackluster here. But those are minor drawbacks compared to the chance to see Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera perform "All That Jazz" and "Nowadays" from Chicago, or John Raitt, a stage legend who's woefully underrepresented on film, singing The Pajama Game's "Hey There." The most electrifying excerpt is from Evita, anchored by the powerhouse trio of Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, and Bob Gunton, the most surprising is Julie Andrews singing "Send in the Clowns" (she wasn't in the cast of A Little Night Music), and the most touching is a 12-year-old Andrea McArdle breaking hearts in Annie's "Tomorrow." An indispensable record of a quintessential American art form. --David Horiuchi

Joel Grey, Carol Channing, John Raitt, Patti LuPone, Yul Brynner, Zero Mostel--these greats are among the original-cast performers featured in this unique filmed compendium of Broadway showstoppers. Seen only once in their original Tony Award® telecasts (1967-1986), these 22 knock-out performances come with new introductions by some of the featured performers, including Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach, and Chita Rivera. BONUS: Both DVD and VHS formats feature five extra performances not seen on PBS!

Program includes: BROADWAY DIVAS
Vivian Blaine, "Adelaide's Lament," Guys and Dolls
Patti LuPone, "A New Argentina," Evita
Angela Lansbury, "Worst Pies in London," Sweeney Todd
Carol Channing, "Before the Parade Passes By," Hello, Dolly!
Julie Andrews, "Send in the Clowns," A Little Night Music

LEADING MEN
Zero Mostel, "If I Were a Rich Man," Fiddler on the Roof
Yul Brynner, "Shall We Dance," The King and I
John Raitt, "Hey There," The Pajama Game
Robert Preston, "Trouble," The Music Man
Paul Lynde, "Kids," Bye Bye Birdie

DANCIN'
Joel Grey, "Willkommen," Cabaret
Tommy Tune, Twiggy, "Chasin' the Clouds Away," My One and Only
Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, "All That Jazz," "Nowadays," Chicago
Jerry Orbach, "Lullaby of Broadway," 42nd Street

RECORD BREAKERS
Andrea McArdle, cast, "Tomorrow," Annie
Cast, "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile," Annie
Betty Buckley and cast, "Jellicle Songs," "Memory," Cats

BONUS PERFORMANCES! Both DVD and VHS formats include five additional performances not seen on the PBS pledge-special broadcasts.
Ann Miller, Mickey Rooney, "McHugh Medley," Sugar Babies
Patti LuPone, "Buenos Aires," Evita
Barbara Harris, "Movie Star Gorgeous," The Apple Tree
Bonnie Franklin, "Applause," Applause
Dorothy Loudon and cast, "Easy Street," "Tomorrow" (reprise), Annie

Trekkies 2

As promised, the sequel to Trekkies presents an expanded universe of Star Trek fandom, and even curmudgeonly Klingons will enjoy this globetrotting trek of discovery. NextGen alumnus Denise Crosby returns as host of this sincerely appreciative survey of Trek enthusiasts from the U.S.A., Germany, England, Australia, Italy, Brazil, France, and even war-torn Serbia. Director Roger Nygard seizes the opportunity to revisit the most memorable fans from Trekkies, and Trek savants the world over will be delighted to learn that über-nerd Gabriel Koerner is not only married but happily employed as a digital-effects modeler (go, Gabe!), while Whitewater juror (and Starfleet Commodore) Barbara Adams continues to exemplify the Prime Directive in Little Rock, Arkansas. Emphasis is duly placed on the charitable activities of Trek devotees (yes, the Trekkies/Trekkers debate continues to rage), while "filk" singers and Trek tribute bands are given props for their musical inspiration. Most importantly, Trekkies 2 meaningfully explores of the motivation, purpose, and appropriateness of Trek fandom in a world that is still light-years away from the benevolent idealism that Star Trek represents. Trekkies 3 (due a few years later) promises to expand the survey to Asia, Africa, India, the Middle East, and Russia. Could this be the start of genuine unification? --Jeff Shannon

Directed by Roger Nygard, TREKKIES 2 is hosted by Denise Crosby, the actress who played Tasha Yar on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." The filmmakers visit Star Trek fans all over the world, including the Spock of Germany, an Englishman who transformed his flat into a starship and auctioned it on the internet for $2 million, and the first convention ever held in Serbia. The film also checks in on some of the original TREKKIES profilees like wunderkind Gabriel Koerner and Whitewater juror Barbara Adams.

The Sentinel

They Are Among Us