Ohara, Terrence

Touched by an Angel - The Complete First Season

Touched by an Angel wasn't the first TV show with a heavenly theme, but it set a new standard for a compassionate portrayal of Christian themes on television. Roma Downey, with flowing brunette locks and a soft Irish lilt, plays Monica, a divine case-worker sent from town to town to lend an angelic hand. Sometimes it's as simple as helping a dying man reach out to those he loves before it's too late; sometimes she has to face the Devil himself--in the closing episode of the first season, Monica is sent to make sure an AIDS hospice opens despite the opposition of white supremacists being led by Satan (played by John Schneider, formerly of The Dukes of Hazzard). Earthy Della Reese plays Tess, Monica's supervisor, who takes an active role in quite a few cases. Touched by an Angel is unlikely to persuade dubious viewers to join the faith, but though all episodes resolve themselves through the intervention of God and his divine messengers, the show's view of humanity has hope and dignity.

Touched by an Angel also features an impressive array of guest stars, ranging from country music star Randy Travis to Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman (The Last Picture Show) to Marion Ross (Happy Days); one episode, about a radio talk-show host fighting with her teenage daughter, features Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), James Marsden (X-Men), and Jack Black (School of Rock), all before their careers took off. Touched by an Angel: The Complete First Season has the first 13 episodes from 1994-95 and, as a bonus, the two-part series finale from 2003. --Bret Fetzer

TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON delivers inspiration in the form of Monica (Downey), Tess (Reese) and Andrew (Dye), three angels dispatched from heaven to inspire people who are at a crossroads in their lives. Features notable guest appearances by Randy Travis, Phylicia Rashad and Malcolm-Jamal Warner,

Touched by an Angel - The Second Season

Touched by an Angel swiftly amassed a devout following, drawn to the TV series' clear Christian values and the warm performances of Roma Downey (she of the creamy complexion and lush pre-Raphaelite hair) and Della Reese as Monica and Tess, two angels sent to help troubled human beings. The first season had the additional virtue of exploring the ordinary yet complex emotional problems of troubled marriages, rebellious teens, and coping with the death of a loved one, in stories that were (with a few exceptions) cleanly written and down-to-earth--though, of course, everything was resolved by divine intervention. The second season, regrettably, dives into melodrama: A pregnant woman is trapped in a bank vault after her husband tries to rob the bank; a lawyer meets up with an old girlfriend, not knowing that her wicked ambitions caused his best friend to commit suicide; a postal worker sends atheistic replies to children's letters to God--and it turns out that he's an Auschwitz survivor. Even episodes grappling with what could be compelling material, like a stripper who feels responsible for her daughter's birth defect, get pushed over the top when Tess saves the day by creating a hot air balloon out of thin air. Certainly, God can accomplish miracles, but the second season of Touched by an Angel loses sight of his subtlety and mysterious ways. Nonetheless, fans will continue to take comfort in the show's message about divine love.

Episodes feature a wide range of guest stars: Movie actors like Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H) and Stacy Keach (Fat City); old television hands like Hal Linden (Barney Miller) and Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley); non-actors like poet Maya Angelou and singer Natalie Cole; and such, well, lesser celebrities as Kathie Lee Gifford (Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.) John Dye joins the series in this season as Andrew, a handsome angel of death. --Bret Fetzer

TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL - THE SECOND SEASON delivers inspiration in the form of Monica (Downey), Tess (Reese) and Andrew (Dye), three angels dispatched from heaven to inspire people who are at a crossroads in their lives. Features notable guest appearances by Randy Travis, Phylicia Rashad and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

Third Watch - The Complete First Season

Every second counts. Every detail matters. Every 3-11 p.m. third watch shift brings a rush of risk fear and lives in the balance. From John Wells (ER The West Wing) and Edward Allen Bernero (Criminal Minds) comes this action-packed drama about the brave and dedicated people who serve as police paramedics and firefighters. For them keeping the streets safe and answering cries for help is all in a day?s work. The 22-episode Emmy? Award-winning Third Watch rolls out in a deluxe 6- disc set capturing all the highly kinetic highly praised moments from its debut season. Hit the streets with these professional rescuers ? and experience day-in/day-out heroism at its most exciting and intense.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 085391201366 Manufacturer No: 120136

Equal parts ER, Rescue Me, and Law & Order, Third Watch received critical raves when it premiered in 1999 on NBC. All 22 episodes from that first season are included in this 6-disc box set, and the episodes (many of which reflect political issues of the time) stand up well. The third watch refers to the 3 to 11 p.m. shift of firefighters, police officers and paramedics who risk their lives to keep New Yorkers safe. The show focuses on the lives of a handful of characters who are complicated, flawed, and charismatic. Kim Raver (24) shines as Kim, a paramedic who shares a strong bond with both her partner Bobby (Bobby Cannavale) as well as her ex-husband Jimmy (Eddie Cibrian), a firefighter with a predilection for gambling who clearly isn't over Kim. Created by John Wells (ER, The West Wing) and Edward Allen Bernero (Criminal Minds), Third Watch is well written and paces the storylines well. The episodes' endings reflect that not every case is easily solved and that there are unpleasant consequences involved in protecting the rights that many of us take for granted. None of the main characters are presented as over-the-top heroes, but rather as hardworking people doing the best they can. The show at times goes out of its way to depict how flawed some of them are, but the actors deftly draw the focus back to the bigger picture--how to protect people who seem intent on self-destruction. Through the first season, the characters will face addiction, heartbreak, and fear. The one thing that dates the show is the full frame presentation, which belies its era. The special features aren't particularly noteworthy--there's a blooper reel and a "making of" featurette, but no deleted scenes or audio commentary on any of the episodes. --Jae-Ha Kim

Diagnosis Murder - The Complete 1st Season

Emmy award winner Dick Van Dyke stars as Dr. Mark Sloan a dedicated doctor who dabbles in detective work in DIAGNOSIS MURDER. Caring and compassionate Dr. Sloan enlists the help of his police detective son Steve (Barry Van Dyke) whenever he suspects one of his patients is the victim of foul play. And he won t rest until the bad guys are put to bed - permanently! Working alongside Sloan is pathologist Amanda Bentley (Victoria Rowell). For star performances and classic whodunit suspense the right prescription is DIAGNOSIS MURDER.System Requirements:Running Time 885 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 097360788945 Manufacturer No: 078894

One of America's most beloved TV actors, Dick Van Dyke, proved his longevity and acting chops in Diagnosis Murder, as Dr. Mark Sloan, chief of staff at L.A.'s Community General Hospital, as well as a consultant for the police department on confounding murders. The show was originally conceived as a Murder, She Wrote-with-boys, to tap into the late '80s and early '90s wave of spunky-senior shows (Golden Girls, Matlock et al.). But Van Dyke's versatility and charisma drew fans of all ages, and the first season shows his breadth as an actor. The mysteries range from the fairly typical (a beautiful patient surrounded by intrigue has amnesia--or does she?) to the gritty and offbeat (Sloan's son, played by Van Dyke's real son, Barry, gets too close to a gang of corrupt cops, with near-disastrous results). Through it all, Van Dyke's Sloan is avuncular, thoughtful, warm, and serious, but conveys enough wry humor and cheekiness to take considerable advantage of Van Dyke's comic timing. One episode in this season, "Inheritance of Death," features Van Dyke playing multiple roles--young, old, men, women--in a conniving family grasping for the inheritance of an ancient family member, and it's laugh-out-loud funny. Another standout in the cast is Scott Baio as Sloan's earnest sidekick, Dr. Jack Stewart. The boxed set features all 19 episodes of the first season, plus the episode of Jake and the Fatman which introduced the character of Dr. Mark Sloan. --A.T. Hurley

Diagnosis Murder - The Third Season

Emmy award winner Dick Van Dyke stars as Dr. Mark Sloan a dedicated doctor who dabbles in detective work in DIAGNOSIS MURDER. Caring and compassionate Dr. Sloan enlists the help of his police detective son Steve (Barry Van Dyke) whenever he suspects one of his patients is the victim of foul play. And he won t rest until the bad guys are put to bed - permanently! Working alongside Sloan is pathologist Amanda Bentley (Victoria Rowell). For star performances and classic "whodunit" suspense the right prescription is DIAGNOSIS MURDER. System Requirements:Run Time: 840 minutes Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY UPC: 097361225340

Diagnosis Murder - The Second Season

The long-running CBS television series DIAGNOSIS MURDER offers a clever hybrid of the medical-drama and murder-mystery genres. Comedy legend Dick Van Dyke anchors the series as Dr. Mark Sloan a hospital physician who helps his detective son Steve (Van Dyke's real-life son Barry) solve crimes for the Los Angeles Police Department. Warm witty and family-friendly this collection presents every episode from the series' second season which includes guest appearances by Michael Tucci Dyan Cannon and Pernell Roberts.Runtime: 1025 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 097360789041 Manufacturer No: 078904

It's not unusual for the medical community to encounter law enforcement over a hospital bed, but there's something about the Los Angeles Community Hospital and its Chief of Internal Medicine Dr. Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke) that seem to attract suspicious cases. Far from a "treat them and street them" attitude, Dr. Mark Sloan is a compassionate and understanding doctor whose probing questions and natural curiosity repeatedly uncover mysterious circumstances and details that he invariably feels compelled to investigate. Of course the proper authorities (in the form of his son, police officer Steve Sloan, played by Van Dyke's real-life son Barry Van Dyke) are notified, but, like any good doctor, Dr. Sloan relies on the expertise of his own staff. Thus fellow Doctor Jack Stewart (Scott Baio), hospital pathologist Amanda Bentley (Victoria Rowell), and Dr. Sloan's secretary Delores (Delores Hall) are often embroiled in investigative work that results in an understaffed hospital and a distraught hospital administrator (Michael Tucci). From maternity hospitals selling babies on the black market to dishonest tax lawyers, murderous hospital inspectors, egocentric surgery patients, and dating services whose dates are the absolute end-all, Dr. Sloan and his crew can be counted upon to pursue and solve an abundance of mysteries--and maybe even see a patient or two in the process. Guest stars include Betty White and Bo Jackson. While not one of Van Dyke's best television series, Diagnosis Murder will appeal to Dick Van Dyke aficionados and murder mystery fans alike. --Tami Horiuchi

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman - The Complete Season One

Season one of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman captures the popular television series at its most charming and original: a gently feminist, 19th-century Western with mythic overtones, a Gunsmoke-like vision of small-town constancy, and an audacious love story that might best be described as Buckskin Bronte. British actress Jane Seymour scrubbed away her accent to play Michaela Quinn, fifth daughter of a well-to-do Boston physician who encouraged her to get a medical degree despite social obstacles.

The headstrong Quinn moves to rough-and-tumble Colorado Springs to set up a practice, faces stiff resistance from the locals, witnesses the brutality of white America's expansionism, and generally experiences a classic Western transformation from privilege to pioneering. Along the way, Quinn makes a heartfelt connection with the mysterious Sully (Joe Lando), a laconic outsider/cowboy-knight-errant/widower preserving his broken heart. While the series' pilot may be the best thing in this set, there is a lot to enjoy about further episodes (with such guest stars as Johnny Cash and Robert Culp) exploring Quinn's hard-won admiration from town skeptics. Dr. Quinn creator Beth Sullivan admirably balances the many influences and narrative forces at work; some of the best shows are idea-driven, such as "Portraits," which deals with prejudice. --Tom Keogh

From the moment that Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn (Jane Seymour) first stepped from the stagecoach into the mud of Colorado Springs, TV audiences had a new destination on Saturday nights. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman won popular and critical acclaim--including five Emmy® awards--with its tales of courage, conviction and romance on the American frontier. When the show was cancelled after six seasons, it sparked one of the largest viewer protests in TV history.

This comprehensive collector's set gathers all 17 episodes from the groundbreaking first season--plus a host of exclusive extras--on 5 DVDs. Old fans will delight in revisiting favorite moments, like Dr. Mike's first kiss from Sully (Joe Lando) and General Custer's visit to town, while newcomers will be captivated by the gripping, family-friendly stories and painstaking authenticity. Return to Colorado Springs for the unforgettable first season of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, available for the first time on DVD!

Touched By an Angel - The Third Season, Vol. 2

A trio of angels Monica (Roma Downey) Tess (Della Reese) and Andrew (John Dye) are dispatched from heaven with a special mission: to inspire people facing sometimes unseen crossroads in their lives. Monica an angel who at times still needs some guidance with her earthly assignments reports to Tess her tough wise and always loving supervisor. Also on hand is Andrew who in addition to his duties as the Angel of Death now helps out as a caseworker on carious assignments. Gloria an angel for the 21st century continues to seek guidance from Monica performing her angelic duties. While the angels may not bring solutions to every problem they always deliver a message of hope.System Requirements:Run Time: 780 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 097368508743 Manufacturer No: 850874

Roma Downey, with her apple cheeks, cascading brunette hair, and Irish lilt, has the kind of warm benevolence that has been the bedrock of television from its inception. Starring as Monica, an angel "caseworker" who walks among mortal humanity to help them solve their problems, Downey glows beatifically as she dispenses homilies about God's enduring love. The cantankerous authority of Della Reese as Tess, Monica's immediate superior, and the bland manliness of John Dye as Andrew, the Angel of Death (though by this season, he'd became pretty much all-purpose) gave Touched by an Angel its own holy trinity. By the third season, the trio had settled into a comfortable blend of earnest empathy and vaudevillian banter.

While fans of the show praise its moral values, the scripts vary erratically, slipping all to often into melodrama and hamfisted dialogue. Even viewers comfortable with problems being solved by the Lord's direct intervention will probably scoff at the ending of, for example, the episode about an escape artist who feels guilty over his brother's death--not only is the resolution farfetched, the execution is clumsy. Still, the show pulls in an impressive array of guest stars; The Third Season, Vol. 2 features James Earl Jones, Bill Cosby, Cloris Leachman, Abe Vigoda, Esther Rolle, Edward James Olmos, Camryn Mannheim, Chris Noth, and many, many more. Jasmine Guy returns as Monica's diabolical nemesis, and Hudson Leick (Xena: Warrior Princess) appears twice as a sweet fledgling angel. This four-disc set features 14 episodes with no extra features. --Bret Fetzer

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman - The Complete Season Two

In an age when women are expected to be seen but not heard, Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn is a renegade, an independent spirit who forsakes her home in genteel Boston for the rough-and-tumble life of the frontier. But the prejudice she encountered back east pales in comparison to the challenges awaiting in Colorado Springs...

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman breathed new life into a tired genre and brought families together around the TV for six seasons with its refreshing take on the Western, blending a distinctly modern sensibility with painstaking historical authenticity and tales of courage, conviction and romance.

This collection features all 25 episodes from the third season of the five-time Emmy Award winner starring Jane Seymour and Joe Lando, available on DVD for the first time.

Touched by an Angel - The Third Season, Vol. 1

The creators of Touched by an Angel were clearly of the philosophy "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The Third Season following squarely and steadfastly in the footsteps of the second, taking emotionally fraught stories--a dedicated teacher gets kidnapped by a troubled student, a drug addict tries to set her life on the right path, a young couple call off their wedding--and brings them to a happy conclusion through the intervention of the Lord, working His mysterious ways through three angels: Monica (Roma Downey, she of the flowing brunette hair and Irish lilt), Tess (Della Reese, she of the white forelock and the gravely voice), and Andrew, an Angel of Death (John Dye, he of the sweeping Fabio-esque mane and full cheeks). It's never quite clear just how much the angels are allowed to interfere with mortal doings. In one episode, Monica gets sent to God's Country--a sort of metaphysical detention--but it's hard to say that her actions were any more out of bounds than usual. Touched by an Angel is a love-it-or-hate-it show; cynics find it smug and didactic, while fans are drawn to its sincere and caring portrayal of Christian values. As ever, the series pulls in a surprising mix of guest stars, ranging from movie stars on the rise (Kirsten Dunst, Bring It On, Spider-Man) and on the wane (Sally Kellerman, the big-screen version of M*A*S*H), TV stars (John Ritter, Three's Company; Delta Burke, Designing Women; Ja'net Dubois, Good Times; Ben Vereen, Roots), and sturdy character actors (Olympia Dukakis, Moonstruck; Harold Gould and Carol Lawrence, guest stars on just about every show imaginable in the 1970s and '80s). The Third Season, Vol. 1 includes the first 16 episodes from the 1996-1997 season, including the episode that launched the spin-off show, Promised Land, with Gerald McRaney and Ossie Davis. There are no extras on the dvds. --Bret Fetzer