I learned some big news last night, from TV Shows on DVD. My favorite hour-long drama, The West Wing, is finally arriving on DVD on November 18. It looks to contain a lot of extras, including deleted scenes and commentaries as well as, intriguingly, some gag reels and outtakes. This is great news, but as usual I can’t help noticing one worrisome little tidbit: despite containing 22 episodes and extra features, the box set will only be four discs. The UK editions, which have minimal extras, are six discs per season. I certainly hope not but this portends visual quality may be compromised for US viewers; and that’s enough to make me start considering getting the UK discs after all. (Just like I’m considering getting the Twin Peaks Season 1 UK release, since, unlike the US edition, it is complete. If only I didn’t have a policy about wanting US shows on US discs and UK shows on UK discs.) [10:36 AM]Update: it occurred to me, while in the shower, that since these discs are from Warner Brothers, they might be dual-sided as well as dual-layered. This proves to be the case. “The 4 DVDs in the set will be Double Sided/Dual Layer ‘DVD18’ discs.” So this works out comparably to eight discs to the UK’s six…much to my great relief.
It pays to read the fine print.
End of rant. Please disregard. But I’m still thinking about that Twin Peaks box.
