Whedonesque : Comments on 5581 : "..it's not about the watching. It's about the owning."

...But no mention of Angel, which I feel is even better on DVD than on TV. How dare he!

Heh, so with him on the time consumption thing. Makes me wish there were two mes so one could be a full time couch potato and soak up all the dvd goodness without eating, sleeping, having a life, kid's stuff, etc...

Hmmm, now which one would I want to be? ;)

Willowy | December 16, 00:10 CET

Oo, Sopranos! Oo, Kids in the Hall! and so on and so forth. All this article does is remind me of shows I need to spend my not-so-hard earned cash on. Which I guess was the point :).

I'd be all over the Wonderfalls boxset right now if they wouldn't keep delaying it.

Gonnas | December 16, 00:44 CET

Maybe he hasn't seen Angel yet, given the shows he's watched, I doubt he'll overlook Angel, he did menstion Buffy.

SeanValen | December 16, 00:57 CET

See, I think it's more of a case if you want the Buffy dvds most assume you'll automatically want the Angel dvds too. Which makes a lot of sense! Wish he'd mentioned Firefly just so it gets more attention!

Firefly Flanatic | December 16, 01:07 CET

Maybe this is a good thread for us to mention what non-Whedonverse shows we feel are worth owning on DVD. What's in your collection? I have 3 seasons of Alias, 4 of South Park, both Family Guy sets, Gilmore Girls, and the complete series of The Office. I desperately want The O.C., Wonderfalls, and Freaks & Geeks.

It definitely is about the owning more than the watching. Even if I'm not going to devour something right away, I know I need to have it.

MindPieces | December 16, 01:50 CET

My sets: Angel, Buffy, Firefly, The Office, Freaks and Geeks (well worth it, MindPieces), Homicide: Life on the Street, Family Guy, My So-Called Life, Wonderfalls (on order, obviously), DaVinci's Inquest, The Newsroom, Twin Peaks. Whew.

And the 'completist' comment is right. Millenium is coming out. The second season was absolute genius. But the first season was just pretty good and the third season was crap (just like the quality arc of the X-Files, condensed into three seasons). So I don't want to buy the good season because I know I'd end up shelling out for the others, too.

ella | December 16, 02:03 CET

Arrested Development.

prufrock | December 16, 02:07 CET

I recently got Carnivale, which I'd always heard was boring, slow, etc...., but I found it to be absolutely fantastic and ambitious, leaving a lot to the imagination. Two episodes in particular ("Babylon" and it's followup) are the creepiest episodes of TV I've seen in a long time. Just remember that "boring, slow" is how critics described "Twin Peaks," which I also own. I have all the X-Files sets, which is completely unecessary and definitely more about the owning.

mito | December 16, 02:21 CET

More than half of my DVDs are probably TV shows.

Ones that I feel are worth owning:

Arrested Development such a good show, I bought it after watching the first 2 episodes on BBC2, as the series went on it got better and better, it's continuing to improve in season 2.
Angel,Buffy and Firefly, goes without saying really.
Alias DVD was how I discovered this show, a friend went on for ages about how good it was, finally coughed up the money for the set and had ordered season 2 within days of receiving the first set. Counting down the days to January 5th.
South Park not as popular as it was anymore, and thats a mystery, because it's gotten better, the first four sets are great, looking forward to the 5th.
Farscape so very good, so dearly missed, and so bloody expensive, worth the asking price, but shop around. I'm hopeful for another return at some point.
The Simpsons though the first two seasons aren't as good as it became, theyre needed for completion, and the really good seasons have started coming out this year. Fox have finally realised that releasing a season a year would take forever, and have switched to doing at least 2 a year.
Spaced if you liked Shaun of the Dead you will love this show, import this if you live in America. Its only a matter of time before I upgrade my copies again (had them on VHS first, now DVD) to the special edition that came out this year.
Futurama another dearly departed show that I feel we may actually have seen the last of.
Family Guy hilarious, if you find distasteful, sometimes offensive, sometimes surprisingly brave jokes funny (which I do!).

I own more, from Coupling (UK) to Will & Grace, from Father Ted to Red Dwarf and from Frasier to Married with Children, but I feel that the ones mentioned above are absolutely essential.

Ghost Spike | December 16, 02:28 CET

Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Twin Peaks, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fawlty Towers. All as gifts over a long period of time which suits me just fine.

I'd love to get Seinfeld. And I wouldn't turn up my nose at any of the HBO offerings besides Curb. Speaking of completism, I'd kill for the second and final season of Twin Peaks to be released on DVD. Looks like it's not going to happen, though. The show may have dissolved to some degree in its final season but if you have season 1 and not 2 you have an unfinished feeling.

Just rented Carnivale from Netflix and can't wait to see it. It sounds fantastic.

phlebotinin | December 16, 02:28 CET

On DVD: Angel 1-4 (5 on order), Buffy 1-7, Firefly, Wonderfalls on order, Spaced - the 3-disk collector's edition (yay Ghost Spike - it's absolutely brilliant, and much better, IMO, than "Shaun of the Dead." It also has several Buffy/Angel shout-outs . . . but only available on R2 as yet), and the first two seasons of "The Fast Show" (again R2).

On VHS: My So-Called Life (I'll splash out soon for the upgrade), a number of X-Files from S1 and S2.

I'm going to get the first season of Alias soon, and Lost when it eventually comes out. And people here keep recommending Farscape, so maybe I'll check that out as well.

SoddingNancyTribe | December 16, 02:35 CET

I have BtVS, Angel and Firefly, almost all of the Stargate series released so far, a VCD set of Star Trek: TOS, two seasons of the Simpsons and have recently bought all the seasons of Farscape (got good deals on Ebay and saved a bundle - paid say $60-70 per season as opposed to over $100). I've pre-ordered the Farscape sequel and should be getting that in January. I do highly recommend it SNT! It has the epic storytelling of the Whedonverse feel to it and great characters.

I'd like to get "Dead Like Me" and "Six Feet Under" because of the praise that some of you have given those shows but that will have to wait seeing as I just got all the Farscape DVDs (and even at their "bargain" price it was still expensive!).

I do watch Alias but haven't bought any of those seasons yet but still may and I don't know if I'll buy Lost or not. I enjoy the show but once the mystery is all done I don't know if I'd want to invest in the dvds.

And I totally get what this writer said about "American's being collectors" and having to buy the complete series of these shows. I am a big fan of Stargate but I felt the last couple of seasons have been missing a lot with the main character not being around as much and being more in the background yet I still feel the need to complete my collection regardless. I am excited that Ben Browder (of Farscape for those who don't know him) will be joining the cast of SG-1 and I'm hoping that fills that hole for me and that the show gets back up to where I loved it.

I wish money wasn't an option though because if it wasn't I could buy any show I was interested in seeing and enjoy them without the commercials and the abrupt scene endings that happen so much when a show gets syndicated. And now with the annoying pop-up trend to deal with too it is so much nicer popping in a DVD and watching as long as you want without interruption or distraction of some huge ad parading across the bottom of your screen.

Firefly Flanatic | December 16, 02:52 CET

"I wish money wasn't an option though because if it wasn't I could buy any show I was interested in seeing and enjoy them without the commercials and the abrupt scene endings that happen so much when a show gets syndicated."

Do I ever hear you on that score, blwessels. I actually don't mind shelling out some $$ for the Lost season (to take one example), even if it isn't the greatest thing ever, because I simply cannot *stand* to watch TV any more with the ADD commercials and cutting and editing and my brain just fries . . . I'd rather pay $40-50 for the show, then pass it on to friends or relatives than pay for cable these days.

SoddingNancyTribe | December 16, 03:01 CET

Tim Goodman never liked Angel. I emailed him when it got cancelled and that's what he said in the reply. He never said a word about the cancellation.

lycoming | December 16, 03:27 CET

My sets: Buffy, Angel, Firefly, West Wing (Seasons 1 and 2), The Simpsons, Twin Peaks.
TV shows I've discovered through DVD (via Netflix) include: Freaks and Geeks, Alias, Gilmore Girls, 24. But the only one of those I'd consider buying is Freaks and Geeks. I just don't think the re-watch potential is high enough on the others. Alias and 24, both, are so much about discovering what happens. Once you know, well... I just can't seem myself going back and watching the eps over and over.
Though it is partly true what this reviewer said: It's not about the watching, it's about the owning...

acp | December 16, 04:13 CET

My sets:
Buffy seasons 1-7
Angel seasons 1-4
Firefly
Smallville season 1
Roswell season 1

I plan on getting Joan of Arcadia when it gets released, and perhaps Alias, and someday The X-Files when I can afford them. I would also buy Veronica Mars, Lost, and Arrested Development. I will buy Wonderfalls when it is released.

electricspacegirl | December 16, 04:49 CET

Spaced - the 3-disk collector's edition (yay Ghost Spike - it's absolutely brilliant, and much better, IMO, than "Shaun of the Dead."

Ditto :)

I also have Family Guy (all), X-Files (1-8), Friends (1-9), Buffy (all), Angel (1-4), Farscape (1&2), Alias (1&2), 24 (all), Firefly, Smallville (1&2).

Can't wait to get Scrubs, Arrested Development, Wonderfalls. Will also be buying Lost, Veronica Mars, Battlestar Gallactica and whatever's needed to complete the sets listed above. Oh and another brilliant Brit show that I think might be currently showing on BBC America is Peep Show, possibly the funniest sit-com ever made (IMHO of course)

Paul_Rocks | December 16, 05:40 CET

Television DVD sets are the reason I joined Netflix...Though that didn't stop me from buying the Buffy & Angel sets, of course, and Firefly...

Ilana | December 16, 07:50 CET

Hmm well currently I have all of Buffy, season 1-4 of Angel, Firefly. Seasons 1-3 of ST:TNG (they're SO expensive.) SEason 1-4 of the Simpsons. Futurama Volumes 1-3. Family Guy and Alias season 1.

Needless to say I love these DVD sets :).

I hope to eventually get the rest of TNG, DS9, Alias, X-files, Farscape and POSSIBLY Babylon 5.

But this is a long term thing, I probably buy a set every month or two.

rabid | December 16, 08:49 CET

Completed DVD sets/will be completed when available: Angel, BtVS, ST:TNG, ST:DS9, ST:Voyager, Farscape, Firefly, Alias, 24, South Park, Dead Like Me, X-Files, Six Feet Under, Xena.

I will collect Lost, Veronica Mars, and Battlestar Gallactica. Still not sure about Wonderfalls since I've only seen the pilot. I recently ordered BtVS seasons 4-7 in region 2 due to the wide screen format.

Madhatter | December 16, 12:32 CET

Not essential but a nice to have if you can get it cheap, I recently bought Taken, mainly because of the lovely, lovely Julie Benz. It’s rather enjoyable, provided you mentally drown out some of the sentimentality.

He mentions Angels in America, which I also have – brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Rent it, buy it, whatever, but do not miss it!

miranda | December 16, 16:01 CET

Miranda, I recently watched Taken too. I really liked it for the sweeping saga that spans three generations. It was interesting to see the writers take on alien abduction. That's a subject I'm fascinated with. I loved Adam Kaufman (Parker Abrams on Buffy) for his role as Charlie Keys. He's very dreamy.

[ edited by electricspacegirl on 2004-12-16 14:27 ]

electricspacegirl | December 16, 16:11 CET

Neat. Might as well jump on this fun bandwagon -- TV DVD sets that I own: Buffy S1-S7, Angel S1-S4, Firefly, Family Guy, Alias S1 - S3, The Simpsons, South Park, and various other shows from international places (Japan, etc).

I'll quite likely buy Lost, since I have to watch the full-screen, hacked-up, pan-and-scan version on TV, where as the DVDs will present the show in delicious widescreen.

Oh, and I want the Futurama boxsets -- I loved that show [glowers at the Fox Network for cancelling it].

Seems those executives at Fox have a sadistic love of killing quality shows that happen to be set in the future... [cough*Firefly*cough]...

inverse | December 16, 16:37 CET

Arrested Development.

Ditto! I missed some of Season 1 and had to have it. It's the best thing on TV at the moment, imo.

Otherwise, I have all of BtVS, two seasons of AtS, Firefly, and A&E's version of Pride and Prejudice (which I bought before I even had a DVD player). I have all of the X-Files on tape and never sprang for the DVDs, which I'm now kind of glad about because I don't think they really hold up over time. But if the price ever comes down, I'll probably get Seasons 3-6.

wrinkled time | December 16, 20:38 CET

It’s interesting how many of the same shows are repeated in everyone’s collections. The 'want, take (hopefully that’s pay for and then take), have' DVDs of Whedonesquers...

I started late, so I only have four seasons of “Buffy” and two of “Angel” so far. “Firefly", of course. “Wonderfalls” is coming. I received season one of “Strangers With Candy” as a Christmas present last year. For the future: “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” and “Northern Exposure”, probably “Futurama” and “Gilmore Girls”, possibly “Samurai Jack” and “Scrubs”. I’ve watched every episode of “Carnivale”, “Sex and the City”, “Six Feet Under” and “The Sopranos”, but “Carnivale” is the only one I would want to own and that has a lot to do with the incredible production design. I loved “Homicide: Life on the Street” but I think it will remain as a memory. I have to catch up with “Alias” and I heard a radio interview with Ricky Gervais of “The Office” that made me want to check it out. I take into account if it's something I will want to watch over and over or if the stories or writing or humor will stand up over the years. So little shelf space, so little time.

bloodflowers | December 16, 21:20 CET

How about old shows? I have season 1 of "Soap" and "Barney Miller".

We also have the first two seasons of "Land of the Lost". I remember loving that show when it was on, and now I can enjoy it again due to how hilariously bad it is. As a major bonus, my kids love it as much as I did when I was their age.

rkayn | December 16, 21:53 CET

It’s interesting how many of the same shows are repeated in everyone’s collections

I noticed that too, Bloodflowers. I took it to be an affirmation of our collective good taste :-)

acp | December 17, 00:00 CET

Ghost Spike - I have "Father Ted," too! Just bought it, actually. I LOVE that show!

Other than that - you guys know the drill, "Buffy," "Angel," and "Firefly."

*whistles "My Lovely Horse"*

obsessed | December 17, 00:10 CET

December 16 2004