CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is set to release "Roswell: The Complete First Season" on DVD on February 17 of next year. The news marks the end of several months of rumors and speculation about the show's release on the format.
The six-disc set includes all 22 first season episodes in full screen (1.33:1) and Dolby 2.0 Surround. Extras are surprisingly deep on the release, which includes seven commentaries (on the episodes "Pilot," "285 South," "Blood Brother," "Heat Wave," "Independence Day," "Max to the Max" and "Destiny") by various cast and crew members, deleted scenes with optional commentary on the majority of the episodes, three featurettes, a gag reel, audition tapes and Sensefield's "Save Yourself" music video. The set carries a suggested retail price of $59.98.
Also of note is that several music tracks that appeared on the show's original broadcast have been replaced by different artists and songs for the DVD. The reason for the change is likely the substantial cost for licensing many popular artists' songs. It wasn't until recently that studios started trying to nail down the DVD rights to the music used on the show as part of their initial agreement.
Meanwhile, "Roswell" wasn't the only series to get a firm street date in the past week. Here's a breakdown of the latest TV-related DVD news:
-- Also coming next year from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is "Angel: The Complete Third Season" on February 10. The six-disc set includes all 22 third season episodes in widescreen (1.78:1) and Dolby 2.0 Surround. Extras include commentary on three episodes (Tim Minear and Jeffrey Bell on "Billy," Tim Minear and Mere Smith on "Lullaby" and Joss Whedon on "Waiting in the Wings"), deleted scenes with optional commentary from two episodes ("Birthday," "Waiting in the Wings"), three featurettes ("Darla: Deliver Us From Evil," "Season 3 Overview," "Page to Screen"), screen tests for actors Amy Acker and Vincent Kartheiser, a still gallery and an outtake reel.
-- "Angel's" parent series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is also gearing up for its sixth season release on the format. The six-disc set, which streets on July 6 of next year, features all 22 sixth season episodes in full frame (1:33:1) and Dolby 2.0 Surround save for the show's musical-themed episode ("Once More With Feeling") which will be composed in widescreen (1:78:1). Extras include commentary on six episodes (Marti Nixon and David Fury on "Bargaining," Joss Whedon on "Once More With Feeling," Drew Z. Greenberg on "Smashed," David Soloman and Rebecca Rand on "Hells Bells," Rick Rosenthal and Diego Gutierrez on "Normal Again" and James Contner and David Fury on "Grave"), four featurettes, three music videos from said musical-themed episode, the show's Academy of Television Arts and Sciences panel discussion, outtakes, two easter eggs, a video game trailer and several to be determined DVD-ROM extras.
-- Showtime Home Entertainment has nailed down street dates for two of its properties: the first season of "Family Business" is scheduled for January 6 while "Out of Order's" first season is slated for January 13. Additional details including video and audio specs are expected to be announced closer to their release dates.
-- MTV's web site for "Punk'd" is advertising that the first season of the Ashton Kutcher-hosted series is scheduled to be released on DVD come January 20. Paramount Home Entertainment is behind the release, which is expected to include deleted scenes from the various pranks from its inaugural season.
-- While exact dates have yet to be announced, ADV Films has slated "Farscape: Season 4, Collection 1," "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda: Season 3, Collection 2" and "Mutant X: Season 1, Disc 7" for December of this year.
Special thanks to TVShowsonDVD.com for their help on several items for this story.
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