Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Knight Rider The Complete Series 4K (Universal)

The more cynical members of Gen Alpha might never understand the excitement of tuning in to a charismatic crimefighter and his best friend, in this case a talking car named K.I.T.T. Whether you considered David Hasselhoff or his pimped-out 1982 Firebird Trans Am (not coincidentally the same year that Pontiac introduced the new body style) to be the star of the show, their adventures didn’t disappoint, doling out two-fisted, four-wheeled justice weekly.

Buckle up for action and vehicle stunts galore, achieved practically and without CGI, as amusingly detailed in the included new retrospective documentary. Much as cop Michael Long was rescued and reborn as Michael Knight, Universal has undertaken the massive task of creating new 4K masters from 35mm scans (at 4:3, naturally) of all 90 episodes plus the reunion movie, Knight Rider 2000, which is just too perfect if you know what the “T.T.” in K.I.T.T. stands for. For those keeping score, only half a dozen of the pop songs in the dual-mono soundtrack have been replaced. The legacy pilot commentary from Hasselhoff and creator Glen Larson carries over, and all the contents are spread across 20 4K discs and one HD Blu-ray in four individual-season cases.

Little House on the Prairie The Complete Series Blu-ray (Lionsgate)

Eager to find his next chapter after a phenomenal run on Bonanza, Michael Landon starred in and directed the pilot for this adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s series of autobiographical fiction books. Soon, he was executive producer and head writer as well as the series lead, ultimately directing nearly half of the 200+ episodes between 1974 and 1983. Facing life’s hardships week after week with integrity, his fiddle, and a simultaneous smile/cry that few can duplicate, Pa Ingalls was a TV dad extraordinaire, and Landon proved himself a master small-screen storyteller.

More engaging and satisfying than you remember, the drama still tugs hard at the heartstrings without crossing over into sappiness, depending of course on your own personal metric. The series was remastered for high-def syndication/streaming a few years ago for vastly clearer picture/sound, and released in single-season Blu-ray sets, the final three being hitherto Amazon exclusives and therefore hard to find and pricey. No longer, as the nine seasons are now neatly split into three chunky plastic cases, boxed together for a still-smaller footprint than all the individual seasons. The thorough 40th-anniversary documentary arrives in six parts, the three Little House telefilms are included, as is the fateful screen test between Landon and his “Laura,” Melissa Gilbert.

The Huckleberry Hound Show: The Complete Original Series Blu-ray (Warner Archive Collection)

The first animated series to win an Emmy Award, Huckleberry Hound marked a turning point not only for creators Hanna-Barbera but in all television history as one of the earliest animated series produced for a weekly half-hour format, and all hand-drawn at that. In addition to bringing us the easy-going Huckleberry himself, engaged in a wide range of occupations and exploits, the show introduced the world to Yogi Bear (perhaps inspired by New York Yankee Yogi Berra and Art Carney's Ed Norton character from The Honeymooners) and sidekick Boo-Boo, much to the chagrin of Ranger Smith, no doubt.

The Warner Archive has spent three years assembling the four seasons/68 episodes in their entirety from their disparate cartoon segments, with 4K scans of the original camera negatives, presented as closely as possible to their 1958-61 broadcasts but now in exceptional 1080p. Even the vintage Kellogg's commercials are back, in black-and-white. The eleven discs are neatly distributed across three plastic elite cases with comprehensive show/episode listings on the back covers, all nestled inside a cardboard sleeve. Some worthwhile legacy content is ported over on the final platter.

Emergency! The Complete Series Blu-ray (Universal)

Sometimes, TV can sneak in a little education into the entertainment. Such was the case with NBC's primetime Emergency!, a great public relations tool that introduced the masses to paramedics, the risks they routinely take and how they work alongside other lifesaving professionals, and bringing a previously unseen level of technical accuracy to the small screen.

Balancing the hectic duties and often amusing personal lives of the gang based at Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 51, the hit '70s series ran for six seasons, upgraded to HD and grouped into three separate two-season cases, in addition to the six telefilms collected in their own case as "The Final Rescues." The sole bonus is a fun one: the Adam-12 Season 4 crossover episode, "Lost and Found," establishing a shared cinematic universe long before such concepts even had a name.

See Complete Series Blu-ray (Fifth Season)

Centuries after a pandemic wiped out most of our population, all but a fortunate few of their descendants are left blind, bringing a major shift in the balance of power. To the masses, the sighted represent a sort of witchcraft to be feared or worse, while they view themselves as almost godlike. Society has regressed to quasi-medieval levels as two rival kingdoms are perpetually at odds with one another, seeking domination and bigger chunks of their Western Pennsylvania homeland. In a respectful touch, a significant portion of See’s cast and crew are in fact blind/low-vision.

Created by Steven Knight (also the creator of Peaky Blinders and co-creator of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ) and its first three episodes directed by Francis Lawrence (four Hunger Games movies, soon to be five), all three seasons of Apple TV+’s 2019-2022 series comprise a fascinating action-drama. It’s quite lovely to look at, especially in the somewhat unusual 2.1:1 widescreen aspect ratio on these six Blu-ray discs. So too is the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 cinematic but it’s clever as well, subtly rendering the world as the blind denizens might hear it.

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman The Complete Series Blu-ray (Warner)

While not quite achieving Tracy-Hepburn-level interplay, the will-they-or-won’t-they tension between attractive young stars Teri Hatcher (Lois Lane) and Dean Cain (Clark Kent/Superman) was central to the show’s success. Series creator Deborah Joy LeVine’s new approach put it all right there in the title, making the Daily Planet reporting rivals the focus, with just enough red-yellow-and-blue derring-do to keep families tuning in for four seasons/87 episodes. So influential was this incarnation of the classic couple that when Supes and Lois tied the knot here, they did so in the comic pages as well that same year. The twenty discs are packed into a single slipcased holder and carry over a generous helping of the DVD extras: pilot commentary, a “making of,” peeks behind the scenes and more. (Full disclosure: I didn’t get the title’s “Lewis & Clark” wordplay until years later. And someone had to explain it to me.)

Bewitched The Complete Series Blu-ray (Mill Creek Entertainment)

Pre-dating the suspiciously similar I Dream of Jeannie by a year, Bewitched was an immediate sitcom sensation upon its premiere, proof that the formula of an unusually gifted member of an otherwise typical suburban family could yield ratings gold. No one wiggled her nose like the lovely Elizabeth Montgomery as the demure witch Samantha, making weekly magic to the frequent dismay of husband Darrin, famously switching mid-run from Dick York (Seasons 1-5) to Dick Sargent (6-8). Their chemistry with Citizen Kane’s mom Agnes Moorhead as Darrin’s interloping mother-in-law Endora and a brilliant supporting cast further reveal why this show remains a comedy classic. It also transitioned from black-and-white to color at the top of Season 3, and all 254 episodes spanning 1964 to 1972 are gathered on 22 Blu-ray discs for Mill Creek’s 60th Anniversary (give or take a year) Special Edition with an extensive companion booklet/episode guide, a mini-documentary and a total of 16 audio commentaries.

Manifest The Complete Series Blu-ray (Warner)

A transatlantic flight disappears without a trace and everyone aboard is presumed dead. Five years later it reappears, and all of the passengers are only five hours older. As you can see, Manifest shares plot elements from Lost and the events following Marvel’s Infinity Saga, yet it managed to create something uniquely its own, as its complex characters navigate some understandably tough yet often surprising interpersonal drama. All the while these troubled souls are attempting to unravel what actually happened to Flight 828, and scientific fact will only take them part of the way because other powerful forces are at work, raising questions about the meaning of their very lives. Originally planned as a six-season story arc, the show was cancelled by NBC after only three despite the cliffhanger finale. To the delight of the fans (my wife among them), Netflix eventually picked up a fourth and final season split into two volumes, wrapping up on the streamer once and for all in 2023, satisfying loyal viewers with plot points resolved and questions answered. So… in that regard, it ain’t like Lost.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman The Complete Collection DVD (Universal/Classic Media)

For anyone wanting their own time trip back to a more innocent time of pithy (mis)characterizations and painful puns, these twin DVDs pack all 91 of the “Peabody's Improbable History” segments that aired as part of Jay Ward’s The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends from 1959 to 1963. Courtesy of series creator Ted Key, we are introduced to talking beagle Hector Peabody, the smartest creature in the world, and his adopted human son Sherman. Using the Wayback Machine (a.k.a. WABAC, an acronym), they travel to a totally silly version of the past to help nudge key historical events back on track. These brief, family-friendly nuggets would go on to inspire future generations, everyone from Bill & Ted to Rick & Morty.