5000 Episodes and No Commercials: The Ultimate Guide to TV Shows on DVD 2007 [Paperback]

David Hofstede (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2006

Groundbreaking! Does for TV shows what Leonard Maltin’s guides do for movies! Forget movies! Sales of TV DVDs are outpacing all other categories, according to Video Store magazine. The Simpsons, 24, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias, even old chestnuts like Columbo and Home Improvement are blowing out of the stores as fans and collectors rush to buy their favorite shows, compact and complete. How do buyers know which shows are the best, which season contains that favorite moment, which episode features that guest star? They don’t—not without their trusty copy of 5,000 Episodes No Commercials which gives full information on every sitcom and drama released on DVD, whether in season-by-season sets, individual episodes, best-of compilations, specials, or made-for-TV movies. Almost 500 pages of listings include year of original airing, information on audio and video quality, extras, Easter eggs, and more. Every couch potato is sure to heave up off the sofa just long enough to buy 5,000 Episodes No Commercials!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Hofstede has written eleven books on film and TV, including What Were They Thinking? and the successful companion volumes to The Dukes of Hazzard and Charlie’s Angels. He covers the film and theater beat for AOL’s Digital City Las Vegas website and serves as film editor for Cowboys & Indians magazine. He lives in Las Vegas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Back Stage Books; 1st edition (September 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823084566
• ISBN-13: 978-0823084562
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,658,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Would Be Great If Updated, November 17, 2010

By 

Eric Perlin (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 5000 Episodes and No Commercials: The Ultimate Guide to TV Shows on DVD 2007 (Paperback)

The only edition of this book as of this writing is a "2007" edition, actually published in 2006. A lot more TV series and TV seasons have been released on DVD in the four years since its publication.

It's great to have this book to tell you which DVD sets include complete episodes and which have altered or truncated episodes; which sets scramble the order of episodes (so you have to skip around to go from part 1 to part 2 of a 2-part episode); and what extras, if any, are included.

However, no two people are going to agree on which TV series were good and which were lousy, so when the author praises or pans a particular TV series, you can take his opinions with a grain of salt. You already know what you like and dislike. People who buy a TV series on DVD (as opposed to movies) are usually very familiar with whatever series they're buying.

Besides authorized studio releases, this book also reviews some of the budget-priced public domain TV series releases, and lets readers know about the picture quality and the entertainment level of the episodes included. (Public domain DVDs select only episodes that are not copyrighted, and these can be any combination of the best or the worst episodes of a given TV series.)

If this book could be updated to reflect every major TV series release on DVD as of 2010, I would rate it 5 stars. As it is, it is worth only 3 stars but still worth owning. The information that's missing is frustrating, but the information that's there is useful. If an updated edition is eventually published, buy that edition instead of this one! If not, settle for this 2007 edition; it's better than nothing.