There will always be a place for America’s ghoulish family The Addams and I assume in lieu of the proposed Tim Burton re-launch, the Hanna Barbera animated series from the early seventies is something of a necessary property to re-live the nostalgia for fans of the franchise and help them hunger for Burton’s new vision. Featuring the entire series in a four DVD set, “The Addams Family” is quite a departure from the normality of the creepy Addams Family this time venturing out beyond the series to offer up some Scooby Doo mystery solving.
One of the highlights of the series is the discovery that a young Jodie Foster (Yes, that Jodie Foster) voices Wednesday Addams. Beyond that this is a typical cash in from the Hanna Barbera legacy. Instead of leaving them in one place to cope with everyday life, instead the Addams take their show on the road driving around in a humongous Victorian Mansion/RV that brings aboard all of the Addams for the fun.
The series that many were afraid wouldn’t last beyond one season is now going on to season four, and the release of season three sees something of a rut within a rather entertaining and easily charming television series that has appealed to fanboys and nerds across the board since its premiere. While I’m not a fan of the comparisons to “Friends,” the CBS series about four brilliant geniuses obsessed with their toys and video games balanced by their ditzy neighbor Penny is about as close to get to a strong and potentially long lasting ensemble comedy.
Yes, whether we Superman fans like it or not, “Smallville” is on its ninth season and continues to stagger on like the mummy. You know it’s falling apart, but nevertheless it just continues to shamble on and on. “Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season” on DVD only signifies that the series has done every single thing imaginable to stray away from the true Superman mythos in an attempt to not only keep the general fans of the show interested, but to dodge the continuing lawsuit DC is enduring from the Shuster family.
Like all foreign entertainment if you’re willing to keep a wide open mind and are willing to be open to something completely new and off the wall, then “Flight of the Conchords” is the series for you. Admittedly, the New Zealand sitcom about two folk singers slowly working their way to music fame in the New York landscape is an acquired taste, and one that I had a bit of a time adjusting to, especially considering the series will screech to a halt to switch to musical numbers sung by either of the two gentlemen here.
