The go-to site for shiny disc collectors

One of the questions I get asked the most by readers is: When will my favorite show finally be released on DVD?

It seems hard to imagine that there isn't a TV series that hasn't been brought out on shiny discs (though the one pictured at left is just such an exception). But all kinds of issues can hamstring what would otherwise be a slam-dunk DVD release. Music rights ranks at the top, followed by talent issues, inexplicable studio foot-dragging and the simple fact that at its peak, the DVD frenzy was too intense for even the most greedy media corporations to keep up.

 

That's why, for years, I've been recommending TVShowsonDVD.com to readers. Built and maintained by Gord Lacey, it's one of the simplest and most effective Web sites I've ever used. It keeps you up to date on upcoming DVD releases and tells you what seasons of what shows have been released. But the killer feature is this one: You can request e-mail alerts for any TV show, and when it's finally brought out on DVD, you'll be the first to know.

  I've used e-mail alerts to keep up on “WKRP in Cincinnati,” perhaps the greatest sitcom never seen on DVD. It's finally coming out April 24, but not after years of haggling over the rights to the many songs featured on that show. Finally the producers gave up and hired a composer to emulate the rock songs that Fox was too cheap to license. The show's creator has even given the new score his blessing. So if you're tired of watching the turkey episode on YouTube, and don't mind a little aural substitution (who watches sitcoms for the music, anyway?), you can preorder “WKRP” now.