SOPRANOS!! FIREFLY!! BUFFY!! SYN!! MXC!! JONNY!! ER!! DEAD LIKE ME!! WONDERFALLS!! HercVault!! -- Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

Published on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 2:09am

SOPRANOS!! FIREFLY!! BUFFY!! SYN!! MXC!! JONNY!! ER!! DEAD LIKE ME!! WONDERFALLS!! HercVault!!

I am – Hercules!!

People seem to enjoy “Firefly,” the tale of a Han Solo-like space criminal and his space-hooker girlfriend. The 15-episode sci-fi comedy actioner was created for an ungrateful Fox Network by Joss Whedon (“Toy Story,” “Speed,” “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Dr. Horrible”). Its big-screen sequel, “Serenity,” sold quite nicely in HD over at Universal, so Fox has decided to issue the mother series in hi-def as well. “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” star Summer Glau plays the product of unpleasant government experiments. “Chuck” star Adam Baldwin plays an angry tough guy.

Beyond the extras featured in the DVD edition, the Blu-ray set is said to include a new "Our Mrs. Reynolds" episode commentary by Whedon and actors Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass, as well as a new “Dinner For Five”-ish reunion-lunch featuring the same five men.

Eight years before “Cat Ballou” earned Lee Marvin an Oscar, “M Squad” (a key inspiration for “Police Squad!” and the “Naked Gun” movies) made Lee Marvin a star. Aired on NBC for three seasons between 1957 and 1960, 117 episodes were shot starring Marvin as Lt. Frank Ballinger, a Chicago police detective whose special unit focused on organized crime and corruption. Guest stars over the series’ run included Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Charles Bronson and Burt Reynolds. The new set includes a CD containing music from the show.

Between the first and second seasons of “Danger Man,” Patrick McGoohan starred in the well-regarded 1963 “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” miniseries “Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow Of Romney Marsh,” based on the 1915 novel by Russell Thorndike. It told the tale of an 18th-century rural clergyman who moonlighted as a masked defender fighting the unjust forces of King George III.

That Schwarzeneggerian figure on the cover of Son of the Beach Vol. 2 is Arnold’s fellow Austrian muscleman Roland Kickinger, who played the series’ Schwarzeneggerian lifeguard Chip Rommel. Kickinger finally gets to move out of Schwarzenegger’s shadow next year when he appears as the T-800 in “Terminator Salvation.”

All you need to know about the seventh season of “Scrubs” is it was scripted in part by the great Kevin Biegel, longtime AICN contributor.

New series megasets continue to rain onto store shelves as Christmas approaches. The math:

The Cosby Show
Season One: $8.99
Season Two: $13.99
Season Three: $13.99
Season Four: $13.99
Season Five: $13.99
Season Six: $13.49
Season Seven: $13.49
Season Eight: $19.99
Sold separately: $111.92
New Megaset: $92.99
Net Savings: $18.93

I Dream of Jeannie
Season One: $29.99
Season Two: $29.99
Season Three: $22.99
Season Four: $29.99
Season Five: $27.99
Sold separately: $140.95
New Megaset: $109.99
Net Savings: $30.96

Little House on the Prairie
Season One: $32.99
Season Two: $30.99
Season Three: $30.99
Season Four: $32.99
Season Five: $32.99
Season Six: $31.99
Season Seven: $31.99
Season Eight: $31.99
Season Nine: $30.99
Sold separately: $287.91
New Megaset: $199.99
Net Savings: $87.92

The Sopranos: The Complete Series
Season One: $41.49
Season Two: $41.49
Season Three: $41.49
Season Four: $41.99
Season Five: $41.99
Season Six Part One: $41.99
Season Six Part Two: $41.99
Sold separately: $292.43
New Megaset: $257.99
Net Savings: $34.44

Old extras include a trio of soundtrack CDs and 25 commentaries; new extras include deleted scenes, a panel discussion, dinners with writers, directors and actors talking about their favorite episodes, and three hours of interviews.

Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry