This is a big week for full-season DVD sets of various television series, starting with one that really deserves to be revisited.
"Northern Exposure: The Complete First Season" (Universal, 1990, not rated, $41.99, two double-sided discs). Surprisingly, the first season of this beloved comedy/drama series is a mere eight episodes (and, as such, the set seems a bit overpriced). But it's also a good one, with exceptional writing.
The pilot has Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow), a native New Yorker, heading to Alaska to begin four years of medical service, to repay his state-financed schooling. Instead of practicing in bustling Fairbanks, he finds himself exiled to the tiny rural town of Cicely, dubbed by locals "The Alaskan Riviera."
Of course, it's his encounters with the locals that give this show its kick: Janine Turner as bush-pilot Maggie, with whom Joel forms an immediate love/hate relationship; Barry Corbin as Maurice, the retired astronaut who owns most of the town; John Corbett as Chris, a hippie artist/morning DJ on Maurice's radio station; and many others, including Adam Arkin, who makes his first appearance as the irascible hermit Adam, a closet gourmet cook.
Among the fun here are fantasy movie spoofs when Ed (Darren E. Burrows) decides to make a film, a mysterious fellow on a motorcycle who turns out to be someone special to Chris, a visit by Joel's New York fiancee while the entire town succumbs to a flu virus, and an Indian medicine man who won't take Joel's medical advice. (David Lynch fans will enjoy a brief spoof of "Twin Peaks"; at the time, both shows were filming on location in the same area of Washington.)
The pilot is less satisfying than ensuing episodes, but the show hits its stride quickly and manages to formulate a wonderful offbeat mix of comic and dramatic story lines. (It should be noted some of the bonus features include R-rated language. And on my set, sides A and B of the first disc are reversed.)
Extras: Full frame, eight episodes (including pilot), deleted scenes, outtakes, extended footage, language options (English), subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters; packaged in collectible parka.
"Smallville: The Complete Second Season" (Warner, 2002-03, not rated, $59.98, six discs). The fantasy world of Superman as a teenager continues to make for satisfying drama (with dollops of comedy) in its second season, as the concentration is on the development of story arcs and characters, rather than the monster-of-the-week formula that dominated too much of the first season. (Though, of course, there's still some of that.)
Among the highlights: Movie Superman Christopher Reeve guest-stars as a mysterious scientist in Metropolis who knows a bit too much about Clark Kent's origins; Lex gets married; this show's version of "Who Shot J.R.?" has Lionel Luther being gunned down . . . but by whom? along with assorted creatures and ghosts, and Clark's brain going haywire. There's also a cliffhanger finale, as Clark, under the influence of red kryptonite, heads to Metropolis. Plus loads of interesting bonus features for fans.
Extras: Widescreen, audio commentary (on two episodes), making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes, DVD-Rom applications, etc.
"Cheers: The Complete Third Season" (Paramount, 1984-85, not rated, $49.99, four discs). This third year of "Cheers" marks the debut of Frasier Crane, as played by Kelsey Grammer — in the role he would continue for 20 years. He's a new boyfriend to Diane (Shelley Long) after her breakup with Sam (Ted Danson). Grammer is a hilarious addition to the barflies that include Norm (George Wendt) and Cliff (John Ratzenberger), as well as barmaid Carla (Rhea Perlman).
For several episodes toward the end of the season, Diane is in Europe with Frasier, and in the season-ending cliffhanger, Frasier proposes and they are about to marry, with Sam winging his way to Europe to stop them.
This is also the final year for beloved bartender Coach, as Nicholas Colasanto died shortly after this season. His death left a hole in the cast, which would be repaired the next year with the arrival of Woody Harrelson.
Extras: Full frame, 24 episodes, making-of featurettes, interviews, tribute to Colasanto, chapters.
"Frasier: The Complete Third Season" (Paramount, 1995-96, not rated, $49.99, four discs). This season on "Frasier," Shelley Long makes a guest appearance as her "Cheers" character Diane, and the series continues in high comic style.
"Frasier" was among the best sitcoms on television during this season, a high standard that got quite a lift from a great cast — Kelsey Grammer as the radio psychiatrist of the title, David Hyde Pierce as his even fussier psychiatrist brother, John Mahony as their blue-collar father, Jane Leeves as dad's live-in therapist and Peri Gilpin as radio producer Roz.
The season's final episode is especially funny as Frasier listens to a tape of his first radio show and we see in flashback his initial on-air meltdown, with Roz playing a hilarious deadpan straight-man.
Extras: Full frame, 24 episodes, making-of featurettes, interviews, an overview of guest-star voices, chapters.
E-mail: hicks@desnews.com