Sci-fi series of the recent past lead off this collection of TV programs to be released Tuesday on DVD.
"Earth 2: The Complete Series" (Universal, 1994-95, not rated, $49.98, four double-sided discs). This sort of updated "Lost in Space" or "Robinson Crusoe On Mars" is less action-packed and more thoughtful than most modern sci-fi shows, but that works to its advantage. The pollution level of Earth is so bad 200 years down the road that people are forced to live in space stations, and their children are suffering. The plot kicks in when a scientist (Debrah Farentino) takes her sick son to another planet, hoping it will help him heal, but, of course, problems arise. Antonio Sabato Jr., Rebecca Gayheart and Clancy Brown are regulars; guests include Virginia Madsen, Kelli Williams, Tim Curry and Terry O'Quinn.
Extras: Full frame, 21 episodes, deleted/extended scenes, bloopers, one episode each of "Sliders" and "Cleopatra 2525," trailers, optional subtitles (English, Spanish), chapters.
"Sliders: The Third Season" (Universal, 1996-97, not rated, $59.98, four double-sided discs). Quinn (Jerry O'Connell), Wade (Sabrina Lloyd), Arturo (John Rhys-Davies) and Rembrandt (Cleavant Derricks) continue to land in alternate universes while they try to get back home. There are some good episodes here, but the series starts to slip toward the end of the season as Arturo dies at the hand of an evil colonel (Roger Daltry). This also marks Wade's last season. Guests include Tommy Chong, Robert Englund and Corey Feldman.
Extras: Full frame, 25 episodes, bloopers, one episode each of "Earth 2" and "Cleopatra 2525," trailers, subtitle options (English, Spanish, French), chapters.
"Cleopatra 2525: The Complete Series" (Universal, 2000-01, not rated, $49.98, three double-sided discs). This half-hour series (later expanded to an hour) is campy sci-fi in the manner of "Hercules" and "Xena," with futuristic Charlie's Angels trying to take Earth back from evil robots. The premise is amusing — Cleopatra is a stripper from 2001 who was cryogenically frozen after a breast-implant operation went awry and revived 500 years later. Produced by Sam Raimi (the "Spider-Man" movies) and starring Jennifer Sky as the title character and Gina Torres and Victoria Platt as her cohorts.
Extras: Full frame, 28 episodes, deleted scenes, making-of featurette, bloopers, one episode each of "Sliders" and "Earth 2," trailers, optional subtitles (English, Spanish), chapters.
"Laguna Beach: The Complete First Season" (MTV/Paramount, 2004, not rated, $38.99, three discs). In anticipation of the second season of this show (subtitled "The Real Orange County"), which starts July 25, this MTV reality series gets a DVD release for fans. This is sort of the real-life version of the fictional "The O.C." Except that with all these spoiled rich kids and the obnoxious things they say, "The O.C." actually seems more real. Perhaps "Laguna Beach" is a new concept; a "surreality show."
Extras: Full frame 11 episodes, deleted scenes, interviews, making-of featurettes, music videos, trailers, chapters.
"H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds" (Goldhil, 2005, not rated, $9.98, two discs). Each of the two discs here contains one documentary. Disc 1 is "100 Years of Terror," a superficial look at Wells' life and writings, with discussions of Orson Welles' 1938 "War of the Worlds" radio show and the 1953 movie — without any audio or video clips! The second disc, "Mars: 100 Years of Discovery," is better, with a look at space exploration and specifically what we've learned about Mars.
Extras: Full frame, chapters.
"Simply Ming" (WGBH, 2004, not rated, $39.95, three discs). Chef Ming Tsai demonstrates how to whip up East-West dishes with his "master recipes." Ming has authored three cookbooks and is the chef-owner of BlueGinger in Wellesley, Mass.
Extras: Widecreen, recipes, Ming's five best tips, recipe cards, pantry list, top 10 cooking tools, chapters.
"What's New Scooby-Doo? Vol. 5: Sports Spooktacular" (Warner, 2005, not rated, $19.97). Four episodes from the animated series, all with sports themes: "The Unnatural," "The Fast and The Wormious," "Wrestle Maniacs" and "Diamonds Are a Ghoul's Best Friend."
Extras: Full frame, four episodes, two featurettes with Hank Aaron, optional English subtitles, chapters.
"Dora the Explorer: Super Babies" (Nick Jr./Paramount, 2005, not rated, $16.99). This DVD's episodes from the TV show are "Super Babies," "Catch the Babies," "Baby Dio" and "Por Favor."
Extras: Full frame, four episodes, interactive game, tips for parents, music videos, optional English subtitles, chapters.
"A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Volume 1" (Warner, 1988, not rated, $14.98).
"A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Volume 2" (Warner, 1988, not rated, $14.98). These animated adventures with the mystery-solving gang shows them all as children . . . think Tiny Toons with the Scooby-Doo gang. Included are these episodes: "A Bicycle Built for Boo," "The Sludge Monster from the Earth's Core," "Wanted Cheddar Alive," "The Schnook Who Took My Comic Book," "For Letter or Worse," "Babysitter from Beyond," "Snow Place Like Home" and "Now Museum, Now You Don't."
Extras: Full frame, four episodes (on each disc), language and subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters.
E-mail: hicks@desnews.com