One of last season's biggest TV hits, "Heroes," comes to DVD this week, as does the fan-favorite "Friday Night Lights" and the second season of "The Odd Couple," all scheduled to be in stores on Tuesday.
TV series
"Heroes: Season 1" (Universal/NBC, 2006-07, seven discs, $59.98). The real hero of "Heroes" is Hiro. As played by Masi Oka, Hiro is an effervescent character who gives this otherwise dark — and surprisingly violent and gory — superhero fantasy a sorely needed injection of joy.
In case you've been in a cave, the plot here has to do with evolution gone wild, as certain people around the world discover they have a wide variety of superhuman powers and try to come to terms with them. For good or evil.
It's a variation on "X-Men," which was itself a variation on any number of superhero stories that came before, and is as much a spoof as an homage. It's also a lot of fun most of the way, although it is decidedly adult, with more sexual material than you might expect.
Extras: Widescreen, 23 episodes, original feature-length pilot, 50 deleted/extended scenes, featurettes
"Friday Night Lights: The First Season" (Universal/NBC, 2006-07, five discs, $29.98). This is an adaptation of the Billy Bob Thornton movie, a true story of high school football in Texas — where high school football is as feverish as a religious revival. The show also adopts the herky-jerky visual style of the movie (right down to the washed-out color), which gets a little irksome after awhile. But it's a well-made drama, with a good cast led by Kyle Chandler ("Early Edition").
Extras: Widescreen, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, featurettes
"Hopalong Cassidy: The Complete Television Collection" (Infinity, 1952-53, b/w, 12 discs, $79.98). William Boyd was cast as Hopalong Cassidy in 1935 and made 66 films through 1948. When the movies became a recycled hit on TV, this series followed. The formula was the same, with black-clad, silver-haired Hoppy on his horse, Topper, chasing bad guys. Great fun for fans.
Extras: Full frame, 52 episodes, documentary: "Public Hero #1," 10 feature films
"The Adventures of Jim Bowie: The Complete Collection" (Infinity, 1956-58, b/w, 10 discs, $69.98). Scott Forbes stars as the knife-throwing adventurer in this vintage Western. Guests include young Michael Landon, Mike Conners, June Carter Cash, Rose Marie.
Exras: Full frame, 76 episodes
"The Odd Couple: The Second Season" (CBS/Paramount, 1971-72, four discs, $42.99). More hijinks with slob Oscar (Jack Klugman) and neat-freak Felix (Tony Randall), based on Neil Simon's play. The second season sees the chemistry between the stars really gel with some very funny episodes. Guests include David Steinberg, Pat Morita, Joan Van Ark.
Extras: Full frame, 23 episodes
"Two's Company: The Complete Collection" (Acorn, 1975-79, four discs, $59.99). This is a bright, amusing British sitcom about a free-spirited American novelist (Elaine Stritch) living in London, who hires a veddy proper English butler (Donald Sinden). Naturally, grudging respect grows amid their verbal sparring. All four seasons are included.
Extras: Full frame, 29 episodes, text biographies/filmographies
"Danger Mouse: The Complete Series" (A&E, 1981-92, nine discs, $89.95). This cute British kids show has just routine animation but gets a boost from the scripts' dry wit. Ultra-efficient Danger Mouse and his bumbling assistant spoof James Bond-style secret-agent flicks.
Extras: Full frame, pilot episode, episodes of "Count Duckula," theme-song featurettes, text character descriptions
"A Dance to the Music of Time" (Acorn, 1997, four discs, $59.99). This is a very well-constructed multiple-character soap opera looking at changes in England from the 1920s through the '60s, with fine performances (the supporting cast includes John Gielgud, Edward Fox and Miranda Richardson). But it is also surprisingly graphic in its sexuality (on an R-rated level, right from the opening sequence).
Extras: Widescreen, four episodes
"The Masters of Horror: Season One" (Anchor Bay, 2005-06, 14 discs, $79.97). All those previously released, extremely graphic cable-TV horror hours from this show's first season are boxed up here, with loads of bonus features utilizing the many seasoned A-list directors who participated.
Extras: Widescreen, 13 episodes, audio commentaries, featurettes, storyboards, trailers; DVD-ROM applications
Comedy concerts
"Rowan Atkinson: Live!" (A&E, 1992, $19.95). This hourlong string of blackout-comedy skits, performed before a live audience in Boston, reveals Atkinson's many sides, which may surprise those who know him only as "Mr. Bean." Or even as "Black Adder." Mr. Bean shows up in the first routine — the hilarious falling-asleep-in-church pantomime — and a number of other wacky comic characters follow. Much of this is quite funny, although some of it is a bit bawdy, and several clergy skits are decidedly irreverent.
Extras: Full frame, bonus skits, text biography/filmography
"Bob Saget: That Ain't Right" (HB0, 2007, $19.97). Saget isn't the family-friendly comic you know from his "Funniest Home Video" days; he's actually one of the raunchiest, most tasteless stand-up comedians around, as this HBO special demonstrates.
Extras: Widescreen, featurette
Documentary
"Air Guitar Nation" (Docurama, 2007, $26.95). Believe it or not, this is air guitar as performance art, with a reality TV-style component.
Extras: Full frame, deleted scenes, featurettes, trailer
Kids shows
"Return to Halloweenton: Ultimate Secret Edition" (Disney, 2006, $19.99)
"Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Treat" (Disney, 2007, $19.99)
"Legion of Super Heroes, Volume 1" (Warner, 2006, $14.97)
"Shredderman Rules!" (Nickelodeon/Sony, 2007, $24.98)
"The Last Day of Summer" (Nickelodeon/Sony, 2007, $24.98)
"Growing Up Creepie: Creepie Creatures, Volume 1" (Genius/Discovery Kids, 2006, $14.95)
"Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: Special Field Trip Edition" (Nickelodeon/Paramount, with book, 2004, $16.99)
"Flight 29 Down: Volume Two" (Genius, 2006, $14.95)
"Tutenstein: The Fearless Pharaoh: Volume 3" (Genius/Discovery Kids, 2004, $14.95)
"The Ugly Duckling and Me: School Days" (Allumination, 2007, four episodes, $14.98)
"Jakers! Spooky Storytellers" (Paramount, 2007, 14.99)
"Care Bears: Fitness Fun" (Lionsgate, 1988, five stories, $14.98)
"Care Bears: The Gift of Caring" (Lionsgate, 1988, seven stories, $14.98)
"Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends: Bug-a-Boo Day Play" (Lionsgate, 2007, eight stories, $9.98)
E-mail: hicks@desnews.com