Two British movies about "Doc Martin" that preceded the comedy-drama series head these TV shows newly arrived on DVD.
"Doc Martin: The Movies" (Acorn, 2001, two discs, $39.99). These two made-for-TV movies preceded the beloved series about a misanthropic surgeon (Martin Clunes) who reluctantly takes on a small village practice in Cornwall after developing an aversion to blood.
But the doctor in the movies is nowhere near as rude or disdainful as he would become for the series. Clunes first played the role as a supporting character in a theatrical film, "Saving Grace," quickly followed by these two TV movies. Though he's Martin Ellingham in the series, in all three films he is Martin Bamford, and he's fairly friendly and downright social, having moved to Cornwall because his wife was cheating on him.
However, the dark comic tone of the films is similar to the series and both are amusing and entertaining, and somewhat instructive to how a character sometimes develops into something quite different than he began. (There are also adult themes and some brief nudity.)
Extras: widescreen, two movies
"Cougar Town: The Complete Second Season" (ABC, 2010-11, three discs, $34.99). Season 2 of Courteney Cox's sitcom arrives with more comic misadventures of a self-absorbed 40-something divorcee living in a Florida cul-de-sac with quirky neighbors. (Season 3 begins in November.)
Extras: widescreen, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, featurettes, bloopers
"Desperate Housewives: The Complete Seventh Season" (ABC, 2010-11, five discs, $45.99). Vanessa Williams arrives on Wisteria Lane to help stir things up as a new member of the title characters (along with Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria). Gotta love the DVD subtitle: "Wild, Wild Wisteria Edition." (Season 8 begins next month.)
Extras: widescreen, 23 episodes, deleted scenes, featurettes, bloopers
"90210: The Third Season" (CBS/Paramount, 2010-11, six discs, $47.99). Really? This remake of "Beverly Hills 90210" has been on three season? The senior year for the students of West Beverly Hills High brings more star-crossed lovers stabbing each other in the back.
Extras: widescreen, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, featurettes
"Murphy's Law: Series 4 & 5" (Acorn, 2006-07, two discs, $39.99). Irish cop Tommy Murphy (James Nesbitt) continues to take down ruthless bad guys in this tough adult police procedural set in London. Meanwhile, his mother's Alzheimer's gets worse. These are the final episodes of this dark, gritty series. (Contains language, nudity and violence.)
Extras: widescreen, six episodes, text production notes
"The Greening of Southie" (A&E, 2009, $24.95). Documentary about Boston's first residential green building. (The DVD box is also green, packaged in recyclable wrapping.)
Extras: widescreen
"Only in America With Larry the Cable Guy, Volume One" (History, 2011, two discs, $19.95). This documentary series with the distinctive country humor of Larry the Cable Guy (the comedian better known as Mater in the animated "Cars" movies) takes him across the country looking for offbeat history.
Extras: widescreen, 10 episodes
"Storage Wars: Season One" (A&E, 2010, three discs, $19.95). Storage auctions are the subject of this reality series.
Extras: widescreen, 19 episodes
"Royal Wedding of a Lifetime" (Lifetime, 2011, two discs, $24.95). If you still haven't had enough of the nuptials (and everything surrounding them) of William and Kate, here are documentaries on everything from the food to the clothes.
Extras: widescreen, six episodes
"iCarly: The Complete 3rd Season" (Nickelodeon, 2007, two discs, $19.99). Kenan Thompson and the cast of "Victorious" team up with Carly for one of this season's episodes, and guests include Jane Lynch and Jack Black.
Extras: full frame, 10 episodes, featurettes
"Dora's Halloween Parade" (Nickelodeon, 2011, $16.99). Two of the episodes here are Halloween themed.
Extras: full frame, four episodes
"The Man Who Walked Between the Towers … and more inspiring tales" (Scholastic, 2011, $14.95). The title story is based on Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers in 1974 and is narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal. Other readers include Claire Danes and Jonathan Pryce.
Extras: full frame, four stories, featurette, Spanish version of one story, read-along
"Jorge, el monito-cicilsta" (Scholastic, 2011, $24.95). Spanish-language stories (also with English-language versions) are highlighted here, with readers including Cheech Marin and Luis Guzman, and stories led by "Curious George" and "Harry the Dirty Dog." For children 5-9.
Extras: full frame, 10 stories
EMAIL: hicks@desnews.com