The Mentalist, Thirtysomething & More TV On DVD

TV Debuts Sure To Amuse: The TV train keeps chugging along, bringing shows of recent and older vintage to all good couch potatoes…

Good Knight: In 2008, NBC went in for a reboot of the 1980s’ most popular action shows, and the resulting Knight Rider: Season 1 starred Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur, the estranged son of Michael Knight, who now uses a second-generation version of the talking supercar KITT (here voiced by Val Kilmer) to fight crime. The series co-starred Bruce Davison as the scientist who created both iterations of KITT, and Deanna Russo as Davison’s daughter / Breuning’s romantic interest. The show’s entire run of 18 episodes are presented on four discs in this souped-up set loaded with extras.

Zwick Changes: The creation of Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, and a critical favorite over the course of its 1987-1991 run on ABC, thirtysomething: The Complete First Season centered on the family lives of a group of Philadelphia professionals as they struggle with their problems, romances, health and future. A top-notch ensemble cast that includes Mel Harris, Patricia Wettig, Ken Olin, Timothy Busfield, Polly Draper, Peter Horton and Melanie Mayron bring the characters from the series vividly to life in this 21-episode, six-disc set.

Simon Says: Simon Baker won lots of new fans for his part in The Mentalist: The Complete First Season, in which he plays Patrick Jane, an ex-celebrity psychic who loves to cut to the chase and uses his non-supernatural but nonetheless effective people-reading skills to help police with difficult-to-solve crimes in California, and hopefully gain a lead on the cunning serial killer that murdered his family. Robin Tunney and Tim Kang also star in this suspenser that has really drawn a huge following since debuting on CBS in 2008. 23 episodes will be collected on six discs.

My Old School: The 2008 CW series 90210: The First Season revisits the zip code made famous in Beverly Hills: 90210, the hit Aaron Spelling / Darren Star Fox series of the ‘90s. Here, West Beverly High grad Rob Estes moves back to L.A. from Kansas with wife Lori Loughlin and their teenage kids (Shenae Grimes, Tristan Wilds), who find themselves faced with all kinds of culture shock. Taking the job of principal at his alma mater, Estes has to take on the responsibility of his alcoholic mother (Jessica Walter) as well. Old-school 90210 regs Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling make appearances in the show, presented on six discs.