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Headsup: CMA, NYPD, NCIS, and More Letters

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment requests we note that it provided a free copy of “Batman: Hush” and “Arrow: The Complete Seventh Season”. The opinions I share are my own.

“Taking home audiences from the early days of the CMA Awards to the present, CMA Awards Live: Greatest Moments 1968-2015 is a handsomely packaged 10-DVD collector’s set filled with 127 unforgettable performances from five decades of the nationally-televised ceremony. The set features performances from many of the premiere artists in the genre who’ve helped to shape the history of country music – Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Barbara Mandrell, Buck Owens and Kenny Rogers as well as artists who’ve nurtured the sound over the past decade and taken the music to new heights, like Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.” — from Time Life

Now out from Time Life is CMA Awards Live: Greatest Moments 1968-2015, available in a 10-disc DVD set. In addition to over one hundred featured performances, the set includes newly-produced interviews and other bonus content with artists such as Charley Pride, Kenny Rogers, Naomi Judd, Ronnie Milsap, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Vince Gill, George Strait, Carrie Underwood and others. The set also comes with a 44-page memory book featuring a history of the CMA awards, show photos, and a year-by-year guide covering five decades of award recipients. CMA Awards Live: Greatest Moments 1968-2015 is available on Amazon for $94.19.

Blue Bloods Season NineBlue Bloods is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York Police Commissioner, and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. He runs his department as diplomatically as he runs his family, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry, during his stint as Chief. A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son, Danny, a seasoned detective, family man and Iraq War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases with his partner, Detective Maria Baez. The Reagan women in the family include Erin, a New York Assistant D.A. who also serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father, as well as a single parent to her teenage daughter, Nicky. Jamie is the youngest Reagan, a Harvard Law graduate and the family’s “golden boy.” Unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and follow in the family footsteps as a cop. He’s found a friend and ally in Eddie, his female partner who keeps him on his toes, and has very different reasons than the Reagans for joining the police force. After several years of working together, Jamie and Eddie finally succumbed to their strong feelings for one another and are engaged to be married.” — from CBS

Blue Bloods: The Ninth Season is now available on DVD. The set includes all twenty-two episodes from Season Nine , an on-set conversation with Abigail Hawk (Detective Abigail Baker), two behind-the-scenes Watch! Magazine specials, an examination of the character arcs and themes of the season, a featurette with the show’s technical consultant (and cast member) Detective James Nuciforo discussing the ins and outs of the show’s authenticity, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. The DVD set is available on Amazon for $34.99 and CBS All Access members have the season included in their subscription. You can also snag Season Nine digitally on iTunes and Amazon (for $29.99 each) but neither includes bonus features, so it’s up to you to decide if the $5 difference for the extras.

NCIS New Orleans season fiveNCIS: New Orleans is a drama about the local field office that investigates criminal cases involving military personnel in The Big Easy, a city known for its music, entertainment and decadence. Leading the team is Special Agent Dwayne Pride, a.k.a. “King,” a native of New Orleans who is driven by his need to do what is right. Working with Pride is his longtime friend and colleague Special Agent Christopher Lasalle, who plays hard but works harder; tough and acerbic Special Agent Tammy Gregorio, a former FBI Agent who was sent to New Orleans to investigate NCIS and upon completion joined Pride’s team; and Forensic Agent Sebastian Lund, a brilliant scientist who left the lab and, after much training, became an agent. Supporting them is coroner Dr. Loretta Wade, who is as eccentric as she is smart, and Investigative Computer Specialist Patton Plame, an animated and talented hacker. Joining the team this season is Special Agent Hannah Khoury, a seasoned agent who specializes in international counter-intelligence and has spent most of her career on overseas assignments. This colorful city that harbors a dark side is a magnet for service personnel on leave, and when overindulgence is followed by trouble, Pride’s team is at its best.”  — from CBS

NCIS: New Orleans: The Fifth Season is now out on DVD, which features all twenty-four of the season’s episodes (including the 100th episode of the series). Among the bonus features are interviews with the cast and crew, a special on the celebration of the show’s 100th episode, and conversations with the cast about their journeys as working actors. The DVD set is available on Amazon for $29.96. Digital options include seeing the season through a CBS All Access subscription or grabbing it via Amazon or iTunes, but both of the latter options cost the same as the DVD set and don’t have any of the bonus features. Unless you have CBS All Access, on this one it looks like the DVD is the way to go.

Batman Hush“A mysterious villain puppeteering Gotham’s most dangerous forces leads the Dark Knight into uncharted waters in Batman: Hush, the next entry in the popular series of DC Universe Movies. An adaptation of the seminal DC classic tale, Batman: Hush centers on a shadowy new villain known only as Hush, who uses Gotham’s Rogues Gallery to destroy Batman’s crime-fighting career, as well as Bruce Wayne’s personal life – which has already been complicated by a relationship with Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman.” — from Warner Brothers

Batman: Hush is now available on Blu-ray and 4K UHD.   Extras include audio commentary with executive producer James Tucker, director Justin Copeland and screenwriter Ernie Altbacker, a featurette about the character(s) Selina Kyle / Catwoman, the all-new DC Showcase animated short Sgt. Rock, two episodes from The Batman/Superman Hour, and a sneak peek at the next DC Universe Movie (Wonder Woman: Bloodlines.) Fans can get Batman: Hush on Blu-ray for $17.95 or 4K UHD for $24.95 on Amazon.

arrow season 7“Following Oliver Queen’s shocking decision to turn himself over the FBI and reveal his identity as the Green Arrow to the public, Oliver has spent the past five months in prison while his team was left behind to protect Star City. In the wake of Ricardo Diaz’s escape, Oliver has yet again turned into someone else inside Slabside Maximum Security Prison. Determined to keep a low profile to shorten his sentence for the sake of his family, Oliver’s limits will be tested when he and Team Arrow are pitted against the most ruthless villains they have yet to face.” — from Warner Brothers

Arrow: The Complete Seventh Season is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. The set includes all twenty- two episodes of Season Seven along with a handful of bonus features. Among the extras are featurettes on the crossover (Elseworlds) and the villains of the series, the show’s panel at Comic-Con San Diego 2018, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. The Blu-ray set also includes all three Elseworlds crossover episodes.  Arrow: The Complete Seventh Season is available on Amazon priced at $26.99 for the DVD and $29.99 for the Blu-ray. You can get the season digitally for $24.99 on iTunes (along with the two featurettes) and the same price Amazon (with no bonus features). Neither option includes the three crossover episodes featured on the Blu-ray set, so it’s up to you to decide if the $5 difference in price is worth it for the full extras / bonus episodes package.

I love Lucy colorized“America’s favorite redhead returns with a new collection of beloved episodes in glorious color. From CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment, I Love Lucy: Colorized Collection [features] sixteen full-length/uncut episodes of the beloved comedy. ‘We are excited to be bringing this timeless franchise to audiences in a new manner and hope to attract a new generation of fans to one of the greatest comedies in television history,” said Ken Ross, EVP and General Manager of CBS Home Entertainment.’ ” — from CBS

I Love Lucy: Colorized Collection is available now on DVD. The set includes sixteen unedited colorized episodes of the iconic show along with a vintage stick figure animation, a colorized version of Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel singing “Jingle Bells”, and an in-depth featurettte about the colorization process.  You can get the DVD on Amazon for $19.99