JUStfiUt JANUARY 6. ¿Wfi
television
TV on DVD
Mystery, sex, magic and murder
by Andy Mangels
n the not-so-olden days, I would videotape every
one of my favorite television series for potential
later viewing. After all, few of them were released
on VHS, and those that were came in pricey boxed
sets or in a paltry two-episodes-per-tape deal. The
past few years have seen an explosion of TV shows
coming to DVD in full-season sets, nicely designed and
often full of extras. As I divest myself of videotapes,
let's take a look at some recent releases of TV on DVD
and analyze their queer appeal.
I
THE
COMPLETE
FUST
SEASON
full of revealing extras, documentaries, commentaries
and more secret dirty laundry. Top recommendations!
Charmed:
The Complete Second Season
Paramount
The three magical Halliwell sisters are back, van­
quishing evil demons and warlocks in a San Francisco
that is magically devoid of any gay people! With three
pretty witches and a few judiciously hunky
boyfriends—not to mention magical tongues planted
firmly in cheeks— Charmed has always had a gay fol­
lowing. And while some may watch to see the train
wreck that is iiberbitch Shannen Doherty, or the tacky
fashions of Alyssa Milano, I was always a Holly Marie
Combs fan (a leftover from her lesbian-baiting days on
Picket Pences). Queer content is sketchy, but in one
episode. Prue (Doherty) is turned into a man. Piper
(Combs) books some cool “live" acts at her music
club, including Paula Cole and the positively fierce
Janice Robinson. The 22-episode Charmed set is fun
but unmagically lacks any DVD extras.
Desperate Housewives:
The Complete First Season
Buena Vista
If you aren't watching Desperate Housewives,
consider yourself officially out of the pop culture loop.
Full of juicy mysteries, sexy shenanigans, duplicity,
drama, comedy and gorgeous men and women, this
soap opera is like "Twin Peaks meets Dynasty."
Created by Marc Cherry, a very out gay man (as the
behind-the-scenes documentaries make very clear),
the series is glamorous and glib, with the sparkle and
wit of your favorite drag queen crossed with the drop-
dead good looks of your husband- or wife-to-be.
There are gay subplots aplenty, including a pair of
underage gay teens and a mistaken-identity gay-bash­
ing, as well as lots of male and female flesh on display.
The DVD set contains all 23 episodes plus a kitchen
The Pretender:
The Complete Second Season
Pox
Jarod is a genius on the run from a secret research
organization, and he takes on new identities and new
professions each week as he tries to find out his true
origins. Star Michael T. Weiss will be familiar to most
viewers as “the hot guy from Jeffrey" Oddly, as I
recall, though he plays a fashion photographer and a
gigolo, Jarod never assays the role of a gay man in any
episode...perhaps as a result of concerns about
Weiss’ rumored orientation? Still, the series is pulpy
fun. especially whenever tough-as-nails operative Mi$s
Parker (Andrea Parker) gets her mad-on, which is in
virtually every scene. The DVD features all 22 hours of
the second season, plus commentary tracks and sev­
eral making-of featurettes.
The Ren b Stimpy Show: Season
Five and Some More of Four
Paramount
Nickelodeon s irreverent and often-grotesque car­
toon series featured a fat, stupid cat named Stimpy