Here's where things get interesting. With TV DVD maturing as a format, nearly all of today's top series have already hit disc, and most of yesteryear's, too. That means studios and distributors have to dig deeper to keep the pipeline flowing. Which is great news for viewers who love reaching beyond the obvious for releases like these:
"O.J.: Made in America" (list price $40 for DVD/Blu-ray combo box, ESPN) O.J. Simpson himself opens ESPN's universally acclaimed five-part "30 for 30" docuseries: We hear his bold, youthful claim of craving fame, and then see his sad current self, in a Nevada correctional center. That lays the template for examining this college football phenom, pro sports superstar, Hollywood celebrity and accused killer/felon. Director Ezra Edelman ("Magic & Bird") widens his focus to illustrate how Simpson's life was shaped by his dreams and the society he lived in, their intersection defined by racial dynamics. Edelman's meticulous edit of news reports, talk shows, trial footage and broad-ranging interviews (from childhood friends to ad executives) creates deep and provocative context. His riveting portrait of one American life sheds light on America itself. Befitting its quality, the five-disc set comes in a deluxe black box holding a hardcover book with Simpson sports stats, a floor plan of his house, and a map of the "slow-speed chase." On-disc extras, all '90s murder/trial vintage, an ESPN "SportsCenter" news montage, "The Sports Reporters" discussion segments, and Chris Myers' live hour Simpson interview.
"Medical Center" ($60 DVD, Warner Archive) Coincidentally, O.J. Simpson made his acting debut in season 1 of CBS' 1969-76 hospital drama starring Chad Everett. That series now completes its DVD release with season 7, and a daring storyline that would rattle even today's networks. Just a year past "The Brady Bunch," Robert Reed jettisoned his sitcom-dad image by playing an eminent surgeon seeking what was then called a sex-change operation. His wife, son and fellow doctors are aghast, while Everett attempts to understand Reed's needs. Sensitively handled, the two-part episode earned Reed an Emmy nomination. (Order at wbshop.com, other online outlets.)
"The Gong Show Movie" ($25 Blu-ray, Shout) This one is a virtual acid trip: a 1980 big-screen curio in which game show titan (and self-reputed spy) Chuck Barris plays his whacked-out self, host/producer of a purposely pathetic talent contest. Pop culture cultists will find fascination in its self-referential awfulness. Others will wonder what '70s Americans were smoking to keep "The Gong Show" running nearly five years.
"Opry Video Classics" ($120 for eight individually cased DVDs, Time Life) This collection of historic country acts flashes back to the 1950s-'70s, pre-cable, pre-YouTube. After Nashville's Grand Ole Opry venue launched its own TV show in 1955, the syndicated '60s "Bobby Lord Show" caught the rise of Dolly Parton, while "That Good Old Nashville Music" hosted '70s supercouple George Jones and Tammy Wynette. Clips from those series (in color and black-and-white) also capture legends such as Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn, crossovers Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold, and pioneers Kitty Wells and Charley Pride. They're sorted onto themed discs such as "Hall of Fame 2" and "Queens of Country 2," in which Parton sports a sky-high beehive. (The "Opry" set's outer sleeve should, but doesn't, append "2" to its title. Only a red-themed cover sets it apart from a different yet similar-looking blue set from 2007.)
