It’s that time of year again! When the temperature starts to dip down lower than most would like, one way to brighten the days is by looking forward to start-up of our fave TVÂ shows once again.
After a long summer of re-runs, the creative spark starts up again as we begin to wonder, with fervour, what will happen to the basketball star, the aspiring playwright, the hero, the villain or the hilarious, one-liner cheer-leading coach?
Well, before you dive right in, a great way to get yourself back into the stories of these shows is to wade into the waters of the previous season. Most, at this point, are available on DVD or Blu-ray, so if you want to catch up on the episodes you missed, or see your fave all over again, now’s your chance!
But with so many shows out there, your shelves might get pretty stacked if you aspire to own them all (not to mention your wallet getting mighty light). So which ones are the must-haves this TV season, that go beyond just giving you what’s expected?
Here’s our Faze weigh-in:
#4. GOSSIP GIRL – Season 3
Obviously an awesome show, and this collection comes with unaired scenes, music videos and an interactive viewing experience for one episode (Gossip Girl Mode) that gives you tidbits of info on wardrobe selection, set design, music, location and various other behind-the-scenes details you won’t find anywhere else. Also in this set is a section called A Gossip Girl Fabulous Affair, where they give you hints on how to throw your own “party a la Gossip Girl.”
BONUS: HILARIOUS gag reel (don’t you LOVE when you get to see these?!)
#3. ONE TREE HILL – Season 7
7 years running, this show is definitely taking a different direction, now that the cast is more mature and out of high school. But a great season to see if you want to know what happened to some of your favourite high schoolers from Tree Hill. The DVD set comes with unaired scenes and commentary on a lot of the episodes, as well as a segment that re-introduces the show (including info on all the new characters) and shows what happened on the first day of filming. Other interesting parts include the behind-the-scenes of Sophia Bush’s (Brooke Davis) directorial debut and video footage of 2 contest winners who got to spend Spring Break on set working with the cast and crew.
BONUS: REALLY funny gag reel (again, LOVE it!)
#2. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 1
Fun thing about owning the first season of a series is getting the first glimpses of what went on in order to bring the show to life. This collection has unaired scenes, history on the popularity/evolution of vampires and interviews with creator Kevin Williamson (also did Dawson’s Creek)–where they talk about changes from the book series to the tv series. You also get an exclusive look at how they cast the show (including footage from the original auditions) and the creators explain why Elena went from blonde to brunette. What’s more, “Vampires 101” will give you a look at the specific mythology that rules over the show. If that’s not enough, there are also a few webisodes (kind of like fan-fiction–not my thing, but it was interesting) and a downloadable audio book version of The Vampires Diaries: The Awakening (perfect for an upcoming road trips!). This one is clearly packed with extras that make you feel a part of the show
BONUS: WICKED gag reel – this show looks like a blast to work on!! (did I mention I really like these reels?)
#1. GLEE – Season 1
GLEE gets my number one spot because it is not only packed–oh no, it’s JAM-packed with extras that are fun and short, perfect for watching with other GLEErs building your love of this successful show: a full tour of WMHS from Principal Figgins (totally in character and hilarious), a GLEE music video and full length audition pieces for Rachel and Mercedes. They also show you the real auditions of some of the cast (like Lea Michele) and talk about the process of casting (which took 2 1/2 – 3 months!!) and getting the music in order. There are behind-the-scenes of the original dance boot camp (guess who was afraid of dance on the first day?), a video where the choreographers teach you some moves from GLEE rivals Vocal Adrenaline and karaoke for some of the songs that appeared on the show. Also, lots on Jane Lynch (because we love her!!), the making of some of the bigger numbers/episodes and a walk through wardrobe with the stylists that work on the show (so you can learn to dress like your fave character!). I definitely could go on and on, but some of these you will just have to see for yourself!
BONUS: sadly, no gag reel (maybe next season!), but there was an awesome set of video diaries from a bunch of the cast during a trip to NYC to promote the show (GREAT! –although, a tad dizzying with so much movement of the camera)
All these sets were a great look at the behind-the-scenes of some of the greatest shows on tv right now, so I can’t wait to see what this year looks like!
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