Image Entertainment has provided a heads-up look at their slate for the first couple of months in the new year. 2006 will see a half-dozen TV-DVDs from the independent studio in just January and February alone: the end of one series, the best of another, a pair of BBC programs, and a classic cartoon show.
First up on January 24th are the BBC programs. 1995's UK mini-series
Little Lord Fauntleroy is coming, 171 minutes for a list price of $19.95, on a single DVD. Also up that day is the 1981 presentation of
Codename: Icarus, which was apparently presented as a single telefilm in some places and as a two-part miniseries in others. Image Entertainment is drawing comparisons to the popular film
Wargames, which came a couple of years later, but the plotline here is less about a teenage kid who's infiltrated government computers and more about a teenage kid - a math prodigy - who's recruited to join a private educational academy that is revealed to be a front for the ulta-secret government-sponsored Icarus Foundation, where he's taught to use his talents for espionage. This also will arrive on a single DVD, for $19.99 SRP.
Then, on January 31st, get ready for the animated adventures of Terry Dexter and Princess Dawn, in 1969's
Here Comes The Grump. The cartoon series was Co-Executive Produced by none other than Fritz Freleng, who is well-known for his work on
Bugs Bunny, Pink Panther and various Dr. Seuss cartoons. He's joined by the voice talents of Mel Blanc as "Blip," the strange pet. Rip Taylor stars as "The Grump," with Jay North ("Dennis" of TV's live-action
Dennis the Menace) as "Terry" and Avery Schreiber also among the voice cast. Look for 3 DVDs containing 34 cartoons, all for $29.99 SRP.
On February 7th,
Hearts Afire comes to an end with it's 3rd and last season on DVD. Starring John Ritter (
Three's Company) and Markie Post (
Night Court), you'll also find Billy Bob Thornton and Conchata Ferrell in these final 14 episodes...including an unaired episode never seen during the original broadcast run. The list price is $29.99 for this 3-DVD set.
Finally, February 28th will see a pair of "best-of" releases of
Combat!, which will already be fully out on DVD in half-season sets by that time, or in a "complete series" release which is coming up. For more casual fans of the show, though, Image is bringing out a pair of single-disc releases for just $9.99 each. At that price you'll get 46 minutes of either
The Best of Saunders (focusing on Vic Morrow as Sgt. Chip Saunders), or
The Best of Hanley (focusing on Rick Jason as Lt. Gil Hanley). These are perfect if you don't want to invest in the box sets, but still have some interest in the series. Heck, get both...they're inexpensive enough.
Stay tuned and we'll have further updates on some of these as more details and hi-res box shots are made available.
