Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet- The Best of Ricky and Dave
Shout! Factory

Ozzie and Harriet wasn’t any more “real” than Father Knows Best, but the long-running show had its own special charm, as it actually did feature a real family, even if they were acting in TV roles as, well, themselves. Though about a half-dozen of these episodes have appeared in other collections, this set shines with stories focusing on “boys” – Ricky and David – who go from teens to young married men during the show’s ’50s-60’s run of 14 seasons(!), 435 episodes in all, from which these four discs have culled programs. The bonus material includes musical performances by Ricky Nelson, who wasn’t just a TV teen idol, but a legit rockabilly-pop singer. Each disc features episodes with titles that tell you most everything – “Ricky’s Lost Letter,” “Father Son Tournament,” “Dave the Schoolteacher,” “Rick’s Broken Arm,” “Rick’s 21st birthday,” …you get the idea. The performances, which always came at the end of the shows, include “Stood Up,” “Boppin’ the Blues,” “Hello Mary Lou,” “Fools Rush In,” and many more songs.  Plus, each disc also includes a radio episode as well (the show was originally a program during the tail-end of the golden age of radio, with bandleader Ozzie, singer wife Harriet plus their two young boys).

Love Boat
First Season, Part Two
Paramount

“Love…exciting and new. Come aboard, we’re expecting you…” Who doesn’t know that theme song sung by Jack Jones?  When there was nothing to do on Saturday night in the late ’70s, there was always the double-shot of Love Boat and Fantasy Island - both havens for all sorts of TV stars, young and old, to make cameo/guest appearances. This collection features hour-long episodes from part two of the first season of Love Boat, when the crew of the Pacific Princess cruise-ship were just finding their sea legs, let’s say.  Oh yes, there’s Captain Stubing, Julie your Cruise Director, Gopher your steward, Doc, and Isaac the bartender.  Yes, it’s all mostly silly with twinkle-in-the-eye overlapping tales of romance each week on the high seas of folks’ vacations, plus the occasional “dramatic” subplot. The guests include a who’s-who of TV vets in the day: Bob Crane, Robert Hays, Pearl Bailey, Don Adams, Adrienne Barbeau, Desi Arnaz, Jr., Stephanie Zimbalist, Scatman Crothers, Vicki Lawrence, Jim Backus, the ever-cute-in-her-day Barbi Benton, Monty Hall, sisters Audrey and Jayne Meadows, Leslie Nielson, TV’s Brady Bunch sisters Maureen McCormick and Eve Plumb, Morey Amsterdam, and Annette Funicello, to name just some. There’s also a bonus – the TV Movie that launched the series, The New Love Boat, which had followed two other Love Boat pilots that failed to click. The only question is why Season One wasn’t released as a single volume instead of the two-part treatment.  This seems to happen a lot with older series on DVD. But otherwise, come sail away.

Family Ties
Season 4
NBC/Paramount

The Keaton saga continues on in this fourth season collection from more than two decades ago, which includes the Alex and Ellen romance and Billy Vera’s Number One hit, “At This Moment.” Some of the best episodes here include “My Tutor,” “A World to the Wise” Part I and II, “Teacher’s Pet,” and “Once in Love with Elyse.”

We also meet Mallory’s (Justine Bateman’s) neanderthal-like-at-first wanna-be rocker-artist-enviromentalist-rebel boyfriend Nick (Scott Valentine), and there’s some actually endearing parental-child interaction between Meredith Baxter as mom Elyse and Michael J. Fox as son Alex when he’s struck by insomnia, which she cures. Some writing pops up, plus a lot of heart.

Fox, of course, was already a star, having done the Back to the Future movies too. Some of the Reagan-era jokes don’t hold up, but the family and friends stuff does.  Y’know, it really was a nice show.

Reno 911
Fifth Season
Comedy Central

The biggest idiots in law enforcement since Barney Fife in Mayberry are back in 16 episodes of fumbling, bumbling, and wackiness. It’s amazing that the initially slim-premise as a sort of Police Academy goes desert state highway patrol has lasted so well. From a sex-slave worker as a new-hire to a bounty hunter that’s obviously a nod to and parody of Duane “Dog” Chapman (the hilarious Diedrich Bader), there’s plenty of amusement here. There’s soap opera (did Garcia steal Dangel’s husband? Deputy Wiegel wants to sell her baby!), “enhanced” kevlar vests for female officers, fund-raising locally door-to-door selling snacks,  Jackie the Pickle-Throwing Hooker, undercover work patrolling the U.S./Mexico border, and the training of cops in Baghdad. Murphy’s Law always applies and, when things go wrong, the yuks begin. We also get George Lopez as the worthless Mayor, and “Burger Cousin” manager Seth Green. This is the 911 you don’t mind checking in with.