New Cosmos Series on the Horizon

Written by Jon Williams

In 1980, famed astronomer Carl Sagan teamed up with PBS to create Cosmos, a 13-episode series that explored a number of scientific themes, particularly about the universe and our place in it. It was written with the assistance of astrophysicist Steven Soter and cosmologist Ann Druyan, who would soon become Sagan’s wife. Sagan served as host of the series, which is still the most-watched series in PBS’s history.

In a field predicated on exploration and new discoveries, the 34 intervening years have brought a wealth of new knowledge. Now that knowledge is set to be brought forth, as Cosmos is being reimagined into a new series. Debuting next weekend, on Sunday, March 9, and being broadcast simultaneously on ten Fox networks, Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey will present nine episodes. Unfortunately, Sagan passed away in 1996; the new show will be hosted by astrophysicist NeildeGrasse Tyson.

The new series is produced by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, who was a fan of the original Cosmos series and wanted to get involved with something outside of his usual range. Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan is involved as well, as she was with the original. Tyson, Druyan, and MacFarlane will attempt to inject the series with the same kind of broad appeal that made the original such a hit, exploring scientific concepts in an understandable and entertaining way. Like the first series, music will play a big part; the score will be written by film composer Alan Silvestri (the original used music by Vangelis and a number of other artists).

In Memoriam: Harold Ramis

Written by Jon Williams

American comic actor, writer, and director Harold Ramis passed away on Monday at the age of 69. While he appeared in a number of films, if you know his face, chances are good that it’s for his role as Dr. Egon Spengler in the Ghostbusters franchise. If you’re a fan of comedy, though, there’s no doubt you’re familiar with his work, as he was involved in many of the funniest films created since 1978.

Ramis got his start in comedy with the famed Second City troupe in Chicago, which led to a stint as a performer and head writer for the sketch comedy series SCTV. During his years working on the show (1976-1979), he worked with two collaborators to write the script for Animal House.

Ramis’s first attempt at writing a feature film was a success, to say the least. It earned over $141 million at the box office, breaking comedy records. He followed it up with the goofy camp comedy Meatballs, the first of six collaborations with Bill Murray. In 1980, he teamed up with Murray again for the golf classic Caddyshack, which he directed as well. He then stepped in front of the camera for the first time, starring with Murray in Stripes (which he also co-wrote), about two slackers who join the army.

After Stripes, Ramis returned to his roots with National Lampoon, writing the original Vacation movie that introduced Chevy Chase as well-meaning family man Clark Griswold. Then Ramis was called in to consult on a Dan Aykroyd script about a dark comedy about a group of enforcers traveling through time and space to battle the paranormal. Ramis brought the story back down to Earth, and the result was the 1984 blockbuster Ghostbusters. He joined Aykroyd and Murray on the screen for the film, as he did for the 1989 sequel (one of the few sequels Murray has done in his career).

Cartoonist Ash Vickers (@Mega_Ashra) pays tribute to Harold Ramis/Egon Spengler

Ramis was able to carry his string of classic comedies into the 1990s with the hilarious Groundhog Day in 1993, in which an insufferable Pennsylvania TV weatherman (played by Murray) is forced to relive the same day over and over again. From there, he took a break from writing, but made memorable appearances in the films Airheads and As Good As It Gets (currently unavailable). He came back with a vengeance, penning and directing the 1999 mob comedy Analyze This with Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro, along with the sequel in 2002. The last film Ramis wrote was 2009’s Year One, starring Jack Black and Michael Cera.

Harold Ramis was an undisputed comedy genius, and this is just a sampling of the films he was involved with over the course of his career. For more, SmartBrowse his name on our website.

Hot This Week: February 24

The only newcomer to this week's music chart is country star Eric Church, who jumps straight to the top, while Imagine Dragons and Miley Cyrus return after short absences. Three new titles grace the fiction list, all thrillers from popular authors James Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman, and Alex Berenson. The non-fiction list sees two titles debut smack in the middle, at #5 and #6, respectively.

DVD

1. Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa
2. Last Vegas
3. Captain Phillips
4. Escape Plan
5. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
6. Runner Runner
7. Lee Daniels' The Butler
8. Don Jon
9. Prisoners
10. Despicable Me 2

CD

1. Eric Church, The Outsiders
2. Frozen Soundtrack
3. NOW That's What I Call Music 49
4. Beyonce, Beyonce
5. Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
6. Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
7. Lorde, Pure Heroine
8. Toni Braxton and Babyface, Love, Marriage & Divorce
9. Katy Perry, Prism
10. Miley Cyrus, Bangerz 

Fiction

1. Private L.A., James Patterson and Mark Sullivan
2. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
3. Killer, Jonathan Kellerman
4. The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd
5. Still Life with Bread Crumbs, Anna Quindlen
6. One More Thing, B.J. Novak
7. Sycamore Row, John Grisham
8. The Counterfeit Agent, Alex Berenson
9. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
10. The First Phone Call from Heaven, Mitch Albom

Non-Fiction

1. Duty, Robert M. Gates
2. Things That Matter, Charles Krauthammer
3. David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell
4. Killing Jesus, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
5. The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert
6. HRC, Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes
7. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg
8. George Washington's Secret Six, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
9. I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai
10. Glitter and Glue, Kelly Corrigan

Hot This Week: February 17

Up from #3 last week, Bad Grandpa takes over the top DVD spot, with two new titles showing up for the first time. The latest in the ultra-popular NOW music series heads this week's music chart, with three other new discs also making the grade. In fiction, a book of short stories from The Office writer and star B.J. Novak makes its debut, while The Husband's Secret jumps back into the top ten. Three new books, including two about parenting, debut in non-fiction.

DVD

1. Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa
2. Last Vegas
3. Captain Phillips
4. Escape Plan
5. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
6. Runner Runner
7. Lee Daniels' The Butler
8. Don Jon
9. Prisoners
10. Despicable Me 2

CD

1. NOW That's What I Call Music 49
2. Frozen Soundtrack
3. Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
4. Toni Braxton and Babyface, Love, Marriage & Divorce
5. Broken Bells, After the Disco
6. Little Mix, Salute
7. Beyonce, Beyonce
8. Lorde, Pure Heroine
9. 2014 Grammy Nominees
10. Katy Perry, Prism

Fiction

1. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
2. The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd
3. Still Life with Bread Crumbs, Anna Quindlen
4. One More Thing, B.J. Novak
5. Sycamore Row, John Grisham
6. First Love, James Patterson and Emily Raymond 
7. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
8. The First Phone Call from Heaven, Mitch Albom
9. An Officer and a Spy, Robert Harris
10. The Husband's Secret, Liane Moriarty 

Non-Fiction

1. Duty, Robert M. Gates
2. Glitter and Glue, Kelly Corrigan
3. David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell
4. Things That Matter, Charles Krauthammer
5. Killing Jesus, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
6. All Joy and No Fun, Jennifer Senior
7. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg
8. I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai
9. The Triple Package, Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld
10. George Washington's Secret Six, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

The Wonder Years Finally Coming to DVD

Written by Jon Williams

Watching TV shows on DVD is a trend that has really caught on in recent years, and contemporary shows have really taken advantage, with new seasons or complete series usually being released on disc shortly after their initial television run. Did you miss Friday Night Lights or Breaking Bad when they aired (or just want to see them again)? No problem. Do you need to catch up on Game of Thrones or True Blood before the new seasons begin on HBO? You can do that too.

With older shows, it can be a little harder. While a great many have come to DVD over the years, there are plenty that devoted fans are still waiting for. One of the most highly sought-after series that has not yet come to DVD is The Wonder Years, which aired from 1988 to 1993. Starring a young Fred Savage, the show portrayed the trials and tribulations associated with growing up and coming of age in the U.S. in the turbulent 1960s. It explored themes of sibling rivalry, family struggles, first love, and friendship against the backdrop of Vietnam and the space race.

Well, it appears the wait is almost over. It was announced yesterday that Time Life is finally bringing the complete series to disc. Although an official release date has not yet been nailed down, plans are for it to be in “the second half of 2014.” This isn’t the first acclaimed older show that Time Life has brought to DVD—they’re responsible for the recent release of China Beach, among others.

Considering The Wonder Years was a show about youth in the ‘60s, it was only natural that music played a large part in the show. That has contributed to the delay in bringing the show to DVD, as it was necessary to secure rights to all those songs in order to include them in a new release. Time Life is working on that, ensuring that the upcoming DVDs will come with all the music intact—including the theme song, Joe Cocker’s cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” originally recorded by the Beatles.

With fans waiting so long for this release, demand is sure to be high. Keep your eye on our website for more information on a release date as it comes available.

Hot This Week: February 10

Captain Phillips maintains the top spot on this week's DVD list, with four new titles climbing onto the mix behind it. Recent Grammy and Super Bowl halftime performances have brought a few familiar titles surging back onto this week's music chart, with Of Mice & Men and Casting Crowns debuting new titles. Anna Quindlen and Robert Harris debut on the fiction list, while Ari Shavit's exploration of the nation of Israel cracks the top ten in non-fiction.

DVD

1. Captain Phillips
2. Last Vegas
3. Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa
4. Lee Daniels' The Butler
5. Prisoners
6. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
7. Despicable Me 2
8. The Family
9. Don Jon
10. Fast & Furious 6 

CD

1. Frozen Soundtrack
2. 2014 Grammy Nominees
3. Lorde, Pure Heroine
4. Of Mice & Men, Restoring Force
5. Beyonce, Beyonce
6. Casting Crowns, Thrive
7. Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
8. Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
9. Katy Perry, Prism
10. Daft Punk, Random Access Memories 

Fiction

1. The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd
2. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
3. Still Life with Bread Crumbs, Anna Quindlen
4. First Love, James Patterson and Emily Raymond 
5. Sycamore Row, John Grisham
6. The First Phone Call from Heaven, Mitch Albom
7. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
8. An Officer and a Spy, Robert Harris
9. Command Authority, Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney
10. Under the Wide and Starry Sky, Nancy Horan

Non-Fiction

1. Duty, Robert M. Gates
2. David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell
3. Things That Matter, Charles Krauthammer
4. Killing Jesus, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
5. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg
6. I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai
7. My Age of Anxiety, Scott Stossel
8. George Washington's Secret Six, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
9. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand
10. My Promised Land, Ari Shavit

Hot This Week: February 3

Captain Phillips, the acclaimed film starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi about a ship taken over by Somali pirates, is #1 on this week's DVD list. A week after the Grammy Awards ceremony, a compilation of the night's biggest nominees is the top newcomer. Three new titles make the fiction list, led by Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen at #5. The only debut title on the non-fiction list is a book detailing technology's effect on the economy, The Second Machine Age.

DVD

1. Captain Phillips
2. Prisoners
3. Lee Daniels' The Butler
4. Despicable Me 2
5. The Family
6. We're the Millers
7. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
8. Fast & Furious 6
9. The Wolverine
10. The Lone Ranger
     

CD

1. Frozen Soundtrack
2. 2014 Grammy Nominees
3. A Great Big World, Is There Anybody Out There?
4. Beyonce, Beyonce
5. Lorde, Pure Heroine
6. Kidz Bop 25
7. Young the Giant, Mind Over Matter
8. Bruce Springsteen, High Hopes
9. Katy Perry, Prism
10. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP 2

Fiction

1. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
2. The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd
3. First Love, James Patterson and Emily Raymond 
4. Sycamore Row, John Grisham
5. Lost Lake, Sarah Addison Allen
6. The First Phone Call from Heaven, Mitch Albom
7. The Days of Anna Madrigal, Armistead Maupin
8. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
9. Under the Wide and Starry Sky, Nancy Horan
10. Command Authority, Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney

Non-Fiction

1. Duty, Robert M. Gates
2. Things That Matter, Charles Krauthammer
3. David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell
4. Killing Jesus, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
5. Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg
6. I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai
7. George Washington's Secret Six, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
8. My Age of Anxiety, Scott Stossel
9. The Second Machine Age, Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee 
10. Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand