The Birds of Prey On DVD, with DCAU's Gotham Girls

[annericelover]

Yes, Warner Brothers has finally decided to release The Birds of Prey on DVD, it will include Special Features, one of which is every episode of the DCAU's Gotham Girls(yes, WFP, you will have a DVD set to review from). Here is the link for the full story:

http://www.TVShowsOnDVD.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=9302

[Missy]

[Luke]

The thing I remember most about watching Birds of Prey was that they were all really hot.

[James D.]

I concur.

[annericelover]

It doesn't say yet, but I'm guessing we'll get the Unaired Pilot with Sherilyn Finn(or maybe its Fenn)as Harley Quinn. Also we might get commentary and interviews I'm sure. Mike and James is there any chance that you can do a review on the Pilot, since Mark Hamill does the voice of The Joker and the character of Harley Quinn was based off of the DCAU Harley Quinn?

[Missy]

Mike and James is there any chance that you can do a review on the Pilot, since Mark Hamill does the voice of The Joker and the character of Harley Quinn was based off of the DCAU Harley Quinn?

Maybe for Earth-2.net: The Show, but not WFP.

[annericelover]

Mike and James is there any chance that you can do a review on the Pilot, since Mark Hamill does the voice of The Joker and the character of Harley Quinn was based off of the DCAU Harley Quinn?

Maybe for Earth-2.net: The Show, but not WFP.

Cool, can't wait for that. Lori Loughlin made a great Black Canary and it sucked that she couldn't come back. Also we get to see(even in brief)a live action Dark Knight TV Batman. Ever since Tim Burton's Batman we have never been graced with The Dark Knight on TV, except in the brief flashback scenes. Not to mention, a live action Clayface(and the episode he's featured in is called "Feat of Clay" nice little connection there with the DCAU).

[Stavros]

Wasn't this REALLY bad? I think I tried to watch it and just completly abandoned it a few episodes in, which is astonishing considering I was on a really big Birds of Prey kick at the time collecting all the trades. Plus I have a usually high tolerance for bad TV. I watched every episode of season 2 of Dark Angel. I watched all 4 of the Robocop: Prime Directives TV movies back to back. I enjoyed the pilot episode of Bionic Woman.

I was very interested in the Earth-2/Batman Returns origin of Huntress, that was a cunning little addition.

[annericelover]

Wasn't this REALLY bad? I think I tried to watch it and just completly abandoned it a few episodes in, which is astonishing considering I was on a really big Birds of Prey kick at the time collecting all the trades. Plus I have a usually high tolerance for bad TV. I watched every episode of season 2 of Dark Angel. I watched all 4 of the Robocop: Prime Directives TV movies back to back. I enjoyed the pilot episode of Bionic Woman.

I was very interested in the Earth-2/Batman Returns origin of Huntress, that was a cunning little addition.

When the show originally aired it had high ratings, every episode had high numbers in the ratings, but many die hard comic book fans didn't like the liberties the writers and producers were taking with the characters(most notably Dinah Lance, who isn't The Black Canary here, but her daughter). Some of the producers and writers were on the same team as Smallville, so there were subtle references to "stranger things with meteors"

Thinking about it, I have an idea why they're releasing this now...and it has nothing to do with the high fan requests. It has to do with the release of The Dark Knight and the fact that the first episode does feature flashback scenes with Batman and The Joker.

[Missy]

Oh, I'm not saying it was good. I'm just pleased that another comic book television show is getting the DVD treatment.

[Stavros]

Wasn't this REALLY bad? I think I tried to watch it and just completly abandoned it a few episodes in, which is astonishing considering I was on a really big Birds of Prey kick at the time collecting all the trades. Plus I have a usually high tolerance for bad TV. I watched every episode of season 2 of Dark Angel. I watched all 4 of the Robocop: Prime Directives TV movies back to back. I enjoyed the pilot episode of Bionic Woman.

I was very interested in the Earth-2/Batman Returns origin of Huntress, that was a cunning little addition.

When the show originally aired it had high ratings, every episode had high numbers in the ratings, but many die hard comic book fans didn't like the liberties the writers and producers were taking with the characters(most notably Dinah Lance, who isn't The Black Canary here, but her daughter). Some of the producers and writers were on the same team as Smallville, so there were subtle references to "stranger things with meteors"

I don't see why the Black Canary thing would be an issue aside from her age. The current Black Canary is the daughter of the original and they are both called Dinah Lance.

[annericelover]

Wasn't this REALLY bad? I think I tried to watch it and just completly abandoned it a few episodes in, which is astonishing considering I was on a really big Birds of Prey kick at the time collecting all the trades. Plus I have a usually high tolerance for bad TV. I watched every episode of season 2 of Dark Angel. I watched all 4 of the Robocop: Prime Directives TV movies back to back. I enjoyed the pilot episode of Bionic Woman.

I was very interested in the Earth-2/Batman Returns origin of Huntress, that was a cunning little addition.

When the show originally aired it had high ratings, every episode had high numbers in the ratings, but many die hard comic book fans didn't like the liberties the writers and producers were taking with the characters(most notably Dinah Lance, who isn't The Black Canary here, but her daughter). Some of the producers and writers were on the same team as Smallville, so there were subtle references to "stranger things with meteors"

I don't see why the Black Canary thing would be an issue aside from her age. The current Black Canary is the daughter of the original and they are both called Dinah Lance.

Well another problem was the origin of The Huntress, in this series she is the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. When I first started watching the series, I had no idea of this character or her relationship with Batman, so I assumed it must be at least a close resemblance to her actual origins. People started to get mad and they would say "She's not his daughter"

I found out later that one of the origins does depict her as being Batman's daughter, a storyline involving Bruce Wayne coming back to New Gotham to resume work as Batman would have been touched upon, had The WB, kept the show running, we would have also gotten The Joker back into the show. At the time WB was still pretty touchy about any Batman characters being put out in a live action format(at the time Batman Begins was being made)other than a feature film. This is why, we only got a glimpse of Batman in the pilot and why we got a Smallville show instead of a Bruce Wayne TV Series.

[annericelover]

Okay, I got further scoop on this DVD release. It is now scheduled to be released July 15th, 2008 and will features the entire DCAU web-series Gotham Girls. Check out this link for Hi-Resolution Specs of the Box Art. Hopefully we get a free ticket to see The Dark Knight, since it looks like the Unaired Pilot will not be offered(I'm glad I have it).

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Birds-Pre...ete-Series/9320

[annericelover]

More news on the release of Birds of Prey. Also included on the set(besides Gotham Girls) will be the Unaired Pilot. More info go to this link:

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Birds-Prey-Update/9454

[annericelover]

Here's a review on the set from www.tvshowsondvd.com

Fans have been clamoring to own this set for years, but the music has always been a holdup (very expensive to license). Now the set is finally out and I can take a look at this much-talked-about series. This 4-disc set includes all 13 episodes from the series.

Disc 1 (2:50:45)

Pilot (47:46)

Slick (42:51)

Prey for the Hunter (39:07)

Three Birds and a Baby (41:01)

Disc 2 (2:03:18)

Sins of the Mother (40:00)

Primal Scream (41:50)

Split (41:28)

Disc 3 (2:44:18)

Lady Shiva (40:48)

Nature of the Beast (41:01)

Gladiatrix (41:01)

Reunion (41:28)

Disc 4 (1:23:39)

Feat of Clay/Devil's Eye (1:23:39)

Video

There was much talk about the aspect ratio of this set when it was announced. Fans were hoping for a widescreen release (I believe the show aired in widescreen overseas), but the announcement was for a full frame transfer. The DVD contains a mix of both; a matter widescreen (1.78:1) release. This means people with a 4x3 TV will see black bars on the top and bottom of the screen like normal, but widescreen TV owners will have black bars on the top, bottom and sides of the picture. I spoke to Warner Bros about this and they assured me they looked high and low and used the best prints they could find. The picture looks fairly good, with some noticeable shimmering from time to time (especially in the CGI shots). It's too bad anamorphic masters couldn't be located as the unaired pilot, which is anamorphic widescreen, looks a lot better than the other episodes. There's a chapter placed after the show opening, but not after the intro to the show (the bit that includes Alfred's intro).

Audio

Remember when I said music licensing was the major holdup to getting this show released? Warner Bros solved the problem by replacing some of the music, including the theme song. While this will undoubtedly upset some fans, it's the only way Warner was able to put the show on DVD, and they felt fans would rather have a show with music replacements than nothing at all. The audio itself is pretty good, however I found the music was too loud and would often drown out the vocals in scenes. This is obviously something that occurred during the remixing of the audio; someone should have caught it. The English Dolby Surround audio track is also accompanied by English subtitles. The music substitution is mentioned on the back packaging.

Extras - How we rate extras

Gotham Girls (1:37:50)

The web series has been included on this set for the fans to enjoy.

The Vault (2:04)

Lap Bat (2:19)

Trick or Trick Part 1 (2:10)

Trick or Trick Part 2 (2:02)

A Little Night Magic (2:07)

More Than One Way (2:11)

Precious Birthstones (2:39)

Pave Paradise (3:16)

The Three Babes (2:49)

The Gardener's Apprentice (2:16)

Lady-X (2:48) Hold That Tiger (3:20)

Miss Un-Congeniality (3:34)

Strategery (3:34)

Baby Boom (3:14)

Cat-N-Mouse (4:21)

Bat'ing Cleanup (2:58)

Catsitter (3:48)

Gotham Noir (3:24)

Scout's Dis-Honor (3:36)

I'm Badgirl (3:29)

Ms.-ing in Action (3:52)

Gotham in Pink (3:27)

Hear Me Roar (3:33)

Gotham in Blue (4:07)

A Cat in the Hand (3:56)

Jailhouse Wreck (3:17)

Honor Among Thieves (3:20)

No, I'm Batgirl (3:10)

Signal Fires (2:44)

Cold Hands, Cold Heart (4:25)

Unaired Pilot (49:53)

The famed unaired pilot, in anamorphic widescreen. It has a few differences from the version that aired. Be sure to check it out.

Summary

I may get some fans upset with me by saying this, but I found Birds of Prey to be a tad cheesy at the start. Don't worry, I came around and started enjoying the episodes by the second disc, and I was pretty much hooked by the start of the third. I don't think it's as good as some of the other superhero shows (Smallville), but I enjoyed the series. It's nice that the "Gotham Girls" web shorts were included on the set, and it was interesting to see the original pilot episode.

This wouldn't be considered one of the best sets to come from Warner Bros, but fans that can get over the music substitutions, and can live with matted widescreen video, will be happy to own it. It's also worth checking out if you haven't seen the series before, just give it a few episodes to make an impression.

[Malpractice]

My DVD set is coming in the mail, but i am sad to hear that they substituted the theme song because it was perfect for the show. I guess i'll still hold onto my bootleg DVD's then.

[annericelover]

My DVD set is coming in the mail, but i am sad to hear that they substituted the theme song because it was perfect for the show. I guess i'll still hold onto my bootleg DVD's then.

Yep, me too. The funny thing is, as good as the theme is, the album the song was originally on never got an official release. I would think they would want some new publicity by allowing thie song on the DVD.

[Malpractice]

Yep, me too. The funny thing is, as good as the theme is, the album the song was originally on never got an official release. I would think they would want some new publicity by allowing thie song on the DVD.

what do they put there instead ? just stock music i assume.

[JackFetch]

I almost bought this tonight since I missed the whole show's run on tv. I think I'll download the first episode to make sure I like it before I pay 40 bucks for it.

[badwolf]

I just got mine in the mail yesterday, and yes I totally forgot how horrible the show was. But that's why I like it, it's so campy and out there that you can't help yourself by being sucked into the television show.

[SuaveStar]

I just got my set today, I'm going to make a start on it as soon as I'm through with Smallville Season 3. Yes, i went through three seasons of Smallville within a week! If i hate birds of prey i am going to

[Dan]

I just got my set today, I'm going to make a start on it as soon as I'm through with Smallville Season 3. Yes, i went through three seasons of Smallville within a week! If i hate birds of prey i am going to

If you can get through three seasons of Smallville in a week, I'm not sure you're capable of hating anything. :happy:

[annericelover]

I just got my set today, I'm going to make a start on it as soon as I'm through with Smallville Season 3. Yes, i went through three seasons of Smallville within a week! If i hate birds of prey i am going to

You have to remember it mixes different versions of The Birds of Prey comics and is way darker than Smallville. Although, I LOVED Mia Sara(and even Sherlyn Fenn)as Harley Quinn. If they ever decide to make a live action Batman film with Harley Quinn, that is the way it should be played. Leave the corky Harley for animation.

If you can get through three seasons of Smallville in a week, I'm not sure you're capable of hating anything. :happy:

Well, I do agree the series was kind of slow when it first started, but in the 3rd Season they started to show story arc's and went away from the "Freak of the Week" setup.

[SuaveStar]

I just got my set today, I'm going to make a start on it as soon as I'm through with Smallville Season 3. Yes, i went through three seasons of Smallville within a week! If i hate birds of prey i am going to

You have to remember it mixes different versions of The Birds of Prey comics and is way darker than Smallville. Although, I LOVED Mia Sara(and even Sherlyn Fenn)as Harley Quinn. If they ever decide to make a live action Batman film with Harley Quinn, that is the way it should be played. Leave the corky Harley for animation.

If you can get through three seasons of Smallville in a week, I'm not sure you're capable of hating anything. :happy:

Well, I do agree the series was kind of slow when it first started, but in the 3rd Season they started to show story arc's and went away from the "Freak of the Week" setup.

OK i pressed return and it put me quoting up twice, nice.

Anyway-I'm saying that i am pretty much going bat shit insane with Smallville, the whole Lana and Clark shit has not only been done to death, but kids are coming along and hitting it with a stick and saying "that was fun"

Smallville is getting more consistent, I'll give it that, it's just to much with the Clark and Lana shit.

I really am looking forward to watching Birds of Prey as it can't be any worse than the robocop TV series from the early 90's. Which i loved as a kid, because it was robocop.

[SuaveStar]

I just got my set today, I'm going to make a start on it as soon as I'm through with Smallville Season 3. Yes, i went through three seasons of Smallville within a week! If i hate birds of prey i am going to

You have to remember it mixes different versions of The Birds of Prey comics and is way darker than Smallville. Although, I LOVED Mia Sara(and even Sherlyn Fenn)as Harley Quinn. If they ever decide to make a live action Batman film with Harley Quinn, that is the way it should be played. Leave the corky Harley for animation.

If you can get through three seasons of Smallville in a week, I'm not sure you're capable of hating anything. :happy:

Well, I do agree the series was kind of slow when it first started, but in the 3rd Season they started to show story arc's and went away from the "Freak of the Week" setup.