I'm getting e-mail asking me what's up with the announced (but not too clearly) release of Garfield and Friends on DVD. As you may recall, I recently posted a press release that said the first volume, collecting the first season of 13 episodes, would be out in July from Fox Home Video for $39.98. I also said — and I quote me — "I think the above may have the contents listing wrong." I said this because I'd been informed that they'd be releasing the first 24 half-hours, and it seemed to me that $39.98 was a more appropriate price for that.
Well, this announcement says that it's coming out July 27 for $39.98 and they list episode titles for 24 half-hours. Sharp-eyed folks will notice that the episode titles do not exactly match a list I've circulated of what was in the first 24 half-hours. That's because my list was based on the original CBS runs, and a few things were switched around when the shows were released in syndication. The only special feature on this set is a trailer for the forthcoming Garfield live-action/CGI movie.
I notice that DVD Empire is taking advance orders for it but they think the list price is $29.95 and they've discounted it to $20.07. I have no idea what will happen if you order from them but if someone does, let me know.
Jerry Beck asked me to let him know which episodes have the interesting guest voice actors in them. This first release includes Chuck McCann, Stan Freberg, Pat Buttram, Dick Beals, Lennie Weinrib, Larry Storch, Jeff Altman, and Robin Leach. (The odd story of how Robin Leach wound up on the show is told here.) And of course, we have our regular cast of Thom Huge, Gregg Berger, Julie Payne, Howie Morris, Frank Welker and the late, lovely Lorenzo Music.
I'm also being asked when the next release will be, whether there will be special features on future volumes, and which theme song(s) will be on this one. I have no answers to any of those questions. All I know is that the concept here is that the entire run of 121 half-hours will be collected on five DVD sets, of which this is the first. How soon we'll see the next one may depend on how quickly this one gets snatched up.