Nine ABC Studios Series Heading to DVD this Fall

When Netflix increased their prices, I found myself wanting to actually watch TV again, or perhaps return to purchasing my own DVDs. Lucky for me (and all of you) our favorite ABC series are releasing new DVD sets this fall.

August 23rd – Brothers & Sisters (Season 5) and Off the Map (Complete series)

August 30th  – Cougar Town (Season 2) and Desperate Housewives (Season 7)

September 13th – Grey’s Anatomy (Season 7) and Private Practice (Season 4)

September 20th – Castle (Season 3) and Body of Proof (Season 1)

September 27th – Army Wives (Season 5)

I’m going to take a more in-depth look at the release of two of my favorite ABC shows, Desperate Housewives and Cougar Town (both of which are available August 30th.)

Desperate Housewives

First of all, Desperate Houswives is still as enticing as ever, and this seventh season DVD puts up a strong fight. If you haven’t watched this season yet, the main change is that Vanessa Williams has joined the show as Renee Perry, Lynette’s “frenemy” from college. Paul Young also returns to the show this season.

Bonus Features

• “Desperate for Trivia” – Watch the actors being grilled about basic facts about the show including “which of the ladies was once in a suitcase? and “what’s your address on Wisteria Lane?”
• “Growing up on Wisteria Lane” – This is probably my favorite bonus feature. The older kids of the show are interviewed, including Julie, Andrew, Danielle, and Zach. Shawn Pyfrom, who plays Andrew, describes being on the show as “living in a fantasy land.” Also featured are clips of some of the younger kids, and the adults talking about them. (Watching Teri Hatcher talk about MJ is adorable!)
• 12 deleted scenes
• Bloops, outtakes, and a gag reel

Desperate Housewives season 7 is available in a 5-disc set with a suggested retail price of $45.99.

Cougar Town

This actually might be the last season with the name “Cougar Town.” No, the show’s not going anywhere…but the name might change since the show has drifted from its original premise. According to Courtney Cox, the frontrunner for the new title is “Friends with Beverages.” Back to the season at hand, this DVD set presents all 22 episodes along with some interesting bonus features.

Bonus Features

• “(still called) Cougar Town” – This featurette looks back at the evolution of the show, which may help to explain why they are considering a change of the name. “It’s become more about Courtney and the dysfunctional/functional family of friends that surround her.” You’ll also learn about some of the running jokes and gags on the show, including where Courtney’s “Big Carl” wine glass came from.
• “Andy’s Dreams” – If you haven’t yet seen them, this is ABC.com’s webisode series that plays off the show. If you have seen them before, you’ll still enjoy the new introduction by Ian Gomez.
• Deleted scenes and outtakes

Cougar Town season 2 is available in a 3-disc set with a suggested retail price of $34.99.