The Corner Penthouse

Looking for a last minute holiday gift for your video-loving family or friends? Well, let me run down a few items that have come out in the past few months that would be perfect for the person who loves television series.

All of the items below have already been released and are available for purchase from Amazon at the links provided. The Corner Penthouse will earn a very tiny commission from your purchase using these links.



• BUY IT: 4K UHD, 4K UHD Steelbook, Blu-ray, DVD.

• SYNOPSIS: Following King Aegon II's coronation and the death of Queen Rhaenyra's son, House Targaryen is divided in two. In King's Landing, Aegon II rules from the Iron Throne, supported by Alicent and the Green Council, under the protection of the largest dragon in Westeros. From exile on Dragonstone, Queen Rhaenyra and her Black Council consider their next move. Civil war looms as both sides seek support from the great houses of Westeros, ultimately amassing armies - and dragons.

• SPECIAL FEATURES: All of the content below can be found on the noted 4K discs.

• DISC 1: The House that Dragons Built - Ep #1 Extended Version (34:09) - One of many "inside the episode" that offer behind the scenes footage and interviews.
• DISC 1: Defend Your Council (1:53) - Focuses on the rivalry between "Team Green" and "Team Black".
• DISC 1: Character Spot: Rhaenyra (1:14)
• DISC 1: Character Spot: Aegon (1:25)
• DISC 1: Fire Hot Takes: Team Green vs. Team Black (2:03) - Another look at the warring councils.
• DISC 1: The House that Dragons Built - Ep #2 Extended Version (30:26)
• DISC 1: Return to Winterfell (1:14) - A look at this season's opening vignette.
• DISC 1: House Who? (House Stark) (1:27) - Focuses on a certain "beautiful wall".
• DISC 1: Return to the Realm (2:01) - Another "back at work" featurette.
• DISC 2: The House that Dragons Built - Ep #3 Extended Version (34:19)
• DISC 2: House Who? (Bracken & Brackwood) (1:41) - Gets into the warring families aspect of these houses.
• DISC 2: Fire Hot Takes: Case for Ruler (1:43) - Offers positives for potential rulers.
• DISC 2: Fire Hot Takes: Daemon vs. Aemond (1:56) - Asks cares less between the two.
• DISC 2: The House that Dragons Built - Ep #4 Extended Version (29:49)
• DISC 2: Eve Tribute Piece (1:13) - Deals with one of many character exits.
• DISC 2: House Who? (House Tully & House Frey) (1:48) - Addresses some of the power dynamics at play.
• DISC 2: Guess That Line - Eve & Steve (4:05) - Steve Toussaint and Eve Best guess who might have said particular lines.
• DISC 2: Character Spots: Daemon (1:09)
• DISC 2: Character Spots: Corlys (1:31)
• DISC 3: The House that Dragons Built - Ep #5 Extended Version (21:07)
• DISC 3: The House that Dragons Built - Ep #6 Extended Version (35:14)
• DISC 3: Character Spots: Alicent (1:22)
• DISC 3: Character Spots: Aemond (1:55)
• DISC 4: The House that Dragons Built - Ep #7 Extended Version (37:01)
• DISC 4: The House that Dragons Built - Ep #8 Extended Version (25:40)
• DISC 4: Family Tree (5:22) - Offers some lessons in ancestry.
• DISC 4: Divided Kingdoms (9:10) - Another "history lesson" concentrating on an "arms race" with dragons.
• DISC 4: The Curse of Harrenhal - Extended (7:53) - Looks at Alice Rivers.

• RATING: Not Rated.

• NOTES: This set includes all 8 episodes that aired on HBO from June 15th to August 3rd, 2024. The first release of the 4K set includes 8 character cards, which are shrink-wrapped to the plastic case, with both going inside a slipcover that is too big, even with everything packed inside. Expect for it to get bent, as my did upon arrival. Season 1 is available on 4K UHD, 4K UHD Steelbook, and Blu-ray. Season 3 might be coming in 2026.

• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.



• BUY IT: Blu-ray, DVD (Box), DVD (RPKG Plastic Case), DVD (Season Bundle).

• SYNOPSIS: In October 1951, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz debuted the first episode of what was to become one of the best-loved and most watched TV shows of all time. Zany redhead Lucy and her Cuban bandleader husband Ricky Ricardo, along with their neighbors and comic foils Ethel and Fred Mertz (Vivian Vance and William Frawley), got into the most hilarious predicaments ever imaginable. Overflowing with notable guest stars and escapades that never lose their entertainment value, it's no wonder why everyone still loves Lucy.

• SPECIAL FEATURES: All of the content below can be found on the Blu-ray discs.

• Original I Love Lucy Pilot
• Select Original Opening/Closing Credits
• Production Notes
• Photo Galleries
• Select My Favorite Husband Radio Episodes
• Flubs
• Audio Commentaries on Select Episodes
• Vintage Sponsor Spots
• Original Broadcast Versions of Select Episodes
• Select Colorized Episodes
• Slide Show
• I Love Lucy: The Movie
• Christmas Rebroadcast Footage
• Eye on CBS (1959) Segments
• And More!

• RATING: Not Rated.

• NOTES: This set includes all 194 episodes from all 6 seasons of the show. All 33 discs are packaged in a thick clear, plastic case which has hubs that hold multiple discs stacked on top of each other, with the holders attached to the case. It's the same case that was used in the Young Sheldon DVD set, so check out the photo in my review to see what the case looks like. This is the better of the two crappy "all discs in one case" cases, but it's still not as good as putting each season in its own case and all cases in one slipcase (as was done with Las Vegas below). Anyway, the set is recommended, and to go with it, grab a copy of the Lucy's Lost Episodes DVD, which is a 1989 VHS compilation of the cast appearing on other shows that was released on DVD by Goodtimes (hence the "GT" mark in corner!). Other Lucy series include The Lucy Show (1962-1968), Here's Lucy (1968-1974), and Life with Lucy (1986).

• CREDIT: This item has been provided by CBS for review on this site.



• BUY IT: Blu-ray, DVD.

• SYNOPSIS: Join the action-packed escapades at the Montecito Hotel and Casino with an elite Las Vegas surveillance team, led by commanding Big Ed Deline (James Caan) and his slick, good-looking righthand man, Danny McCoy (Josh Duhamel). They're out to catch card-counting cheaters, costly streaks of random luck and the schemes of rival casinos.

• SPECIAL FEATURES: All of the content below can be found on the Blu-ray discs.

• Rumble in the Montecito - Jon Bon Jovi and John Elway, co-owners of Arena Football League teams, duke it out again -- this time in the halls of the Montecito. Interferences abound in this mini-movie sequel co-starring the stars of Las Vegas.
• Inside the Montecito - Go behind the scenes with the creator, Gary Scott Thompson, who reveals every nuance that went into the making of Las Vegas.
• Las Vegas: The Big Gamble - A historical look at the city of Las Vegas.
• In with the New - Time-lapse photography of the building of the new hotel.
• Behind the Scenes - The making of Season Four.
• Backstage with Cast and Crew
• Gag Reels
• VFX Featurette
• And More!

• RATING: Not Rated.

• NOTES: This set includes all 106 episodes from all 5 seasons of the show. All 22 discs are packaged in the best manner possible! Each season is in its own case and all cases are housed in one slipcase. If you can't picture it, just see the photos in my reviews of Friends and Frasier, and you'll get the idea. I wish all of the studios would put all of their Complete Series sets in packaging like this. Instead, they're usually in those crappy thick "all discs in one case" cases (such as I Love Lucy above).

I don't have this entire series on DVD to compare the Blu-ray set to, but I do have the Season 1 DVD set, which is labeled as "Uncut & Uncensored". This Blu-ray set does not contain such as label, so I don't know if the episodes are edited or if music has been changed. That will require further investigation.

Finally, as a companion to the series, pick up a copy of the show's soundtrack album. It was released back in 2007 and contains music from Elvis Presley (of course), Tom Jones, Michael Buble, Wayne Newton, The Pussycat Dolls, and more.

• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Universal for review on this site.

If you're looking for more gift ideas, check out all of the other items I've reviewed recently. I review a variety of items, so I'm sure you'll find something quite suitable for your friends and family, or maybe even yourself. Yeah, why not treat yourself this holiday season.