“The Ellen Show”

June 17, 2006July 29, 2023 Jae-Ha Kim

Three years after the series finale of “Ellen” aired, Ellen DeGeneres gave sitcoms another shot with the genial “The Ellen Show,” which made its debut in 2001 on CBS. This time around, DeGeneres plays Ellen Richmond, a Los Angeles career woman who moves back to her hometown after her dot-com business goes under. She moves back home to live with her appropriately named mother, Dot (Cloris Leachman), and insecure younger sister Catherine (Emily Rutherfurd), who both idolizes and resents her.

“Brilliant But Cancelled: Crime Dramas”

June 9, 2006August 22, 2011 Jae-Ha Kim

Spanning decades of television, the DVD’s highlight is “Johnny Staccato.” Starring John Cassavetes in the title role, the episode (ca. 1959) stands up surprisingly well in modern times. Cassavetes is so suave and cool that no one would doubt his ability to play a jazz musician who happens to solve crimes at night.

“On a Clear Day”

June 9, 2006August 11, 2011 Jae-Ha Kim

An independent film from Britain, “On a Clear Day” tells the story of a man trying to come to terms with his past by setting a goal for the future: to swim across the English Channel. Frank (Peter Mullan) is a stoic man who tells his young grandson, “Things aren’t meant to be fixed nowadays.”

“Bring It On: All or Nothing”

June 9, 2006May 15, 2016 Jae-Ha Kim

“Bring It On: All or Nothing” is the idealized version of what happens when a rich girl from an elite California school is forced to transfer to an urban setting for her senior year of high school.

“Home Improvement” — Season 4

June 6, 2006May 1, 2012 Jae-Ha Kim

When the ABC sitcom aired during the 1994-1995 TV season, it did well enough to place in the Top 5 for the fourth consecutive year. And aside from some pop culture giveaways (Jill’s clothes; Randy’s use of a floppy disc to backup his computer), the warmth and humor exuded in this 25-episode, 3-disc set hold up remarkably well.

“NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service” — The Complete First Season

June 6, 2006October 18, 2010 Jae-Ha Kim

Equal parts JAG and C.S.I., NCIS does a formidable job of blending relevant military headlines with quirky characters who are tenaciously determined to solve a crime–even if it means having to sleep in the morgue to get a few minutes of shut eye. Created by Donald P. Bellisario (JAG, Quantum Leap), NCIS actually began as a two-part episode of JAG in 2003. Later that year, the drama made its full-season debut on CBS.

Bali

June 1, 2006August 24, 2021 Jae-Ha Kim

The Indonesian island of Bali is steeped in history and ritual. Every day, the Balinese leave canang sari (or offerings of flowers, money and food) at temples, on shrines or even outside their own homes in the hopes that good fortune will smile upon their families. Despite the bombings last year in Kuta and Kimbaran, Bali is not a paradise lost.