Katee Sackhoff

CHICAGO – Taking a modern day cowboy character from an Elmore Leonard novel and giving him his own show turned out to be a smart move for FX when they green-lit “Justified,” so one can hardly blame A&E for attempting a similar transition with Craig Johnson’s “Longmire” mystery novels, now a weekly series.

CHICAGO – After a few releases that felt like perhaps the DC Universe line of straight-to-video animated films were in decline, they recently released what is arguably their best installment and a work that deserves to sit on the shelf of any Batman fan — the often-brilliant “Batman: Year One.” So remarkably loyal to one of the most influential comic books of all time that it sometimes recreates it verbatim and including some of the best voice work in the entire DC Universe line, this is a great animated film and possibly the best Blu-ray gift you could buy for a comic fan this season.

CHICAGO – The high-def releases for “Battlestar Galactica” have been somewhat baffling. The problem for Universal was that A.) They had started releasing the series on standard-def when Blu-ray took off and B.) They needed a way to milk one of their most impressive cash cows for a bit longer. Consequently, the chance to individually buy all of one of the best science fiction programs of all time didn’t come until 2011. But that day has finally arrived with the release of the impressive “Battlestar Galactica: Season Four.”

CHICAGO – 2011 will be an undeniably different year on the television landscape as it will be the first in some time with no “Lost” and no “24.” When the history books are written about the most-influential and important programs of the first decade of the new millennium, they would be incomplete without a chapter on Jack Bauer and the incredible success of FOX’s “24.” The final season is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, closing an important program with a comparably-lackluster installment but a great BD.

CHICAGO – How many “Battlestar Galactica” fans don’t already have the excellent third season in some form? The release pattern of “BSG” on Blu-ray continues to surprise this critic as it feels like the niche market who doesn’t own the complete HD series or hasn’t already bought the standard DVD is very small, meaning that the question for most is going to be whether or not to upgrade.

CHICAGO – Releasing seasons of hit shows that have only been available for a few years in the first place on Blu-ray can be a tricky proposition, especially when it’s not the first. What fan of “Battlestar Galactica” doesn’t own the second season of this great show? If you’re one of the few who hasn’t completed their collection because you’ve been waiting for HD, today’s your lucky day.

CHICAGO – Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) returns tonight in the eighth season premiere of one of the most influential shows of the ’00s, the often-brilliant “24”. At its best, FOX’s “24” is visceral entertainment, an adrenalin-pumped hour often unmatched by its many copycats.

CHICAGO – Let’s be honest: “Nip/Tuck” has been in need of a face lift for years. The show arguably jumped the shark when The Carver took over (in season three) and has never quite looked the same since. Even with the sizable flaws of the last two seasons, “Nip/Tuck” was never boring. It even showed flashes of creator Ryan Murphy’s occasional genius in the seasons since.

CHICAGO – When the decade began, who would have guessed that one of the best shows of the ’00s would air on The Sci-Fi Channel? I’m as much of a science fiction junkie as the next guy, but the network known for straight-to-cable movies like “Mansquito” and “SS Doomtrooper” wasn’t exactly the go-to place for quality drama. Until “Battlestar Galactica”.

DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – “Battlestar Galactica” returns to the Sci-Fi Channel on January 16th, 2009, at 9pm CST for the final arc of episodes of the beloved series. There’s still time to catch up with season 4.0 before the mid-season premiere of 4.5 in an excellent TV set from Universal.