The haunted fish tank on DVD at the Sedona Library

By David Keeber | Sedona Public Library

Sedona, AZ - August 8, 2008 -  Television is such an odd invention. I have a friend who calls it the haunted fish tank and that seems an apt name for something that occasionally provides something of real interest, but mostly doesn't change. Yet, recently there have been a great deal of shows that exhibit real writing and characterizations that deserve our attention. There still remains the problem of all the advertisements, and of course the fact that you have to be in front of the TV at the right time every week. Now, Sedona Public Library has a solution to these – whole TV series on DVD.

A couple of years ago, I became aware of the show "Joan of Arcadia," a decidedly different program about a teenage girl who spoke with God. The writing and characters were so good that I had to see the whole series. At the same time, the Library began to receive requests to purchase the show and we found it on DVD. After adding it to the collection, we began to receive requests for other shows, also on DVD. Suddenly, we discovered that many shows, especially those on HBO, were available, just as was the Joan series.

Did you watch the "Planet Earth" series, that magnificent weekly event that had the most stunning images of life on this planet? We discovered that you could get that whole series, too. I don't think that there are any more beautiful shots of animals, weather and landforms than in that series. The Library offers the entire array of shows to take home and enjoy at your leisure – and with no commercials.

Critical acclaim was heaped on the show "The Wire," about a newspaper office in Baltimore. We offer the entire series, allowing you to keep abreast of the numerous story lines, uninterrupted.

After September 11th, the show "24" gained considerable traction when it portrayed CTU agent Jack Bauer in his pursuit of terrorists. Tough, gritty, and decidedly pointed in its view of the threats against this nation, it was both loved and hated, but definitely watched.

HBO seems to have it fair share of truly oddball shows that would not be able to show on regular network TV. "Six Feet Under" is just such a show about a family that runs a funeral parlor in LA. Each show begins with someone's death who then becomes a "customer" of the family business, around whom all sorts of other story lines revolve. It's well worth checking out. Just don't say that I didn't warn you about the oddball nature of the show!

The BBC has loads of great shows of all sorts – drama, comedy, intrigue and more. One great example of their comedies is the show "Keeping Up Appearances." With episode titles like "The Name is Bouquet: B-U-C-K-E-T," "Welcoming the Dishy Vicar," or "A Fate Worse Than Senility," you are bound to be entertained for hours. Given the fact that Sedona Public Library offers a complete set of all the episodes, that entertainment will last for hours.

Everyone loves a good western (or should!), and most of those same folks love a good science fiction tale. Why not combine them into one western-flavored science fiction series called "Firefly?" Add great characters, good writing, clever combinations of the two genres and you have a series that is eminently watchable and loads of fun. The show even spawned a feature length movie that we have added to the collection.

This list of shows is by no means complete. We have dozens of great sets of shows, whole seasons worth, that you can check out and enjoy, commercial free and on your own schedule. Take the time to visit the DVD section and discover them for yourself. And then curl up in your favorite chair with a bowl of popcorn!

Past Library News issues: Sedona Library Archive

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