TVShowsonDVD.com’s David Lambert has posted the news that Rocket Robin Hood might soon be on DVD after a two-year wait.  Two one volume set, collecting the show’s 52-episode run, will be released to DVD on November 17, 2009.  The only information at this point is amazon.ca’s new listings for the volume sets, which are found here and here.

Rocket Robin Hood was supposed to come out October 23, 2007 through Séville Pictures, a date which was delayed to November 27, 2007.  Due to a problem with French-language audio tracks, Séville delayed the release further.

Séville parted ways with Warner Home Video in 2008, as Séville had been subsumed into Entertainment One (now E1 Entertainment) late in 2007.  Why it’s taken until late 2009 for Rocket Robin Hood DVDs to come out is anyone’s guess.

In no way was Rocket Robin Hood a well-produced program.  The show, animated by Trillium Productions very cheaply, melded its Robin Hood motif with SPACE! haphazardly.  CanCon regulations kept the show evergreen for decades, Rocket Robin Hood last airing on Teletoon Retro in 2008.

The show has held up very well, thanks to supreme voiceover acting by Paul Kligman, Bernard Cowan, Ed McNamara, Len Carlson, Carl Banas and Chris Wiggins.  Cowan doubled as narrator and dialogue director.

Cowan’s ear for dialogue has kept Rocket Robin Hood in syndication for generations.  Max, the 2000-Year-Old Mouse and The Wonderful Stories of Professor Kitzel have fallen by the wayside, but RRH is as durable as a T-beam.

This is one of Ralph Bakshi’s earliest projects, which saw Rocket Robin Hood embrace the trippy, nightmarish visuals it and Grantray-Lawrence’s Spider-Man would become famous for.  This is an exciting month for Bakshi fans, as Mighty Mouse, The New Adventures will come out on DVD January 5, 2010.

Rocket Robin Hood is one of the few Canadian cartoons that can truly be called “iconic.”  I really hope RRH comes out on DVD this time.  I’m becoming wary of the false starts.

Update (October 9, 2009) | Turns out that the Amazon.ca links are for English and French-language releases.  The article has been corrected to reflect the new information.

TVShowsonDVD.com is quite wordy in its correction.  Pruning that article to its basics, only one four-disc Rocket Robin Hood volume set will be released for each language.

Preorders have given RRH an Amazon.ca Sales Rank of #44 as of this writing.  I’m amazed Rocket Robin Hood is in such high demand.  It almost makes me want to quiver in my space boots.

The Tudors‘ third season available in Canada November 2009.  Phase 4 Films will put this out on both DVD and Blu-ray, while Paramount Home Entertainment drags its ass on a DVD-only release.  Point goes to Phase 4 Films.  I think some parallel importing will occur here.

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Sanctuary first-season DVD artwork and commercial spot.  There’s also a press release shilling the set, but big deal, it’s a press release.  The set’s being promoted on Syfy, so the show has cornered the American market.  People just seem to like Amanda Tapping.

It’s too bad Sanctuary didn’t receive more Gemini nominations this year.  Stupid sci-fi ghetto, I hate it almost as much as the animation age ghetto and the professional wrestling ghetto.  Sanctuary‘s first-season set will sell like a mofo, believe me.  It needs to, the way E1′s pimping it out.

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Thomas Spurlin of DVD Talk reviews “Season One” of Blood Ties.  He likes it.

I should take the time to point out that Tanya Huff linked to URBMN in her LiveJournal a few weeks back.  She is the author of the Blood Books, which Blood Ties is based on.  It seems like every time I talk about Blood Ties I’m linked to by its fans, not that I’m complaining.

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Jeffrey Kauffman of DVD Talk reviews “The Complete Season” of Total Drama Island.  He likes it.

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Kenny vs. Spenny‘s fifth season out on DVD November 24, 2009 through Video Service Corp.  This season features the Who Can Smoke More Weed? and Who Can Piss Off More People? competitions.

I’d like to say the end is near for Kenny vs. Spenny, but it’s coming back for a sixth season.  I’m surprised Kenny vs. Spenny survived the Showcase reboot.  Mind you, so did Paradise Falls, but only on account of stockpiling.  Nowadays Showcase feels Howie Do It is worthy enough to grace its airwaves, as the pussification of Showcase begins.

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Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…‘s first season out on DVD and Blu-ray November 10, 2009 through VSC.  Quite frankly, I’m surprised this show is out on DVD.  The press bumf claims the show received “terrific ratings and reviews on CTV,” never mind that the ratings went potty halfway through the run.   Press releases don’t need to be 100% truthful.

I have seen an episode or two of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…  Costello is a decent interviewer, even if the show is low-key chat.  Having said that, if you can’t break half a million viewers with The Police, the show isn’t a mass-audience hit.  I’m tempted to say Sundance Channel and Channel 4 are keeping this baby afloat for a second season, just like The N won’t allow Degrassi: The Next Generation to die a richly deserved death.  There are worse shows out on DVD, I guess.

Oh, and mumble mumble Chop Socky Chooks press release.

Recently I’ve been re-evaluating what gets included in these Canadian TV-on-DVD Roundups.  I removed all mention of Iron Man: Armored Adventures from the Roundups, as the only sign that the show was Canadian came from Wikipedia, not the world’s most accurate information source.  IM:AA is properly a French/Isle of Man show.  I apologize for the error.

I will still include industrials like Highlander: The Series, Inspector Gadget and Just For Laughs.  Highlander and Gadget were co-productions, while Just For Laughs is a Montreal-based festival with tendrils in Chicago.  I hate including them, but I do include as much proper CanCon as I can.  I’m even wondering whether Fear Itself qualifies for the DVD Roundups.

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Little Mosque on the Prairie‘s second season on DVD September 15, 2009 through Paradox Entertainment Group/E1 Entertainment.  I guess Morningstar Entertainment lost DVD rights for the show.  E1 is a better label, anyway.  The set includes a Dan Redican commentary track, among other random extras.

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Fraggle Rock‘s final season, as well as A Merry Fraggle Holiday (i.e., a Christmas compilation), coming out November 3, 2009 through Lionsgate.  The complete series is being reissued the same day, in proper bookcase format.

Lionsgate is now working directly with The Jim Henson Company.  HIT Entertainment has been freezed out of the picture, and I couldn’t be happier.  Fraggle Rock was treated shabbily by HIT Entertainment at the end, while the Lionsgate/Henson arrangement takes the fans’ complaints into account – better packaging, a stand-alone fourth season set, cheaper prices.  How can you not like that?

I think the Lionsgate/Henson arrangement is going to bear fruit.  Is a Dog City DVD set on the horizon?  Such a thing looks far more likely than it did a year ago.  Make it happen, JHC.

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Gord Lacey reviews Total Drama Island‘s season set.  This is a review of the American DVD set, obnoxious Cartoon Network logo adorning the box art.

Lacey quite likes the show, which I’m surprised by.  Then again, Total Drama Island/Action is one of Cartoon Network’s juggernauts, as well as being omnipresent on Teletoon.  If Fresh TV doesn’t subsume CN within a few years, I’ll be surprised.

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Reviewersblog.com “reviews” of Blood Ties: “The Complete Season One.”  As for the blog, it’s blatant content scraping from Amazon.com, just so you know.

I’m quite surprised this release is selling well, as it currently ranks #1,055 in Amazon.com Movies & TV sales.  It’s not a blockbuster ranking, but the set’s been out for a month and a half.  People are buying Blood Ties.

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Highlander: The Series‘ first-season Blu-ray set pushed back to September 22, 2009…possibly.  The only place to buy it right now is LegendaryHeroes.com.  Hell, buy a sword for yourself while you’re at it.  THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!  MOO! and stimulate your need for crap.

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Oh, I almost forgot, Flashpoint‘s first season on Canadian DVD and Blu-ray October 13, 2009 through Phase 4 Films.  That isn’t important, is it?

The Gemini Award^®-winning (it pains me to write that) Chop Socky Chooks debuts on DVD October 6, 2009.  It’s a volume set, since kids’ shows are released that way.

The show’s minor Aardman at best, and it isn’t very funny or engaging.  It won a Gemini Award^®, though.  A show about martial-arts film archetypes in vaguely avian form?  I’m sure Chop Socky Chooks was better than Total Drama Island in 2008.  I also think a weak season of This Hour Has 22 Minutes outranked Kenny vs. Spenny.  The Gemini Award jurors just know quality.

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Monster Warriors: War of the Water World out August 25, 2009 through Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada.  Monster Warriors vs. Creepy Crawlers came out June 30, 2009.  Ah, the volume set, every kids’ show loves that format.

The show’s premise – 1950s movie monsters come to life via mad scientist – sounds fun.  Sadly, the show is poorly realized and Seán Cullen plays the mad scientist.  Cullen doesn’t go into stream-of-consciousness rants about his penis on Monster Warriors, but that’s hardly a small mercy.

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Show Me Yours: The Complete Series out November 10, 2009 through E1 Entertainment.

This is one of the more esoteric announcements I’ve seen in some time, as Show Me Yours is a sex-oriented Showcase dramedy from five years ago.  It’s nice to see more Showcase product out there, but where are Billable Hours and Testees‘ sets?  I haven’t seen Show Me Yours, but I’m sure it’s better than Monster Warriors.

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The rest of Heartland‘s first season out November 10, 2009 through E1 Entertainment.  That’s a speedy turnover in sets.  It makes me wonder why E1 bothered to split the first season.  Not that it matters, since I’m sure the two volume sets will be bundled a year from now.

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Flashpoint first-season box art.  The Flashpoint release is American-only, not that parallel releases are illegal to own in Canada.

At this point I’m supposed to point out Flashpoint star Amy Jo Johnson’s role on Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.  The Pink Ranger is her most notable role, after all.

There, I’ve made the reference.  Let me never speak of it again.

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Blood Ties “second”-season box art.  I could have knocked that “art” out in an hour via Photoshop.  It won’t stop the fans from buying this set, but everything about Blood Ties‘ “second” season screams quickie release.

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No Stargate news this week?  Good.

Flashpoint‘s first season out October 13, 2009 through CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment.  This comes on the heels of CBS’ not knowing what the hell to do with the “third season” of the show, but hey, Canadian television on a top-flight home video label.  I just know this will sell well.

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Can’t I go through ONE Canadian TV-on-DVD Roundup without a Stargate update?  Damn, so close this time.

Anyway, MGM Home Entertainment confirms that its Stargate Atlantis: Fans’ Choice disc will be Stargate Atlantis‘ only Blu-ray release.  Boy, that’ll please the fans!  Watch MGM catch shit for this within a day.

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Box art for Life with Derek‘s second season and Inspector Gadget: The Go Go Gadget Collection.  Nothing to see here, let’s move on.

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Brutal As Hell review of Forever Knight Volumes One through Three.  Oh wait, it’s Forever Knight: The Trilogy Parts 1 through 3, like naming the seasons that way matters.  Forever Knight gets a good review, though Sam Hawken is fairly harsh on the series.  I like that in a review.  I wonder how BAH feels about Blood Ties.

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Vampire Wire has a Blood Ties “Season One” contest up.  It’s ongoing until July 15, 2009, so you still have a few days to enter.

The link also has news about Warehouse 13 and Dark Shadows, and I could give less than 1/50th of a shit about Dark Shadows.  If over-marketed supernatural soap operas are your thing, dive right in.

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Jim Bawden talks The Starlost.  I didn’t like Jim Bawden’s Starweek articles back in the 1980s and 1990s, but damn do I miss him now.  That man wrote good, well-reasoned columns in his day.

His blog has a surprising number of typos considering his former profession, but he is still passionate about television and its potential.  I prefer him to reheated blog articles about video games and whatever gimmicks the Toronto Star uses to pretend it’s still relevant.  Malene Arpe the best thing in the whole paper?  I fear for the future of newspapers.

Heartland‘s first season out on DVD September 15, 2009, sort of.  For some reason, the first season is being split into volume sets.  Does a release like this serve Heartland‘s fans?  Seven episodes and bonus material sounds a little on the thin side.  Ah well, at least it’s out.

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Sanctuary‘s first season out on DVD September 15, 2009.  The Movie Network just keeps cranking out watchable CanCon.  SPACE will re-air the series this fall, so it’ll shill the box set like it’s manna from heaven.  I’m actually looking forward to Sanctuary.

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Lots of Stargate-related news.  The box art and Fan’s Choice stories I tend to ignore.  Stargate is pimped out on a regular basis and shows no signs of slowing down.

The final season of Stargate Atlantis is out June 30, 2009, while the recut Stargate SG-1 pilot is out July 21, 2009.  Stargate Universe is around the corner, so these releases might never end.  At least Stargate exhibits better quality control than Star Trek.

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Blood Ties‘ “first season” out June 2, 2009.  Wait, June 23.  Just kidding, it’s in stores now.

Blood Ties‘ “second season” is out October 6, 2009.  With trailer!

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Amazon.com is taking pre-orders for The Tudors‘ third-season set.  If John Rhys-Meyers overacting is your thing, go right ahead.

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Selected Inspector Gadget episodes out on DVD September 8, 2009 through 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.  Inspector Gadget counts as CanCon due to the Nelvana connection.  Global only aired reruns for a zillion years.

Canadian Connection^® of note: Cookie Jar currently owns the rights to Inspector Gadget.  Inspector Gadget was DiC’s most recognizable character.  The company formerly known as CINAR ate DiC in 2008.  So far, Cookie Jar hasn’t whored Gadget out like DiC did.  Give Cookie Jar go go Gadget time.

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Two Goosebumps releases, “The Headless Ghost” and “Attack of the Jack-O-Lanterns,” out September 8, 2009 through 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.  With box art!

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Road Hockey Rumble complete series set out July 1, 2009 through Paperny Films.

The show’s and Paperny Films’ websites are the only places that offer the Road Hockey Rumble set, which means it’ll be in Giant Tiger bargain bins two years from now.

You’d think that was a joke, but the complete series of Our Hero goes for $4.99 at GT.  Our Hero was sold in 2006 the same way Road Hockey Rumble is now.  Think about it.

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TV, Eh? links to three DVD season set reviews.  Monsters and Critics’ Jeff Swindoll reviews Murdoch Mysteries‘ first-season set and Intelligence Season 2.

DVD Talk’s Paul Mavis reviews Murdoch Mysteries‘ first-season set as well, but Mavis is snarkier than Swindoll about it.  At least Acorn Media is getting its press.  Like Acorn Media employees are going to complain about making more money.

The complete Swiss Family Robinson series will come out June 30, 2009 through Image Entertainment.  TVShowsonDVD.com lists Swiss Family Robinson as a 1976 series.

There’s confusion about when the show debuted – it varies from 1973 to 1976.  I’ll defer to Wikipedia’s date of 1974.  The Wikipedia entry actually has sources.

This is the American release of Swiss Family Robinson, as Morningstar Entertainment released a series set in March 2007.  I assume the show is popular enough for Image Entertainment to release a similar set Stateside, Dove Family Approved logo and all.

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Life with Derek‘s second-season set might come out August 11, 2009 through E1 Entertainment.  This is very early information, but I’m sure this set will come out.  Life with Derek has its fans and is part of a lucrative market.

For those who haven’t seen Life with Derek, it’s not like Hannah Montana or its clones.  As such, the show isn’t on the Disney Channel home page like Hannah Montanas I through IX are.  I refuse to believe people watch Wizards of Waverly Place.

Dumb aside: I’ve watched the Wizards of Waverly Place episode with the talking zit twice.  I don’t know why as I otherwise never watch WoWP.  It’s not even the best show on Disney Channel where an anthropomorphic pimple has featured.  Please don’t ask further about this.

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Survivorman third-season box set art.  I assume this is the American release, as Canada hadn’t adopted the current Discovery Channel logo at the time of the announcement.

You know a show is popular when a King of the Hill episode bases a subplot – a Dale subplot, yet – around it.  Mind you, I prefer Mantracker to Survivorman.  I’ll be honest, I’ll watch a documentary on TVO before watching Survivorman.  All survival-oriented reality shows give me that “might be fake” feeling.  Television, you know?

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Finalized list of extras for Corner Gas‘ sixth-season set.  It’s the final season, so buy the set and help restart Canada’s moribund economy!  Come on!  CORNER GAS!

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The 2007 version of Flash Gordon comes out on DVD July 14, 2009 through Peace Arch Phase 4 Films.  It’s a Canadian-only set, so American fans will have to import the series for now.

From what I understand, Flash Gordon started off horribly and improved midway through the season.  The show is still a failure considering it’s Flash Gordon, the venerable grandfather of comic book sci-fi.  It won’t be until I’m 45, but there will be a good Flash Gordon television series one day!

As for Peace Arch becoming Phase 4 Films, I don’t see the point.  It’s not like the company will magically be better run due to the name change.  The change is about as pointless as Koch Entertainment becoming E1 Entertainment.  I’m sure VSC will merge with itself next week and become H831 Video Space Pow!  It seems to be the trend of the moment.

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May 2009′s Acorn Media releases include a DVD compilation of Red Green Show-related specials.  Apparently PBS flogs the series like A&E Home Video flogs Monty Python’s Flying Circus DVDs.

This release is mainly for Red Green Show completists.  I’ll just wait for more season sets.  Maybe I’ll wait until the Dave the Barbarian series set with the talking z

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Sun Media article about the Nature of Things: Visions of the Future two-disc set.  Wow, that news just slid by me.  Mongrel Media and CBC Home Video put the set out.

I don’t want to sound like an idiot, but did CBC advertise this heavily?  The Nature of Things is an institution more battered than even Marketplace, but David Suzuki is still a well-known Canadian icon.  I know of Mongrel Media through its release of Manufacturing Dissent and other documentaries, but it’s not a familiar face in the world of TV-on-DVD.

Mongrel Media/CBC Home Video will also put out India Reborn on May 5, 2009, if you’re into CBC documentaries.

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Finally, here’s an American “newspaper” reference to Slings and Arrows‘ DVD sets.  I quote “newspaper” due to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer being an online-only news outlet these days.  Changes, aren’t they sweeping?

I’m amazed Slings and Arrows is so loved in America.  It never received that love in its own country, though that’s not surprising for Canadian television.

As a bonus, TV Guy’s opinion on the future of Canadian television.  I thought it was a good article, if a bit simplistic.  Your mileage may vary since, you know, Canwest.