You know the drill by now.  Tags are here and here.  Here are the new season sets of shows from the Alliance vaults, ’cause capitalism is as subtle as Kevin Thompson’s acting.

Andromeda: Season 4 (October 19, 2010)
Earth: Final Conflict: Season 5 (October 26, 2010)
F/X: The Series: Season 2 (October 26, 2010)
Les Invincibles: Complete Series (October 19, 2010)
Mutant X: Season 3 (October 26, 2010)
The Adventures of Sinbad: Season 1 (October 19, 2010)
The Adventures of the Black Stallion: Season 1 (October 19, 2010)
The Outer Limits (1995): Season 7 (October 5, 2010)

Koch Canada gave The Adventures of Sinbad a first-season release in 2004, then abandoned the title.  Not surprisingly, The Adventures of Sinbad will be quickly ground through the Alliance video mill, as the show only lasted two seasons.  I forget if the first season is the one where Sinbad and Doubar fight toilet paper in one episode.

The Alliance releases are finally showing signs of slowing down.  Earth: Final Conflict, Mutant X, F/X: The Series and The Outer Limits (1995) have been exhausted.  Andromeda has one more season to go.

The Adventures of the Black Stallion already has a complete series set out, through Echo Bridge Home Entertainment.  Echo Bridge Entertainment bought Alliance Atlantis’ international distribution arm after Alliance Atlantis was dismantled in 2007.

To be honest, The Adventures of the Black Stallion is the first redundant title Alliance has released in a while.  Echo Bridge is rereleasing the series in season volume sets right now.  Not a good move, for either Echo Bridge or Alliance.

My prediction: you’re going to see Neon Rider and Bordertown very soon.  Mark my words.  These rush releases have their problems, but better this than letting the titles rot in archive hell.  I still want Night Heat.

I’m not going to link to the previous Alliance Home Entertainment DVD news items anymore, just tags (here and here.)  Here are the three newest Alliance releases, as well as a couple of French-language titles that aren’t being mentioned:

C.A. Conseil d’administration: Season 4 (August 10, 2010)
Les Parent: Season 2 (September 7, 2010)
Mutant X: Season 1 (August 31, 2010)
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal: Season 3 (September 14, 2010)
The Outer Limits (1995): Season 6 (September 7, 2010)

Today is the first day I’ve been given access to the Alliance media website, which is how I read about C.A. Conseil d’administration and Les Parent.  The French-language shows are important to Canadian television, even if they’re of limited interest to those outside Quebec and Northern Ontario.

I wish Alliance would ease off the syndicated 1990s/2000s fare, though I admit those shows sell.  The Outer Limits and Relic Hunter are the hot sellers, The Outer Limits moreso than Relic Hunter.

I don’t know why The Outer Limits is so popular.  Either Americans are buying the sets, or The Outer Limits is more popular in Canada due to its long run on Global.

Either way, I’m not complaining.  The Outer Limits is one of the few shows Alliance is releasing right now that I actually like.  I can’t believe the whole run of the series will be out before the end of 2010.  I can’t say I foresaw this back in January.

Alliance Home Entertainment is continuing its TV-on-DVD clusterbombing, as mentioned here and here.  The titles being monetized for late June-August 2010:

Andromeda: Season 2 (August 10, 2010)
BeastMaster: Season 2 (August 24, 2010)
Earth: Final Conflict: Season 1 (June 29, 2010) | Season 2 (July 27, 2010)
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town: Complete Series (August 3, 2010)
Lexx: Season 2 (July 20, 2010) | Season 3 (August 24, 2010)
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal: Season 2 (August 10, 2010)
TekWar: Complete Series (August 31, 2010)
The Outer Limits (1995): Season 4 (July 6, 2010) | Season 5 (August 3, 2010)
White Fang: Complete Series (August 17, 2010)

Amazon.ca is very spotty with its updates.  Admittedly, I use its affiliates program to drum up sales, which is why pieces like this exist.  The entries are still shambolic.  Items listed “the outer limits ssn 5″ or “Lexx S3″ are not uncommon.  An Amazon offshoot should not be that unprofessional.

TekWar‘s release date has been pushed back three times by now.  It was initially set to come out June 13.  August 3 and August 10 release dates will not be met.  I wonder what’s causing the delays, since it’s been mentioned that this set will not include the made-for-TV films.

One thing Alliance Home Entertainment needs to do is revisit TV-on-DVD sets its predecessor company, Alliance Atlantis, abandoned.  Cold Squad and Traders are two such titles, abandoned after their first seasons.  AA sat too long on Da Vinci’s Inquest, a title Acorn Media has since capitalized on.

I actually can’t believe Alliance Home Entertainment is as active as it is right now.  That’s good.  While the company isn’t perfect, this situation is a lot better than when AHE quietly released the odd Trailer Park Boys season and a few other titles.  I’m in awe that it’s keeping to its clusterbomb title strategy.  I question why shows like White Fang, but the good with the bad.

As mentioned in the last Canadian TV-on-DVD Roundup, Alliance Films Home Entertainment is unleashing a torrent of its television titles.  The titles being monetized for late June-July 2010:

Andromeda: Season 1 (July 13, 2010)
BeastMaster: Season 1 (July 13, 2010)
Earth: Final Conflict: Season 2 (July 27, 2010)
Emily of New Moon: Season 3 (June 22, 2010) | Season 4 (July 20, 2010)
Lexx: Season 2 (July 20, 2010)
The Outer Limits (1995): Season 4 (July 6, 2010)
PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal: Season 1 (July 13, 2010)
RoboCop: The Series: Season 1 (July 27, 2010)
TekWar: Complete Series (July 13, 2010)

The only shows I’m interested in are The Outer Limits, RoboCop: The Series and maybe TekWar.  No Made in Canada yet?  I’m sure that show is in Alliance Films’ catalogue.  Hell, so is CODCO.  AFHE might want to take hints here.

For those following URBMN, BeastMaster and Andromeda had sets put out by ADV Films.  I’m not sure about the American home entertainment rights to Alliance Films’ shows, as these releases are Canada-only.

On a related note, Gord Lacey of TVShowsonDVD.com has reviewed Relic Hunter‘s first season.  He doesn’t like the video quality and hates the packaging.  Three discs per panel?  Yikes.  Captions and subtitles are also absent.

Thanks to TVShowsonDVD.com for breaking the news on Alliance’s TV-on-DVD slate.  I don’t know how that site can stand all the news it gets.  There’s only so much enthusiasm you can fake for shows like Jon & Kate Plus 8 and Real Housewives of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.

This is the first Canadian TV-on-DVD Roundup since September 5, 2009.  There are three reasons for this.  One, the TV-on-DVD market is almost dead on its ass.  Two, iTunes and on-demand are sure to take over at some point.  Three, I’ve transitioned to more dedicated news stories.

I don’t plan on continuing the Canadian TV-on-DVD Roundups for too much longer.  They will eventually be replaced by TV-on-Demand Roundups or whichever new trends come down the pike.

I’ve missed out on titles like Wonderful Grand Band due to URBMN’s format shift.  Frankly, Wonderful Grand Band whizzed right past everyone.

Here’s a clip from WGB.  I’ll probably never mention the show on URBMN again, so…here you go.  Mileage may vary depending on how much you like Tommy Sexton.

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Alliance Films Home Entertainment will release a job lot of TV-on-DVD titles this spring and summer.  AFHE is releasing titles originally offered by Koch Vision in the early-to-mid-2000s.

Titles include the following, all Canadian shows or co-productions:

Emily of New Moon: Season 1, Season 2
Lexx: Season 1
Relic Hunter: Season 1, Season 2, Season 3
The Hunger: Season 1, Season 2
The Outer Limits (1995): Season 1, Season 2, Season 3

I’m most interested in The Outer Limits.  It’s uneven, like most anthologies, but the show lasted seven seasons for a reason.  I hope Alliance Films Home Entertainment can continue the series sets, as Koch Vision crapped out after Season 3.

The Hunger is a weird choice, as Koch Vision released the first two seasons less than a year ago.  Seriously, The Hunger is that important that it needs a re-release?

I hope Alliance Films Home Entertainment will bring out more series in the near future.  This is a good time to put out North of 60 season sets.  Not everyone can stand Relic Hunter, you know.

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For the French-speaking Quebecers, Bob Gratton: Ma Vie, My Life has its third season come out on DVD May 18, 2010.

Bob ‘Elvis’ Gratton (Julien Poulin) is a racist, pro-American federalist/Walter Mitty figure.  He’s been an Elvis impersonator, pop star and media magnate.  His creation ties into the late Pierre Falardeau‘s Quebec separatist beliefs.

I list Bob Gratton: Ma Vie, My Life to show that French-speaking Quebec has its own Borat figure.  Hell, Gratton’s been around since 1981.  The man’s a long runner, even after death.

Having said that, I wonder if URBMN readers have ever heard of Gratton.  Well, you have now.  You can’t unremember him, at least not without drinking paint thinner or braining yourself with an I-beam.

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The Best Years‘ second season will come out June 15, 2010 through E1 Entertainment.

The Best Years‘ second season was produced specifically for The N (now TeenNick.)  The late, unlamented E! network aired the second season in April 2009.

Truth be known, I’m surprised The Best Years is out on DVD in its entirety.  The show has a fanbase, but this is Exhibit A of why Canada needs to better schedule its programs.  At least the show hasn’t been off-and-on as much as Paradise Falls…yet.

Woo!  Tripping the Rift Season Three box art!  One of Chode’s tentacles is cupping Six’s right breast and TVShowsonDVD.com is asking whether that’s deliberate.  No, it’s not.  Tripping the Rift is also more hilarious than ten Mystery Science Theaters 3000!  I’m not at all being sarcastic!

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Here’s the official press release for Super Dave’s Super Stunt Spectacular Volume One.  GAT Productions is handling PR for this title.  I wonder if this compilation will have a Tilden Rent-a-Car mention.

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Variety article about consolidation in the global entertainment industry.  It mentions Alliance Films and Entertainment One.  Entertainment One owns Koch and Séville Pictures, and Variety specifically mentions E1′s desire for more TV and DVD content.

E1 recently announced a “reverse takeover” of DHX Media.  Hooray, the prospect of Chop Socky Chooks on DVD!  I’ll go vomit now.

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Giant Tiger recently announced $19.99 and $29.99 box set sales, which usually include Canadian TV-on-DVD titles.  The sale ends November 5, although box sets come in from time to time.  Don’t worry if you miss a sale – they occur frequently.

What I saw at the Campbellford, Ontario store on November 1:

$19.99
The Forest Rangers Season One Volume Two: Episodes 21-40
The Greatest Canadian

$29.99
Corner Gas Season Two
Corner Gas Season Five
The Outer Limits (new series) Season Four

The fact that Giant Tiger had the fifth season of Corner Gas stunned the hell out of me.  Usually Giant Tiger doesn’t get DVDs that recent, since the fifth-season set hasn’t been out a month.

The fourth season of the new Outer Limits series isn’t listed on amazon.ca, which is nuts.  There are also six-episode single-disc Outer Limits compilations, but those discs can be safely ignored.

If anyone sees a Canadian TV-on-DVD set being sold at the Giant Tiger, post the show name and sticker price in the comments section of this blog entry.  Canadian TV-on-DVD sets often retail for $10-$20.  Sometimes they’re even relegated to the $6.88 pile or worse.  It’s annoying sifting through ten copies of Stranger Than Fiction and twenty copies of The Others just to get to something interesting.

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Finally, for those who shop at amazon.ca, I have an aStore dedicated to Canadian TV-on-DVD.  Someone has to go through the morass that is amazon.ca.  It’s like amazon.com, only shambolic and poorly organized.  In other words, it’s like the Canadian entertainment industry.