The double-disc special edition of The Wizard of Oz is one of the two latest editions of the 1939 Victor Fleming film, released in October of 2005 -- it was preceded by the MGM/UA DVD at the end of the 1990s and the first Warner Bros. DVD edition a couple of years later; the latter, in particular, was very good in its time, in terms of the transfer and the bonus materials, but this re-release does, indeed, outclass it. For starters, the transfer is, if anything, even more crisp and reveals more detail in the image -- elements of the picture that are blurred or barely seen in the older Warner transfer, such as the details in the bricks on the Yellow Brick Road, can be seen in the new edition. The chaptering is close to what was used in the older Warner disc, but fine-tuned in location in some of the locations and breaks, and the sound is improved somewhat as well. The commentary by John Fricke and surviving cast and crew -- at least the third full-length commentary ever done on Oz, counting the one done by Ron Haver for The Criterion Collection laserdisc (which, itself, set a new standard for transfers of the movie) -- has been updated anew. There are featurettes on the cast and crew, the restoration of the movie, and a free-standing music-and-effects track on the first disc in the package, in tandem with the full-length movie. Disc two is loaded up with the Angela Lansbury-hosted making-of feature, which holds up extremely well, as well as the Memories of Oz television special -- but it's mostly filled with the new features "The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz" and "Because of the Wonderful Things It Does: The Legacy of Oz," plus composer Harold Arlen's home movies, outtakes and test footage of the tornado sequences, and galleries of stills and trailers, and six hours of audio bonus features, including raw session recordings of the music and radio adaptations and promotional materials. The whole production is rather overwhelming unless its taken in stages, but it's all informative and entertaining, and it's well-nigh essential viewing for all but the most casual fans of the movie. As far as the movie is concerned -- but only in terms of the movie -- it's the ultimate resource for the fan and viewer. This isn't the last word on The Wizard of Oz or the world of Oz in cinematic terms, however -- for that, one can turn to the Three-Disc Collector's Edition, released simultaneously with this double-disc set in October of 2005.

The first season of the acclaimed series St. Elsewhere takes place at Boston's St. Eligius Hospital, nicknamed "St. Elsewhere" due to its reputation as a last resort for poor and disenfranchised seeking medical care. Howie Mandel stars as the wisecracking Dr. Fiscus; David Morse as the dedicated Dr. Morrison; William Daniel as the egocentric Dr. Craig; and Ed Begley, Jr. as nerdy Dr. Ehrlich.