DVDs have finally ventured into the lucrative TV arena in search of more products to put on the market. A&E's first foray into DVDs is "The Avengers '67, Sets 1 and 2" ($25 per disc; $45 for two-disc boxed set). These are the same episodes from the British spy series' first American season that A&E released to great success on video last year.
The DVDs are wonderfully vibrant; colors are crisp and the sound is sharp and clear. The episodes look like they were filmed yesterday, not three decades ago. The videos included two episodes per tape, but each DVD features three installments of the series, which starred Diana Rigg as Emma Peel and Patrick Macnee as John Steed.
Episodes featured in the collection include "From Venus With Love," "The Winged Avengers" and "Never, Never Say Die." Each disc also includes "The Original Avengers Production Stills Gallery"--a collection of rare production shots from the episodes. Later this year, A&E plans to release two more sets of DVDs from the '67 season, including the popular "Return of the Cybernauts" and "The Forget Me Knot," which was Rigg's last episode. To order, call (800) 423-1212.
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Audrey Hepburn fans will delight in Goldhil's Digital Collector's Edition of her beautiful PBS series, "Gardens of the World" ($40). This eight-part program, for which Hepburn was awarded an Emmy for her hosting duties, also marked her final screen appearance before her death six years ago of cancer. Michael York is also on hand as the narrator of the documentary, which explores rose gardens, formal gardens, flower gardens and country gardens in Europe.
