I'm back in the reins at the NXT Desk and have a lot of messages to get through and fires to put out (or start - Like the saying goes, sometimes the best offense is a good fire.)

But since it's Tuesday, it's time to check in on this week's new DVD releases with Videoport Jones.

The Office - Season 4

Videoport Jones: "Despite the fact that it must shoulder the blame for inspiring mindless American knockoffs of every British TV series ever (thankfully, the American version of 'Spaced' has apparently been torpedoed) by being the one such translation that doesn't suck, this show remains the best thing on TV, as far as I'm concerned. Funny, surprising, weirdly moving at times, and, as odd as it is to say about a remake, completely original. And, myself and the lovely Ms. Emily S. Customer having just rammed through this entire season in one delighted day, I'm gonna say that season 4 is the best yet. I'd list my favorite episodes, but one of the delights of this show this season was how it kept me on my toes. I will say that every character gets to expand his/her role very satisfyingly (with Andy Bernard, Kevin, Daryl, Ryan, Kelly, Toby, Phyllis, and my man Creed providing solid support off the bench), and the whole Jim/Pam storyline successfully, and delightfully, avoiding the pitfalls of the whole 'now they're together finally and suddenly they're completely boring' cliche (call it the 'Moonlighting' Syndrome). And, perhaps because it's been a few weeks since someone called me an idiot (at least in print), I'm just gonna say it: this show has surpassed the original.'

Justin: "If you can say that with conviction, certainty and a little bravado, then you won't be an idiot. Especially if you stick to your central premise - it's completely original. Now, it is a remake, and anyone who watched the first season knows they cribbed the whole thing from Season 1 of the British version. But from Season 2 onward it's been a fresh and surprisingly original enterprise. This show remains one of the few on TV that at certain points I just can't look at the screen. At all. The fact that they make such wrenching, cringe-worthy events (typically involving Michael Scott), to me is a great hallmark. The Season 4 dinner party episode alone is proof of that. Great, great characters and a true ensemble show - sure Steve Carell is the headliner, but how can you not love the rest of this cast. My personal favorites happen to be Toby and Creed, but I'm sure there are plenty of Pam and Jim fans out there. And yes, thank you Jonesy for addressing an all too serious problem in TV. The 'Moonlighting Syndrome' (known in other quarters as the 'Sam and Diane complex') can just kill shows, and it for me almost ruins shows in advance. I was upset when they got Pam and Jim together because I feared the worst."

Then She Found Me

VPJ: "Helen Hunt reemerges from whatever funny, pretty cave she's been hiding in with this, her directoral debut about a funny, pretty lady whose life falls to crap, at least in part because she finds out that Bette Midler is her real mom. Some decent reviews for the Hunt, both as director and actor, and it's got Colin Firth for the ladies, but I'm getting the faint but unmistakable aroma of chick-flick which may keep me at bay. Bring it home from Videoport with some flowers on a night when you need to climb out of the doghouse..."

JE: "But what if your lady is not a fan of Helen Hunt. What if she can't even remember who she is? Seriously, how long ago was it since 'Mad About You' went off the air? And what about 'Twister?' Anyone remember that? Was that supposed to be a career maker? A movie about tornado chasers? Really? ANYWAY, you may be right about one thing - headliners like Hunt, Midler and Firth do not have the ring of a guy friendly movie. And how did Bette become mom appropriate age for someone like Helen Hunt? Weird. It's times like this when I feel we need a female voice on the blog to at least confirm our suspicions or call us out."

Married Life

VPJ: "I love this cast: Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, Pierce Brosnan, and the dishy Rachel McAdams! Yeah! It's a 40's-set tale of love, betrayal, and possibly felonies as Cooper's mild-mannered hubby falls for young tootsie McAdams and decides to spare his loving wife (Clarkson) the shame of a divorce. By killing her. Umm... While Chris may want to run that idea by a few people first, the set-up reminds me of those great Edward G. Robinson melodrama's like 'The Woman in the Window,' and, as I say, the cast is right in my wheelhouse."

JE: "You are right about that. This one is like a big fat pitch across the middle of the plate for you Jonesy. I can actually say this one is descent. Oddly enough I had a chance to see it while on a flight recently, and was only marginally interested thanks to Cooper, and then Brosnan. The plot just kind of sneaks up on you at a time when you just start to wonder what is going on and whether you want to keep watching. I'd add that I feel like the film also has the feel of a stage play, it just sort of sits and establishes itself in these long scenes, often with just a few characters discussing things. That is of course until things pick up with the whole, you know, wife killing thing. So it's got that too, which may or may not be a plus."

The Promotion

VPJ: "Speaking of workplace comedy, this tale of two dudes fighting over the titular job bump can boast a solid comedy lineup, with John C. Reilly, Lili Taylor, Fred Armisen, and even 'The Office's' radiantly-funny Jenna Fischer. What could go wrong, right? Well, into this promising punchbowl, someone had the brilliant idea, 'Hey, let's toss Stiffler in there and see if people still wanna drink it!' Yes, the bewilderingly-employed Sean William Scott ensured this one's hasty leap right to the shelves of Videoport. I still have the urge to watch it, although I may have to have a Stiffler-shaped cutout ready to block half the screen."

JE: "Now, now, Jonesy, you can't hold a grudge against Sean William (or is it just Sean?) forever, can you? There will come a time when he rises past Stiffler, and hopefully can establish an otherwise fruitful - and useful - career. Oh, wait...you can hold a grudge forever, can't you? Hmm. Crap. ANYWAY, I'd say you have to weigh the good over the bad here, especially a cast that has John C. Reilly - who you love very dearly if I remember correctly. I've heard good reviews for this one, so maybe I'll have a pre-viewing and and let you know whether this is Jonse-worthy."

Desperate Housewives - Season 4

VPJ: "I assume someone is still watching this show? At least Felicity Huffman can buy William H. Macy something nice until she finds a gig worthier of her awesomeness. (Rent 'Sports Night' to see what I'm talking about..)"

JE: "Ugh. I saw a commercial advertising the new season of 'Desperate Housewives,' and thought 'this show is still on TV?' Huh? Never watched it, never had an inclination to watch it, but still, I got a sense that people were tuning in thanks to moderate buzz on the pop culture radar. It's the same thing that let me know people were still watching 'Lost' even though I never saw a single episode. But I can't say I've heard much talk or seen much else about 'DH' over the last year. Lastly, please, don't bring up 'Sports Night.' I know it makes us look like we're members of the Kool-Aid drinking Sorkin loving critics, but seriously, that was such a good show. In some ways you have to wonder if the 'West Wing' would have happened if 'Sports Night' lived on, but more often than not I just wish it had another chance. It was a better class of 'workplace comedy' and had the typical Sorkin handle on relationships and families. This is in my top 5 shows that deserved better, which naturally includes 'Arrested Development,' 'Firefly,' and 'Veronica Mars.' Something tells me we could devote a whole blog to this."

That's it for today, but before you go, consider this:

- Has the American version surpassed the British "Office?"
- Can a remake be original?

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