By Glenn McDonald, Correspondent
Many consider "Seinfeld" the greatest sitcom of all time, commercially and critically. So it stands to reason that the complete series box set is equally impeccable, filled with more than 100 hours of detailed, compelling extras. In terms of pure generosity and quality, it's easily the best complete series TV box set ever issued.
But at 33 discs, 180 episodes and several hundred dollars, it's a big investment in time and money. Lucky for you, I have made that investment, gradually, because I am to other "Seinfeld" geeks what Tiger Woods is to weekend golfers.
At many rental stores and via online services such as Netflix, you can dip into the "Seinfeld" collection one disc at a time. But because the extras are scattered throughout the series, it's hard to know which disc to rent. That's where "DVD Extras" comes in. I do the scouring so you don't have to. For "Seinfeld," I recommend these discs:
Season 3, Disc 4
Most fans agree that this is when "Seinfeld" really started rolling. Disc 4 has six solid episodes, all with commentary and trivia. Most compelling is the 21-minute documentary, "Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo," a revealing look at the Kramer character, as invented by actor Michael Richards. As cast and crew discuss the evolution of the character, it's clear that Richards was every bit as intense and eccentric as the character. Icing on the cake: This is one of only a handful of individual discs that features a blooper reel.
Season 7, Disc 4
This disc features one of the collection's best commentary tracks, in which Seinfeld, director Andy Ackerman and writers Jeff Schaffer and Alec Berg dissect the classic episode "The Calzone" and give a sense of how hard it is to be this good this consistently. Also interesting is a feature on the departure of series co-creator Larry David, secret author of the show's unique style. (Season 8 marks a significant shift in tone and begins the show's third distinct era.) But the best part of this disc is a tribute to that most underrated asset, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Season 9, Discs 1 and 4
This has the two-part finale, which was far from perfect but served as a curtain call for ancillary characters that so enriched the series -- the Soup Nazi, David Puddy, Mr. Pitt and many of Jerry's girlfriends. Disc 1 is a winner, too, with a stellar lineup of late-era episodes, including "The Voice," "The Serenity Now" and "The Merv Griffin Show" -- all with meaty commentaries and extras. You'll also find the bittersweet featurette "The Last Lap," detailing the cast's decision to end the show.
Finally, if you really want to geek out, the entire collection is littered with "easter eggs" -- special hidden content. Google to find instructions on getting the hidden goodies.
'New school' board games
Strange, isn't it, how every other genre of entertainment (TV, film, video games, books) regularly turns over with new titles and ideas, but that old family standby -- the board game -- remains the same? Scrabble. Monopoly. Risk. Life. Clue. Those games in the hall closet seem to have been there for generations.
Too bad, because there's a boatload of great new games waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, they're not advertised well and are often hard to find on retail shelves. It can take years and years for a new game to find enough success to get regularly stocked at the big-box stores -- one or two titles per year (may) make the long-term cut.
With a little digging, though, you can find these new-school games at hobby shops and online, and you may be amazed at what you've been missing. What follows is a sampling of the best that's out there -- family games suitable for all ages, and party games designed for older kids and grown-ups. Some are new; others have been on the periphery for a while -- all are worthy of a spot in the old hallway closet.
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