Choose a blog

Giveaway: Season 1 DVDs of NBC's 'Smash'

Season 1 of NBC's "Smash" hits stores tomorrow, but you can win a free copy today from your favorite TV blog (that's us!).

"Smash" tells the behind-the-scenes stories of members of a Manhattan theatre group as they struggle to stage a Broadway musical, hitting all aspects from the financing of the production, to casting and artistic clashes.

And Debra Messing wears a lot of scarves.

The series also stars Megan Hilty, Angelica Huston and Katharine McPhee, and features guest stars Uma Thurman, Nick Jonas and others.

This 4-DVD set also has an interesting feature called Ultraviolet Stream, which allows you to put the episodes in the cloud so that you can retrieve and watch them from your mobile device, computer or television.

DVD extras include deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel, an in-depth look at the "Smash" cast, and a look behind-the-scenes with the show's composers and choreographers.

If you'd like to win this, just send me an email by midnight tomorrow night (January 8) and tell me if you're Team Ivy or Team Karen. Your alliance will have no bearing on your chance to win (it's a random drawing), but I'm just curious. Please include your mailing address.

Holiday giveaway: An epic exploration of Earth and Space

We're ending our holiday giveaway spree with the most dignified DVD left in our dwindling stack: the "Earth and Space" DVD/Blu-ray collection from The History Channel.

"Earth and Space" is actually a collection of two History Channel miniseries: "The Universe" and "How the Earth Was Made."

"The Universe" uses CGI and NASA footage to take viewers on an voyage through the cosmos, while "How the Earth Was Made" travels the globe to reveal processes that have shaped some of the most familiar locations in the world.

There are 26 episodes on the six-disc set, plus a bonus feature-length documentary called "Beyond the Big Bang."

If you'd like to win this, send me an email by midnight tonight and include your mailing address. I'll notify the winner tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our annual holiday giveaway!

Holiday giveaway: Travel with Anthony Bourdain and an idiot

We're hoping these DVDs will inspire some post-Christmas travel plans for you.

We have Season 6 (part 2) of "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" and Season 1 of Karl Pilkington's "An Idiot Abroad."

In "No Reservations," which aired for nine seasons on the Travel Channel, Anthony Bourdain travels the world discovering other peoples' cultures through their food. In this set, he hits Madrid, Pakistan, Dubai, Rome, Paris, Beirut, Liberia and India.

In "An Idiot Abroad," the British Pilkington travels the world -- against his will -- at the behest of pals Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Gervais and Merchant pick lots of very "hands-on" activities for Pilkington, who complains constantly and never likes anything he sees or does. It's surprisingly entertaining. It aired in the United States on the Science Channel.

The "No Reservations" extras include a special "What Were We Thinking" episode and a look at the "Making of India."

The "Idiot Abroad" extras include the preview episode, deleted scenes and a photo gallery.

If you're interested, send me an email by midnight tonight and you'll be entered in our drawing. I'll notify the winner on Wednesday.

Holiday giveaway: The final season of HBO's 'Entourage'

Today we have another HBO series up for grabs: "Entourage."

We're offering the eighth and final season of the series about movie star Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his entourage of pals as they blow through women, careers and lots of money in Hollywood.

The series also starred Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara. Season 8 has some great guest stars, too: Illeana Douglas, Andrew Dice Clay, Christian Slater, Mark Cuban, Bobby Flay, David Spade, Michael Strahan and many others.

The only bonus feature listed for the 2-disc DVD set is the featurette "Hollywood Sunset: A Farewell to Entourage." That's a look back at the series with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and candid interviews with cast, crew and guest stars.

If you'd like to win, send me an email by midnight tonight and you're in the drawing. Go ahead and include your mailing address so I can send it out as soon as possible, but you won't get it by Christmas. (NOTE: If you'd prefer to pick this up at our office in downtown Raleigh on Monday after 10 a.m. so you can have it for Christmas, please say that in the entry email.)

Holiday giveaway: No Happiness Consultants here, just a season of 'Hung'

Today we have Season 3 of the (ahem) mature HBO comedy "Hung," which stars Thomas Jane as the heart and soul of the Happiness Consultants Wellness Center for Women.

That means he's a gigilo. 

The Detroit-set series, which is often more poignant than funny, follows the life of Ray (Jane) and the various women in his life: his pimp (Jane Adams), his former pimp who came up with the idea to start with (Rebecca Creskoff), his ex-wife (Anne Heche), and of course, his clients. In Season 3, the jilted pimp Lenore finds a 25-year-old busboy and transforms him into a hooker to rival Ray and steal his clients.

Lots of bonus features in this 2-disc set: A never-before-seen alternate ending to the season finale episode; a featurette called "HUNG: Inside the Series"; a tour of the Wellness Center set; Charlie (Lenore's consultant pimp) dispensing pimpin' wisdom; a music video about Detroit; deleted scenes; and four audio commentaries.

After all that I shouldn't have to say that this is a series about male prostitutes on HBO, so this is not suitable for kids to watch. But ... this is not suitable for kids to watch.

If you'd like to win this, send me an email by midnight tonight and you're in the drawing. Go ahead and include your mailing address. I'll notify the winner on Monday but you won't get it before Christmas. (NOTE: If you'd prefer to pick this up at our office in downtown Raleigh on Monday after 10 a.m. so you can have it for Christmas, please say that in the entry email.)

Read more here: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/tv/holiday-giveaway-the-final-season-of-hbos-entourage#storylink=cpy

Holiday giveaway: Take home Dana Delany in 'Body of Proof'

Today's giveaway is the second season of Dana Delany's ABC hit "Body of Proof."

In "Body of Proof," Delany plays headstrong medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt, who teams with police and other physicians to help solve medical mysteries and murders.

The 4-disc collection contains 20 episodes and a bunch of bonus features: an exploration of characters and their living spaces; a look at the bodies used in the show; a three-part look at stunt work on the show; a film showing how the crew blew up a house for the program without burning down the whole set; the fashions of stars and guest stars; a blooper reel; and webisodes.

If you'd like to win, send me an email by midnight tonight and you'll be in the drawing. Include your mailing address. I'll notify the winner on Monday but you won't get this before Christmas (silver lining: forget gifts -- it's yours to keep!). (NOTE: If you'd prefer to pick this up at our office in downtown Raleigh on Monday after 10 a.m. so you can have it for Christmas, please say that in the entry email.)

Read more here: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/tv/holiday-giveaway-the-final-season-of-hbos-entourage#storylink=cpy

Holiday giveaway: How about a little 'Revenge' against your enemies for Christmas?

If you had just two wishes for this holiday season, I'm sure the first would be revenge on your enemies, and the second would be for all the children of the world to join hands and sing together in a spirit of harmony and peace, blah blah blah.

I obviously stole that from Steve Martin, but you get the point. We've saved one of our best DVDs for near the end of our holiday giveaway: Season 1 of "Revenge," the huge ABC hit starring Emily VanCamp as the calculating heroine who returns to her long-ago home in the Hamptons to exact revenge on those who destroyed her father.

There are tons of bonus features on this DVD: a featurette of a reporter grilling Nolan (Gabriel Mann) about his past; a featurette in which the filmmakers and cast track the show's journey and web of intrigue; a V.I.P. tour of the Hamptons with Ashley; a look at the fashions worn by Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe) and Emily (VanCamp); music videos by Christina Perri and Angus & Julia Stone; bloopers; deleted scenes; and commentary on the pilot episode.

If you'd like to win, send me an email by midnight tonight and you're in the random drawing. For fastest delivery, include your mailing address. I'll notify the winner tomorrow and we'll get the DVD out to you as fast as we can.

Holiday giveaway: Bloodthirsty drama with 'The Vampire Diaries'

Today we have "The Vampire Diaries," one of the biggest hits on the CW network (if not the biggest) which also happens to be the brainchild of New Bern native Kevin Williamson (other credits: "Scream," "Dawson's Creek" and an upcoming terrifying drama with Kevin Bacon called "The Following").

Most of "The Vampire Diaries" deals with a love triangle involving a beautiful young woman (Nina Dobrev) and two vampire brothers (Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley), and the mysterious (and fictional) town of Mystic Falls, Va., where it all takes place.

We have the third (and most recent) season to give away. Extras for the Season 3 DVD include a gag reel, unaired scenes, a timeline of the "original vampires" family tree and a featurette called "Stefan's Descent into Darkness."

If you'd like to win, send me an email by midnight tonight and you'll be in the drawing. Please include your mailing address. I'll notify the winner tomorrow.

Congratulations to our Honeysuckle turkey winner

Did you enter to win Holiday Giveaway #5 for a coupon for a free Honeysuckle Turkey, up to $15?

The winner is:

Enter to win a Snowman, Santa or Elf ice cream cake

Baskin-Robbins is selling snowman, santa and elf cakes (pictured at left) during the month of December.

Like they did for the turkey-shaped cake for Thanksgiving, they offered a $31 gift card to a lucky Mouthful reader. These cakes, which serve 8 to 12 people, have a suggested retail price of $26.99. (You can use the gift card to buy a cake for your holiday gathering or stash it away for another occasion.)

To enter, leave a comment below this post before noon, Friday. I'll choose a winner at random and arrange delivery of the gift card. Good luck!
 

Cars View All
Find a Car
Go
Jobs View All
Find a Job
Go
Homes View All
Find a Home
Go

Want to post a comment?

In order to join the conversation, you must be a member of newsobserver.com. Click here to register or to log in.
Advertisements