For the second week in a row, a host of full seasons of TV series are being released on DVD.
• “Bull: Season Two” 3 stars: There are two types of scripted TV series: serialized and a string of standalone episodes. The CBS series starring former “NCIS” regular Michael Weatherly falls into the single story category.
There are a few threads that run through the season but overall, the courtroom drama featuring Dr. Jason Bull (Weatherly) is for those who don’t want to be hampered by knowing what happened last week and the week before. You can click on any episode on this DVD set and be able to understand what’s happening. It’s no-fuss TV.
In case you need some background, the series was inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw when he ran a trial consulting firm. Bull and his Trial Analysis Corporation employees can predict how a jury is going to vote before the deliberations start. The drama comes from how each week, the team must take a jury stacked against their client and will them over.
If you are looking for pure escapist viewing, “Bull” is a guilty pleasure.
• “Young Sheldon” 2 stars: The CBS comedy tales a look at Dr. Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons on “The Big Bang Theory”) when he was a 9-year-old genius (Iain Armitage) growing up in East Texas. Fans of the original series get to see how Sheldon dealt with being the smartest kid in the room, where his fear of chickens comes from, the origin of his love for Professor Proton and other bits of history about the character.
The big problem is while a grown-up Cooper can get away with being rude, antisocial, obnoxious and a braggart, these are not traits that work well for a child. Instead of being a lovely misfit, the young Sheldon is just annoying.
The only reason worth watching is to see how bits of Dr. Cooper’s past revealed on “The Big Bang Theory” will be worked into storylines.
Also on DVD
• “Adventure Time: The Final Season”: Included is the finale of the oddly original and long-running animated series.
• “Timeless; Season 2”: The NBC time-traveling series has been canceled, but a TV movie has been ordered to wrap up the show. Watching the second season will help you prepare for the end.
• “Supernatural: The Complete Thirteenth Season”: Winchester brothers continue to save the world. What makes this CW Network show supernatural is it continues to survive in a world where most shows die an early death.
• “Superstore: Season Three”: Life in a large box store isn’t all discounts as this funny NBC comedy proves. America Ferrera stars.
• “The Goldbergs: Season 5”: This nostalgic look at the ’80s gets a huge comedy punch from Wendi McLendon-Covey.
• “Adrift”: Couple struggle to survive in a battle at sea with Mother Nature. Shailene Woodley stars.
