Maybe one day I’ll understand how the Networks, well… work. It seems for every crappy show that makes it past a single season, there are any number of better shows that deserve a chance to survive. More often than not, these shows are fresh and innovative, but still they fail to catch on. A perfect example would be “Boomtown”, which somehow made it through a full season, only to be cancelled a couple of episodes into its second. “Boomtown” could have been like any other police drama, but like “CSI” the producers found a new way to tell the story. Each episode would feature a particular crime or crimes, shown from the viewpoints of all involved. You see the crime as the victim saw it, the perpetrator, the police, even the media. I will grant you that it takes a little getting used to as the stories are often told out of order, and the editing can move quite fast. But I never had any problems following along. The series also had a great cast, including Donnie Wahlberg, Neal McDonough and Mykelti Williamson.

Over the last few years, Wahlberg has proven himself to be quite an incredible actor. It’s hard to believe he used to be apart of “New Kids on the Block.” Watching them then, who thought any of them had talent at all? I still remember his brief, but memorable role in “The Sixth Sense”, as the emaciated Vincent. Or even his terrific portrayal of Duddits in the otherwise lame “Dreamcatcher.” Mykelti Williamson is another actor who has slowly been given the opportunity to prove his mettle. Most people remember him as Bubba from “Forrest Gump”, but roles in films like “Waiting to Exhale” have shown he is no one-hit wonder.

Though the series ended up being short-lived, it seems it was popular enough to signal the need for a DVD release. Lion’s Gate Home Entertainment was good enough to take up the call and I, for one, was glad to finally have the opportunity to see the episodes I had missed. The 5-disc set includes all 18 episodes from the first season, which was both a good thing as well as a disappointing one. Though I was happy to see the inclusion of the entire first season, I think I would have rather had the entire series in one set. The second season comprised of only a handful of episodes, so I think it might have been more prudent to include them all here. It would have only added another disc or two, and would have kept me from wondering if they are even going to release the rest at all. Plus, just as an all around TV series set, it would sit nicer on the shelf having a 6 or 7 disc set, as opposed to one set of 5, then a thinner set of 2.

Ahh well, it’s a minor complaint. Lion’s Gate makes up for this odd decision by adding some great extra features to this 1st season set. There are commentaries on 6 of the episodes and there’s not a one that I found boring. Each of the six episodes has its own group of cast and/or creative team, and they all seem to be having a pretty good time talking about the series.

As I looked at the packaging I noticed there were two other featurettes. Initially I thought they’d be short and only offer up some quickie interviews. As it turns out “Building Boomtown” runs just short of 30 minutes and includes interviews with just about everyone who ever worked on the series. Plus it takes a look at the show’s incredible opening sequence. The next one, “The Boomtown Shuffle” is about 17 minutes, and the focus is more on the challenges of creating a show with a style as unusual as this ones. Watching this, I gained a strong appreciation for what the actor’s have to go through.

I always enjoyed the look of the series, and the transfer on this set certainly does it justice. I do, however have issues with the sound. Instead of going with full Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, here we only have 2.0. Don’t get me wrong, it still sounds pretty good, but I really would have liked a fuller experience, considering the high quality the series offered. It’s my only other complaint about this DVD release.

Aside from the two very minor nit picks, the DVD release of “Boomtown” makes a solid entry into any collection just for how darn good the series was to begin with. I only wish it had lasted longer. Let’s hope we see that season 2 set, short though it may be, sometime real soon.

Episodes:
Pilot
Possession
The Squeeze
Reelin’ in the Years
All Hallow’s Eve
The Freak
Coyote
Insured by Smith & Wesson
Crash
The David McNorris Show
Monster’s Brawl
Sinaloa Cowboys
Home Invasions
Execution
Storm Watch
Fearless
Blackout
Lost Child

Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, Meal McDonough, Mykelti Williamson, Gary Basaraba, Nina Grbiras, Lana Parrilla, Jason Gedrick
Extras: 6 Audio Commentaries, “Building Boomtown”, “The Boomtown Shuffle”
Specifications: Widescreen, 2.0 Dolby Digital
Studio: Lion’s Gate
Release Date: 7/20/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Boomtown: Season 1 an A.