DVD Dish: Mary, Garry & Lola

Who can turn the world on with her smile? Mary Richards, of course, and I'm happy to report that the 5th season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show is finally being released on DVD on October 6. Fortunately, Twentieth Century Fox came to their senses and decided to release the last three seasons of the show separately instead of forcing Mary's loyal fans to purchase the first four seasons again in a Complete Series DVD set. Now we just have to hope and pray that they don't change their minds about giving us the 6th and 7th seasons. Some of the great 5th season Mary episodes are: "Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?", in which Mary spends the night in jail after she refuses to reveal a news source; "Not a Christmas Story", in which Sue Ann attempts to introduce a little Yuletide cheer when the staff gets snowbound at work; and "An Affair to Forget", in which Ted convinces the newsroom that he and Mary are having a torrid affair. Click here to pre-order the DVD for only $18.99.

Although it's not in the same league as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I did enjoy comedian Garry Shandling's first TV sitcom, It's Garry Shandling's Show, which aired on Showtime from 1986 to 1990 (FOX showed reruns of the series from 1988 to 1990). And now Shout! Factory is releasing all four seasons on a 16-disc set on October 20. Some of the groovy guest stars in the show's 72 episodes are Bob Newhart, Chris Isaak, Connie Stevens, Charles Nelson Reilly, Tony Orlando, Martin Mull, Chevy Chase, Joy Behar, Gilda Radner, Jeff Goldblum, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jennifer Tilly, Florence Henderson and Rob Reiner.

And, finally, there's Lola. No, not Lola Heatherton, Catherine O'Hara's brilliant comic creation that combined Lola Falana with Joey Heatherton--and if you don't know who these last two ladies are, then it's a good thing at least one of them is being featured in a brand new DVD release. The Lola Falana Show was four variety show specials that aired on ABC in 1976 with such guest stars as Sonny and Cher, Bill Cosby, Dick Van Dyke and Dinah Shore, and it will be released on DVD on October 6 (click here to pre-order it).

As for Falana, she was the highest-paid female performer in Las Vegas in the late 1970s. She was also nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in the 1975 flop musical, Doctor Jazz, and starred as Charity Blake on the daytime soap opera, Capitol, from 1984 to 1986. Due to health problems, Falana hasn't performed much in the last 20 years, and she now devotes most of her time to a ministry that she founded.

Since Lola is coming to DVD, will Joey Heatherton's short-lived 1975 variety series, Joey & Dad, be next? I'll let you know if I hear anything.