The first quarter doldrums continue in the home entertainment market, but there are a few items of real interest including an affordable complete new Blu-ray edition of the cult TV series Quantum Leap, a re-priced complete Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a quartet of Justice League animated discs that tie-in loosely to Warner Bros. upcoming Justice League movie, the tuneful animated feature Trolls,  plus a new Blu-ray edition of the post-apocalyptic anime classic Wolf’s Rain, and the historically accurate drama Loving, which yielded an Oscar nomination for actress Ruth Negga.

TV on DVD

This week’s top geek release is the 1989-93 cult favorite science fiction TV series Quantum Leap: The Complete Series (Mill Creek, 4,570 min., $69.98, BD $99.98), which is now available on Blu-ray at a reasonable price for a 95-episode series.  Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell starred in this time-traveling show that featured plenty of heart-pounding suspense.  Mill Creek says that the “vast majority” of the music that was used in the original series will be included on this release, but there is no word on what tunes proved too difficult to license.

Other releases that should appeal to various segments of fandom include the Robert Rodriguez-developed horror saga From Dusk to Dawn: The Series—The Complete Season 3 (eOne, $38.99, BD $49.99); the Victorian dark fantasy/horror series Penny Dreadful: The Complete Series (Paramount, 1462 min., $59.98, BD $79.98), which ended after three seasons; and the less successful, but still interesting sequel to the original Twilight Zone, Twilight Zone: The Complete ‘80s Series (Paramount, 2,270 min., $45.98).

Also of great interest is a re-priced edition of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Epik Pack (Paramount, 8006 min., $144.99).  The complete Deep Space Nine will probably be released on BD in the near future, so waiting might be advisable, but for those who haven’t joined the Blu-ray revolution, this set makes sense.

Animated TV offerings include single-disc offerings from the 2001 Justice League animated series that are intended to tie-in with DC and Warner Bros. live-action Justice League movie that is slated for a November release.  Each of the four discs features a different superhero (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash) in a series of episodes from Justice League, with an MSRP of $14.97.

Other animated offerings include the Disney Princess series, Elena and the Secret of Avalor (Disney, 132 min., $19.99); My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic—Exploring the Crystal Empire (Shout Factory, 110 min., $14.98); and the best of this week’s lot, the stop-motion animated Shaun the Sheep: Seasons 3 & 4 (Aardman, 360 min., $19.98).

For Power Rangers fans there are two offerings this week, Power Rangers Super Samurai: The Complete Samurai Season (Lionsgate, 460 min., $14.98), and Power Rangers Dino Charge: The Complete Dino Charge Season (Lionsgate, 480 min., $14.98).

Vintage TV offerings include the 1980s sitcom 227: The Complete First Season (Mill Creek, 528 min., $14.98); the prime time soap opera Dynasty: Season 1 (Spelling Ent., 718 min., $22.98); the comic book-based Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Sabrina Down Under (Paramount, 98 min., $14.98); and the rube humor extravaganza Hey Vern, It’s Ernest! (Mill Creek, 283 min., $$9.98).

This week’s only contemporary comedy series is Vice Principals: The Complete First Season (HBO, $29.98, BD $34.98), the very funny HBO show starring Danny McBride.

Anime

This week’s releases include a Blu-ray edition of the Wolf’s Rain: Complete Collection (Funimation, 750 min., BD/DVD Combo $64.98), which collects the 30-episode 2003 original series from Bones, a fascinating post-apocalyptic parable about four wolves searching for the Paradise promised for the end of time.  Created by Keiko Nobumoto as an original anime script, the first 26 episodes aired on the Cartoon Network, and that exposure led to considerable success when Bandai released the series on DVD in 2004.  Now it is available (along with the final four OVA episodes) on Blu-ray, and with any luck a new generation will get to experience a classic series that is especially notable for Yoko Kanno’s brilliant soundtrack (one of her best efforts, and she is arguably the best composer working in anime).

For hardcore anime fans who enjoy the work of Kyoto Animation there is the Nichijou: My Ordinary Life: Complete Collection (Funimation, 650 min., Subtitles Only, BD/DVD Combo $69.98), a zany slice-of-life comedy, which is based on the manga by Keiichi Arawi and aired in Japan in 2011.  Nichijou is notable for a seriously high “cuteness quotient,” and may not be safe for those suffering from diabetes.

Also due on Blu-ray is the 2004 anime film Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Funimation, 98 min., $29.98, BD $34.98), which was originally released here by Dreamworks in a very poor edition with subtitles that really interfered with the film’s strong visuals.  That problem has been fixed in the new Blu-ray edition, which will appeal to anime fans of serious science fiction.  GITS 2: Innocence is the densest, most philosophically-inclined work in the franchise, and some may find it a bit slow-moving and ponderous.

Other classics due out on Blu-ray include the 1991 mecha anime film Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (Right Stuf, 110 min., $24.99, BD $34.99); the 1999 anime TV series Turn A Gundam Collection 1 (Right Stuf, 625 min., Subtitles Only, BD $74.99): and the Galaxy Angel Complete Collection (Right Stuf, 390 min., BD $69.98), which was originally released here on DVD by Bandai in 2005.

This week’s most recent anime is the Young Black Jack: Complete Collection (Sentai Filmworks, 300 min., Subtitles Only, $49.98, BD $59.98), which collects the 12-episode 2015 series produced by Tezuka Productions and based on the manga written by Yoshiaki Tabata, which is based on the classic saga about a renegade doctor by the “Godfather of Manga” Osamu Tezuka.

Re-priced re-releases due on Tuesday include S.A.V. E. Editions of the D Frag: Complete Collection (Funimation, BD/DVD Combo $29.98), and Danganrompa the Animated Series: Complete Collection (Funimation, BD/DVD $29.98).

Theatrical Movies

This week’s highest grossing release is the animated musical Trolls (Fox, “PG,” 92 min., $29.98, BD $36.98, 4KBD $44.99), which is better than it should be thanks largely to the efforts of Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake.  Still those who are put off by fart jokes or characters that poop out cupcakes should be forewarned that Trolls doesn’t always eschew the kindergarten humor that mars so many animated features.

David E. Talbert’s Almost Christmas (Universal, “PG-13,” $29.98, BD $34.98), the saga of a dysfunctional family that comes together for the holidays for the first time since the death of the family matriarch, was one of 2016's more successful holiday-themed offerings, and one wonders why Universal didn’t hold it back for a seasonal release in Q4.  A solid cast headed by Danny Glover, Omar Epps, Kimberly Elise, and Mo’Nique make the most of the film’s predictable plot, and raise this movie a notch or two above the typical seasonal comedy/melodrama.

This week’s best feature film is the historical drama Loving (Universal, “PG-13,” $29.98, BD $34.98) the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the interracial Virginia couple that brought the case that put an end to state laws prohibiting interracial marriage.  Jeff Nichols wrote and directed the film, which has been praised for its historical accuracy and for the power of the central performances by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, who received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Mildred.

Another excellent film due on Tuesday is the British/Mongolian documentary The Eagle Huntress (Sony, “G,” 87 min., $26.99, BD $30.99), the story of a 13-year-old girl who is trying to become the first female eagle hunter in Mongolia.  Beautiful photography and an inspiring story lift this film, which was produced by Morgan Spurlock and Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley, out of the realm of the ordinary.

For action movie fans there is The Take (Universal, “R,” 92 min., $19.98, BD $24.98), the unlikely tale of a CIA agent and an American pickpocket in Paris who join forces to thwart an elaborate plot that looks like it might be another example of middle east-inspired terrorism, but turns out to be something very different.  The plot and dialogue in this French/Luxembourg/American production, which was originally titled Bastille Day, might be lacking, but there are plenty of action scenes (a la Taken) featuring Idris Elba as the CIA operative.