Best DVD Episode Commentaries

[Major Fischer]

What do people think the best episode commentaries were for each season (for those seasons that had them).

[berserklover]

I don't watch them, I reither watch the episode and the extra, but commentaries are too long and boring.

[couchpotatergater]

Hi, new to all this, but had to attempt a reply to this. The commentary of Peter Deluise adds a whole new dimension to the episodes. I am now unable to watch Prodigy without thinking of "poo pains" !! I consider myself a 'regular' viewer these days!!

[Major Fischer]

I only have season 7 right now, the others are all coming in the mail. But just on the basis of that season.

I rather liked the commentary for Lifeboat (a PDL commentary, which might be the reason).

I found the commentary for Heroes Part 1 incredibly boring (it's the director and the director of photography discussing filming techiniques for the most part that i could tell).

The Heroes Part 2 commentary was much better (it included RCC too, and had much more story discussion).

Inaugration was a very good commentary, but the best on the set was definately the Lost City commentary.

[lord-anubis]

i think falen homcomeing are good but my fav are evolution 1 and 2 also enemy mine and the lost city

[Suebsg9]

depends on if you are going by the seasons:

season four: PDL and his commentary on the first ones and also PRODIGY <only way to actually watch that one>! and michael shanks commentary on 'double jeopardy' i found entertaining talking about his directing of the eps.!

season five: hard to say this season may have to skip it and season six!

season seven: well commentary for FALLEN, HOMECOMING AND REVISION were my fave again cause MS did commentary in it! and not sure how many others i listened to since i get the UK region so i listen to them pretty early on and well forget lol

[couchpotatergater]

I only have season 7 right now, the others are all coming in the mail. But just on the basis of that season.

I rather liked the commentary for Lifeboat (a PDL commentary, which might be the reason).

I found the commentary for Heroes Part 1 incredibly boring (it's the director and the director of photography discussing filming techiniques for the most part that i could tell).

The Heroes Part 2 commentary was much better (it included RCC too, and had much more story discussion).

Inaugration was a very good commentary, but the best on the set was definately the Lost City commentary.

I've got to agree with you on Heroes (although it pains me to be negative!). I always watch the season through (most of mine are box sets - my will power's not that good!), & then watch them again & watch the commentary after each one. As a rule I like PDLs & MWs best, & I love it if the actors do them.

[tara3583]

I love those with PDL and MW also Amanda has
some good ones with these as well, i find them
much more interesting if they can make it fun to listen to and learn something of their craft
at the same time.

[sugarshaker]

I think the commentaries by PDL are usually pretty entertaining, but the ones where they talk technicalities are boring. It's funny how some of the funnier episodes have less interesting comentaries. For example, I thought The Other Guys was a funny episode and was looking forward to the commentary, but I found it really dull and didn't even finish it.

[couchpotatergater]

I feel duty bound to watch them regardless, & not being the most observant person in the world they do alert me to some of the subtler 'extras' & get me looking out for more, but sometimes you spot something & they don't mention it & it's really disappointing

[Starfury]

I have to confess that I've never actually listened to the commentary on any of the Stargate episodes, but I have some general observations anyway.

Commentary by actors is always the best, mainly because actors are entertainers by trade, whereas the crew are basically a bunch of geeks who like to talk about techie trade stuff that most people find incredibly boring. Another reason actor commentary is more interesting is because the audience already feels a connection to the actors, through their characters. We care about what Amanda and Michael have to say because we care about Sam and Daniel. We don't give a flip about what the cinematographer has to say because we've never "met" him and we don't care about him as a person.

The next most interesting group of commentators are producers, directors and writers; people who are more involved in the overall creative process, whose roles in creating the finished product we are better able to "see" and more or less understand, and therefore their commentaries often resonate more with viewers. We feel we "know" them because we have more of a sense of who they are through their work. It helps if they themselves are big fans of the show (like Joss Whedon. His commentaries on the Buffy DVDs are fun, because he's such a fanboy).

Then there are the more interesting "below the line" people like the special effects team and the stunt coordinator who get to do cool and exciting stuff that we actually get to see, so we like them. But even then, these folks are better off in a "making of" featurette where we can see their faces and watch them show us what they do, instead of just listening to them telling us how they did it.

Lastly you have basically everybody else--editors, mixers, gaffers, grips, set and costume designers, cameramen, etc. My advice to DVD producers is that if you can't get some of the actors and producers/directors/writers involved (preferably a mixture of them, and if you want to be nice to your crew you can throw in some boring people too) to do your commentary, don't bother, because unless your sound editor, caterer or best boy has a night job as a standup comic, nobody cares.

[Skydiver]

if you want info and facts, go for the wil waring and the other director, lighitng, prop etc. guys.

they have great info....just aren't al that scintilating

you want to laugh, go for the peter, amanda, don and gary jones' ones

[couchpotatergater]

Has anyone got the region 2 season 7 vol 37 & been able to access an extra quoted on the back as "Easter Egg: RDA "My life as a Mime"? It's listed on the back of mine but I can't find anything on the menus - what is it? Is it on region 1 & has anyone seen it???

[norriski]

I'm not sure I could tell you which commentary if my favorite...but I will admit to loving them, even the ones most people find boaring...PD's are always funny, anytime the actors are involved is great, I love the Gary Jones does them sometimes even for ep's he wasn't in....MW does a great job too...like I said I just love hearing the behind the sceens stuff....I on all my DVD SG1 or movies, anything with a commentary I'll watch it first, then with the commentary...I'll even listen to the commentaries more than once on some....

[Watters87]

Has anyone got the region 2 season 7 vol 37 & been able to access an extra quoted on the back as "Easter Egg: RDA "My life as a Mime"? It's listed on the back of mine but I can't find anything on the menus - what is it? Is it on region 1 & has anyone seen it???

If you go to the behind the scene's menu it is there. It is not written down but if you keep pressing the down button a green circle will appear bottom left and just click on it.

Martin Wood's commentaries are my favourites. He gives excellent views on episodes and points out little details that I wouldn't have known.