Editor’s Note: This holiday gift giving season, Time Life offers something for everyone from their acclaimed and best-selling DVD library. All collections are available exclusively at TimeLife.com. If you’ve yet to receive any of these HGG suggestions, and you’re interested in including them in your upcoming gift guide, please contact Michael Krause at mkrause@foundrycomm.com. Please note that review sets are extremely limited, so it’s first come, first served!
From Elvis Presley to The Beatles and The Rolling Stone, The Temptations and The Supremes, The Ed Sullivan Show broadcast the music revolution into living rooms across America. Perfect for holiday gift giving, Time Life presents ED SULLIVAN’S ROCK & ROLL CLASSICS, a spectacular DVD collector’s set featuring two decades of historic music performances from the longest-running and most iconic prime-time variety show in television history…
From the late ‘50s through the early ’70s — families across America gathered around their television every Sunday night to watch The Ed Sullivan Show. And while the country and its music underwent an enormous evolution over the course of those years, the show not only kept up with the times, but it informed them — evidenced by the wide variety of acts fortunate enough to perform live on the stage of Studio 50. From slick-haired snarlers to soulful singing groups to rebellious rockers from across the Atlantic, Ed Sullivan’s musical guests were a who’s who of the era’s popular culture. And today, they’re regarded as some of the greatest artists of all time. The long and winding road of music history is full of forks, but from the 1950s through the early ’70s, one stop was essential: The Ed Sullivan Show.
The acclaimed TV DVD archivists at Time Life invite music lovers and classic TV aficionados to experience the excitement of these once-in-a-lifetime performances in one spectacular DVD collection: ED SULLIVAN’S ROCK & ROLL CLASSICS. From rock ‘n’ roll legends to shimmering soul superstars, The British Invasion to Folk Rock, psychedelic pop, and so much more, Ed Sullivan showcased them all on his Sunday Night variety show, week after unforgettable week. This set brings the very best of these performances together in one memorable 10-disc set, featuring 128 live, uncut performances from the greatest performers and musical icons of the 20th century including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis, The Supremes The Band, The Beach Boys, Bee Gees, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Marvin Gaye, Herman’s Hermits, Buddy Holly, The Jackson 5, Janis Joplin, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and many many more!
Aside from these legendary performances, ED SULLIVAN’S ROCK & ROLL CLASSICS also features never-before-released full interviews from The History of Rock ‘N’ Roll documentary series, including David Crosby, Felix Cavaliere, Gladys Knight, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Michelle Phillips, Peter Noone, Roger McGuinn and more, a collectible, full-color 36-page booklet, packed with archival photos and fascinating facts, along with The All-Star Comedy Special, a free bonus DVD which includes performances by the top comedians on The Ed Sullivan Show including Alan King, Flip Wilson, George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller, Rich Little, Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield and many more. (Available exclusively from Time Life; $119.96).
Since the earliest days of country music, gospel music spilled from the Sunday morning church pews and was recorded by the popular artists of the day. And it’s that powerful and undeniable connection between its most iconic performers and gospel that’s celebrated in the inspirational 10-disc collector’s set, AMAZING GRACE: COUNTRY STARS SING SONGS OF FAITH AND HOPE, available just in time for holiday gift giving!
Spotlighting some of the best-loved artists in country music, and featuring 153 incredible live performances, this collection is filled with the sharing of powerful songs of faith that have reverberated inside church walls and concert halls for decades.
Now for the very first time, home audiences can enjoy live performances of the greatest country artists performing songs of faith and hope, all in one stunning, star-studded collection. Highlighted by live performances from Alan Jackson, Alabama, the Statler Brothers, Josh Turner, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, George Jones, Reba McEntire, The Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton, Tennessee Ernie Ford, the Gatlin Brothers and dozens more, they’ve all gone back to their roots to revive such timeless hymns as “Amazing Grace”, “How Great Thou Art”, “In the Garden”, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and more! A powerful intersection between faith and art, this collectible set also includes bonuses too numerous to mention, but includes more than a dozen exclusive interviews and performances, a full-color 36-page collector’s book loaded with archival photos and two bonus DVDs from the “Opry Gospel Classics” set, featuring live performances from the stage of the iconic theater (Available exclusively on Time Life; $134.95)
Time Life delivers RUSSELL SIMMONS’ DEF COMEDY JAM COLLECTION, the dopest, deffest DVD collection hailing from the smash-hit HBO series, a showcase for some of the biggest names in comedy – from Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart to Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock and more! This iconic TV series gets the award-winning Time Life boxed set treatment with an epic 12-disc set featuring 36 of the best episodes from all 9 Seasons, a bonus DVD of Shaq & Cedric the Entertainer Present: All Star Comedy Jam, and a 24-page Def Comedy Jam collector’s booklet!
When Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam premiered on HBO in the winter of 1992, the nation’s cool kids took notice. The “for mature audiences only” show aired Fridays at midnight, leading legions of college students and young adults to exit the clubs and finds TVs — or not go out at all — so they could catch a half-hour glimpse of the would-be stars who made them laugh, and the hip-hop stars and superstar athletes who were in the studio audience. Def Comedy Jam would go on to become one of HBO’s earliest mega-hits, and by the late ’90s it was the #1 comedy show to ever air on pay TV and cable. In fact, no other modern-day comedy tour or series can boast a run so successful that dozens of its denizens were skyrocketed from regional obscurity to international superstardom, including Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker, Cedric the Entertainer, Dave Chappelle, Tiffany Haddish, Tracy Morgan, Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac, and Kevin Hart.
Now, Time Life delivers this smash series to comedy lovers everywhere with a 12-disc DVD set featuring the very best episodes from the biggest, groundbreaking, star-making comedy show of all time! Included in the jam-packed set are 36 episodes across all nine history-making seasons — over 23 hours of non-stop laughs from comedy giants such as Bill Bellamy, Cedric the Entertainer, Dave Chappelle, Earthquake, Mike Epps, Adele Givens, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Queen Latifah, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, Tracy Morgan, Chris Tucker, Sheryl Underwood, Damon Wayans, Jr., and so many more! Aside from far too many celebrity cameos to mention, the set also includes a bonus episode of “2 Raw 4 TV,” which speaks for itself. (Available exclusively on Time Life; $99.95)
Each year, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors rock music’s greats during a prestigious black-tie ceremony. These induction ceremonies—featuring the biggest names in classic rock from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s—have become nearly as epic as the artists they celebrate. Across 10 DVDs, ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME IN CONCERT brings together the very best performances from 34 years of induction ceremonies – over 33 hours of incredible entertainment, along with poignant reunions, one-of-a-kind collaborations, moving and often hilarious induction speeches!
Featuring 201 total performances, on ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME IN CONCERT, you’ll be treated to unforgettable performances by the likes of AC/DC, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Cheap Trick, Chicago, ELO, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Mick Jagger, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Paul McCartney, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Prince, R.E.M., Paul Simon, Simon and Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Sting, James Taylor and U2. Classic rock aficionados will thrill to the once-in-a-lifetime on-stage collaborations including “Born To Run” – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and Billy Joel, “Gimme Shelter” – U2 with Mick Jagger, Fergie and will.i.am, “The Weight” – The Band with Eric Clapton, “Teach Your Children” – Crosby, Stills & Nash with James Taylor and Emmylou Harris and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison and Prince.
And the biggest and best video music collection Time Life has ever produced is now bigger and better than ever with 22 performances from 2018 and 2019 that have never been available before by artists including Bon Jovi, The Cars, Def Leppard, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks, The Cure, The Moody Blues and more! Also included in this set is a free 3 DVD bonus collection: the complete 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts an Emmy® award-winning celebration called “the best concerts ever”; it also includes a 36-page Rolling Stone Magazine souvenir booklet commemorating these shows. (Available exclusively at Time Life.com; $119.96)
Get ready to experience greatness with THE ULTIMATE RICHARD PRYOR COLLECTION: UNCENSORED. Featuring all of Pryor’s most memorable stand-up and television performances together in one collection for the very first time, the 13-disc collector’s set ($99.95) contains more than 26 incredible hours of comedy. The groundbreaking stand-up, the mesmerizing TV appearances, the NBC show that was too hot for TV, and so much more.
Raw, sometimes shocking and always thrilling, Pryor — a once-in-a-generation innovator — pushed the envelope and was almost single-handly responsible for the comedy evolution that continues to this day. He won an Emmy®, five Grammys®, was the recipient of the very first Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (1998) and in 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him #1 on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time. There has simply never been a comedian like him: totally genius and outrageously funny, and that’s on full display in this superlative set, which features:
All four of Richard’s full-length concert films – Live & Smokin, Live in Concert, Live on the Sunset Strip, and Here and Now
Richard’s 1977 NBC TV Special and all four controversial episodes of The Richard Pryor Show, featuring Robin Williams, Sandra Bernhard, Tim Reid, Marsha Warfield, and more!
Richard’s most memorable TV appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, The Dick Cavett Show, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The feature film, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, written, produced, and directed by Pryor
Never-before-released footage from Richard’s infamous first film, Uncle Tom’s Fairy Tales, lost since 1968
Exclusive footage of Richard’s final performances and a tribute event at The Comedy Store
Two acclaimed documentary films – Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic and I Am Richard Pryor
Extras including deleted scenes, outtakes, and a no-holds-barred interview with Richard’s widow, Jennifer Lee Pryor
Plus, a Collector’s Booklet with personal photos, diary entries, tour notes and more!
Robin Williams started performing stand-up comedy in the mid-’70s, amazing audiences with his frenetic energy and razor-sharp wit. Graced with comedic brilliance, rapid-fire improvisation, and a deep well of warmth and compassion that translated to everything he did, America quickly fell for him in his first role as the naïve and hilarious alien from the planet Ork in ABC-TV’s Mork & Mindy. Rocketing to stardom, the generational talent would go on to do five HBO stand-up specials and dozens of feature films, performing steadily for nearly four decades and entertaining audiences across the globe. Time Life celebrates Williams’ inimitable 40-year career with ROBIN WILLIAMS: COMIC GENIUS. Decades in the making, Time Life has collected all his most memorable stand-up and television performances across a 22-Disc set featuring 50+ hours of comedic genius.
The COMIC GENIUS set includes more than 50 hours of uproarious entertainment featuring all of Robin’s HBO specials, as well as never-before-released shows, including Robin’s full MGM Grand Garden Arena stand-up from 2007 and the Montreal stop on his last tour in 2012, his best talk show and late-night TVappearances,11 hilarious episodes of “Mork & Mindy” including the two-part pilot, James Lipton’s Emmy Award®-nominated 90-minute interview with Robin on “Inside the Actors Studio,” plus deleted scenes, a comprehensive collection of Robin’s USO shows and the critically acclaimed 2018 HBO documentary “Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind”. The acclaimed set also features hours of bonus features including newly-produced featurettes The Early Years, San Francisco: Where It All Began, Comic Genius, and TV’s Best Guest, rare archival footage of Robin’s early stand-up. (Available exclusively at Time Life.com; $139.95)
On October 11, 1975, Saturday Night Live, a topical comedy sketch show, made its debut on NBC. Created by Canadian-born comedy writer Lorne Michaels, it would go on to become a renowned launch pad for generational talent and unforgettable characters and become the longest-running, highest-rated show on late-night television. The first five years of Saturday Night Live featured some of the most beloved cast members of all time, including Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman and they set the stage for some of the most hilarious live television comedy American audiences had ever seen. Now the best of the original cast is available unlike ever before!
To commemorate this landmark show, the TV DVD specialists at Time Life have brought together the very best episodes from the first five seasons with SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: THE EARLY YEARS, a hilarity-packed 13-disc collector’s DVD set featuring the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” iconic characters, legendary guest hosts like George Carlin, Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin and Richard Pryor, exclusive bonus features and more! This 12-DVD Collector’s Set ($99.95) includes:
33 Complete Episodes from Seasons 1-5
The original groundbreaking, irreverent, hilarious cast
All-time classic sketches including “Land Shark,” “Word Association,” “The Killer Bees,” “Super Bass-o-Matic,” “Weekend Update,” and so many more
Iconic characters including Coneheads, Samurai, Emily Litella, Chevy Chase as President Ford, Shower Mike, The Blues Brothers, Baba Wawa, Roseanne Roseannadanna, the Nerds, the wild and crazy Festrunk brothers, a singing King Tut, Father Guido Sarducci, Dan Aykroyd’s French Chef, and more!
Legendary guest hosts including Buck Henry, Madeline Kahn, Elliot Gould, Eric Idle, Candice Bergen, Charles Grodin, Robert Klein, Fred Willard, Carrie Fisher
Incredible musical guests such as Patti Smith, Carly Simon, Joe Cocker, The Band, Paul Simon, Santana, Frank Zappa, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Van Morrison, Blondie and more
Plus rare footage of the original cast, including screen tests and interviews
28-Page Collector’s Book telling the story of the show and all of your favorite “Not Ready For Primetime Players”
FREE Bonus DVD with three classic episodes, including Chevy Chase’s return to SNL with music icon Billy Joel, plus the historic 100th episode!
