Bauer to Bow Out on Blu-ray

Tentative US art

Jack’s back — but as you’ve never seen him before … in HD!

For the first time, the conspiracy thriller serial, 24, will be released here on Blu-ray.

The eighth and final season will go on sale on December 1, two weeks earlier than in the US and the same day as a complete series collection on DVD-only.

The four-disc set will include deleted scenes, shorts (Chloe Interrogation, The Ultimate CTU, 24 at Comic-Con, Being There, Scene Makers) and presumably commentaries.

The Blu-ray send-off is great news for Kiwi fans of Jack Bauer as 24’s never aired here in HD.

The show’s premiere in HD coincided with TV3 consigning that season, the seventh, to SD sister channel, C4, and 20th Century Fox released only a DVD of it in NZ.

Another TV3 staple that didn’t screen here in HD, because of a licensing issue that’s since been resolved, is Heroes.

Its fourth and final season is due on Blu-ray a week after 24 and the same day as a complete series collection.

Season-four extras will include picture-in-picture commentaries, audio commentaries, deleted and extended scenes, and shorts (Deconstructing Sylar: discussion with Tim Kring, Adam Armus and Zachary Quinto; Milo Speaks: Milo Vetimiglia talks about his career as an actor and his role on Heroes; Heroes Revolution: Tim Kring and Heroes new media creatives discuss the importance of a web series for a hit television show and how new media entertainment is created; Genetics of Scene: an in-depth look at the production process of creating specific scenes).

December’s shaping up as a signature month for TV-on-Blu-ray. Also due are seasons one of The Vampire Diaries, 13 of The Simpsons, six of Entourage and, rescheduled from this week, Doctor Who: The Complete Specials.