New to Blu: July 13-19 (TV)

Two top TV series belatedly make their seasonal Blu-ray debuts this week months after their release in the US and Australia.

Seasons two of Fringe and five of Supernatural were delayed because of broadcaster holdbacks.

In other words, Warner Bros couldn’t release them here until they had completed their runs on TVNZ (with which WB has an output deal).

But that won’t be an issue with a raft of pending TV-on-Blu-ray releases, including seasons:

• one of Sons of Anarchy (August 24);
• five of Dexter (August 17);
• six (volume one) of Doctor Who (August 17);
• 15 of Top Gear (August 17); and,
• the European miniseries that had its world premiere at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Carlos the Jackal (August 11).

In September/October, watch for seasons two of Modern Family and The Vampire Diaries, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, and the 20-disc Stargate: The Complete Series.

And expect in January/December, once their broadcast runs are over here, seasons three of Fringe, one of Nikita and six of Supernatural.

They’re all scheduled for October 26 releases across the Tasman, along with the yet-to-screen season two of V.

Several of these due-on-Blu titles will be your first chance to see them in HD, as Doctor Who, Dexter, Spartacus, Stargate and Top Gear screen on SD channels, and while Modern Family’s an HD fixture on TV3, the first season came out here only on DVD.

Meanwhile, US reviews of Supernatural: S5 and Fringe: S2 suggest both will please fans in terms of HD specs.

“Supernatural looks fantastic [and] beautifully exhibits much of the craziness that transpires this season” while “black levels are really rich and inky, and shadow detail is among the best on television”.

As for Fringe, “this is a very strong, atmospheric transfer that remains true to the show” and “almost always, the image appears wonderfully crisp and clear“.