Prison Break (TV Series) (DVD)

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The set is broken up as follows:
Disc One: "Pilot," "Allen," "Cell Test," "Cute Poison." Disc Two: "English, Fitz or Percy," "Riots, Drills and the Devil (Part 1)," "Riots, Drills and the Devil (Part 2)," "The Old Head." Disc Three: "Tweener," "Sleight of Hand," "And Then There Were Seven," "Odd Man Out." Disc Four: "End of the Tunnel," "The Rat," "By The Skin & The Teeth," "Brother's Keeper." Disc Five: "J-Cat," "Bluff," "The Key," "Tonight." Disc Six: "Go," "Flight"

Video
The DVD set is presented in a 1.78:1 widescreen transfer. The transfer is actually somewhat disappointing. While images mostly come through clearly, as do colors, the image suffers from a fair amount of pixilation during heavier action oriented scenes. For the most part the episodes look clean and crisp but are then distorted by the pixilation. Grain pulls through in certain areas but is otherwise negligible. I´m hoping that it was only the screener copies that were provided for me but the image is just a step below what fans deserve.

Audio
Audio on the other hand is great. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 the mix is nice all around. Dialogue is clean and comes through very clearly. Music is pumped through the surrounds nicely and never overwhelms the dialogue. Special effects and ambient sounds fill out the channels providing a fair amount of immersion into every episode.

Extras
Fox has provided the "Prison Break" set with a good amount of extras. Spread out through the first five discs are a handful of commentaries from Scheuring, Purcell, Ratner, and other assorted cast and crew members. Housed primarily on the sixth disc, the extras offer assorted featurettes about the making of the show. They feature some interviews with cast and crew that are mostly self-aggrandizing but interesting nonetheless.

"Making of Prison Break" is a 30 minute look at the evolution of the show. "If These Walls Could Speak: Profile of the Joliet Correctional Center" is a 20 minute look at the correctional facility where the show is filmed. "Beyond the Ink: Tattoo Featurette" is a short look at the intricate tattoo adorning Scofield´s body. The amount of work that went into developing the tattoo and its use is impressive and the featurette conveys that very well. "Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making a Scene - Prison Break" is a brief look at the making of a scene from "Prison Break."

Film Value
Series creator Scheuring and Executive Producer Ratner have managed create what some people might call an "edge of your seat thriller." However, the series goes beyond being a typical show of this genre. We´re offered insightful and thought provoking characters, who, through the course of the first season´s evolution, you really grow to care about. Packed with clever twists and turns in every episode the creators skillfully build the suspense leaving you wanting more. To say the least, it's definitely a show worth checking out.