'Shogun,' 'Soap' among new DVD offerings

Television programs — including miniseries and entire seasons — are serious business on DVD these days; here are some of the latest:

— "Shogun" (Paramount, 1980, not rated, $79.99, five discs). This excellent nine-hour program (13 hours when first shown on TV) holds up as one of the best of the miniseries, a prolific genre at the time. Richard Chamberlain stars as the English navigator John Blackthorne, who finds himself a stranger in a strange land, 17th century Japan.

The film is almost entirely from Blackthorne's point of view, without subtitles — so we learn as he learns about the Japanese language, customs and belief system.

True, much of it is fictional — even Westernized — but this remains a lavish and highly entertaining production, with great performances from Chamberlain, John Rhys-Davies as a Spanish ship captain, Yoko Shimada as Chamberlain's translator and eventual lover, and especially international superstar Toshiro Mifune as the Japanese lord who befriends him. There is also some relatively scant narration by Orson Welles.

Extras: Full frame, making-of documentaries, etc.

— "The Blackheath Poisonings" (WGBH, 1993, not rated, $19.95). This BBC production that aired in America on PBS's "Mystery!" is an enjoyable period yarn about a most dysfunctional family and the mysterious deaths that begin to befall them. Only the youngest son in the group suspects — or will admit to suspecting — foul play.

The only misstep here is the comic relief provided by a pair of Scotland Yard inspectors who come off as a lackluster Abbott & Costello.

Extras: Full frame, text filmographies, etc.

— "Soap: The Complete First Season" (Columbia/TriStar, 1977-78, not rated, $29.95, three discs). Though quite scandalous in its first season, this broad parody of daytime soap operas is quite tame today. But it's still hysterical, thanks to the wit of creator/primary writer Susan Harris and a pitch-perfect cast. Among the best are Richard Mulligan as wacky Burt, Katherine Helmond as Gracie Allenish Jessica, Robert Guillaume as tart Benson and a young Billy Crystal as Jody, the first gay character in a prime-time show. Too many others to name are also outstanding.