It’s a Wonderful So-Called Life

Cruz continued, “We became very close throughout the whole experience, and I shared with her what my experiences were and what it was like for me. I don’t think she did it intentionally, but somehow or another it ended up on those pages. But it was all Winnie, and I read every line exactly as written. I treated it like the scripture I felt that it really was.”

If you were one of the rabid fans who bought the short-lived, bare-bones, poor-quality DVD that went almost immediately out of print and has been selling for as much as $200 on eBay ever since, don’t hesitate to treat yourself to this new release from Shout Factory. It includes all 19 of the original episodes, interviews with Danes, Holzman, Herskovitz and Zwick, and several directors and cast members; commentaries on the pilot and several other episodes; deleted scenes; the short film "My So-Called Life Story," about the series and its aftermath; the 1995 Museum of Television and Radio panel, and more.

The DVD set itself is beautifully packaged and comes with a glossy booklet containing the plot lines that would have been developed had the series been renewed, liner notes, an episode list, photos, and tributes from Buffy creator Joss Whedon and Janeane Garofalo (24).

If you’re renting instead of buying, the holiday episodes are on discs 4 and 5; the commentary for “So-Called Angels” is included on disc 4, but the other extras are on disc 6. Although listed at $69.99, it’s widely available for around $49, and worth every cent.