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Rachet and Clank has been a popular franchise throughout the life of the PlayStation 2, and even now extending into the PlayStation 3 era; but Secret Agent Clank is a solo outing on Sony’s handheld platform for the platform hero, and it’s an entertaining, if mildly predictable outing.

In the game, Clank’s pal Rachet has been framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and the driving force of the plot is for Clank to overcome the enemies and obstacles in the way of clearing his friend’s good name and overcoming the enemy who did it all.

From action to stealth to puzzle-solving, Secret Agent Clank offers a variety of levels and gameplay styles for folks to enjoy as the action plays out. It’s an enticing recipe. Unfortunately, the game is held back by shoddy design.

In what way? Well, my wife, who poured in more time than I did, found the auto-save scheme to be very frustrating; the game operates on a series of checkpoints as you play through, and although there is a pause-menu option that allows you to play anywhere, even if you save between checkpoints, the save will only put you back to the last checkpoint you passed.

Then why even have a “save anywhere” option, if it’s not going to work that way? Stupid.

Also, the graphics were pretty much boilerplate stuff with an uninspired color scheme that stays the same a bit too much and tends to blend together, making the levels seem too much the same and lacking in any real variety.

In the end, Secret Agent Clank has some enjoyable gameplay variety, but its overall appeal is held back by its flaws. Only play this one if you’re a Rachet and Clank fanatic.

The TNT drama Witchblade, based on the Top Cow comic book written and drawn by Marc Silvestri, never really lived up to its full potential. The biggest mistake was one of the first, when Yancy Butler was cast to portray police detective Sara Pezzini, the title character of the show.

The problem is that Butler simply didn’t look the part; other than having the right colored hair, her build, personality and “cuteness” were just way off-target. Another mistake was the Witchblade armor; in the comic book, it’s usually scant and enhances the character’s visual appeal; on the show, it was a full suit of medieval armor that completely hid Butler from view and had as much visual appeal as a bunch of kitchen faucets.

That said, the show had a lot going for it; produced in 2001-2002, the show ran for two seasons and a total of 23 episodes, nearly all of them written or at least plotted by Witchblade creator Marc Silvestri, with help from J.D. Zeick. This means that, story-wise, any changes from the comic book were made by the guy who knew the character best – Silvestri.

Of course, the whole series went in the tank in the middle of the second season when star Yancy Butler was ordered into rehab for a bout of alcoholism and TNT decided to cancel the show rather than wait it out for Butler’s return or attempt to re-cast the role.

For what they are worth, all 23 episodes are in this collection; they are largely hit or miss, and the show is at its worst when that lunky metal suit is on-screen. Yet any fan of the comic book will be pleased to note that all the relationships are maintained from comic to the small screen, a rare thing when comics are translated into filmed entertainment.

The DVD collection includes a competent set of special features, although what’s really lacking is the real “behind the scenes” stuff; a documentary on Butler’s bout with alcoholism and fight back to sobriety might have made things interesting, but instead it’s mostly a collection of fanboy mini-documentaries about how the armor was utilized in the show. Yawn.

In the end, you either liked the show or you didn’t. If you did, this collection is solid enough, if several years late in appearing.

Tony Shaloub has been portraying obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk for over six seasons now, as his seventh season just recently debuted on USA Network. This collection of the complete sixth season is a grand example of why his show has been so well-received for so long.

With a just-right mix of comedy and crime drama, Monk has always been Shaloub’s antidote to the several seasons he spent on NBC’s Wings, performing formulaic, cliché-ridden comedy. Just as that show was not reflective of what Shaloub considered funny, Monk embodies everything he thinks comedy ought to be; understated, realistic, a bit angst-ridden, but charming and goofball and quirky, without abandoning believability.

Sure, there are some episodes where Monk becomes a bit cartoonish, but by and large the show has grounded characters with grounded concerns. And it’s a show that’s a magnet for solid Hollywood talent to do guest cameos on; season six most notably featured Sarah Silverman and Snoop Dogg.

Some top guests over the years have included Willie Nelson as himself, Jason Alexander, Nestor Carbonell, Danny Bonaduce, Emma Caufield, Tim Curry, Tim Daly, Rachel Dratch, Larry Miller, Malcolm McDowell, Chi McBride, Howie Mandell, Alfred Molina, Kevin Nealon, Judge Reinhold, Andy Richter, Nicole Sullivan, Stanley Tucci, Steven Weber, and Rainn Wilson, just to name a few.

I’ll always prefer Sharona as Mr. Monk’s assistant, since Bitty Schram was there first; but Traylor Howard’s Natalie Teeger has grown on me over the years and it’s not the point of disappointment it once was. It should also be noted that Season Six is the final season in which the late Stanley Kamel appears as Adrian Monk’s therapist; he’ll be missed greatly by Monk devotees.

The sixth season collection has some fine episodes, and potentially one of the best Christmas episodes of Monk in the entire run of the series, but no luxury watches. The collection includes both video and audio commentaries on the episodes, and although there could have been a few more special features, the end result is still a package worth owning.

The comedy of Robert Smigel is often hit-or-miss, but always offensive. He is Conan O’Brien’s head writer, the creator, puppeteer and voice of Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, and he is the guy who does all those animated shorts on Saturday Night Live over the past decade or so, also called TV Funhouse.

Smigel’s comedy is edgy and often appalling. He’s not made for prime time, and he’s not part of the Bill Cosby, polite comedy crowd. Now, that either makes him appeal to you, or it doesn’t, and your response to that will largely determine whether you find this DVD collection, Comedy Central’s TV Funhouse, to be an entertaining romp, or an offensive pile of garbage.

The important thing to realize is that TV Funhouse is a satire of children’s television programming, but one that is definitely not in any way intended for kids; it’s intended for adults in their 40s and older who remember the Howdy Doody Show or Captain Kangaroo or Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, and can appreciate the source material Smigel’s making fun of.

The collection includes skits like Wonderman, a near-perfect replica of the old Fleischer Superman cartoons of the 1950s or so, except that Wonderman only performs his heroic deeds to get his civilian alter-ego in bed with a woman.

That’s only scratching the surface; in this complete series collection, you’ll see sights like masturbating chickens, animals snorting “Christmas cheer” in cocaine-style fashion for weight loss, and the host getting “drunk and laid” with Robert Goulet in Atlantic City. Robert Goulet? See what I mean about this being for the 40 and older crowd yet? No one in the “12 and under” crowd would even know who that is. Most 20-somethings wouldn’t.

What it all boils down to is this: the show lasted a mere eight episodes on Comedy Central before being canned, largely because the controversy it generated never translated into ratings. And that’s what Smigel is like; you’ll either think he’s a genius or a parolee of some state’s Sex Offender program, and you’ll either laugh or you’ll think it’s trash. Sometimes, you may even experience both reactions.

But for those who appreciate Smigel, especially when he’s on-target, this collection is a must-have. Those easily offended shouldn’t even bother.