(Anchor Bay, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP)

Every once in awhile, a release comes along that makes you thank the gods that a format like DVD exists, whose low cost and high storage capacity has made the availability of complete runs of TV shows a reality. I was reminded to thank those gods again when I sat down to watch my very own copy of Sledge Hammer!: Season One. Play Dirty Harry for laughs and you have Sledge Hammer (David Rasche), a lawman whose love of excessive force was only matched by the love he had for his .44 Magnum. Completely remastered (and the annoying laugh track removed), this is the perfect way to either relive your fond memories of this cult classics, or become one of the newly-converted. Bonus features include audio commentaries, the unaired pilot, TV spots, scripts, an all-new documentary, and more. Thank you, DVD-Jebus!

(Columbia/Tristar, Rated PG-13, DVD-$28.95 SRP)

It took awhile, but there's finally a female version of Big, and it's the Jennifer Garner vehicle 13 Going on 30 . Don't take that as a derogatory remark – I liked Big when I first saw it. Of course, I was also a kid when it came out, and it played to the desire that every kid has to be an adult and get to do everything you're always being told not to… And then comes the treacle and the lesson about enjoying your childhood. You know – the boilerplate. With 13, Garner proves herself to be a spry and engaging comedian (intentionally this time, unlike Elektra), and the plot is secondary to the shenanigans when 13 year-old Jenna Rink's use of wishing dust whisks her forward into her 30 year-old future self (who's quite successful, if cold). Isn't that magic dust illegal? Then there's the whole first love thing (with Mark Ruffalo as the one that got away). Either way, it's a lighthearted comedy to spend a Friday evening with. The anamorphic DVD features audio commentaries, deleted & extended scenes, a gag reel, music videos, featurettes, and more. And hey, for you Jennifer Garner fans, the complete run of her short-lived series Significant Others has also hit DVD.

(Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

I might as well admit to you that I'm also a big fan of Abbott & Costello as well. In fact, in my nascent computer-using days, I remember laboriously transcribing the entirety of their "Who's on First?" routine from a cheap-o comedy compilation videocassette I had gotten of the duos routines. Even though the films vary in quality, I'm thankful for the compilation DVDs that Universal has been releasing of their film catalogue under The Best of Abbott & Costello, the third of which has just hit stores (containing the films Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Mexican Hayride, Abbott and Costello Meet The Killer, Boris Karloff, Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion, Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, Comin' Round the Mountain, Lost in Alaska, and Abbott and Costello Go to Mars). Eight movies for that price? Sign me up! Also worth picking up is the continuing releases of the boys' TV show, The Abbott and Costello Show. Even Jerry Seinfeld credits the deliriously offbeat nature of the show as a template for Seinfeld.

(Walt Disney, Rated PG, DVD-$19.99 SRP)

A remastered anamorphic edition of Disney's flawed sci-fi "classic" The Black Hole? Sign me up! Sure, the script is a mess and the acting sinks below even "wooden," but there's some kind of funky charm in them thar stars. Add a featurette and an extended version of the trsailer, and I'm in sad geek heaven.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP)

The last few Friars Club roasts on Comedy Central were less than impressive, so I was looking forward to the roasts being produced by Denis Leary's production company. The first roastee was no surprise, but the quality evening more than made up for the lack of suspense. Pick up a copy of The Comedy Central Roast of Denis Leary: Uncensored and see for yourself.

(Columbia/Tristar, Not Rated, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

There's something frighteningly compelling about the three classic Gidget films making their DVD debut in the 2-disc Complete Gidget Collection. Maybe it's the simpler time is depicts, during what has come to be known as the "Beach Blanket Bingo Age." The three films features are Gidget (the only one starring Sandra Dee in the title roll), Gidget Goes Hawaiian, and Gidget Goes To Rome. Oh, and for you trivia geeks, Gidget's perennial love interest, known affectionately as "Moondoggie," was played by James Darren – who Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fans known better as ultra-cool virtual lounge singer Vic Fontaine.

(Touchstone, Rated PG-13, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

Poor Viggo Mortensen. Coming off the huge success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, his follow-up was the middling Hidalgo. Based on the true story of long distance racer Frank T. Hopkins, it presents Hopkins undertaking of the deadly Ocean of Fire race across the Arabian desert, accompanied only by his trusty horse Hidalgo. What should have been a rousing tale of perseverance and courage instead bogs down in the sandy wasteland it portrays, desperately seeking water and a script. Still, Mortensen is a charismatic presence, and one can only hope he'll eventually find another project that utilizes him properly. The DVD contains a making-of documentary, "Sand & Celluloid."

(Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP)

Bless you, DVD, for fulfilling every schlock wish I've ever had. What's the latest coup? The complete first season of Knight Rider on DVD. How cool/sad is that? Before Baywatch, David Hasselhoff was Michael Knight – a detective given a new face, a new identity, and a talking car named K.I.T.T. Who knew that the 80's would, in retrospect, turn out to be the trippiest decade of all? Bonus features include an audio commentary with Hasselhoff and creator Glen Larson, featurettes, a photo gallery, and a blueprints gallery. Heck, there's even an owner's manual for K.I.T.T. Now where's Greatest American Hero?

(Universal, Rated PG-13, DVD-$14.98 SRP)

It didn't set the world on fire, but I still love (in that "I watched it 14 dozen times on cable in the 80's" kind of way) Moon Over Parador. Hey, where else can Richard Dreyfuss be found playing an actor whom must assume the role of a fascist dictator when said dictator suddenly drops dead the day before elections? Think of it as a precursor to Dave.

(Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP)

Oh, those clever Disney marketing people have done it again – just in time for the theatrical release of The Princess Diaries 2, there's a brand-new DVD release of the original Princess Diaries, packed full of girl-friendly goodies. What goodies, you ask? Oh, 2 discs worth of deleted scenes, outtakes & bloopers, featurettes, and a sneak peek at the sequel.

(Sony Wonder, Not Rated, DVD-$12.95 SRP)

Watching Sesame Street's mediocre attempt at a 35^th anniversary celebration, The Street We Live On!, I yearned for a real in-depth celebration of the show's history, featuring clips of yesteryear (taken from those remastered tapes I've been hearing about). Instead, we get this… thing… who's only shining moment is its final five minutes, when it actually gives us a little glimpse at the show's past.

(Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$89.98 SRP)

I hate it when a show launches with a lot of promise, but then spirals down into a fiery pit of mediocrity. Re-watching the first two seasons of Sliders , I was reminded of just how much I liked the shows conceit when it first premiered. Here was a group of people hurled across alternate dimensions due a device that one of them created, with their one overriding goal being to find a way back home. Along the way, they encounter numerous versions of Earth, as well as themselves. Think of it like the old DC Comics' Earth-2, Earth-3, Earth-M (ad infinitum) thing, and there you go. Unfortunately, the scripts began to betray the series, and it eventually limped to a pitiful conclusion on the Sci-Fi Channel years later. Still, the original seasons are worth picking up, if only for the fact that one of the leads is the great John Rhys Davies. The 6-disc set contains a pilot audio commentary with co-creators Tract Torme and Robert K. Weiss, plus a featurette and photo gallery.

(Paramount, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

While you're waiting anxiously for the DVD release of the original Star Trek, kill some time with the best of the second most-famous captain of the starship Enterprise with the Jean-Luc Picard Collection. Episodes included on the 2-disc set are "The Big Goodbye," "Sarek," "Family," "The Drumhead," "Darmok," "The Inner Light," and "Tapestry." As an exclusive bonus (for any of you who already have these episodes in the seasonal box sets), they've also included the From Here To Infinity: The Ultimate Voyage documentary hosted by Patrick Stewart.

(Lion's Gate, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP)

I was about to call ALF a guilty pleasure, but I don't think I will. Frankly, I loved the show when it first premiered, and I don't care who knows it. Possibly it was because its star was a puppet (I've always been a big Muppets fan, and I know that Jim Henson was a bit miffed that ALF got on the air doing the kinds of things that the Henson company should be doing… Hmmm… Kind of like Avenue Q today). You too can relive all the good memories with ALF: Season One which – in addition to all 25 episodes – also features the original un-aired pilot and a gag reel. Ha!

(Fox, Rated PG-13, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

Given a film of his own, Cedric the Entertainer manages to live up to his name with the enjoyable-enough Johnson Family Vacation. Honestly, it's pretty much just a version of National Lampoon's Vacation, as Cedric and family travel cross-country to attend a family reunion, encountering surreal situations along the way. But there are certainly worse things to rip off. The DVD contains two audio commentaries, deleted scenes with optional commentary, a making-of featurette, and more.

(Miramax, Rated R, DVD-$29.99 SRP)

I didn't enjoy the first Kill Bill at all, feeling it to be a masturbatory pop blender of a flick, relying far too heavily of "stylizing" its filmmaking rather than actually, you know, making a watchable film. Still, the movie has its fans, so I know they'll be lining up to pick up their copies of Kill Bill: Volume 2. More power to you. The DVD contains a deleted scene, a behind-the-scenes look, and a featurette on the Chingon premiere.

(Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$26.99 SRP)

Long before the atrocity of Batman & Robin, director Joel Schumacher helmed a film about a whole slew of teenage batmen… Vampires, to be exact… and that legendary film was The Lost Boys. I've never really understood the cult that has built up around this flick – I've thought it a marginal 80's entry at best (although it does score both of the Coreys) – but I'm sure those fans will snap up this 2-disc special edition, featuring an audio commentary with Schumacher, additional scenes, featurettes, and a retrospective documentary.

(Koch, Not Rated, DVD-$29.95 SRP)

Imagine a middle-aged male version of Sex & the City and you'd have a pretty fair idea of the BBC's dramedy Manchild. Focusing on four friends struggling with life and love (one of whom is played by Buffy vet Anthony Stewart Head), it manages to hit enough irreverent comedy notes to make the dips into drama that much more powerful.

(Fox, Rated R, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

Long available overseas, North America finally gets the deluxe special edition of Predator – a true modern classic. The 2-disc set contains and audio commentary with director John McTiernan, a text commentary, a deleted scene of Schwarzenegger fleeing the Predator, "If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It" documentary, seven "Inside the Predator" featurettes, outtakes, Predator "red suit" special effects and camouflage tests, gallery, Alien vs. Predator trailer, and easter eggs.

(Columbia/Tristar, Not Rated, DVD-$24.95 SRP each)

With their latest Three Stooges releases – Goofs on the Loose & Stooged & Confoosed – Columbia has decided to unleash a brand new colorizing technology that allows viewers to toggle (via the "Angle" button) between the original black & white and colorized versions of the shorts. To inaugurate this new feature, they've filled these two discs with two previously released shorts as well as two new-to-DVD ones (including the 1940 Nazi lampoon "You Nazty Spy"). My verdict? The colorization is some of the best I've ever seen, but I applaud Columbia for not sacrificing my preferred viewing method – the original b&w.

(Fox, Rated PG, DVD-$14.95 SRP)

Before Bill Cosby became – in order – mediocre, insane, and militant, he released his last big hurrah as a stand-up, Bill Cosby: Himself. All his best bits are there – many of which were soon to be mined for the first season of The Cosby Show. Gotta love it… and lament the passing of a true comic genius who was consumed by a massive jell-o monster.

(Universal, Rated PG, DVD-$19.98 SRP)

It seems every time Steven Spielberg's classic TV movie about one man's really bad day on the road was announced for release, it would be pulled right before it hit shelves. Delay after delay has kept Duel from fans for over two years (closer to three), but it now looks like the heat mirage is real. The picture and sound have never looked better (and if you've seen it on TV lately, you know how bad those prints had gotten), and we've even got bonus materials to boot. So what have we got? How's "Steven Spielberg on Making Duel" featurette, "Steven Spielberg and the Small Screen" featurette, "Richard Matheson: The Writing of Duel" featurette, a photograph gallery, trailer, production notes, and bios? That good enough for you?

(Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$59.92 SRP)

Although I'm a fan of most of the films contained within the 5-disc Martin Scorsese Collection set, the real hook for me is the long-awaited remastered special edition of Goodfellas. While the documentaries on the 2-disc set are quite nice, my favorite features are the brand-new audio commentaries – the first of which features Scorsese with the cast & crew, and the second of which features the real Henry Hill and FBI Agent Edward McDonald. The other four films – all of which contain commentaries and featurettes – are Mean Streets, Who's That Knocking On My Door, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and After Hours.

(Warner Bros., Rated PG, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

I can't believe I'm saying it (or typing it), but the latest MaryKateandAshleyOlsen vehicle New York Minute is actually watchable and… get this… mostly enjoyable. Of course, the twinderkinds were smart enough to surround themselves with actors like Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, and Andy Richter – season comedy vets all. It still follows the Patti Duke Show "goody two-shoes twin/rebellious twin" mold of all their films, but with the comedy chops and their transition into adulthood, it lacks much of the obnoxious cloying quality of their past efforts. These kids might have a future.

(Walt Disney, Rated G, DVD-$29.99 SRP)

It's hard to believe that The Three Musketeers is the first feature film starring Mickey Mouse. His only other feature-length appearances were in portions of Fantasia and Fun & Fancy Free (the Mickey & the Beanstalk segment). But not until this witty, artful adaptation of Dumas' classic (co-starring Donald & Goofy as the remaing 2/3 of the titualr heroes) does the Mouse get his due. The anamorphic widescreen DVD contains a "cast commentary," deleted scenes, and more. But I have to ask - Why didn't this film go to theaters? In a year when Disney can't buy a hit, they had a great film locked up in direct-to-video purgatory. Did they bury it so their "2-D animation is dead" argument wouldn't be questioned after the abyssmal performance of the lackluster Home on the Range? Who knows… But to not give this flick the chance it deserved is a true shame. And for your cornerstone character, no less!

(Lion's Gate, Not Rated, DVD-$19.98 SRP)

A massive earthquake hits the west coast, separating it from the continental United States. No, that's not a rehash of Lex Luthor's plan from Superman , but the premise for the godawful miniseries 10.5. Still, bad acting, a pitiful script, and mediocre direction make for a ludicrously enjoyable schlockfest.

(Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP)

Who could have predicted that the negative statement "You're fired" would become an instant catchphrase in the hands of a man with a hairstyle somewhere between a rug and a ferret? Well, that's just what happened with Donald Trump's reality show search for an employee, The Apprentice, the first season of which you can now relive on DVD. It's all in there – the incredibly inept contestants, the lying Amarosa, the pathetic rivalries, the hair… Don't you want to experience it all again? Don't you? 

(A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP)

Say what you want about his bawdy, often lowbrow, comedy, but I love Benny Hill. Maybe it's because he always brought so much energy to even the most simple of skits… Or maybe it was just the yackety sax theme song that played most famously under the fast-speed end chases (which usually featured Benny, a bevy of buxom ladies, a cop, and an old man). Either way, for the first time the shows are being released chronologically and uncut, with the first being Benny Hill: Set One – 1969-1971. You'll get 11 episodes, including 3 rare black & white installments, plus the "World's Greatest Clown" documentary.

(Buena Vista, Not Rated, DVD-$49.99)

Guilty Pleasure Alert… The complete first season of Boy Meets World has hit DVD… You know, the thinking man's Saved By The Bell. And those who watched the show know that I'm not joking when I say that. And those of you who watched the show also know exactly who you are… The same ones who - when seeing the show for the first time – thought, "Hey! His teacher is the voice of KITT!" The 3-disc set features all 22 episodes, plus an audio commentary and a bonus episode from the fourth season.

(Warner Bros., Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP)

There's no better cultural touchstone than Dallas. The yuppies may have had the catfights and shoulder pads of Dynasty, but the most glorious a**hole of the soap opera world could be summed up with one name – J.R. Ewing. Did the magnificently cruel machinations of any other TV character cause nearly the response that Larry Hagman's J.R. did? And what other show managed to create not one, but two lasting cultural cliches with the "Who Shot J.R.?" cliffhanger and the "Bobby walks out of the shower and it was all a dream" maneuver? Genius! Check out the complete first & second seasons to see why it's still a soapy classic. The 5-disc set contains audio commentary on select episodes, plus the Soaptalk Dallas Reunion special. 

(Lion's Gate, Rated R, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

Though it's a fine film, the best thing about Lars von Trier's Dogville is Nicole Kidman's performance as an on-the-run woman named Grace, chased by gangsters, who arrives in the titular small town looking to hide from her pursuers. As the gangsters begin to close in, the townspeople begin to make demands on their resident fugitive in exchange for harboring her… A decision they come to regret once Grace's secret is revealed. The DVD contains an audio commentary with von Trier and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle. 

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$49.95 SRP)

Long available in the UK, the country that birthed Futurama finally gets to own the fourth (and final) season on DVD. While a bit uneven, this season did contain my absolute favorite episode – the Star Trek extravaganza "Where No Fan Has Gone Before." As with the previous Futurama seasons, there are audio commentaries for every episode, plus dozens of deleted scenes, scripts, and a few easter eggs lurking about.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$27.95 SRP)

The Girl Next Door tries to be a worthy successor to such teen sex classics as Losin' It (not too hard), Porky's (a little bit harder), and American Pie (a bit harder still). Does it manage this lofty goal, with its tale of an introverted high school senior whose low-key social life, high-GPA coast towards graduation is interrupted when a porn star moves in to the house next door? Mostly, it does. The humor hits its mark most of the time, although anyone looking for T&A will walk away disappointed, and its coming-of-age aspects are a bit ham-fisted. You might as well pick up the unrated edition because… well… you know you want to. Bonus features include an audio commentary,  deleted/extended scenes, a gag reel, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and more.

(Fox, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP)

It seems "Short-lived Chris Carter shows" should be a television genre unto itself, what with Millennium, Lone Gunmen, and Harsh Realm – the latter of which sees the release of its complete 9 episode run in a single 3-disc box set. Bonus features include an audio commentaries on the pilot episode (with Chris Carter and director Daniel Sackheim), a making-of featurette, a featurette on the creation of the logo and title sequence, and TV spots.

(HBO, Not Rated, DVD-$26.98 SRP)

I've always thought that football star-turned actor Jim Brown was an interesting guy, but it wasn't until his rise to fame was chronicled in Spike Lee's Jim Brown: All-American that I found out just how fascinating he is. The portrait includes not only his success on the field and in film, but also the domestic abuse problems and family issues. It's occasionally unfocused (what Spike Lee film isn't?), but it does remain compelling. The DVD features an audio commentary with Lee.

(MGM/UA, Not Rated, DVD-$14.95 SRP)

Anyone interested in the roots of The X-Files needs to pick up a copy of the double feature DVD containing both the original Night Stalker TV movie and its sequel The Night Strangler. In both films, Darren McGavin plays the grizzled reporter Carl Kolchak, whose investigations lead him into the world of the supernatural (and eventually a short-lived, though much-loved, series).

(Warner Bros., Rated R, DVD-$26.95 SRP)

Ah, ruffles… That's all that comes to mind when I think back on Prince's autobiographical epic Purple Rain, which is getting the special edition DVD treatment for its 20^th (!) anniversary. The 2-disc set includes an audio commentary (with director Albert Magnoli, producer Robert Cavallo, and cinematographer Donald E. Thorin), featurettes, music videos (including the bird & bath epic "When Doves Cry"), and ruffles for everyone.

(A&E, Not Rated, DVD-$149.95 SRP)

As part of their