» TV Shows on DVD

January is here, and in the world of television that means the return of all those popular shows that went on hiatus so the networks could bring you 5800 college football bowl games instead. But if your favorite series still isn't back yet (we have to wait another month for 'Lost?!'), you can always turn to your DVD player to find respite from the winter doldrums.

And what says entertainment more than multiple wives? According to HBO's 'Big Love,' well, not a whole lot; you can get yourself caught up on all the man-on-woman-on-woman-on-woman action with the release of 'Big Love: The Complete Third Season.' And by action, we mean messy marital disputes.

One of the best parts of the holiday season is the return of some of television's most beloved animated classics. Shows like, for instance, 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer' and, of course, 'Robot Chicken.'

Okay, so maybe 'Robot Chicken' isn't quite your father's stop-motion show, but retailers around the nation are about to find out how today's brand of animation stacks up against favorites of the past as several offbeat animated series get the DVD treatment. But don't worry, if cartoons aren't your thing, we've also dug up some releases from other genres that will make some of the best gifts this side of the Island of Misfit Toys.

Television viewers of all ages are still reeling over the beloved holiday classic 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' being preempted by the President Obama's speech on the war in Afghanistan last week.

But for those now wondering where they will get their holiday cheer from this year, we're here to offer a possible solution. No, not the island of misfit toys; this year, why not celebrate the season by sitting down with the island of misfit polar bears, smoke monsters and four-toed feet?

By now you're probably just about done with Thanksgiving. Too much turkey, too much stuffing and just the right amount of pie (since there can never be too much pie) have no doubt left you in a post-feast stupor, without the energy to do much more than lie on the couch.

It's okay, though, because the new DVD market is feeling the same thing.

Thanksgiving is here, and in the television world that means just one thing: long, badly played football games.

Luckily for everyone who isn't a fan of the Detroit Lions (and even luckier for those who are), there are other things you can watch this year, thanks to a slew of new DVD releases issued this week. So in order to help you plan the perfect Lions-free holiday, we're here with our weekly breakdown of the top new TV DVDs of the week. Because when you're done passing the rolls, its time to pass the remote.

You know those people who are always saying there's nothing worth watching on TV? They clearly haven't taken a look at our TV-on-DVD holiday gift guide list, because 2009 has been packed with DVD releases of TV series and specials that would make anyone save the grinchiest Grinch sit up and take notice.

Peruse the lineup for yourself (and be prepared to add a few boxed sets to your own wish list).

Thanksgiving is next week, and you know what that means: Black Friday and a horde of unparalleled shopping opportunities. It's the time of the year when studios give thanks for their inventory of hot TV properties and hope that consumers give thanks for the chance to buy them up. Ah, the holidays!

It's an especially heartwarming time for fans of great programming, of course, and this week really kicks the pre-Christmas frenzy into full gear with a slate of high-profile offerings sure to make any fan act a little extra nice just in case Santa is watching. So check out our list of the top DVD releases of the week and start making your own list, because it's the time of the season... for watching television.

Normally the lull between Halloween and Christmas is a down time for kids, but not this year, because there's a new holiday to celebrate: DVD Release Tuesday.

At least, that seems to be the theory this week, as the slate of new releases contains a Santa-sized bag of goodies for kids -- or simply those who are still kids at heart. From 'G. I. Joe' to 'SpongeBob' to 'Sesame Street', if you're a fan of kids television, this is the week for you. So grab that leftover candy corn and fire up the flatscreen, because it's time for our weekly rundown of the top new TV releases on DVD.

Over the past weekend, Americans across the country were called upon to roll back their clocks for daylight savings time. But why stop at just an hour, when you can roll back the clock to a whole different decade by curling up with your favorite show of yesteryear on DVD?

That's right, it's time for a new week of classic television DVDs hot off the press. Because when the gray days of winter loom, why not just go straight to black and white?

Disappointed with the new fall season? Think you could do a better job than those overpaid TV executive fat cats? Well, now's your chance, because today another batch of television classics arrives on DVD, allowing you to create your own line-up of hit shows from yesterday and today.

Headlining this week's releases is the first season of 'The Guardian', which introduced viewers to hunky-yet-sensitive Aussie Simon Baker, who now pulls down massive ratings every week on 'The Mentalist'.

More TV DVD new releases, after the jump ...