» TV Shows 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 ...

While most studios usually wait until Christmas to put out their top DVD releases, this year it seems as though they've decided that Halloween is good enough as today brings us a wide selection of delicious television treats. Of course, we doubt your neighbors will want to hand these out no matter how nicely you ask, but if you have the money you might want to take a look for yourself.

Because for fans of good TV, today really is Christmas in October.

We've got the scoop on September's choice TV-to-DVD releases: We'll let you know when you should dole out your hard-earned dollars, and when a simple addition to your Netflix queue will suffice. -- By Janine LoGelfo

'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' (The Complete First Season) - HBO's series about a strong Botswana woman based on the popular Alexander McCall books has yet to be renewed for a second season -- while that mystery is being solved, familiarize yourself with this gem of a show. Jill Scott's portrayal of the iconic character Mma Ramostwe is like a breath of fresh air, and the show is surprisingly clean for HBO's sensibilities, featuring no profanity, explicit violence or sex throughout the whole season.
Buy or Netflix? Netflix (available Sept. 1)

With so many DVDs of favorite shows coming out, it's hard to keep track of what's worth our time ... and, more importantly, our money. We've got the scoop on August's best TV-to-DVD releases, and we'll let you know when you should lay down your hard-earned cash (buy!) and when you should probably pinch your pennies (rent!). -- By Janine LoGelfo

Scrubs (Season 8)- Season 8 was a humdinger -- the series moved from NBC to ABC, guest-starred Courteney Cox-Arquette as the new chief of medicine and bade farewell to the show's main character, J.D. (Zach Braff.) Although Zach Braff has confirmed he will be returning for the first six episodes of season 9, Sacred Heart won't be the same without him. Buy this DVD, if only for one of the prettiest end-of-season montages you'll ever see.
Buy or Netflix? Buy (available Aug. 25)

With so many DVDs of favorite shows coming out, it's hard to keep track of what's worth our time ... and, more importantly, our money. We've got the lowdown on July's best TV-to-DVD releases, and we'll even tell you what's worth purchasing for your home collection and what you can get away with just renting. -- By Janine LoGelfo


Jon & Kate Plus 8 (Season 4, Volume 2) -- For those of you who didn't know who Jon and Kate Gosselin were before the media maelstrom began, here's a chance for you to catch up.
Buy or Netflix? Netflix (available July 21)

Here are the highlights of this week's DVD releases. Enjoy!

'Entourage' (The Complete Fifth Season)

What This Season Is About: Vince (Adrian Grenier) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) are hiding out beachside in Mexico after the failure of 'Medellin.' Ari (Jeremy Piven) and Eric (Kevin Connolly) begin plotting Vince's rise back to the top, resulting in Vince getting cast in Martin Scorcese's version of 'The Great Gatsby.'

Why You Should Check It Out: Stellan Skarsgard, Jason Patric and Gus Van Sant guest star, as well as Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who plays herself in a recurring role as Turtle's new girlfriend.

Here are the highlights of this week's DVD releases. Enjoy!

'The Girls Next Door' (Season 5)

What the Season's About: This season chronicles the lead-up to the buxom blonde trio's flight from the Playboy coop. While we now know that Kendra and Bridget landed their own series, we will always remember their time in the mansion -- even if Hef doesn't.

Why You Should Check It Out: It's the last season that features Bridget, Holly and Kendra as Hef's girlfriends. While there is a season 6 in the works with all new Hef gal pals, the chemistry between these three will be hard to match.

Rent it on Netflix | Buy it on Amazon

Here's a taste of what's coming out on DVD this week:

'Family Guy' (Volume 7)

What It Includes: This three-disc set contains the last four episodes from season 6 and the first nine from season 7. Plus, each episode has its own commentary and deleted scenes and there's a Comic Con-related featurette.

Why You Should Check It Out: The twice canceled cult fave built so much momentum on DVD, it returned to TV in 2005. So watching it straight out of the box is like kicking it old school. But since it was just renewed through 2012, you don't have to worry about Stewie and Co. going anywhere anytime soon.

Here's a taste of what's coming out on DVD this week:

'The Shield' (Season 7, The Final Act)

What the Season's About: The final season of this gritty cop show follows Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) as he battles with former teammate Shane (Walton Goggins) and faces off against the Armenian mob. As if that's not enough, Vic's ex-wife plots against him to expose all the crimes the Strike Team has committed, and he faces losing his job or landing in jail.

Special Features: Episode commentaries, deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette about the series finale and a season retrospective.