’Tis the season to reward the TV lover in your life with the gift of their favorite shows. Here’s our guide to the hottest new box sets for completionists, old school fans and pop culture addicts.
“The Complete Collection: Sex and the City” ($250) has everything — all episodes and both movies — and they’re presented in a minimalist white book filled with glossy cast photos. The bonus disc features dishy interviews with the stars.
“The Tudors: Complete Series” ($145) is a sexy history lesson. Unlike the individual seasons, this 15-disc set is stuffed with new fact-packed featurettes on royal etiquette, medieval weaponry and Natalie Dormer’s (Anne Boleyn) tours of Tudor landmarks. Fans will enjoy “Hirst’s Castle,” where series creator Michael Hirst reveals all about crafting the series.
Fans of “24” can relive all 194 hours of Jack Bauer’s exploits in “24: The Complete Series” ($350; out Dec. 14). Among the 56 discs is the “Redemption” episode, an alternate series ending and a bonus disc that includes the season 8 wrap party reel and goodbye montage.
With “Lost” addicts still searching for answers, it’s the perfect time for “Lost: The Complete Collection” (DVD, $230; Blu-ray, $280). Alongside the episode discs, there’s an ultimate fan kit that includes Senet game, a Dharma Initiative black light and an island map. The aptly-named “Letting Go: Reflections of a Six-Year Journey” featurette sees cast and crew giving tours of the set and the Oahu location, while sharing their memories.
For the Gleek amongst you, there’s the special Season 1 “Glee” gift set ($60) that includes the entire stellar season and a journal. Suggested uses: scribbles about secret crushes and dream karaoke set lists.
The third season of TV’s most glamorous show, “Mad Men,” is the one you definitely want — it brought series creator Matthew Weiner his third, consecutive Best Drama Emmy. The featurettes include mini-documentaries on the life and legacy of Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers and the history of cigarette advertising. Blu-ray and DVD editions are both only $50.
The landmark “Lonesome Dove Collection” ($50) features all four of the award-winning Western miniseries “events” in special limited edition packaging. Bonuses include original cast interviews from the sets, a “making of” featurette, a photo booklet and a set of playing cards.
Speaking of Westerns, HBO has finally released “Deadwood: The Complete Series” on Blu-ray ($210). The 13-disc series is now in the highest resolution available. The special features are the same as those previously released, but fans still longing for a “Deadwood” movie will get a kick out of learning about creator David Milch’s plans for the series if it hadn’t been cancelled back in 2006.
Picture it: Miami, 1985. . . “The Golden Girls: 25th Anniversary Complete Collection” ($150) celebrates the series that made Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan) and Sophia (Estelle Getty) our friends. All seven seasons — 180 episodes — come cutely packed inside a mockup of Sophia’s favorite beaded straw purse. There’s even a set of cards, bearing the actresses faces, for wild games of canasta.
As if Scooby wasn’t kitschy enough, now there’s “Scooby-Doo Where are You! Complete Series” ($80) packed into the backseat of a mini Mystery Machine van. All 41 episodes of the cartoon are here, plus a bonus eighth disc with all-new features, like a look at how the mystery series began and the original voice actors talking about their favorite moments.
The “Peanuts Holiday Collection Ultimate Collectors Edition” ($70) is a great deal for families. The Blu-ray and DVD combo pack includes the time-tested Peanuts classics, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and lesser known specials “It’s Magic, Charlie Brown,” “The Mayflower Voyagers” and “It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown.” Also inside: Snoopy window ornaments and a flat, Lucite snowglobe depicting the famous Christmas skating scene.