HBO on DVD ($179.97-$399.99)
Right now, it’s looking like it’ll take a lot more than sex-starved vampires and week-long psychiatric sessions to return HBO to the top of the pay cable heap when it comes to original dramas. Many of the network’s signature shows have left the airwaves and the new ones are struggling to fill the still-gaping void. While that’s bad news for TV-watchers, DVD-buyers are being rewarded with gigantic box sets of HBO’s most acclaimed shows. The lesser-known of the three currently on the market is probably Deadwood: The Complete Series, David Milch’s foul-mouthed Western series about the famous frontier town, populated by rogues and ruffians like the beloved bad guy Al Swearengen, played in a brilliant tour-de-force by Ian McShane. If you’re one of those folks who always meant to watch David Simon’s acclaimed urban drama The Wire, but never got around to it, The Wire: The Complete Series is the answer to your prayers, allowing you to view all five seasons without having to worry about Disc 4 of Season Three popping as “Very Long Wait” on your Netflix queue. Finally, the big kahuna of the bunch is The Sopranos: The Complete Series, a 10 lb. box set with all six seasons, plus three discs of new bonus features, two soundtrack CDs and a glossy episode guide. Sure the price tags are as hefty as the boxes themselves, but think of them as an investment in your entertainment future. After all, what else are you going to watch on TV this winter–American Idol? That show is so 2003.
