New TV DVDs for Nov. 24: 'Melrose Place', 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' and More

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.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.

Of course, no Thanksgiving would be complete without some family drama, so we suggest queuing up 'Melrose Place: Season Five, Vol. 2' to put your own issues in perspective. After all, there's so much drama on 'Melrose Place' that they had to split season five into two volumes. Wow.

Not to be outdone, 'Beverly Hills 90210' has issued its own compendium of heartache with 'Beverly Hills 90210: Season Eight.' But at least they fit it all into one set, right?

'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' also has no problem fitting an entire season of hard boiled detection into one box set. But while we're happy to watch 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent -- Season Four,' we don't think we'd want to actually carve the turkey around these guys. They might slap cuffs on you for a 187 on an undercover bird.

Speaking of criminal intent, the good folks behind HBO's smash hit 'The Sopranos' are back with a new release for you: 'The Sopranos: the Complete First Season,' this time on Blu-Ray. Don't worry, though; by the time you finish upgrading your whole set to Blu-Ray, the next generation device will be out and you can buy it all over again. Technology: the gift that keeps on giving!

'The Sopranos' isn't the only classic series being collected, however; the equally acclaimed critical darling 'Hogan's Heroes' gets the full box set treatment with 'Hogan's Heroes: The Komplete Series, Kommandant's Kollection'. One truly great bonus: the set contains a new interview with the legendary Richard Dawson.

Also arriving this week is 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season Four', which contains four discs worth of classic tension from the master's groundbreaking series 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'.

Another legend of film and television gets a DVD compilation this week as 'The Jerry Lewis Show Collection' pulls together clips from the comedy pioneer's short-lived late 60's series 'The Jerry Lewis Show'.

And fans of vintage television are in for yet another rare treat this week, as 'The Golden Age of Television (The Criterion Collection)' brings together rare footage of some of the now-legendary live, full length plays that were staged for the small screen back in the earliest days of the medium.

'Life on Mars' may have been cancelled here in America, but across the pond the original version managed to play out in its entirety. You can see how that went down with 'Life on Mars: Series 2'.

Finally, what better way to wind up your holiday week than by settling in for a long session of cartoons? 'Superman: the Complete Animated Series' collects the whole run of the acclaimed 'Superman' series, but be aware that the discs involved are double sided and therefore may be more prone to scratching.

And you thought kryptonite was dangerous.