"Married . . . With Children: The Complete Fourth Season" (Sony, 1989-90, not rated, $39.95, three discs). More misadventures with the crass Bundy family, highlighted (if that's the word) by the two-part "It's a Wonderful Life" take off — "It's a Bundyful Life," with bombastic stand-up comic Sam Kinison as an angel. Note that Peg's new husband in this episode is Ted McGinley, who will replace David Garrison as the husband of Marcy (Amanda Bearse) the next season. Extras: Full frame, 23 episodes, trailers, optional English subtitles, chapters.

"Nip/Tuck: The Complete Second Season" (Warner, 2004, not rated, $59.98, six discs). Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon return for a second season of this popular F/X show about plastic surgeons whose seedy personal lives are a soap-opera mess; Joely Richardson co-stars. And each episode is laced with graphic surgery scenes that will either fascinate or repel you. Guests include Vanessa Redgrave (Richardson's real-life mother), Famke Janssen, Jill Clayburgh, Alec Baldwin and Joan Rivers.

Extras: Widescreen, 16 episodes, deleted scenes, making-of featurette, subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters.

"George Carlin: Doin' It Again" (MPI, 1990, not rated, $19.98). This is one of Carlin's stand-up specials for HBO, filmed in New Jersey in 1990, and winner of a cable ACE award that year. Carlin is a very funny fellow and fans will enjoy his observations on cancer, dogs, organ-donation programs, etc. For me, however, the constant stream of foul language wears out its welcome pretty quickly.

Extras: Full frame, chapters.

"The First World War: The Complete Series" (Image, 2004, not rated, $39.99, four discs). This British series is a first-rate exploration of World War I, with a look at military strategy and the viewpoints of the various countries involved.

Extras: Full frame, 10 episodes, chapters. (Included is a 32-page booklet.)

"Victory in the Pacific" (PBS/Paramount, not rated, 2005, $24.99). This "American Experience" PBS documentary looks at the final bloody year of World War II, up to and including the development of and decision to use atomic weapons. There are also a pair of interesting bonus features, a 1945 film on the B-29 bomber and a panel discussion about the atomic bombs used to end the war.

Extras: Widescreen, short film narrated by Ronald Reagan: "Target Tokyo" (1945), panel discussion: "The Bomb and the End of the War," optional English subtitles, chapters.

"A Science Odyssey: The Journey of a Century" (WGBH, 1999, not rated, $79.95, five discs). Charles Osgood hosts and narrates this series of documentaries on scientific discoveries of the 20th century, ranging from air travel to penicillin to psychoanalysis to the automobile to space travel, and much more.

Extras: Full frame, printable materials for educators, optional English subtitles, audio description for visually impaired, chapters. (If you can't find this title in a local store, it can be ordered by phone at 800-949-8670, or on the Web at shop.wgbh.org.)

"The Serial Killers" (Dark Sky, 2001, not rated, $39.98, three discs). This British series not only has the usual talking heads and photos and newsreels to tell the stories of each serial killer profiled in each episode, but also boasts interviews with the killers themselves. Dark, shocking and greatly disturbing, but also undeniably fascinating. Ted Bundy, Henry Lee Lucas and others are among the killers profiled.

Extras: Full frame, 13 episodes, chapters.

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E-mail: hicks@desnews.com