First season of 'Two and a Half Men' is new on DVD

The DVD debut of a still-on-the-air sitcom — a genuine TV minority these days — leads this week's look at newly released programs, due in stores on Tuesday.

TV series

"Two and a Half Men: The Complete First Season" (Warner, 2003-04, four discs, $44.98). Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer are a fine "Odd Couple"-style comedy team in this traditional, before-a-live-audience sitcom, with Sheen perfect as a womanizing cad and Cryer great as his uptight brother.

The pilot has newly divorced Cryer moving in with Sheen, which sets the dysfunctional-family dynamic in motion for this sharp, well-written and witty series, especially in this first season. That's especially true when Cryer's son visits, played with deadpan hilarity by young Angus T. Jones. (The supporting cast is also fun.)

Unfortunately, as the series progressed (the fifth season begins Sept. 24), it became so much raunchier that it now seems to dive full-bore into the bad-taste arena and has lost me as a viewer.

Extras: Widescreen, 24 episodes, featurettes, bloopers

"Supernatural: The Complete Second Season" (Warner, 2006-07, six discs, $59.98). This is one of my favorite current shows, a nice mix of over-the-top horror and monsters, dark off-the-wall humor, pop-culture references (and music), and a strong battling-sibling relationship as brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate supernatural phenomena around the country, including twists on familiar urban legends.

This second season has a recurring story about vampires, as well as the ongoing saga of the demon who's trying to stop the brothers' work. Great fun, and it tends to pull back so that it's not as gory as, say, "CSI"!

Extras: Widescreen, 22 episodes, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, featurettes, bloopers, Webisodes, trailers

"McHale's Navy: Season Two" (Shout! 1963-64, b/w, five discs, $44.99). More very funny sitcom adventures with the World War II PT Boat misfits/con artists led by Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway in this beloved '60s series. Look for George Kennedy in one episode.

Extras: Full frame, 36 episodes, featurette; limited-edition dogtag

"Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act" (Acorn, 2006, two discs, $29.99). Say it ain't so. Helen Mirren wraps up her all too infrequent series as tough British police detective Jane Tennison. These final four hours are dark (weren't they all?) and Tennison hits bottom with her personal demons as retirement looms, but there's a nice sense of closure.