'Housewives' leads pack of TV shows

A number of TV shows will be released on DVD Tuesday, including the second season of "Desperate Housewives."

• "Desperate Housewives: The Complete Second Season: The Extra Juicy Edition" (Buena Vista/Touchstone, 2005-06, not rated, $59.99, six discs). In its sophomore season, this hit series became more sleazy and less palatable with some of its characters sinking into unpleasant caricatures. Especially Bree, whose antics seem so out of the established character that she turned into someone else. Still, the show is funny in places, and it has a huge following that will no doubt show up as Season 3 begins in a few weeks. But I'm not sure I'll be there.

Extras: Widescreen, 24 episodes, deleted scenes, featurettes, bloopers, chapters.

• "Arrested Development: Season Three" (Fox, 2005-2006, not rated, $29.98, two discs). This final, abbreviated, season of 13 episodes finds the gang really going nuts, as the show becomes more off the wall than even the preceding two seasons. The plots are too convoluted to describe here, but there is high treason, a link to Iraq, and a new family lawyer, played by Scott Baio. Bizarre, zany and often fall-down funny.

Extras: Widescreen, 13 episodes, audio commentaries, deleted/extended scenes, featurette, bloopers, language options (English, Spanish, French), subtitle options (English, Spanish), chapters.

• "The Tick vs. Season One" (Buena Vista, 1994, not rated, $34.99, two discs). Before the short-lived but very funny live-action "Tick" TV show, there was this animated series, which is every bit as goofy. This spoof of superheroes has an array of zany crimefighters battling equally wacky villains. The big blue title character is an overconfident bumbler, and former accountant Arthur (dressed as a moth) is his mild-mannered sidekick. Among the bad guys are Chairface Chippendale and Proto-Clown. Funny stuff.

Extras: Full frame, 12 episodes, language and subtitle options (English, French), chapters.

• "Roseanne: Halloween Edition" (Anchor Bay, 1989-95, not rated, $14.98). The often very funny Halloween episodes of "Roseanne" were among the sitcom's most highly anticipated each year, as the characters went to extreme lengths to play pranks on each other and to up the ante on their costumes and gory/frightening props. All in the name of comedy, of course. Guests include George Clooney, Ed McMahon and Sarah Chalke.

Extras: Full frame, seven episodes, audio commentary (by Roseanne), optional English subtitles, chapters.