New DVDs loaded with entertainment

Fans of vintage TV will be happy to see that the first season of "Sergeant Bilko" has landed on DVD for the first time, along with many other shows debuting this week.

"Sergeant Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show: The First Season" (CBS/Paramount, 1955-56, five discs, b/w, $42.99). The original title of this series was "You'll Never Get Rich," but within two months it was changed to "The Phil Silvers Show," after the veteran vaudeville and movie comic quickly became a popular TV star playing fast-talking con artist Sgt. Bilko.

Set in Kansas at fictional Fort Baxter, these episodes were filmed when the show was at its freshest and funniest, with a terrific array of seasoned comic supporting players led by Paul Ford as the blustery camp commander, and Harvey Lembeck and Allan Melvin as the corporals who put Bilko's men through the paces with all the sergeant's moneymaking schemes.

Guests during this season include Fred Gwynne and Charlotte Rae, both of whom would eventually star in their own sitcoms. Also included here is the original pilot, which never aired. It's almost exactly the same as the first episode, "New Recruits," with a few cast changes — most notably the roles later played by Ford and Melvin. (Melvin's role is played by Jack Warden!)

Extras: full frame, 34 episodes, audition show, audio commentaries, episode of "The Lucy Show" with guest Phil Silvers, network opening, commercials, trailers

"The Rolling Stones 1969-1974: The Mick Taylor Years" (MVD, 2010, $19.95). This documentary/concert film looks at the six years that Taylor was a guitarist with the Rolling Stones, following the death of Stones founding member Brian Jones. Interviews with Taylor, John Mayall, as well as session musicians and music historians tell the story, which is interspersed with concert footage from Taylor's years with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and friends.

Extras: full frame, featurette, text biographies

"The Agatha Christie Hour: Set 1" (Acorn, 1982, two discs, $39.99). This anthology series features stories written by Christie outside her Marple and Poirot series. Here, five short stories unfold, including two with Christie's Parker Pyne character. Look for John Nettles, 15 years before his "Midsomer Murders" series.

Extras: full frame, five episodes, text biographies