'Ugly Betty' last season on DVD

The conclusion of "Ugly Betty" and the start of "Cougar Town" lead off these TV shows that are new to DVD this week.

"Ugly Betty: The Complete Fourth and Final Season" (ABC, 2009-10, four discs, $39.99). America Ferrera continues to shine as Betty Suarez, an ugly-duckling-out-of-water in the world of fashion, though over its four-season run the show has had its ups and downs.

In this final season, Betty continues her transformation (even the braces eventually go, by the way), while those around her have their stories resolved, one way or the other, including the war between Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) and Claire (Judith Light).

Fans should be satisfied with the resolutions offered here and be thankful that the self-consciously quirky show managed to keep from overstaying its welcome.

Extras: widescreen, 20 episodes, deleted scenes, webisodes, featurettes, bloopers, trailers

"Cougar Town: The Complete First Season" (ABC, 2009-10, three discs, $39.99). This sitcom starring Courteney Cox began as a shrill and very crude older-woman-pursuing-younger-men farce but it seemed to take a Valium about a third of the way into the first season and got better.

It's still crude but it's also funnier and more character-driven, with an ensemble orientation as Cox's 41-year-old divorcee/single mother navigates the middle-aged dating pool in the Florida suburbs.

Extras: widescreen, 24 episodes, deleted scenes, featurettes, trailers

"One Tree Hill: The Complete Seventh Season" (Warner, 2009-10, five discs, $59.98). This now post-teen soap opera continues, but without Hilarie Burton or Chad Michael Murray, whose characters have departed. But other characters remain to carry the torch, trying to avoid scandal, finding new love interests and welcoming new characters.

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

"Unforgettable: The Korean War" (PBS, 2010, $24.99). Korean war vets recount memories of America after World War II, as young draftees were being shipped off to South Korea to fight North Korea's advancing army.

Extras: widescreen

"My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Bedtime With Pooh" (Disney, 2010, $19.99). Episodes from the Disney Channel series, along with a bonus "Handy Manny" episode.

Extras: full frame, three episodes (six stories), "Handy Manny" episode, trailers

"Madeline's Halloween & Other Spooky Tales" (Shout! Kids, 2010, $12.99). Halloween? It's still August, isn't it? Madeline and her classmates star in these gently spooky yarns for kids.

Extras: full frame, five episodes

e-mail: hicks@desnews.com