'Castle' and other TV seasons lead DVD releases

Previous seasons of returning shows continue to arrive on DVD as new seasons gear up for this week's premieres.

"Castle: The Complete Second Season" (ABC, 2009-10, five discs, $45.99). This is a Manhattan police procedural with a twist — a celebrated crime-fiction writer teams up with police as a consultant. And it's as much a comedy as a thriller. But what makes it work is snappy writing and a charming ensemble cast, each in a seemingly tailor-made role.

Nathan Fillion is Rick Castle, the cocky, wisecracking author with friends in high places; Stana Katic is the by-the-book cop, Kate Beckett, with whom he is teamed; Susan Sullivan is Castle's vain mother, a flamboyant aging actress; and Molly Quinn is Castle's level-headed daughter, who sometimes seems to be raising her dad. Also on hand are Tamala Jones as the medical examiner, Jon Huertas and Seamus Dever as two cops on the team and Ruben Santiago-Hudson as their captain.

They all work well together, and even when the cases seem a bit overly familiar or contrived, the show is well worth watching for actors' clever banter. Season 3 began last Monday (you can catch up with it on Hulu).

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

"Desperate Housewives: The Complete Sixth Season" (ABC, 2009-10, five discs, $45.99). The dark comedy that laces this soap opera spoof seems to get a little darker each year, with Drea de Matteo and family providing most of the dread this season, along with that plane crash. And Edie (Nicolette Sheridan) is missed.

But there's plenty of comic high drama from the rest of the housewives: Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria Parker, Marcia Cross and Dana Delany. Season 7 begins Sunday.

Extras: widescreen, 23 episodes, deleted scenes, featuretes, bloopers, trailers

"Mr. Palfrey of Westminster: Complete Collection" (Acorn, 1984-85, three discs, $49.99). Alec McCowen stars in this British series as a mild-mannered British civil servant who is secretly a spy, and whose work applies primarily to tripping up other spies whose work threatens British national security. Well made, albeit more talky than action-oriented.

Extras: full frame, 10 episodes

"Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth, With Bill Moyers" (Acorn, 1988, two discs, $49.99). Conversations between inspirational scholar Campbell and journalist Moyers, in which they discuss myths and cultural traditions as they relate to understanding the human experience.