Season 4 of 'Mannix' comes to DVD

The late-in-coming fourth season of "Mannix" arrives for fans this week, along with several other television programs.

"Mannix: The Fourth Season" (CBS/Paramount, 1970-71, six discs, $54.99). Mike Connors returns for a fourth go-round in his iconic role of tough-guy private investigator Joe Mannix, with Gail Fisher as Peggy Fair, his gal Friday. Both were nominated for Emmys four times over the course of the eight-season show, and Fisher won for Season 3.

This set includes several episodes in which Mannix is personally targeted: he's framed and loses his license, he's stalked by a man with a rifle, he's given a slow-acting poison, he's held captive at a remote desert café and a psychic predicts his death!

Guests include Diane Keaton, Carol Lynley, Gloria Grahame, Darren McGavin, Brock Peters, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and a pre-"M*A*S*H" Loretta Swit and Larry Linville (in his last episode as the recurring character of a police lieutenant).

Extras: full frame, 24 episodes

"The Guilty" (Acorn, 1992, two discs, $39.99). Fans of Michael Kitchen may be a bit shocked by his character in this pre-"Foyle's War" miniseries thriller. The convoluted plot has Kitchen as a high-priced lawyer who is about to be appointed England's youngest judge when a drunken indiscretion leads to blackmail and murder-for-hire. Rough, filled with unsavory characters (along with violence and brief nudity) but engrossing.

Extras: full frame, two episodes

"Enemy at the Door: Series 2" (Acorn, 1980, four discs, $59.99). The second and final season of this fine World War II series chronicles the Nazi occupation of Great Britain's Channel Island, with excellent characterizations and terrific performances from familiar English character players (including John Rhys-Davies).

Extras: full frame, 13 episodes

"Dirty Tricks" (Acorn, 2000, $29.99). Jet-black English comedy miniseries has Martin Clunes (who would go on to play dysfunctional "Doc Martin") as a charming, womanizing, manipulating social climber who has the wit, intelligence and sophistication for the upper-class high life, but not the money. Until he seduces the right women to achieve his ends. But then dead bodies begin to pile up. Is he also a killer? (Contains nudity, sex and language.)

Extras: full frame, two episodes

"The Ricky Gervais Show: The Complete First Season" (Warner, 2010, $29.98). This is Gervais' animated show, which began as a series of podcasts and became a cartoon series on HBO. Funny but awfully raunchy.

Extras: widescreen, featurettes

"iCarly: Season 2, Volume 2" (Nickelodeon/Paramount, 2010, $19.99). More episodes from Season 2, with Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, host of a teen web show.

Extras: full frame, 12 episodes, featurette

e-mail: hicks@desnews.com