DVD box sets make great gifts even easier

There are always one or two names on your holiday shopping list that cause trouble. Clothes aren't an option unless you know sizes. Sweets might strike a sour note with a dieter.

One solution is to give them a DVD set.

Selections are so broad – from children's TV shows to salutes to baseball greats – there should be something for even the toughest name on your list. And there's a wide assortment of prices.

Here are a few DVD sets that would make great holiday gifts. Suggested retail prices are listed but you can often find a better deal.

"Band of Brothers/The Pacific" ($159.98): Both World War II miniseries – one about the war in Europe and the other set in the South Pacific – are grand in scale and rich with personal stories.

The set also includes a new documentary featuring surviving veterans of Easy Company and the 1st Marine Division whose stories are told in the productions.

"Big Love" ($199.95): Bill Paxton plays a modern-day polygamist living in suburban Salt Lake City with his seven children and three "sister-wives." Paxton, along with Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ginnifer Goodwin and Chloë Sevigny, turn in flawless performances.

The DVD set includes all 63 episodes of the HBO series.

"Celebrate With Dora" ($29.98): The holiday set includes Dora the Explorer's trip to the North Pole to see Santa Claus in "Dora's Christmas." "Dora's Halloween" and "Dora's Big Birthday Adventure" also are in the set.

This is a fun and positive program for youngsters.

"Farscape" ($199.95): Ben Browder plays an astronaut thrown to a distant part of the galaxy and into the middle of a war. The 88 episodes of one of the finest – and least-appreciated – sci-fi TV series are now available on Blu-ray.

Extras include the rarely seen "Farscape Undressed" special that looks behind the scenes, plus 31 audio commentaries, original TV promos, deleted scenes, director's-cut scenes and alternate version of the season two premiere.

"Holidays with SpongeBob" ($29.98): The adventures of SpongeBob and all of the residents of Bikini Bottom continue to entertain young and old.

This three-DVD set includes "Halloween!," "Christmas" and "To Love a Patty."

"It Takes a Thief" ($199.98): Robert Wagner starred in this late-'60s TV series playing super cat burglar Alexander Mundy. After being caught, Mundy is recruited to help a government spy agency.

Wagner's charm and some strong storylines make this series fun despite being more than 40 years old.

The 18-DVD set contains all 66 episodes, plus a limited-edition Senitype – a reproduced 35mm film frame – and an "It Takes a Thief" four-piece coaster set.

"The L Word" ($144.99): The series earned acclaim for its frank look at the loves and lives of a group of fascinating women – some straight, some gay.

Superb acting makes this a set to own. The cast includes Jennifer Beals, Marlee Matlin, Pam Grier, Rachel Shelley and Rose Rollins.

Extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, music videos, "L Word" photos from Beals, fan mail and a never-before-seen 2011 cast reunion.

"Looney Tunes Platinum" ($79.98): The limited and numbered collection includes 50 shorts that have been remastered. Selections range from the Oscar-winning "For Scent-imental Reasons" starring Pepe Le Pew to "The Three Little Bops," the story of the Three Little Pigs told to a jazz beat.

These are some of the best cartoons from the Warner Bros. vaults. There are also a framed lithograph cel, a collectible glass and souvenir tin sign.