Holiday gift guide: Variety of DVD gift sets available

It happens every year. It’s almost impossible to think of the right present for some of the people on your holiday gift list. A tie seems too cliché. Money too impersonal. A puppy too messy.

The solution is to pick up one of the many DVD sets available for holiday giving. You can match the set to the person’s interest. Shopping around will get you a good value. And, a DVD has never left a mess on the living room rug.

All you need to know is what the person likes. The rest is a breeze because there are so many different kinds of DVD sets for TV and movie fans. There are too many sets to mention, but here are several to get you started.

The suggested retail price is listed, but odds are you will be able to find a lower price. Most of the DVD sets are available now, with datea listed for any not in stores or online at this time.

“Back to the Future: 30th Anniversary Trilogy” ($49.98): The time-traveling adventures of Marty McFly are available on Blu-ray and Digital HD. Also included is a new original short with Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd).

“Better Call Saul: Season One” ($69.99): The first season includes 10 episodes of the spinoff of ‘Breaking Bad” starring Bob Odenkirk. It picked up seven Emmy nominations, including one for outstanding drama series. Extras include a postcard vinyl of “Better Call Saul” performed by Junior Brown. The DVD will be released Nov. 10.

“Dexter: The Complete Series” ($99.98): Michael C. Hall plays a blood expert working for the Miami police department who spends his free time killing those who have evaded the law. This boxed set includes all eight seasons of the series.

“Downton Abbey: Seasons 1-5” ($109.99): Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, and Maggie Smith star in the British series that has been a massive hit for PBS. The limited-edition box set follows the Crawley family and their servants from pre-war England through the storms of World War I, and into the social, political and technological upheaval of England in the 1920s.

“Foyle’s War: The Comple Saga” ($199.99): The complete collection of the Michael Kitchen detective series features all 28 mysteries and more than six hours of bonus features. Guest stars include Rosamund Pike, James McAvoy and John Mahoney. Will be released Nov. 10.

“Games of Thrones” ($79.98): The first two seasons of the wildly popular HBO series are now available in a special steelbook collector set. Each steelbook showcases a specific location that is significant to that season. Winterfell is featured in the first season version, while Lannister is featured as the design for season two.

“Home Alone Ultimate Collector’s Edition” ($69.99): There are five movies in the package designed to look like a paint can. Three of the movies were released theatrically and two – “Taking Back the House” and “The Holiday Heist” – went straight to video. Look for a collectible ornament and fake spider inside.

“Justified: The Complete Series” ($215.99): All six seasons of the crime drama starring Timothy Olyphant are on 18 discs. One of the bonus features is “Leaving Harlan Alive: Making the Final Season.” Walton Goggins also stars in the Emmy-winning series.

“Lost In Space: The Complete Series” $199.99): The TV drama (that got a little silly in the final season) ran from 1965 to 1968. The 83 episodes tell the story of the Robinson family, who have their trek through space interrupted by a intruder. Bonus material includes two versions of the first episode that never aired.

“McHale’s Navy: The Complete Series” ($169.99): All 138 episodes of the TV comedy featuring the crew of PT-73 are included. Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway star. Not only does the set feature all of the TV shows, two full-length films are in the set. Available Nov. 17.

“Mission: Impossible - The Original TV Series” ($129.00): Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to pick up this boxed set that includes all seven seasons of the spy TV series. Cast includes Peter Graves, Leonard Nimoy and Peter Lupus.

“Mr. Warmth! Don Rickles: The Ultimate TV Collection” ($59.98): The eight-disc set includes all 37 episodes of “COP Sharkey,” the TV sitcom starring Rickles. The set also includes four comedy specials from the 1970s headlines by Rickles. Guest stars include John Wayne, Frank Sinatra and Don Adams.

“Nakatomi Plaza: Die Hard Collection!” ($129.99): Fans of the exploits of John McClane will be going “yippee-ki-yay” over being able to get all five “Die Hard” movies. The bonus is that it comes in a replica of the building from the original film where McClane and Hans Gruber battled.

“Outlander: Season One: The Ultimate Collection” ($55.99): This love story that crosses centuries from Chowchilla native Ronald Moore is beautifully acted and produced. The series, based on the books by Diana Gabaldon, follows Claire Randall, a World War II nurse who inexplicably travels back in time to 18th-century Scotland, where she meets a Scottish warrior. Along with the first season comes a book, keepsake box, engraved flask and collection of photographs in addition to the season one soundtrack.

“Star Trek: The Original Series” ($79.99): All three seasons are on 25 discs. Along with the episodes of the TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are a dozen special features including “The Birth of a Timeless Legacy” and “Reflections on Spock.”

“The Ultimate James Bond Collection” ($209.99): The box set includes 23 films featuring the British spy from “Dr. No” to “Skyfall.” There’s also a place for “Spectre” when it is finally released on DVD.

“The Walking Dead: The Complete Fifth Season” ($149.99): It is always surprising when a DVD set for a TV show this good comes with a bonus. Along with all of the additional material on the five-disc set comes special packaging by McFarlane Toys. It’s a limited-edition package that features an “asphalt” walker. The set would have been worth the price for the package alone. Release date is Dec. 1.

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Holiday gift guide: Variety of DVD gift sets available."