Looking for edge-of-your-seat drama? Look no further than MI-5: VOLUME 2, a pulsating look at the British government spy network. Titled Spooks over 'ome, MI-5 (televised Saturdays on A&E) focuses on an elite group of British counter terrorist agents who play off real-world domestic and international threats. Storylines in this 5-disc series include child suicide bombers, an anarchist group's protest against a Bush visit to London, and a germ warfare drill that could be the real thing. Superbly written, directed and acted, the 10-episode story loop also contains running narratives, and on-the-job and personal pressures. The Dark Angel bonus footage icon is great fun. - KS

If it had just been empty-calorie eye candy, AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL: CYCLE ONE would have still been satisfying. Check the concept: 10 beautiful women battle it out over 8 weeks for a chance at a big modeling contract, with supermodel executive producer Tyra Banks presiding over the contestant eliminations. Who could resist? But beyond the superficial glamour of the nude photoshoots, beautiful women, international travel and catty behaviour came forth fun, smart, sometimes even touching TV. Incredible, I know, especially, as revealed in the supplements, as it was put together in just six weeks. But it's that impromptu, intimate approach that makes the show so interesting ­ that and the serious ego clashes that go on in that luxury New York apartment. Watch and see if you don't start rooting for your favourite girl by episode two (me, I was all about rail-thin Elyse and rocker Adrianne, the eventual winner). Extras include brief looks at the casting, a Season One reminiscence, and 'The Two Jays'. -SP

For a look at a classic British cop show, check out a youthful Roger Moore in THE SAINT: THE EARLY EPISODES. The early 1960s was a classic period for British cop shows: The Avengers, Danger Man and, of course, The Saint among them. As Simon Templar, Moore displays the same suave, womanizing, tongue-in-cheek personality he would later milk as Sean Connery's long-term James Bond replacement. This 3-DVD set includes all 12 black-and-white episodes plus bonus features such as the history of The Saint and a Roger Moore biography and filmography. -KS

It's easy to look at Johnny Depp's stint on 21 Jump Street as another case of a great actor beginning his career in ignominy. But the teen-oriented cop show, one of the fledgling FOX network's first hits and created by vet Stephen J. Cannell (The A-Team, Greatest American Hero), started coming into its own in the '87-'88 season, and despite the severely dated fashions and music, stands up as decent entertainment. Anchor Bay's 6-disc, 22-episode 21 JUMP STREET: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON package will appeal both to Depp completists (he's so young and cute) and '80s lovers alike. Eagle-eyed viewers will spot the absurdly young likes of Brad Pitt, Pauly Shore, Christina Applegate and Jason Priestley in cameo roles. Extras include a commentary by co-star Peter DeLuise (Penhall!) and vintage photo galleries. -SP

On this side of the pond, television didn't worry about ruffling minority feathers during the mid-Sixties. That's why such politically and socially incorrect shows as The Beverly Hillbillies, The Andy Griffith Show and Green Acres ran uncontested. None more so than Hogan's Heroes, which debuted in 1965, only 20 years after WWII ended. Produced by Bing Crosby Productions, Hogan's Heroes failed to produce a political ripple, even though the show joked about prisoners of war, Adolf Hitler and the Gestapo. Real fun stuff! Try to get away with that today. Still the 5-disc HOGAN'S HEROES: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON is a great spoof. Former LA deejay Bob Crane (as Hogan) fronts a stellar cast that included Richard Dawson and Werner Klemperer (a noted, classically trained musician). Absurd, ridiculous but totally funny if you can look past the show's politically incorrect premise. -KS

SCTV VOLUME 3 serves up the final nine 90-minute episodes from the show's fourth season, a time of expansion (onto NBC where SCTV threatened to knock off the struggling Saturday Night Live) but also of stress as the show's extension to 90 minutes (from the previous 45) strained the crew's writing and financial resources. Head writer Dave Thomas would later quit along with Rick Moranis and Catherine O'Hara, to be replaced by Martin Short. The April-October 1982 period would see the star emergence of John Candy and the Bob & Doug MacKenzie characters; the addition of musical guests such as Tony Bennett, Jimmy Buffet and Dave Edmunds; and the arrival of Martin Short and his brilliant Jerry Lewis impressions. Bonus features include Classic Moments from the Second City Stage and the 1997 Museum Of Television & Radio's gathering of SCTV alumni. -KS

Friends goes maternal in the penultimate FRIENDS: THE COMPLETE NINTH SEASON as the running theme of the 23-episode, 5-disc set is the trials and tribulations of the birth of Emma to Ross and Rachel. Highlights include Freddie Prinze Jr. as the oversensitive male nanny and Christina Applegate as Rachel's annoying sister. Special features include a 'behind the style' look at Friends, Gunther spilling the beans about the final season, and a Flaming Lips music video ('Phoebe Battles The Pink Robots'). -KS

Leave aside the fact that the show completely neutered gangsta rapper Xzibit's street cred and PIMP MY RIDE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON isn't half bad. The MTV-produced series, hosted by the X To The Z, gives car owners with some pitiful means of transport a new lease on ghetto fabulouness by "pimping" their rides (courtesy of West Coast Customs). Invariably, this means big tires, big rims, bold paint jobs and, in some cases, completely gutting the vehicles and building them back up into something hot. The looks of awe on these car owners' faces when their blah rides turn to bling is priceless. Extras on the 3-disc set include featurettes on what the WCC guys drive, a tour of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker's sweet 1954 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (think lots of nipples), deleted scenes and bloopers. -SP