All six seasons of "Sex and the City" are available in a new boxed set that comes in a stylish pink binder with 20 discs, episode guides and cute pictures. (Jay Solmonson - Staff photos) AH, THE WONDER and joy we once felt when VHS tapes popped onto the market.

Suddenly, your favorite movies and TV shows were there at your fingertips. And just as quickly your closets and entertainment centers were stuffed like a plump Santa stuck in the chimney.

When DVDs came on the market, there was nothing sweeter. Out with the clunky VHS tapes and in with those skinny packages that held an entire season rather than a single movie or episode.

Of course, those lean season-filled packages started multiplying like Star Trek Tribbles.

With a whopping 5,341 TV shows now out on DVD, according to the popular Web site http://www.tvshowsondvd.com, your bookshelf began sagging worse than "Joey’s" ratings.

Welcome to the new generation of viewing collections: You can get an entire series in one slim package. For those on your holiday lists, these could be must-buys.

On one end of the scale, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Chosen Collection." The complete series set is packed with 40 discs, 144 episodes representing seven seasons. But tiny "Firefly" didn’t even finish the season, so the discs are considerably fewer. And the price considerably lower.

There are a few hot ticket items this holiday season, such as "Sex and the City," Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and a few older complete season selections that are just a good way to spend some time - and get a great gift for those tele-fans on your shopping list.

Retail prices are listed. Here you go:

1. "Sex and the City," $299, all six seasons, 20 discs. It seems just like yesterday we were hanging out in New York with Carrie Bradshaw and our single pals Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, chatting about men, women and, of course, sex. If you miss the foursome, or never even got a chance to meet them, now’s your opportunity.

This set comes in a pretty pink binder filled with discs, episode guides and cute pictures. The discs also offer quips and quotes on dating, a finish-that-phrase game, a guide to New York restaurants, clubs and boutiques frequented by Carrie and her friends and a look back at some of the famous guest appearances.

2. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Chosen Collection: The Complete Series," $199, all seven seasons, 40 discs. So what’s in it for people who have been collecting this series since the first DVD release?

Most of the extras, we’ve been told, are the same as the previous Buffy season sets.

3. "Friends - The One With All Ten Seasons Collector’s Box," $299, 40 discs. The fancy box seems to be the big selling point for this complete series set. Those fascinated with the goings-on of yuppie friends Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe probably already have the collection. But if not, you can spend some quality laugh time with your "Friends."

The extras, according to the press releases, are the same as the individual boxed season sets. So why buy this?

Did we mention the cool box?

4. "Star Trek: Enterprise," $519, all four seasons, 47 discs. Now, you too can own all four seasons of this "Star Trek" prequel. Set in the 22nd century - 100 years before original "Star Trek" blasted off - this series centered on early space travel with Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) at the helm.

The boxed set, and by boxed it looks like they just took four tin cans and bound them together by cardboard, includes about 22 featurettes. But the good news is that this series appears to be heavily discounted by every outlet from Wal-Mart to amazon.com.

5. "Firefly - The Complete Series," $49.98, one season, four discs. Why limit yourself to just new releases this holiday? There are plenty of older releases that would fit quite nicely on any DVD shelf.

And none would be better than the humorous adventures of a rag-tag band of space rebels making their way through hostile airspace.

This troubled series never got a break from Fox, getting kicked around from Day One. Producer Josh Whedon (Buffy," Angel) was so enchanted by the stories of Gettysburg that he wanted to do a new Civil War set in outer space, complete with horses and twangy talkers.

Sadly, the series only lasted 14 episodes, including the two-hour pilot. Not nearly enough for fans. So Whedon recently ran the storyline as a movie in "Serenity."

Watch this thrilling DVD set, then get the movie. It’s a great way to spend some rerun-ridden winter months.

The extras in this collection include audition tapes, gag reels and Whedon and the cast and crew talking about the creation of the series as well as some deleted scenes. The commentary on the episodes alone is worth the price of the set. But the real Easter Egg is discovering a series that should have had a nice healthy run on broadcast TV.

6. "Freaks and Geeks - The Complete Series," $69, one season, six discs. Alas, poor freaks and geeks, your time with us was way too short.

This hilarious, and sometimes touching, look at life in high school was a real gem that never got the audience it deserved.

So take advantage of this compete series set that includes the director’s cut of the pilot, never-before-seen footage that really should have been seen and of course some nice commentary by the actors.

The stars of the series include Redwood City’s Linda Cardellini ("Scooby-Doo," "ER") and Palo Alto’s James Franco ("Spiderman" movies), who give great commentary. There are 29 audio commentaries from actors, writers, directors, executives and even parents of cast members. The set includes more than 60 deleted scenes and outtakes with commentary, cast auditions and a 28-page booklet written by creator Paul Feig.

7. "The Job - The Complete Series," $49.98, one season, four discs. Before Denis Leary hit success with Fx’s "Rescue Me," he played a similar character on "The Job."

Instead of being a post-911 fireman, Leary played a New York cop who bent the rules and had disdain for most of the people in his orbit.

It was hilarious.

The special features include an interview with Leary and co-creator Peter Tolan, who teamed with Leary on "Rescue Me." The DVD is filled with cast interviews, behind-the-scenes goodies and the traditional gag reel.

But what you are really paying for is a chance to see this series, which got short-sheeted by network executives.