What is Christmas without your offspring fighting, shouting or whinging for at least part of the day? Perfect, perhaps? Parents on the edge of a breakdown/tantrum will appreciate a chance to view other people also being tortured by their kids, and in a decidedly more entertaining manner. Silly and squirmworthy, Outnumbered manages to be that rare thing: a family comedy that is actually funny.
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Yes, we know. It's the most amazing programme you have ever seen EVER! There are many many messages in it that need discussing. But you can't spend all your time going on about The Wire because otherwise your family will throw you out. So how about another bit of David Simon to get your teeth into? Just try not to dissect Homicide over Christmas lunch.
Click here for more information and to buy http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/apr/03/your-next-box-set
Already got that? Try The Shield
More US cops, but these ones are very bad.
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Aha! Television where nobody really understands what is going on. But working out what's happening is only half the fun: David Lynch's show works best in boxset format. And there are many hours of it to get through – and compare with current televisual offerings.
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Long long ago, before Simon Pegg made box-office smashing films and hung about in Hollywood, he spent most of his time in a north London bedsit (sorry, a flat) with his friend Daisy (Jessica Stephenson). For those old enough to have watched it the first time, this C4 sitcom still hits all the right kinds of funny, while younger (but still quite grown-up) fans will finally understand what the 30-somethings are on about.
Click here for more information and to buy http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/oct/30/spaced-your-next-box-set
Already got that? Try Black Books
Pegg has a cameo, Dylan Moran is hilarious.
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So they think most TV is rubbish? Well, not the Sopranos, obviously. Who thinks that is rubbish? Brilliant too in that it will stand many rewatchings: Tony Soprano is as magnetic a presence for viewers as for those he encounters on screen. A box set that will actually earn its place on the shelf, this is a real treat of a gift.
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Forty-one discs and 107 hours of the best-ever soap set in a motel in Birmingham. That will shut them up over Christmas (although nobody else will be able to get near the telly for important things like Doctor Who). Comes with the added bonus of prompting you to reconsider the wonder of Victoria Wood's Acorn Antiques
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Both are astonishingly funny in places and provoke debate – albeit in a “which character are you most like”, rather than “important milestones in television history” kind of way. But don't we all know which conversation would be more fun. Extra fabulous gifts in that you can dip in and out of episodes, meaning people popping round for a quick Christmas visits also get a burst of (probably quite rude) humour.
Click here for more information and to buy Peep Show http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/nov/06/peep-show-next-box-set and Pulling http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/aug/07/pulling-box-set Photograph: guardian.co.uk
First screened in 1973, Cooke's 13-part America: A Personal History of the United States remains great watching. While it is admittedly dated in places, Cooke's delivery is a lesson in how to take the now commonplace travelogue-cum-history programme and elevate it to television of the first order.
Click here for more information and to buy http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/sep/18/alistair-cookes-america-box-set
Already got that? Try The World at War
Also first shown in 1973, the 26-part programme makes you wonder where television this ambitious is now.
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What can possibly be more television than a TV show about making a TV show? If that sounds annoying rather than fantastically funny, you probably need to know a couple of extra details: it has great jokes, and Tina Fey stars (and writes the show), along with an excellent Alec Baldwin. It's got Emmys, critical acclaim – and now, four seasons in, viewers.
Click here for more information and to buy http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/mar/13/your-next-box-set
Already got that? Try Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Another behind-the-camera show set on a late-night comedy show, this time created by Aaron Sorkin
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At six hours, the perfect Christmas boxset – settle in after Boxing Day lunch and you'll be done in time for a light supper snackette. Paul Abbott's 2003 drama deserves a place on any DVD list. A twisty plot and to-die-for cast (including David Morrissey, John Simm, Bill Nighy and Kelly Macdonald) make it thoroughly absorbing.
Click here for more information and to buy http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/apr/24/state-of-play-boxset-review
Already got that? Try The West Wing
How could any boxset guide be complete without a mention of Aaron Sorkin's epic political drama?
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