'BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD: THE MIKE JUDGE COLLECTION'

In an early '90s stroke of genius, lower level executives at MTV made the decision to air, in lieu of real culture or art for entertainment, a sort of documentary on the devolution of society. That decision was "Beavis and Butthead," and its genius was recognized instantly. By those of us in middle school.

The newest product from these storied trailblazers who brought us heartwarming terms of endearment like "fart-knocker" and "The Great Cornholio" is "Beavis and Butt-head: The Mike Judge Collection" (Paramount Home Video, $29.99). Essentially just 40 of the creator's favorite episodes (Judge went on to do "King of the Hill" and pen "Office Space") with a few extras, this collection is a must-have for fans and ... decidedly unnecessary for those indifferent.

Extras include three of the pair's special appearances at the MTV Video Music awards, a couple of montages (one dedicated to their penchant for harsh nicknames, the other to their tendency to strike one another with whatever was handy) and 11 music videos with their famed audio annotations, all of which are unremarkable. However, "Taint of Greatness: Part One," a behind the scenes feature on the show, explains each character's genesis, the show's response to critics, and even Judge's animation education (he took a course from a "junkie" at a local YMCA) in humorous and fairly comprehensive fashion.

-- Philip A. Stephenson, Post-Gazette staff writer

'THE WHITE SHADOW: SEASON ONE'

I'm quite sure I wasn't the target audience for "The White Shadow," a drama about a white NBA player whose career-ending injury leads him to a coaching position at a predominantly black inner-city high school. But the show, which premiered in fall 1978, struck a chord with this white teenage girl growing up in the suburbs, and not just because of my inner frustrated basketball player.

The first season's release on DVD (Fox Home Entertainment, $39.98) reminds me of what made the show so special. Yes, it dealt with racial issues, but it also explored other problems such as teen pregnancy and alcoholism without sounding like a preachy "After School Special." Coach Reeves was a fish out of water, but he wasn't some white savior to his players -- just someone who listened to them and helped them believe in themselves.

The DVD set contains 15 episodes, with audio commentary on two of them.

There's also a short but entertaining featurette, "More Than Basketball," which includes comments from Ken Howard, who played Reeves.

The extras seem skimpy, but that's OK -- the show scores on its own.

-- Karen Carlin, Post-Gazette staff writer

'JEOPARDY! AN INSIDE LOOK AT AMERICA'S FAVORITE QUIZ SHOW'

In Japanese myth, Inari, not Uncle Ben, is god of this. What is rice?

You are correct!

In Japanese myth, Inari, not Uncle Ben, is god of this. What is rice?

Right again.

In Japanese myth, Inari, not Uncle Ben, is god of this. What is rice?

See? It gets old pretty quickly. That's why "Jeopardy! An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show," which features five classic episodes from the trivia series, is not the most worthwhile watch.

This DVD release (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $19.94) will be of some interest to game show fans -- it includes a brief history of the show's run, showcases the episode in which mega-champ Ken Jennings finally broke his 74-show winning streak, and gives a fairly comprehensive overview of host Alex Trebek's perennially evolving facial hair -- but there are only so many times a person can watch the same answers and questions.

Some special features (an interactive DVD-Rom game, bonus previews, and a look at the set from several different camera angles) are amusing, but quiz mavens are best left to watching new episodes daily in syndication.

-- Lindsey Quinn Arroyo, Post-Gazette staff writer