'Twin Peaks: The Second Season'

There's no denying the impact of "Twin Peaks." If not for this 1990-1991 series, we wouldn't have "Lost" and any number of other series that take chances in storytelling style today. Even the much-derided second season ($61.99, CBS DVD) has much to recommend, especially in this beautifully remastered state. (Alas, the un-remastered Log Lady introductions look terribly muddy by comparison.)

As for the content of the episodes, I always felt that once the show got past the "Who killed Laura Palmer?" mystery, it faltered, but then righted itself before the final, shocking cliffhanger episode.

Extras-wise, this box set has a few decent touches, including short interviews (most under three minutes) with the directors and Jennifer Lynch, author of "The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer." There's also an interactive grid of interviews that features more than a dozen of the show's stars -- Kyle McLachlan, Madchen Amick, David Duchovny, etc. -- who each briefly discuss the show's origin, production and legacy. But this boxed set lacks any episode commentaries, which would seem like a prerequisite for episode 14, the revelation of a Bob-possessed Leland Palmer (Ray Wise), as his daughter's killer. Leland's murder of Laura's cousin, Maddie (Sheryl Lee), backed by guttural, animal sounds on a warped soundtrack, remains one of the most disturbing, psychosexual pieces of television I've ever seen ("You go back to Missoula, Montana!"). It's a shame there's no one involved in its making to offer insight on how the scene was scripted and shot. Or how producers settled on Leland as Laura's killer.

Series creators David Lynch and Mark Frost are nowhere to be found on the DVDs, which is a huge disappointment, especially given the cliffhanger ending that finds FBI Agent Dale Cooper (MacLachlan) possessed by Bob. Had producers given any thought to where the series might go from there? "Twin Peaks: The Second Season" -- like the baffling, revolutionary series it contains -- offers no answers.

-- Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor

'Dancing With the Stars Cardio Dance'

Although there's no guarantee that you'll end up with the body of two-time champ Cheryl Burke (trust us, we looked for one), the "Dancing With the Stars Cardio Dance" DVD is a fun way to work up a sweat, shed some pounds and learn some new dance moves.

Any fan of the hit ABC show has certainly heard the paso doble, cha-cha, samba and jive and probably has secretly yearned to shake his or her own tail feathers like the "DWTS" dancers on the DVD, Ashly, Kym and Maksim.

What's great about the DVD is you don't need a partner and one of the special features allows viewers to customize their own routine.

That means you can skip the warm up and the paso doble and go right to cha-cha and the samba. Or skip the samba and just add the cha-cha and the jive. You can also cut out the trainer's instructions and just dance along with the music.

The dances are listed on the menu in order of intensity, with the paso doble first. The last dance, jive, is guaranteed to get your heart rate soaring. There's also a bonus challenge where the dancers go freestyle, and you try to keep up.

Other special features include healthful eating tips from Slim-Fast and a trailer for other fitness DVDs from guru Denise Austin.

Skip those and keep cha-chaing, baby!

The list price is $16.98, but you can get it cheaper on Amazon.com.

-- Monica Haynes, Post-Gazette staff writer