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Every year numerous beloved television series come to a close and the "Complete Series" DVD or Blu-ray release becomes a must-have item for the long-time fans. We here at JustPressPlay are no different - we love complete series releases. The awesome packaging, the nifty extras (both physical and disc-based) and the convenience of a one-stop-shop for all our Futurama, Battlestar Galactica or The Shield viewing. While some series purchases are no-brainers (Sopranos), there are plenty of overlooked series who pass under the radar. So here it is, the best of the best and the coolest overlooked Complete Series releases for 2009.

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Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series (DVD or Blu-ray)

Hailed as one of the best and most unique series in a long time, Battlestar Galactica's resurgence got noticed. A crew of humans attempts to survive during the purging oppression of the Cylons and encounter danger at every turn. For a show to take a nonsense expletive like "Frak" and make it a daily use phrase in common culture gives the show merit alone, if its tackling of larger issues like race, religion and prejudice didn't already make it a benchmark of science fiction storytelling. The box set comes with a Cylon figure and a box with superb design. Fans who watched the show from day one and newcomers alike will find Battlestar Galactica to be some of the best television they've watched in a while, so say we all.

Blu-ray - $203.49

DVD - $173.49

The State: The Complete Series (DVD)

Before we had Role Models or even a Wet Hot American Summer, we had The State, a collaboration from the minds of David Wain, Michael Ian Black, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter and others. The show takes its name from the sketch comedy group making up each episode's 30 minutes of hilarity. What's it like? Think Mr. Show but without some of the content that would make you afraid to show it to your grandma while still being top-notch comedy. If you ever wondered where the casts of Reno 911 or any of the David Wain films got their start, then you need look no further. Even if you don't pay attention to who's who in films, you'll see lots of recognizable faces in The State. It's every bit as good as shows like Kids in the Hall which received wider recognition and just as brilliant. Perhaps the best part about The State is that if you discover you like it, the cast and crew have gone on to do so much more that you'll find a good supply of media to pursue after you finish.

DVD - $31.99

Ally McBeal: The Complete Series (DVD)

Remember when the plot of an episode of Ally McBeal (namely the dancing baby) was enough to make the cut for local news stations? Don't ask us how such a weird piece of pop culture was news worthy, but it was and consequently Ally McBeal stayed in the public spotlight for a healthy five season run. Although when you look at the cast it's not really a mystery how it managed to stay alive for so long, with actors like Calista Flockhart and Robert Downey Jr. centered in the controversies of their own personal lives and rising stars like Lucy Liu, John Michael Higgins and James Marsden making a splash as supporting cast members. A lot of the show's cast has gone on to popular shows like Arrested Development (Portia de Rossi), 30 Rock (Jane Krakowski) and Numb3rs (Peter MacNicol). Ally McBeal was a starting block for lots of popular actors and the show had a unique style and sense of humor for its time. Now, more than seven years later, the entire series is getting its complete series release. All the romance and bathroom shenanigans can finally be found in one set with packaging that does the series justice.

DVD - $129.99

The Middleman: The Complete Series (DVD)

You probably never saw this when it was on television, nor did you probably know it existed. What a shame. Anyone who grew up on movies, television or other free flowing streams of pop culture will find an unexpectedly sublime comic masterpiece in The Middleman. Paying homage to classic action films in a plot reminiscent of Men in Black, The Middleman has the comedy of zany shows like The Tick and stories that you just have to see to believe. Matt Keeslar and Natalie Morales make for an entertaining onscreen duo as the Middleman and his up-and-coming apprentice. The show simultaneously appeals to that slacker generation and their parents by balancing something remarkably wholesome with the snarky wit that's become the standard of today's entertainment. It's a meager DVD set, but it's also a breath of fresh air that entire families will enjoy as much as the avid film geek.

DVD - $30.99

Futurama: The Complete Collection (DVD)

Slacker delivery boy Phillip J. Fry gets cryogenically frozen and wakes up in the 30th century to find a new life awaits him - as an interstellar delivery boy. His cyclopic crush Leela and alcoholic robotic roommate Bender accompany him as he careens through space on one wacky mission after another. As a long-time Futurama fan, I can't say I regret buying all the seasons and Direct-to-DVD movies separately. I don't. But in light of this brand new release and its Bender Head container I often find myself with my cursor hovering over the "Add to my cart" button. All four volumes of Futurama as well as Bender's Big Score, The Beast with a Billion Backs, Bender's Game and Into the Wild Green Yonder are wrapped up in the cranium of one Bender Bending Rodriquez with a box made to look like one of the various cranium jars featured in the show. Few complete series sets have such a creative and self-referential package as this, but considering the show (minus the movies) stands as perhaps the greatest thing Matt Groening ever did (the Simpsons would qualify if you subtract the last decade) the whole deal is just that much sweeter. Pick this one up - you won't regret it. Now, if only they released it in Blu-ray.

DVD - $129.99

The Shield: Complete Series (DVD)

If ever a cop drama dealt with a theme of "truth and consequences", it was The Shield. Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) heads a task force assigned with the harrowing duty of cracking down on street crime in LA. As the years wear on, Mackey and his team resort to less than honorable tactics to get the job done. To make matters worse, Mackey's professional and personal lives become inexorably entangled due to affairs within his department and the ongoing conflicts at home caused by his job, a child with a disability and his wife's growing knowledge that her husband's work no longer runs on the level. Walton Goggins, Catherine Dent, Benito Martinez, Jay Karnes, David Rees Snell and Cathy Cahlin Ryan round out the cast of regulars with outstanding guest appearances by the likes of Forest Whitaker and Glenn Close. The show has lots of rough edges and mature subject matter, but it's easily one of the greatest crime procedurals of all time.

DVD - $107.99

Justice League: The Complete Series (DVD)

Before I start gushing about just how great this cartoon and, by connection, this set are, let’s establish two things. First, for every good thing I have to say about the entire set I include a single footnote: this should be available in a Blu-ray release as well, the animation would be sharper and bolder, the audio would be stunning and the entire package would have had that much more relevance considering the current trends of digital media. Second, this is so much more than just a ‘cartoon’. As is said a few times in the extra features of the series, Justice League may be the greatest superhero animated series to have ever existed. So what does that imply about this complete series set? One of the best ever? Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series represent the building blocks which led Bruce Timm to create this cartoon opus. The stories are well crafted, the character relationships dynamic, and the entire set a perfect example of the heights cartoons can reach when put in the right hands. The new complete series set boasts all the extras of the separate releases with a new retrospective and a classy tin casing that looks quite snazzy on the shelf.

DVD - $67.99

Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition (DVD)

If it doesn’t already, it should sadden you that Rowan Atkinson’s most well known role is Mr. Bean. Sure, attempting to remove your underwear in public has its comedic merit, but only if you’ve never seen Atkinson’s stupendously idiotic turn as the self-appointed Black Adder in the times of olde. The series spans different eras with each of the seasons taking place in a new one. Then, to further the adventures of the unfortunately inept title character, three of the specials created after the series’ conclusion are included on their own disc. It’s not the first “all inclusive” set to be released but it does a good job rounding up most of the extras that have been created for the show over time – though true Black Adder connoisseurs will notice that some of the smaller events (The Shakespeare Sketch in 1989 or the theatrical show Blackadder: The Army Years) are absent from the set, though they haven’t appeared in any other sets either. Someday a studio will figure that out.The show retains its sharp comic edge after all these years and with the remastering efforts Warner Brothers put forth for this set it's never looked better. If you find British comedy funny, then you owe it to yourself to give Black Adder a shot.

DVD - $41.99

The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection (DVD)

Talk about a blast from the past. There were lots of Ghostbuster cartoon wannabes, but only one really ever ran long enough to get anywhere in terms of plot. Plus, it was the only incarnation which took the characters from the movie instead of changing them completely or making it about future generations of Ghostbusters. Yes, the personalities might have changed slightly but it had all the characters you knew and loved (Ray, Egon, Winston, Venkman, Janine and Slimer). It was in a sense an updated take on Scooby-doo with the Ghostbusters troupe going after a monster of the week (except in this case they were actually monsters and not poorly costumed crooks). The animation doesn't really stack up in the face of today's standards, but it's a wildly entertaining cartoon and this DVD set comes packed with extras.

DVD - $115.49

Fraggle Rock: Complete Series Collection (DVD)

Jim Henson's legacy lives on in the music-loving, earth-dwelling colony of lovable Fraggles who learn valuable lessons about loving the planet, making friends and everything else you'd ever want your child to know. The show has startling depth for what seems at first glance to be little more than a kid's show with puppets, but like most everything Henson did the show has clear intentions. Doc, Boober, Gogo, Red and others have plenty of fun adventures and the whole series includes 96 episodes which makes for hours of family-friendly viewing. It's a set with 8 hours of extras but with no physical perks (plush figure) or particularly unique packaging, but in this case the content is what makes this one worth the purchase. Henson's work always deserves special mention - Fraggle Rock is no exception.

DVD - $72.99