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Veronica Mars: The Complete First Season

 (6-disc set: $59.98)

By BEN FRITZ

A Warner Home Video release.
 

Season one of teen detective series "Veronica Mars" plays even better on DVD than it did on TV. That's because unlike another year-old serial drama that continues to overshadow it (read: "Lost"), this sharply written show makes progress toward resolving its overarching mystery each episode and gives viewers a full answer by the end of the season. Once they watch the engrossing pilot, viewers may find they can't turn off their DVD players until they discover who killed Veronica's best friend.

But sadly, this DVD, which producers admit was rushed to reach new viewers tuning in for season two now that it airs after "America's Next Top Model," offers virtually nothing for those who already watched the episodes on UPN. Paltry extras include an extended pilot and deleted scenes that, included as a montage at the end of the final disc, are out of context and thus useless. The fact that five of the six discs have a "special features" button that, when clicked, tells you this disc has no special features reflects just how much care went into the production of a DVD set that should be bought only by those who missed the first season of one of TV's true hidden gems.

Warner Bros. owes the devoted cult following that kept this low-rated series on the air a better DVD set chock full of commentaries, interviews and deleted scenes in context.