TV/American

The series that redefines the origins of the world's greatest hero reaches its powerful conclusion with more revelations, more fascinating characters from DC Comics lore and a mind-blowing, spirit-lifting finale that is everything fans could want. In this 22-Episode Season 10, super heroes emerge from the shadows, only to be driven underground by a public that labels them vigilantes. At the same time, otherworld forces of darkness gather, presenting Clark Kent with the greatest challenge of his young life.

Smallville continued its post-Millar/Gough resurgence with an excellent ninth season in which Clark (Tom Welling) dons a new black costume but remains too fast for the public eye, now dubbed "the Blur" (instead of "the Red-Blue Blur"). His new nemesis is fellow Kryptonian Major Zod (Callum Blue), and the persistent theme of the season is the vision of a nightmarish post-apocalyptic world ruled by Zod and his army of soldiers.

Who would have predicted that the departure of series creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough would have given Smallville a surge of super-strength in its eighth season? Give a good part of the credit to saying out with the old--series veterans Michael Rosenbaum (Lex) and Kristin Kreuk (Lana), whose dreary romantic coupling dragged down previous seasons--and in with the new.

Super-sexy and super-flirty, Clark's super-cousin Kara (Laura Vandervoot) made the splashiest addition to the cast in Smallville's season 7. Unfortunately for Clark (Tom Welling), she's more advanced in her powers than he is (she can fly), and she's not the kind to shy away from drawing attention to herself, whether it's in a skimpy bikini or garnering notice from Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) and Jimmy (Aaron Ashmore, joining the opening credits).

The second half of the final season. They've experienced the pleasure of sex, the pain of heartbreak and the panacea of friendship. Now, Carrie Bradshaw and her three best friends-Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha- are headed into an exciting new chapter in their lives that's as unpredictable as the metropolis they live in. It's the last hurrah for Carrie and Co.

They've experienced the pleasure of sex, the pain of heartbreak and the panacea of friendship. Now, Carrie Bradshaw and her three best friends-Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha- are headed into an exciting new chapter in their lives that's as unpredictable as the metropolis they live in. It's the last hurrah for Carrie and Co.

From the moment the young Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) is stolen from his life and ancestral home in 18th-century Africa and brought under inhumane conditions to be auctioned as a slave in America, a line is begun that leads from this most shameful chapter in U.S. history to the 20th-century author Alex Haley, a Kinte descendant. The late Haley's acclaimed book Roots was adapted into this six-volume television miniseries, which was a widely watched phenomenon in 1977.

An explosion of stripes, pastels, and pure bubblegum pop music, The Partridge Family were more popular than The Brady Bunch when they were both on the air. It's easy to see why; though perhaps best known for launching David Cassidy as a pop idol, The Partridge Family merged infectious melodies with fresh writing and charming, lighthearted performances. In The Complete Third Season, the show is at its peak. The touring of a family band had largely been laid aside; the focus is on domestic life, though every episode features at least one musical number.

By the second season (1971-72) of its four-year run, America's favorite rock 'n' roll television family found its groove, with well-honed comedic timing and familial chemistry that helped secure The Partridge Family as one of the brightest sitcoms of the decade. This three-disk set includes all 24 episodes where most of the action remains close to home; Keith's role expands (as David Cassidy's real life stardom as teen idol crystallized); and the stories exploit the acerbic banter between Danny (Danny Bonaduce) and Reuben Kincaid (Dave Madden).

Danny Bonaduce was always The Partridge Family's not-so-secret weapon. His cheerful money-grubbing ways provided an antidote to the smug homilies and treacly heartwarmingness that afflicted so many sitcoms of the early 1970s. His prepubescent cynicism was never more needed than in The Partridge Family's fourth and final season, when recycled plots and forced gaiety began to seep in. The biggest red flag was, of course, the addition of an adorable precocious tot: Ricky Segall, a four-year-old neighbor who brought too many episodes to a screeching halt with his cloying children's songs.