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Karma Chameleon

My Name is Earl (20th Century Fox, $49.98)

The first season of NBC's semi-hit sitcom tells the painfully funny story of Earl Hickey's slow redemption after a life of bad deeds. Hit by a car just after he nabs a winning $100,000 lottery ticket, Earl figures karma is out to get him -- unless he atones for years of bad behavior. Which isn't easy for a guy who didn't pay taxes, broke his ex-wife's fancy skater figurine and stole beer from a golfer, to mention a few sins. If karma really worked, Emmys would go to Jason Lee as Earl and to the stellar supporting cast -- especially Earl's trashy ex ("karma this, you dummy") and his sublimely moronic brother, who ponders life's imponderables: "Being alive is kinda hard, but I think it's definitely better than being dead."

Extras: Must-see TV! An entertaining behind-the-scenes documentary, commentary from show creator Greg Garcia (who sort of based Earl on his own step dad), and best of all: a DVD-only episode called Bad Karma, which reworks the series premise. Introduced by Jason "Earl" Lee in the garb of a British nobleman, this bizarro pilot features an Earl who seeks retribution, not redemption.

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