What do you do to placate fans when there are no more seasons of a show to box into a DVD collection? Simple...put out a set of the best episodes from every season. Better yet...ask the show's fans which episodes should be included, and that's what Anchor Bay has done. This 7-disc set features episodes apparently voted on a legions of die-hard "Xena" fans, most of whom probably already have every boxed set from the show's six-year run. So why bother to do a collection of like this at all? Probably the same reason Capitol Records released "The Beatles 1"...for the inner geek in all of us, there something inherently cool about compilations, especially those as nicely packaged as this one.

Of course, sets like this will always have long-time fans saying, "why wasn't THIS or THAT episode included?" Still, even longtime Xenaphiles have to admit the 16 episodes featured here are some of the best, many of which display the irreverent, tongue-in-cheek campiness the series is renowned for. Though I'm not a geek-level Xena fan (like my wife), my personal favorite, "The Bitter Suite" (a full-blown musical) is among the selected episodes, as is the two-part series finale, "A Friend in Need." As a "greatest hits" collection (for lack of a better term), this set is marvelously entertaining, with all six seasons well-represented. Included are three episodes from season one, one from season two, three from season three, one from season four, three from season five & four from season six, which many agree was the best. As the trend in DVD sales continues to shift more toward TV series boxed sets, I suspect we'll see a lot of similar compilations of other shows, which is probably a good thing. With rare exception, it's hard to think of any series worth owning every single episode of, and the nature of "Xena" lends itself well to compilation. Though Anchor Bay obviously is trying to yet-again to reel-in longtime Xena-geeks, this is the perfect boxed set for the casual fan who's unable or unwilling to shell out the cash for the other six collections. And for the uninitiated or curious, this 10th Anniversary collection is a perfect starting point.

If there is one area in which the DVD presentation of "Xena" has always been a bit lacking, it's the transfer, and this set is no exception. These episodes look and sound exactly like they did in previous boxed set releases. That's not to say they are bad...it's just that the flaws and grain present in the original video transfers are present here. Each episode is rendered in 5.1 Dolby surround, and sound uniformly good, considering the show's TV origins.

Most of the extras are on discs five & six, and largely exist to coax die-hard fans into buying yet-another boxed set. If you're among those folks, you'll find a lot to enjoy, including footage from the 2005 Xena Convention, reenactments by fans of scenes from the show, interviews with several secondary characters (including long-time B-movie hero, Bruce Campbell), "Xena's Hong Kong Origins," which discusses the influence Hong Kong cinema had on the show, "Mythology vs. Xena," in which actress Alex Tydings discusses her character in both the "Xena" and "Hercules" series (the former is a spin-off of the latter). As usual, there are numerous interviews & commentaries for certain episodes with various cast & crew members, including Lawless, co-star Renee O'Conner, Ted Raimi & a host of others. In other words, there is probably just enough to entice fans of the show to shell out even more cash just for the extras alone.

As someone always aware of his discretionary income, I think compilations of TV series (rather than whole seasons) are the best way to go, and as such, this set is probably the best to come along so far. There's enough here to satisfy the casual fan, while never forgetting those who live & die by the show itself. Well-packaged and brimming with extras, this 10th Anniversary Collection is definitely worth the investment.