Poltergeist: The Legacy—Season 1

It's one of the secret gems of genre television of the last decade: Poltergeist: The Legacy (which borrows nothing but its title from the movie series) treats the supernatural with just the right touch of solemnity, allowing viewers to suspend disbelief and enjoy a thorough haunting in these 21 first season (1996) episodes revolving around demons, secret societies, satanic rituals, cursed relics, and little girls with eerie powers. From the creators of the excellent new The Outer Limits and sublime Stargate SG-1 series, these tales of the “Legacy”—an ancient order of seers, necromancers, priests, and skeptics who battle evil spirits bent on taking over our world—feature surprisingly dark plotlines and subject matter sexier than you might expect from this type of series (although the show originated on Showtime, which is more daring than its commercial brethren). Granted, the cast is largely unknown, and this five-disc boxed set is disappointingly extra-less; no matter, it's still a spectacularly spooky treat. Recommended. (M. Johanson)