White Collar: The Complete First Season

The USA cable network follows its successful formula of personable stars, likable characters, and witty byplay in White Collar, which partners an FBI unit (specializing in fraud, art theft, and high-stakes robbery) with a professional thief who uses confidence games and elaborate heists to help stop crime. Matt Bomer stars as Neal Caffrey, a charming master crook who specializes in black market art objects and historical treasures, with Tim DeKay costarring as FBI agent Peter Burke, the only man to ever catch the slippery con artist (twice) and now his boss. While hardly must-see-TV, the mostly light and breezy White Collar is a sleek-looking series with a dark conspiracy running under the surface (a story arc that connects the otherwise standalone chapters). Former bad boy Caffrey discovers that it's fun to use his criminal expertise to aid the good guys, and the oil-and-water partnership coupled with a colorful cast of supporting characters—including Tiffani Thiessen, James Rebhorn, Diahann Carroll, and particularly Willie Garson as Caffrey's old accomplice in crime and now reluctant partner in lawfulness—forms the main attraction. Compiling all 14 episodes from the 2009–10 first season, bonus features include episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)