BEST OF THE REST

Queer as Folk (Channel 4 Video / Wolfe)

Forget the dismal, Americanized Showtime version. "Queer as Folk," the landmark series about a group of gay Manchester men, really only ever worked in its proper, original English incarnation. Unlike the American version, this one is matter-of-fact and treats its characters as people first. That they are gay is neither diminished nor fussed-over.

The original four-hour series comes in a double-disc set while its inferior but decent sequel, "Queer as Folk Series 2: Same Men, New Tricks," relegates its 90-minute special to just one disc. Transfers are adequate, though unremarkable, and hindered only by one annoying defect... none of the episodes have been divided into subsidiary chapters. It's a glitch that will surely annoy die-hard DVD aficionados, though it should not be seen as taking away from the overall quality of this outstanding milestone in British television.

Traffik (Acorn Media)

More than a decade before Steven Soderbergh and company soared to Oscar-winning heights with "Traffic," the original "Traffik" wowed British television viewers with its frank, depressing but addictively engrossing interwoven tales of the narcotics trade. At nearly five-and-a-half hours, it's more than twice as long as the Soderbergh film and, admittedly, it's nowhere near as technically accomplished though most watchers consider it dramatically more effective thanks, in large part, to the luxury of having more time. The overall thrust of the story, however, is roughly the same with Pakistan substituting for Mexico and England and Germany stepping in for the United States. Fans of Julia Ormond will be especially astonished and fascinated to see her in the part of the drug-addicted daughter, a more accomplished actress in her teens than she has proved to be as an adult. Extras include an interview with writer Simon Moore and producer Brian Eastman along with the usual set of production notes and talent files.

A Year in Provence (A&E)

Four seasons squashed into six hours idyllic hours in France's most pastoral regions - it could only be the wonderful "A Year in Provence," the 1993 BBC production based on Peter Mayle's beloved memoirs. John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan play Mayle and his wife Annie in this warm and affectionate telling of the Mayle's adventurous first year, as they struggle to make the transition from urban England to rural France, experiencing delight and frustrating along the way.