5 DVD box sets you need to own. Or at least rent.

1. Friday Night Lights - we have just finished watching all five seasons of this show. And by watching, I mean devouring! We couldn't get enough of it. The premise is simple: follow the lives of a high school football team in a small town in Texas. But the execution is complex: strong scriptwriting, great acting and directing, shot on location with three cameras and no marks, no rehearsals. You don't need to like or understand American football to like this show. It's all about the characters. And you'll be talking like a Texan in no time, "y'all".

2. The Wire - another show that was seriously overlooked by audiences and award shows during its five seasons on air. Set in the crime-addled streets of Baltimore, the show follows both sides: the drug gangs and the police. Every season is fantastic. The acting and scriptwriting is incredible. And you'll be talking like a Baltimore drug dealer in no time, "a'ight".

3. Sex and the City - this show was groundbreaking in its day and it still stands the test of time. This is like having coffee with a girlfriend. I've seen every episode at least five times, maybe more. It never gets old.

4. Breaking Bad - this show is still on air so you can only buy the first four seasons. The fifth and final season returns next year. Set in Albequerque, New Mexico, it follows the exploits of Walter White, a former high school science teacher turned terminal cancer patient turned crystal meth dealer. It's a drama but with darkly comic undertones. The acting across the board is superb.

5. Mad Men - another show still on the air, but if you haven't already, you must catch up with the first seasons. Set in New York's advertising industry in the late 1950s and 1960s, the central character is one Don Draper, a character you should hate but can't help but be captivated by. But Mad Men is more than just Don Draper: the acting from all cast members is killer. As is the scriptwriting.

What else is on your list? I need a new season to get into. Am thinking In Treatment or Sons of Anarchy. I also need to go back and get into a few shows I completely missed the first time around, The West Wing, The Sopranos and Six Feet Under.  So many series, so little time...