Even if you saw the incredible "Human Planet" series that ran last year on Discovery, you still haven't seen the whole story.

This DVD set is the original BBC version, narrated by John Hurt (instead of Mike Rowe on Discovery), with three hours of scenes not broadcast in North America. The eight-part series, which was four years in the making, "is a breathtaking celebration of the amazing, complex, profound and sometimes challenging relationship between humankind and nature."

In addition to the three extra hours of content, the set also includes 10 ten-minute "making of" featurettes -- one at the end of each episode and two bonus segments. (Note: Even though it's the BBC version, it's still a Region 1 DVD so it'll play on any U.S. DVD player.)

If you'd like to be in our drawing for this one, send me an email by midnight tonight and include your mailing address.

It's once again time for our holiday giveaway spree! We think we've accummulated enough DVDs to give something away every day between now and Christmas -- and Black Friday seems like a good time to start things off.

First up is The BBC Tudors Collection, made up of three popular miniseries about the great Tudor monarchs. The set includes "The Shadow of the Tower" starring James Maxwell (1970); "The Six Wives of Henry the VIII" starring Keith Michell (1971), and "Elizabeth" starring Glenda Jackson (1972). Each dvd contains special features such as interviews with stars, historians, and authors.

The three productions received 6 Emmys and 8 BAFTAs (Britain's equivalent of the Emmys).

Since I'm late posting this one, I'll give you till midnight on Sunday to email me with your entry. All I need is your name and mailing address and you're entered in our random drawing. We'll alert the winner next week.

Check back for a new giveaway on Monday!!

Call the Midwife
Sundays at 8 on UNC-TV

Fans of soapy British dramas will want to reserve an hour between 8 and 9 over the next six Sunday evenings for this charming new BBC series about young midwives in London in the 1950s.

"Call the Midwife," which aired in the UK earlier this year and which drew more viewers there than the first season of "Downtown Abby," is told from the perspective of young midwife Jenny Lee, who fresh out of training goes to work at a nursing convent in an impoverished area of East London.

Know anyone that loves cars and Brits?

Then seek today's giveaway: "Top Gear," the BBC show that features cars, stunts and humor and the British presenter dudes who bring it all to you.

We'll give you THREE DVD sets: The complete season one, featuring Adam Ferrara, Tanner Foust and Rutledge Wood doing a moonshine run in the deep South, teaching a blind man to drift a Nissan 370Z, and messing around with celebs like "Modern Family's" Ty Burrell and Kid Rock.

The complete season 13 with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May trying to film a Volkswagen ad and test driving a Lambo Murcielago, and hanging with sprinter Usain Bolt and comic Jay Leno.

The complete season 16 with the gang embarking on a three-part US road trip and testing the Rolls-Royce Ghost, and goofing around with Boris Becker and Simon Pegg.

Plus, just because we like going over the top, we'll throw in a 4-disc DVD set of "Top Shot," the History Channel's competition show that challenges contestants to feats of markmanship inspired by historical events. Like Wild West gunfights.

Just send an email by 8 tonight (12/15) and we'll choose a random winner.

From correspondent Tammy Grubb

True love may be just around the corner for Carrboro!

Producers of the new show, “LoveTown USA,” have named the town a finalist for the Oprah Winfrey Network and BBC Worldwide television series. The next step is a visit with residents in a Town Hall meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 13.

Community and Economic director Annette Stone said the producers wouldn’t say how many other towns are in the finals, too. Kingsland, Ga., officials said they are still in the running, but officials in Reidsville, Fuquay-Varina and Culpeper, Va., said their towns were rejected. There’s no word yet from Newton or Clayton, N.C.
The show’s casting directors will make a final decision in January.

The show will take over a small American town for 30 days, bringing in professional matchmakers to pair up local singles and see how the relationships develop and affect the town. Filming could happen in February or March.

You gotta admit it: We steal some good television from the Brits. Among our quality grabs: "Life on Mars," the short-lived ABC series.

But today we're offering the source material, the BBC version of "Life on Mars." You'll get 8 episodes of the show that chronicles the life of Sam Tyler, a police detective who gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1973. It takes him back to a time when police were, to put it bluntly, hard-drinking thugs, and that was fine with everybody. And let's not talk about the forensics tools.

With this collection, you'll also get audio commentary, an hour-long documentary with behind-the-scenes footage, a featurette on the show's composer, and an outtakes reels.

It's a neat little treat for your Anglophile friends or if you watched the American version, you can compare and contrast.

Send that email by 8 tonight (9/22) with your address in the body and our random drawing will show who's in for a bloody good time.

And now something extra special: "Great Detectives Anthology."

We're not talking Columbo and Monk, This set of 12 DVDs features 18 classic capers featuring Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes, as portrayed by Brits David Suchet, Joan Hickson and Peter Cushing.

You'll get familiar mysteries like "Death on the Nile," "Murder at the Vicarage," and "The Hound of the Baskervilles." And included in the more than 26 hours of viewing are bonus features: "Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective" documentary, Agatha Christie biography, a David Suchet biography, and complete indexes of all the Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot stories.

This is courtesy, by the way, of the BBC and A&E.

There's no mystery in how to get your hands on this set: Just send in an email with your address in the body by 9 tonight (12/10). A random drawing will determine the winner.

Dr. Who (9pm, BBC America) - It's the fifth season premiere of the popular U.K. sci-fi show, and Matt Smith (right) replaces David Tennant in the lead role. In the first episode, the 11th Doctor (Smith) must save the world in 20 minutes, even though the TARDIS is wrecked and his sonic screwdriver is disabled. Tune in at 8pm for a special "Ultimate Guide to Dr. Who" and that last sentence might make sense to you.

The Front (9pm, Lifetime) - It's the second part to last week's so-so "Patricia Cornwell's 'At Risk'" Lifetime movie. Adrienne says this one is better. Starring Andie MacDowell, Daniel Sunjata and Diahann Carroll. 

Strikeforce: Nashville (9pm, CBS) - There's a big Mixed Martial Arts match. I don't get it, but there you go. 

The Wanda Sykes Show (11pm, Fox) - Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") and Laila Ali are guests.

Saturday Night Live (11:30pm, NBC) - Tonight's host is Ryan Phillippe, who incidentally co-stars in the new film version of "MacGruber." So it's pretty much a given that we'll be treated (ugh) to at least one MacGruber sketch. Ke$ha is the musical guest. 

Attention all British soap opera enthusiasts: UNC-TV is pairing with the North Carolina EastEnders Fan Club (yes, there is such a thing) to host an "EastEnders" marathon and Twitter party on Sunday night.

The Festival 2010 EastEnders marathon begins at 9pm on UNC-TV, and participants are asked to follow @UNCTV on Twitter and to use the #unctveastenders hashtag in all their Eastender tweets. You can use TweetGrid (or your favorite Twitter app) to “Party” along. While you all watch the episodes on TV, of course. 

Members of the NC EastEnders Fan Club will be live in the UNC-TV studios moderating the Twitter discussions, answering questions, and giving away prizes. The virtual party lasts from 9pm to midnight.

You can contact Jen Jones (jenjones@unctv.org) at UNC-TV for more information. You can also get more information at The NC Eastenders Fan Club Facebook page.