UNDERRATED’Austin City Limits’: Probably one of the...

UNDERRATED

‘Austin City Limits’: Probably one of the greatest things about being part of Generation DVR is having an electronic chip remember to grab every episode of this reliably great hour of live music. Last week’s episode featuring Iron & Wine and Aimee Mann was like a two-part buffet of golden songwriting. And the show’s track record of engaging performances has to be one of the best in the nation. PBS rocks.

‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’: We’re healthy eaters for the most part, which makes this Food Network show that much more of a guilty pleasure. Guy Fieri’s enthusiasm may be an acquired taste, but watching this spiky-haired savant of lard tour the country in search of roadside treasures carries the same foodie cachet as higher-minded shows, with roughly twice the cholesterol. The show should come with a hospital crash cart.

OVERRATED

Holiday special creep: We’re not being Grinches, honest, but we don’t think we’re asking for much in requiring networks to wait until after the Thanksgiving turkey’s out of the oven to roll the holiday programming. Chuck Jones’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is an annual favorite around our house, but who was in the mood when TBS aired it last weekend? Don’t you guys remember how great it is to anticipate the holidays?

HBO’s boxed set pricing: It’s surely an unpleasant result of supply and demand, but our excitement at the complete DVD packages for “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” is tempered a touch by asking prices (listed at $399.99 and $249.99, respectively) that aren’t exactly in tune with these tough economic times. Seriously, guys, we recognize they’re terrific shows, but if we spend this much now, how are we to afford subscribing too?