'Entourage: The Complete Series" celebrates HBO comedy

• 18-disc DVD and Blu-ray sets include all eight seasons and 96 episodes
• Chronicles rising Hollywood star Vincent Chase and his three childhood buddies from Queens
• Set comes with six hours of bonus material, including interviews and a look behind the scenes

Rising actor Vincent Chase arrived in Hollywood eight years ago with three loyal buddies from Queens in tow and dreams of stardom and a life of luxury. When the foursome flew off into the sunset last year, they'd not only realized those dreams, but had taken the whole idea of wine, women and song to the extreme.

The just-out Entourage: The Complete Series (2004-11, HBO, not rated, $250; Blu-ray, $300) collects all eight seasons of the wild, comedic ride of Vincent (Adrian Grenier), Eric (Kevin Connolly), Drama (Kevin Dillon) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) through the glittery, though treacherous, celebrity-filled world of entertainment. Helping them navigate is super agent Ari Gold (three-time Emmy winner Jeremy Piven) and a host of other colorful characters.

The series is spread out over 18 discs and comes with more than six hours of bonus content that includes audio commentaries, cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes features and discussions about the celebrity life. Seasons one through five are available on Blu-ray for the first time.

Entourage was created and executive produced by Doug Ellin. It's loosely based on the early Hollywood experiences of his friend Mark Wahlberg (also one of the show's executive producers). It follows the climb of Vincent, who in the first season seeks to build on the success of his first hit, Head On. His level-headed best friend and manager, Eric (or "E" as he's called), is often at odds with the abrasive Ari over how to accomplish this. Meanwhile, older half-brother — washed-up actor Johnny Drama — hopes to rekindle his career, and Turtle just tries to find a way to make himself useful.

As time passes, they all grow and go through various trials, but the overarching theme of the show is that none of it — fame, money, conflict, women (and there are plenty of those) — can break their bond of friendship. Though they may seem to live life in a candy store, they don't forget where they came from or who they came with. They also don't take themselves or their day-to-day challenges too seriously. Ari is fond of saying, "Let's hug it out," when there is a need for resolution.

The show's patina of authenticity is aided by the parade of stars (making cameos as themselves) who cross paths with Vincent's crew. There were at least a couple in every episode. Among the dozens of film, music and sports figures who dropped in over the years are Wahlberg, Jessica Alba, Val Kilmer, Lamar Odom, Bob Saget, James Cameron, Mandy Moore, Seth Green, Gary Busey, Kanye West, Dennis Hopper, Tony Bennett, Michael Phelps, Jay Leno, Matt Damon, Stan Lee and LeBron James.

The series was nominated for 24 Emmy awards and won six, three for sound mixing and three by Piven for supporting actor in a comedy series. He also won a Golden Globe for his role. Ellin said in September that the world may not have seen the last of the Entourage crew. He has completed a screenplay for a movie that would pick up their story six months after the final season ended. There's been no word yet, however, about when work would begin on such a project.