DVD/TV Series Review: ALF: The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)

 

ALF: The Complete Seris is a DVD box set containing the live-action sitcom Alf, which aired for four seasons on NBC from 1986 to 1990, and the two animated Saturday morning cartoons that were spun off of the main series: Alf: The Animated Series and Alf Tales. The live-action series was created by Tom Patchett and Paul Fusco about an alien from the planet Melmac named Gordon Shumway (but always called ALF, short for alien life form), whose ship drifted in space for a year after his planet blew up and then crashed into the garage of a family in Los Angeles. Fusco created the character of ALF, voiced him in the series, and acted as the puppeteer. The series also starred Max Wright, Anne Schedeen, Andrea Elson, and Benji Gregory in the leading roles as the Tanner family members with whom ALF lives. John Lamatta and Liz Sheridan play the most prominent supporting characters in the series, Tanner's neighbors, Trevor and Raquel Ochmonek. The Animated Series aired from 1987 to 1989 and was a story-of-the-week cartoon about ALF's life on Melmac. Alf Tales aired from 1988 to 1990 and spoofed Fairy Tales such as Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, etc., often infusing them with pop-culture references such as movie references like The Godfather or 80s personalities like Sigfried and Roy and Johnny Carson. 

The DVD set is a 24-disc set. The final disc is a bonus disc that contains a series retrospective featuring interviews with Fusco and Patchett, the 1996 TV movie Project ALF, which resolved the cliffhanger that the parent series ended on, and a handful of episodes from the series with Patchett and Fusco (mostly in character as ALF) commentating on the episodes as bubbles with facts about the series or jokes pop up on the screen. Overall, this is a nice box set, especially for people who were kids in the 1980s watching the show when it aired. The live-action series is the best of everything included in this set. It was mainly wholesome and family-friendly, but occasionally, it would sneak a more adult joke in. The series had quite a few recognizable character actors from the 1980s who appeared, along with a couple of well-known guest stars like Ed McMahon and David Odgen Stiers. The only drawback is that the series ended on a massive cliffhanger. If you watch the bonus material, you will discover that NBC had not decided on the series' fate as the fourth season ended. The producers agreed with NBC that they would end the season on a cliffhanger, and if the series was not renewed for a fifth season, they would make a TV movie to wrap up the story. Unfortunately, NBC backed out of that agreement, so the ending went unresolved until 1996 when ABC agreed to do the TV movie Project ALF.

While it was a decent ending to the story, it did not include any of the cast members from the main series, so it was not a proper series finale. The two animated series were fine but were definitely geared 100% for kids, so they are not as enjoyable for adults. Ultimately, ALF was a fun show. If you lived through the 1980s, it will be a nostalgic blast from the past. One thing some may enjoy is that there are a couple of shots taken at donald t***p, proving that the orange genital wart was just as big a joke back then as he is now. Of course, Americans would be stupid enough to elect an idiot who was a punchline for 80s sitcoms and cartoons as President. The show is dated and a bit cheesy but holds up well and is worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: ALF: Season 4

 

The fourth season of ALF consisted of 24 episodes and aired during the 1989/1990 TV season. It was the final season of the show and brought back all of the main characters, although the supporting characters, such as the Ochmoneks, were utilized less this season than in the first three seasons. This season of the show had the most guest stars, some very recognizable, including Casey Kasem, David Spade, Ted Raimi, Dan Castellaneta, and Fran Drescher. James J Bullock joined the cast as a recurring character this season, playing Willie's younger brother, Neal. It appears that the writers may not have known that the series would be canceled, as it ended on a massive cliffhanger (which would eventually be resolved via a 1996 TV movie called Project ALF). 

The DVD set is a four-disc set with just the episodes and no bonus features. However, the episodes do have English captions. For the most part, the series stuck to its formula as a wholesome, family-friendly sitcom, with the occasional (tame) adult-themed joke thrown in. The show did start to address heavier issues (such as hinting at Lynn having sex) but never got controversial. The cliffhanger ending to the series finale was not great (especially back in 1990 when it was not clear that it would ever be resolved), but my guess is the showrunners thought they would get a fifth season to properly conclude the series. The show was getting stale by the fourth season, but it still had some funny moments. It is still worth watching, especially to get the blast of nostalgia if you watched the series as a kid.  

DVD/TV Series Review: The Good Place: Season 2

 

+++Warning, this has spoilers from season 1, but no major season 2 giveaways+++

The 13-episode second season of The Good Place aired from fall 2017 into winter 2018. It picks up immediately after the reset that ended season 1 when the group finds out they are really in The Bad Place and have been torturing each other. It does not really follow the format of season 1. I will not spoil all the details of season 2; however, the bulk of the season is focused on the group trying to get into the real Good Place.

The show continues to be well-written and acted. All the "core" group returns, and some of the more ancillary season one characters have a more significant role this year. That said, not everyone who made guest appearances last year returns this season. It sticks to the format of primarily being a comedy, which does not take itself very seriously but also ties in some emotional moments. The cast gets along well or can fake great chemistry, which is essential given the show's format. Unlike season one, it does not end on a cliffhanger this year and does leave a lot of leeway going into season three for what direction the show will go in.

The DVD set is a two-disc set that is very bare-bones. The extras include a commentary track on one episode, a seven-minute gag reel, and a special effects reel that lasts less than a minute. What was included was good, but not nearly as much as what season one had, and there are no closed captions. And, of course, it is one of the shows for which no blu-ray set is available.

This is a great option if you are looking for a great comedy that is still under the radar. Despite being about the afterlife, it has no religious overtones. It deals more with philosophy and what it means to be good and bad. That is the serious part of the show. It is mostly really absurd humor and, like I said, does not take itself all that seriously. You definitely want to watch season one because it is not a show that you can easily just jump into and have it make sense. All the episodes are chapters in a long story, and everything connects together. The mediocre DVD release aside, it is worth checking out even if you just stream it.

DVD/TV Series Review: Alf: Season 3

 

The 26-episode third season of Alf aired during the 1988/1989 TV season. The main cast members, including Paul Fusco, Max Wright, Andrea Elson, Benjy Gregory, and Anne Schedeen, returned this season. Schedeen's role was reduced during the season to accommodate her real-life pregnancy, which was written into the show. All the cast members playing the Tanner's neighbors, the Ochmoneks, also returned, including John LaMotta, Liz Sheridan, and Josh Blake.

The DVD set is a four-disc set.  The episodes have English captions, but there are no bonus features such as episode commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes material, or the like. The show continues to be a fun, family-friendly procedural sitcom. Aside from two two-part episodes, the storylines do not stretch throughout the season. A particular episode's storyline is resolved by the end of that episode. This season included two two-part episodes, which would see the series' biggest guest stars appear. There was a two-part episode in which Alf filled in for Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show (which were mainly clip-shows, showing highlights from throughout the series). Johnny did not appear, but Ed McMahon appeared in both episodes. In the second, David Ogden Stiers, who played Major Winchester on M*A*S*H, guest starred as a homeless person hanging out in the neighborhood and who, of course, discovers ALF. Overall, the show continued to be a fun sitcom. It was a very wholesome, feel-good show. All of the jokes were family-friendly, although the show did have the occasional more adult-oriented joke that would be a double-entendre that would go over most kid's heads. Whether you watched the show when it originally aired or not, it is a good comedy that holds up pretty well nearly 40 years after it first aired (as of this writing) and is still worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Modern Family: Season 8

The 22-episode 8th season of Modern Family aired during the 2016/2017 TV season. All of the main cast members returned. The show also included many recognizable actors in guest and recurring roles, including Fred Willard, Nathan Fillion, Ernie Hudson, Martin Short, Joely Fisher, Shelly Long, Elizabeth Banks, Peyton Manning, Victor Garber, and Charles Barkley (to name just a few). Chances are, anyone reading this by now knows what the show is. It is definitely one of those sitcoms that finds what works and does not deviate much from the formula. That is not to say every episode of the show is the same. They are not. Even after 8 seasons, the writers have managed to come up with enough material to make the show enjoyable. All the characters are continuing to develop in different ways. The actors seem to still enjoy their characters and, even after all these years, do not seem to be phoning it in at all. While an argument can certainly be made that the show was getting a bit long in the tooth by the 8th season (it would eventually last 11 seasons), it was still worth watching.

What knocks the set down for me is the DVD presentation. It is another show that Fox is being cheap about with the DVDs. As some may know, Fox prefers to have people stream the shows. It will put out very bare-bones DVD sets for some shows, blu-rays for a very select handful of shows. The shows that do get physical media releases have almost no extras. The only extras for this season are about 6 minutes worth of deleted scenes and a 5 or 6-minute gag reel. There are no commentary tracks, no behind-the-scenes features, or anything like what has appeared in the physical media releases for prior seasons of the show. Unless you are getting the sets because you have the other seasons in a collection, you are not missing anything by streaming the show.

DVD/TV Series Review: Modern Family: Season 7

 

The 22-episode seventh season of Modern Family aired during the 2015/2016 TV season. I will not go into too much detail on the season itself. Anyone who has stuck with the show this long really knows the formula it follows. This season pretty much sticks with the same story/stories of the week, with tiebacks to previous plot lines/jokes every so often. That said, the show is still developing the characters (mainly the kids, but the adults, too, to a lesser extent), the acting is still great, and I think the writers are coming up with funny, enjoyable stories. I think an argument can be made that it is getting a bit "long in the tooth" as a show, but I think most fans will still find it enjoyable.

The DVD set is a three-disc set and is pretty on par with what they have been since the show stopped being released on blu-ray. It has adequate A/V quality but nothing to write home about. There are a handful of extras, including deleted scenes, a gag reel, a feature on the kids growing up on the show, focused on Rico, Ariel, and Nolan, and then a featurette on a charity Ty Burell is involved with called Kids in the Spotlight. Okay, for what is there, but not a ton. Really, I think the only reason to get the DVDs over just streaming the episodes is if you have the prior seasons and want to have the full collection. Otherwise, unless you really want the handful of bonus features, the A/V quality will probably be better (or at least as good) steaming them.

DVD/TV Series Review: ALF: Season 2

 

The 26-episode second season of ALF aired during the 1987/1988 TV season. The main cast members returned, including Paul Fusco, Max Wright, Anne Schedeen, Andrea Elson, and Benji Gregory. The roles of the Ochmoneks were also increased this season, with John LaMotta and Liz Sheridan getting more screen time and Josh Blake recurring throughout the season.

The DVD set is a four-disc set. It only contains the episodes and does not have any bonus features. The episodes can be played with English captions. Ultimately, the show continues to be a good sitcom. Most episodes have self-contained storylines that are resolved by the end of the episode, but the season includes some two-part episodes. The show is family-friendly, with mostly innocent jokes, although a few more adult-oriented jokes will probably go over most kids' heads. If you watched the show when it was originally on the air, it is a nice blast from the past (especially if you were a kid back in the 1980s). Regardless, if you are looking for a nice, family-friendly sitcom, this is worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: Titus: Season 3

 

The 21-episode third (and final) season of Titus aired during the 2001/2002 TV season, starting in the winter of 2001 and continuing (due to schedule interruptions) until the summer of 2002. Titus was a show that pushed a lot of boundaries. In some ways, it was a sitcom in name only because it could get dark and dramatic and then turn on a dime and be extremely funny. It was a show, much like in the vein of Family Guy, American Dad, and Arrested Development, that would make fun of anything at any time and most likely could not get past the censors if it was on the air today. You can actually see much of the style of this show in the original Fox run of Arrested Development, which is another show Fox gave short shrift to. I really look at this show as the trailer park version of Arrested Development, showing a more real dysfunctional family.

The show is based on comedian Christopher Titus' one-man comedy show called Norman Rockwell is Bleeding, where he basically tells a bunch of stories about his screwed-up life. While things have been fictionalized for the show and to make them more funny, most of the events depicted, if you listen to the commentaries and watch the DVD extras, were based on events that happened in his life. The core cast of Titus, Zack Ward, Cynthia Watros, David Shawtraw, and Stacy Keach was tremendous. Keach continued in season 3 to steal nearly every scene he was in. Elizabeth Berkeley was also added as a recurring character playing Titus' sister and blended with the cast very well.

The third season of the show got very dark, tackling topics of suicide, sexual abuse, and mental illness, and had a two-part finale that, frankly, I am amazed made it on the air given it aired after 9/11, which involved the whole group getting arrested as suspected terrorists trying to bring down a plane. One of the standout moments of the season, and really of the series, appears in the episode Tommy's Not Gay, where they go from an extremely funny joke to Titus in the "neutral space" (which is basically inside his head talking directly to the audience) where he comments on the murder of Matthew Shepard, which was a perfect example of how the show went from funny to serious within a couple seconds. The cast and showrunners felt that the dark bent to the series probably had a lot to do with its demise, but I think the show stuck to what it wanted to be, regardless of how controversial, and would not have worked as a watered-down production.

The show ended way before its time. The series ended with a big cliffhanger. Most likely anyone reading this by now knows what it was, but on the off chance, someone reading this does not know I will not spoil it. In some ways, it was a perfect way to end the series, but in other ways, it left a lot up in the air. The DVD includes an episode that either aired way after the finale or never aired, that did not address the events of the prior episodes but itself had a very powerful theme.

For those who do shell out for the DVDs (which you will have to pay more for, given they are out of print), the extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, interviews with Stacy Keach, Cynthia Watros, and Zack Ward, and Blooper reels from seasons 2 and 3. The interviews and commentaries were interesting in that they were done years after the show was already off the air, so they were much more reflective on the experience of working on the show as a whole than they were specific to Season 3. If you want to get a copy of the season 3 DVD set, I suggest watching the auction sites and third-party sellers like a hawk because it takes some patience to get it at a good price. I have seen them ranging from about $50 to well over $100 for a new or like new set. Sometimes, even sets that are pretty beaten up are listed for pretty high prices. But if you are patient, you can find it for a decent price. The show will definitely not appeal to everyone, and there is not likely to be a lot of middle-ground feelings toward it. You will likely either love the show or hate it, but it is one of the best sitcoms of all time, and definitely worth getting if you can find it at a reasonable price.

DVD/TV Series Review: Titus Seasons 1 and 2

 

Titus was a comedy series that aired for three seasons on FOX from 2000 to 2002. The nine-episode first season aired during the spring of 2000, and the 24-episode second season aired during the 2000/2001 regular TV season. The show starred comedian Christopher Titus, Cynthia Watros, Zack Ward, Stacy Keach, and David Shatraw. It was based on Christopher Titus' stand-up comedy show Norman Rockwell is Bleeding, where he basically tells many stories from his life growing up in a dysfunctional family. 

Titus is a sitcom, but it was a very non-traditional sitcom. It tackled very big issues like alcoholism, domestic abuse, suicide, murder, drugs, etc. If Arrested Development was the upper-crust (and very fictionalized) version of a messed-up family, this was the lower-class, trailer park (and more real) version of a dysfunctional family. The acting and writing were great, and the show had a unique ability to get a laugh out of any subject, no matter how serious. But it could turn on a dime from being funny to ultra-serious in a few seconds. Stacy Keach pretty much stole every scene he was in as Ken Titus, the hard-drinking, chain-smoking, womanizing father. Anyone old enough to remember him trying to play his tough guy roles in the 1980s was probably amazed at the comedic chops he had and how much better he did in that role than his others. The cast was rounded out by Cynthia Watros (playing Titus' girlfriend), Zack Ward as his hilarious burnout brother, and David Shawtraw as his "normal" friend. The show balanced all the great characters well and gave them all equal time, even having shows where one character would barely appear to give more time to the others.

Chances are, anyone reading this by now was a fan of the show when it was originally on the air, going on 15+ years ago now, and wants to try and get a hold of the DVD. They are around, but you really have to do some price shopping because they are out of print, and for a good copy, you can pay a very exorbitant price. This set is generally more available than season 3, which tends to be the higher priced of the two sets, but if you watch auction sites and/or keep an eye on third-party sellers, you can grab them for relatively good deals. But you are likely going to have to pay more now than the discs are actually worth.

For those who get the DVDs, they were produced after the show was canceled by Fox, so they are very bare bones. There are commentary tracks on a few episodes with Christopher Titus and two of the show's creators/producers. On the third disc, there is also a rehearsal reel and a half-hour look back on the series that gave some insight into why, even though it got decent ratings, it was canceled. It is ultimately a controversial show that pushed the bounds of a sitcom, even more than Married With Children did in some ways. If you grew up in, or even had a tangential experience with a dysfunctional family chances are you will relate to the show and really like it. If that was not your experience you may be appalled by and hate the show. I don't know how much middle ground there is between those who love and hate the show, but I love it enough to think it is worth paying extra for the out-of-print DVDs if you can find them at a reasonable price.

DVD/TV Series Review: You're the Worst: Season 1

 

The 10-episode first season of the show You're the Worst aired during the summer and fall of 2017. It stars Aya Cash, Chris Geere, Desmin Borges, Kether Donohue, and Allan McLeod. The show is a comedy about two cynical people, Jimmy (played by Chris Geere) and Gretchen (played by Aya Cash) (one a novelist and one a PR representative for a rap group), who meet and subsequently hook up at his ex's wedding. Although neither believes in love or relationships, they end up in one (while denying it the whole time), and hilarity ensues. It is a typical weekly sitcom about nothing in particular. The show just follows the lives of Jimmy, Gretchen, and their friends and navigating their relationship. But what it ends up being is a funny, sometimes bordering on dramatic, smartly written show on the complications of friends-with-benefits relationships, marriage, family, and friendships. It is not like any other sitcom on TV, and because it is on cable, it can get away with a lot more.

The DVD set is a two-disc made-on-demand set. The discs just have the ten episodes. There are no bonus features. Like many of Fox's shows, unless they consider it a big ticket show, they either give a bare-bones factory DVD release (and no blu-ray) or, like this one, only stream it. Luckily, for those who like the physical discs, Amazon has made a DVD-R release, which basically burns the episodes and nothing else. So you will get no extras, no subtitles (for those for whom that matters), or anything you would get on a proper release. It does suck, but it is what it is. The show is definitely not family-friendly, as there are a lot of sexual situations and dialogue. There was some nudity in the pilot episode, but not much after that, and the kind of language you get on the TV-MA cable shows. So, if that would turn you off to a show, it is best to skip this. If not, it is definitely a show worth checking out. It is well written and acted with a great supporting cast. Kether Donohue steals every scene she is in as Lindsay, Gretchen's best friend who is in a dead-end marriage with a husband she cannot stand. It is a very good adult comedy that is well worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Modern Family: Season 6

 

The sixth season of Modern Family had 24 episodes that aired during the 2014/2015 TV season. The show itself continues to be very funny, well-acted, and cleverly written. One of the main themes this year is Alex finishing high school and getting ready for and trying to choose a college. The writers and showrunners seem to want to totally overdo the "Alex is a nerd who does not care about her appearance and dresses her like a lumberjack with the most awful glasses they could find" thing. The younger characters, if the show is going to continue on much longer, are going to have to develop beyond what they are to keep the show fresh. And given that Ariel Winter is so very not a flannel-wearing tomboy, allowing her character to move beyond that now is one way the show can do that. While there is some of that with the adult characters, they are definitely more set, and aside from introducing new situations for them to be in (such as Claire and the internet episode) or robot Phil in the season finale, there is not nearly as much room for character development among them as there will be as the younger actors continue to age.

One of the great additions to the cast as recurring characters was Dunphy's new neighbors, the LaFontaine family, played by Steve Zahn and Andrea Anders. Zahn as a distributor of medical marijuana is hilarious, and having them as sometimes friends and sometimes enemies of Claire and Phil on a limited basis is great. The storylines for the rest of the cast really continue to be more of the same. Each of the individual families gets some focus throughout the season, and then there are storylines that involve the entire family. Every so often, there are callbacks to a prior season's episodes and storylines. The Hailey/Andy storyline that was introduced in the 5th season continues this season (especially toward the end), and we get to see that Beth (played by Laura Ashley Samuels) is actually real, and their story leads into kind of a cliffhanger at the end of the season.

The DVD release this season is better than the season 5 release, but it is still horrible that the show (especially as popular as it continues to be, even if there has been a decline in popularity) does not continue to be available on blu ray as it was during the first 4 seasons. There are not a ton of extras, a few behind-the-scenes and making-of features on some of the episodes, including the internet episode (which was almost entirely shot on iPhones, a few deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Good for what is there, but not as much as in prior seasons. There are no commentary tracks on any of the episodes this year, which is a shame because those were entertaining. If the extras are not a huge deal for you, then streaming it will get you the same audio and video quality (or better) as the DVDs will. So, while the DVD release is lackluster the show itself is still funny and worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: Modern Family Season 5

 

The fifth season of Modern Family aired during the 2014-2014 TV season and included 24 episodes. All of the series regulars were brought back this season, and the show continued its format as a procedural sitcom that has one or two longer arcs that span multiple episodes. In season five that was a Cam and Mitchell engagement-to-wedding story arc that ran throughout the season. As has been the case in prior seasons, there were on-location episodes. This season, they did one episode in Vegas and one in Australia. The final two episodes of the season focused on Cam and Mitchell's wedding and had somewhat predictable disasters that almost ruined the day. Of course, everything ended up being okay in the end. They did get a little over the top and repetitive with the storylines during the season about almost canceling and moving the wedding, but by the end, it was a funny and touching episode.

For those who actually get the discs, the quality is very subpar. First of all, after making the first 4 seasons available on blu-ray, the studio completely went the cheap route and made it only available on DVD, which many of the non-CGI heavy shows are doing. Although Modern Family is still popular enough that it should have still been available on blu-ray. Then, to add insult to injury, the DVD transfer is horrible. Unfortunately, FOX has focused far more on streaming their shows and made the physical media almost an afterthought. On top of all that, there are very few extras. There are scenes on disc 2, then a couple of behind-the-scenes features on the location episodes, a couple featurettes on the wedding episode, and a gag reel. Okay, for what is there, but not as much or as much quality as in the past. The show itself is still great and very funny. The writers do a good job of giving all the characters good storylines throughout the season, and giving the actors great material to work with. There are definitely some episodes, however, in which the kids were kind of relegated to the background, with the storylines for the adults being given precedence. The shitty DVD quality aside, the writing and acting on the show continue to be top-notch, and it is worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: ALF: Season 1

 

The first season of ALF consisted of 26 episodes that aired during the 1986-1987 TV season and starred Max Wright, Anne Schedeen, Andrea Elson, Benji Gregory, John LaMotta, Liz Sheridan, and Paul Fusco (who is the voice and puppeteer of ALF). The show's premise is that an alien life form (or ALF) from the planet Melmack crash-lands in the San Fernando Valley of California into the garage of the Tanner family. They end up taking ALF (real name Gordon Shumway) in as a member of the family, and hilarity ensues. 

The DVD set is a four-disc set, with the episodes spread substantially evenly across the discs. There are no bonus features, but the episodes have English captions. The show is a fairly standard procedural sitcom, with each episode (aside from the occasional two-part episodes) having a self-contained storyline. It is a family-friendly sitcom that both kids and adults can enjoy. Some of the jokes are definitely aimed at adults and will go over the heads of most kids, but for the most part, there is nothing that is inappropriate for kids in the show. Some of the jokes in the show are very topical to the mid to late 1980s, which definitely dates it. On the whole, however, it holds up pretty well nearly 40 years after it aired. It is definitely worth the time to watch, especially if you enjoyed it as a kid.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Friends: The Complete Series

 

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the two biggest comedies on TV were probably Friends and Seinfeld. Friends was aimed at the younger demographic, going for the viewers that were in their mid to late 20s, while Seinfeld was aimed at the demographic about a decade older. Friends premiered in 1994 and was about a group of friends living in New York. The series starred Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc. I actually never watched the series consistently when it was on the air. I was a senior in high school the year it began, so I just never really got into it and never appreciated how good it really was.

Friends was one of those shows like ER, where the cast was made up of relative no names (at least at the time), but unlike ER the main cast stayed together for the entire run. I think that allowed the show to keep the same feel and tone throughout the series. The writing was very very good in that they allowed the characters to evolve and grow over the course of 10 years but never lost the core of who they were over that time. They also did a great job of referring to old jokes without (for the most part) making them stale. For the ones that did, it got to the point that they would even poke fun at it (for example "We were on a break"). I also liked how the show relied on more than just sex jokes for the comedy (unlike many of the sitcoms of today). While there were certainly sex jokes throughout the series, the show did not lean on them and there were a lot of smarter jokes in the series too, that presumed the audience was smart enough to be entertained by other material.

The Blu-Ray set is a 21-disc set. The 234 episodes and some of the bonus content are spread across discs 1-20, and disc 21 has additional bonus content. The A/V quality of the set is good, but not outstanding, especially if you are a big A/V wonk. Even though the A/V quality is not perfect, it is a step up from the A/V quality of the DVDs. One big drawback (for some) in this release is that the episodes were only the ones that were broadcast. Apparently, the DVD sets included a lot of extended episodes, but this is just going to give you the show as it was intended to originally be seen. If that is a deal breaker for you, then don't waste the money. The extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, trailers, "Friends of Friends" featurettes, which give a breakdown of all the guest stars for that particular season, featurettes on the fans, the on-location episodes, gag reels, and more.  The final disc also includes appearances by the cast on The Tonight Show and the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the "I'll Be There for You" music video, a couple of series retrospectives, and the original version of the episode "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" which aired shortly after 9/11 and was edited because of a bomb joke. 

DVD/TV Series: Arrested Development: The Complete Series

 

There is a lot of subjectivity in liking any TV show, especially comedies. If you are a fan of irreverent, inappropriate, and at times uncomfortable humor you will love this series. By now most of the people reading this review will have at least some idea of what the show is about. An ultra-dysfunctional family trying to hold on to their riches when the patriarch (played perfectly by Jeffrey Tambor) is thrown in jail for SEC violations. While the only "normal" one in the bunch, Michael, played by Jason Bateman, tries to keep the business going and the family together. The series also starred Jessica Walters, Will Arnet, Portia de Rossi, Jeffrey Cross, Alia Shawkat, and Tony Hale. The guest cast was also great and included Carl Weathers, Liza Minelli, Charlize Theron, Ben Stiller, and a slew of others.

Of course, now, this is not the complete series of the show. This set has the three seasons that aired on FOX from 2003-2006 and were, in my opinion, the best seasons of the show. Of course, the show was revived by Netflix for two final seasons that were not nearly as good as the first three. 

What I loved about the show is that it would make fun of anything and everything. No topic was off limits, and they definitely pushed the boundaries of what could be put on TV. It did not rely on a laugh track to tell people when something was funny. It presumed the audience was smart enough to figure that out on its own. Ron Howard's narration was one of the best parts of the show. His quips were always perfectly timed, and set up and/or punctuated the jokes better than any laugh track ever could.

As I said, the humor is not for everyone. If you like shows like Family Guy, The Office, American Dad, and South Park, chances are you will love this show. Even if you are not a fan of all those shows but are a fan of comedies, then this is definitely one worth giving a try. I think it says a lot about the show that even after being off the air for years the entire cast is coming back to do the 10-episode season and the movie. Hopefully, those will be popular enough to give the show new life and keep it around even longer.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Good Place: Season 1

 

The Good Place is a comedy about the afterlife created by Micahel Schur (who was one of the writers/producers of The Office; and also played Dwight's cousin Mose), that skillfully manages to avoid religion (save for a line in the first episode) despite being about the concepts of Heaven and Hell.

The series stars Kristen Bell as Elanor Shellstrop, a woman in her 30s who lived a trainwreck of a life and was killed in a grocery store parking lot. She has managed to go to "The Good Place" despite being a truly awful person. There she is welcomed by Ted Danson's character, Michael, who is the architect of the neighborhood in The Good Place where Elanor will be living for eternity, along with other residents. Basically, Michael is an immortal being that has the equivalent of a 9-to-5 job, getting his first chance to design a neighborhood. Elanor quickly figures out that another woman with the same name was supposed to be in The Good Place, and she was not. She enlists the help of another new resident of the neighborhood, Chidi, played by William Jackson Harper, who was a philosophy professor in life, to help her become a better person. The neighborhood starts falling apart through a series of ever-increasing disasters as Elanor tries to hide who she is, and change her ways. The rest of the main cast includes Jameela Jamil, who plays Tahani, a wealthy English philanthropist who is totally self-absorbed, Manny Jacinto, who plays Jianyu, a monk who has taken a vow of silence, and D'Arcy Carden, who plays Janet, a programmed guide (think Siri or Alexa) that can take physical form and provide the residents anything they desire.

In the DVD set, the 13 episodes are spread across two discs. The extras include commentary tracks on four episodes with Schur and various members of the cast. There are extended editions of the pilot and the season finale, a gag reel that is hosted by Adam Scott in-character, as Trevor, a featurette on the special effects, and the table read of Episode 12. So, a good amount of material if you like watching the extras.

Overall, the show is very good. As I said above, it really avoids religion of any kind, aside from a line that says each religion gets something right. Kristen Bell is hilarious as Elanor and Jameela Jamil, who is in her first major acting role, does a great job with her character as well. The main cast are all wonderful and the show also has a strong supporting cast, including the aforementioned Adam Scott, Tiya Sircar, Marc Evan Jackson, and more. The show is definitely not appropriate for young kids as it does have a lot of sex jokes, drinking, and disguised swearing (fuck becomes fork, and shit becomes shirt) because there is no swearing in "The Good Place". So, if you are looking for a good, but more adult sitcom, this one is definitely worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Bad Judge: The Complete Series

 

Bad Judge is a show that got ragged on by the critics who totally overlooked the fact that it was a sitcom, and not supposed to be an accurate portrayal of how court typically works. It stars Kate Walsh (from Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice) who plays Rebecca Wright, a criminal court judge who basically presides over arraignment court for a person's first appearances after they are arrested and booked, who is still a wild child who goes out and gets drunk, has boy toys and drives around in a ratty van that is always breaking down. Basically, a judge who is herself one or two steps away from appearing in arraignment court. The concept of the show is basically like the show Night Court, except this one is set during the day in Los Angeles instead of New York. The show basically alternates between the quirky cast of characters that come through the court and the goings on in Rebecca's personal life.

The DVD set is basically a MOD set that does not have any extras. Had the show aired a couple of years later it would likely not have even gotten this release. So basically, you just get the 13 episodes spread across two discs and nothing else.

Overall, the show was good, and if it would have had enough time to really find its footing could have been very good. Certainly, for those of us who know anything about how the law and the legal system work, you have to ignore some things that the writers just get totally wrong (e.g., the fact that Rebecca would be writing an appellate court brief for any reason). Even with those issues, it was well-acted and had a great cast. Tone Bell who played the bailiff for Rebecca's courtroom, Tedward, pretty much stole every scene he was in. It also had a good guest cast including Angela Kinsey (from The Office) and Ryan McPartlin (from Chuck). Chances are, most people who are looking at this by now are doing so because they watched the show when it originally aired and looking to get the DVD. I do not know if it streams for free on any of the streaming services, but if you get the DVD set, you do not have to worry about it coming and going from the streaming services. If you are just looking for a sitcom, the show is good, but really never got a chance to find its footing or get a proper resolution before being canceled.

DVD/TV Series Review: Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23 The Complete Series

 

Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 was a sitcom that aired from 2012-2014. The basic plot is that June, played by Dreama Walker, comes to NY from Indiana with the promise of a dream job at a mortgage company. The job goes belly up on her first day when the CEO is arrested for embezzlement and June is forced to work at a coffee shop, managed by Eric Andre's character, Mark. Krysten Ritter (a couple of years removed from her memorable stint on Breaking Bad) plays Chloe, the titular "B", who is a party girl con artist, who scams roommates by demanding rent up front and then acting as outrageous as possible until they leave. June, who is desperate to find a place to live after losing her job, is supposed to be Chole's latest victim, but the two end up becoming friends.

The series also stars James Van Der Beek playing a hilarious, fictionalized, version of himself and Ray Ford as his assistant, Luther, who has to put up with his diva-like attitude. While Ritter and Walker have very good chemistry, the interactions between Ritter and Van Der Beek, and Ford and Van Der Beek, pretty much steal the show. One of the highlights of the series is an appearance by Busy Phillips who tells James that pretty much everyone who worked on Dawson's Creek hates him. The series was not around long enough for any other Dawson's Creek co-stars to appear, but the show did get a pretty good slate of recurring and guest stars including David Krumholtz, Missi Pyle, Fiona Gubelmann, Nicholas D'Agosto, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and more.

Unfortunately, the DVD set does not have any extras, but it does have all the episodes, including the final 8 that did not air on ABC. Overall, the show was very funny, although it is definitely more of an adult comedy with a lot of sex and drug jokes. There were definitely continuity issues due to episodes being aired out of order, but the show used mostly a story-of-the-week procedural format, so those, while noticeable, did not distract too much. It is definitely not a show that will appeal to everyone, but if you are a fan of sitcoms that have juvenile humor mixed with adult humor (much like the humor in 2-Broke Girls or in the vast majority of Judd Apatow's and Kevin Smith's movies) in it and are not easily offended, this is a fun show that should have had a longer run.

DVD/TV Series Review: Community: Season 6

 

The sixth season of Community would be the show's last. The season was short, just thirteen episodes, and was saved by Yahoo after being canceled by NBC. There was more cast upheaval with Yvette Nicole Brown leaving the show (after Donald Glover and Chevy Chase's previous exits). Jonathan Banks, who was great in the prior season as Professor Hickey left the show to do Better Call Saul, and was definitely missed. The additions to the cast were Padget Brewster, who is a (mostly) straight-laced accountant brought in to keep the Dean from sending the school into bankruptcy, and Kieth David who plays the new IT guy for the school.

For those who get the DVD set, there are definitely not as many extras as the prior season releases got. There are no commentary tracks on any episodes, but there is a gag reel, deleted scenes, a trivia game featuring members of the cast and crew, and a behind-the-scenes featurette titled Six Seasons And A Finale.

Overall, the season is good, but not as good as it was in prior seasons, especially the first couple of seasons. I think the number of main cast members who left the show really hurt it, but the remaining cast members did do a good job. Because the show went from an over-the-air broadcast to streaming there is some swearing and more adult jokes than the show had while on NBC. And, the show had long abandoned the concept of the group being actual students. That said, if you were a fan of the prior seasons and hung in to get to the sixth season, this one is still worth checking out.

DVD/TV Series Review: Parks and Recreation: The Complete Series

 

Parks and Recreation (or Parks and Rec) was another mockumentary show from the creators of the US version of The Office (Greg Daniels and Michael Schur) that aired from 2009 to 2015). It starred Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, an overeager and chipper worker in the Pawnee Indiana Parks and Recreation Department who wants to do her part to save the world. She is gung-ho about civil service, politics, government, etc. In contrast, her boss, Ron Swanson (played by the great Nick Offerman) is a Libertarian who hates government and is only working in government in order to grind it to a halt. The supporting cast includes Aubrey Plaza, who plays the apathetic twenty-something April, her doofus of a crush Andy, played by Chris Pratt, the guy who was always looking for a side gig, Tom, played by Aziz Ansari, Leslie's "best friend" Ann played by Rashida Jones, Donna played by Retta, in later seasons Ben played by Adam Scott, Chris played by Rob Lowe, and Jerry/Larry played by Jim O'Heir.

The show is a pretty standard sitcom that has a story or theme of the week that the characters have to navigate. The comedy style is much like the other mockumentary shows like The Office and Modern Family in which the jokes are either set up or performed, and then there is some kind of follow-up, either a reaction shot of characters in the background or cutting to one of the characters being interviewed by the documentary crew, or something like that. The humor is all over the place, given the wide range of acting styles of the cast members. Ron's humor is much more gruff and deadpan, while Leslie's is more chipper and upbeat. Chris Pratt does a great job playing a dimwitted doofus who thinks he is a rockstar, and pretty much everything Aubrey Plaza does is awesome.

The complete series set is just the individually packaged DVD seasons in a box set. There is nothing new if you have already purchased the individual seasons. There is also a blu-ray version of the complete series set out there that, from the looks of it, has the same overall content as the DVD set. The big reason to get the physical discs (beyond just preferring them over streaming, as many of us do) is for the extras. Each season has a bunch of extras, including commentary tracks on many episodes, deleted scenes, gag reels, fake PSA spots, and more. One of the best extras is a great joke that Chris Pratt made during the comeback story scene that cracked everyone up and is included in one of the gag reels.

Overall, the series is wonderful. It is very well-written and acted. It did take a couple of seasons to really find its footing and did have some cast turnover after season one. But, once it found the formula that worked it was strong all the way to the end. There were a ton of great guest stars, including people like Will Arnett, Tatiana Maslany, Jenny Slate, Patton Oswalt, and even the occasional DC politician. While the entire cast is great, Aubrey Plaza and Nick Offerman were the standouts to me. His scenes with his real-life wife, Megan Mullally, who plays his ex-wife, Tammy II, were pure gold. While it is a show about politics, and certainly, it was easy to tell the political leanings of the showrunners, it made fun of both parties, Democrats and Republicans alike. And it holds up well even after having been off the air since 2015. I highly recommend it, especially if you like political comedies.