Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 1

 

The 17-episode first season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2007/2008 TV season. It was created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and starred Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar. The show's premise is that two physicists from CalTech, Sheldon (played by Parsons) and Leonard (played by Galecki), meet their new neighbor, Penny (played by Cuoco), who Leonard instantly falls for. The circle of friends also includes two other CalTech scientists, an Engineer named Howard (played by Helberg) and an Astrophysicist named Raj (played by Nayyar). All the nerdy friends are socially awkward, with Sheldon being an arrogant know-it-all, who is also on the autism spectrum, and Leonard is insecure about nearly everything. Howard tries way too hard to hit on every woman he meets, and Raj cannot talk to women unless he is drunk. Penny is a party girl working as a waitress while trying to break into acting. The supporting cast in the first season includes Laurie Metcalf, who plays Sheldon's Mother, Sara Gilbert, who plays another physicist, and Carol Ann Susi, who plays the voice of Howard's mother.

The blu-ray set is a two-disc set. The episodes can be played with English captions and in a play-all mode (although the play-all mode does not allow you to pick up where you leave off). The two bonus features are on the second disc, a behind-the-scenes featurette that runs just under twenty minutes and a gag reel. The show is a pretty typical sitcom that primarily relies on procedural storylines that get resolved by the end of the episodes, mixed with longer character arcs. It is a mostly wholesome sitcom, but it definitely includes some sex jokes, and Cuoco is in skimpy outfits from time to time. It is filmed partly in front of a studio audience and uses a laugh track for the parts not filmed in front of an audience. 

The show is well-written, with many nerdy pop-culture references, and very well-acted. It also incorporates a lot of real-world science into the storylines. While the character of Sheldon became immensely popular (Parsons does a great job with the character and has great comedic timing), the entire cast plays their characters well, and the actors seem to have great chemistry. The show would become one of the most popular comedies in TV history (and was certainly the most popular sitcom of its era). The first season is mostly focused on character development and establishing the relationships between the various characters. Ultimately, it is a strong season that sets up the show well. Even though the first season is (as of this writing) about 17 years old, it holds up well (with many laugh-out-loud moments) and is worth watching.       

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Clerks III

 

Clerks III is the 2022 (likely) conclusion to the Clerks franchise in Kevin Smith's View Askew universe. It stars Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson (reprising their roles as Dante and Randal), Trevor Fehrman (reprising his role as Elias from Clerks II), and Austin Zahur. Smith and Jason Mewes also reprise their roles as Jay and Silent Bob, and Rosario Dawson reprises her role from Clerks II, although it is a smaller role than she had in the first movie. And, because this is a Kevin Smith movie, he includes actors he has worked with in the past in cameo or extended cameo roles, such as Justin Long, Ben Affleck, Melissa Benoist, and Ethan Suplee. There are also cameo appearances by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Danny Trejo, and the Impractical Jokers cast. And, of course, Smith's wife, daughter, and mother all make appearances.

The storyline of this movie returns to Smith's personal life (as opposed to the storyline in Clerks II). In it, he uses his real-life heart attack as a plot line, having Randle suffer a heart attack in the convenience store. Having a new lease on life, Randle decides to make a movie (essentially the first Clerks film), which allows several people who appeared in the original film to come back for this movie. Smith also includes many jokes about the prior two films, including an explanation (as Silent Bob) about why he shot the original film in black and white. In the third act, the movie becomes a very emotional drama and provides a fitting end to the trilogy.

The blu-ray features an introduction from Smith before the disc loads, thanking fans for purchasing the movie on physical media. The bonus content includes a commentary track on the film that features Smith, O'Halloran, Fehrman, and Zajur. The extras also include two documentaries that are nearly as long as the movie. The first provides a behind-the-scenes look at the five-week process of filming the movie, and the second is a retrospective on the trilogy as a whole featuring interviews with the cast and crew about getting the first movie made and the challenges of making the sequels. Finally, there is about a half hour of deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer. 

The movie is very good, especially for fans of the first two movies. It has a lot of the same crude humor (although not as much as in the first two movies), but the story is really about growing old and reaching the age when you start losing loved ones. The only thing I did not like was that it did not end with the song Misery like the first two films did. As I said above, it will probably be the last movie in the Clerks franchise, not only because of how the story plays out but also because of the reluctance of the people involved (especially Anderson) to keep making sequels. This is a must-watch if you liked or loved the first two movies. It is also worth watching if you are a fan of comedies with raunchier and sometimes silly/stupid humor (although it helps to have seen the first two movies to get all of the jokes). Ultimately, if it is the final Clerks movie (and I think it should be), it is a great swan song for the franchise and is worth the time to watch. 

DVD/Movie Review: Bikini Summer

 

Bikini Summer is a 1991 late-night cable D-level comedy starring Melinda Armstrong, David Millbern, Kelli Konop, Shelly Michelle, Rebekah Alfred, and Alex Smith. It is one of those films that is something between the soft-core "Skinemax" movies that use real porn stars but don't show anything and the mainstream coming-of-age comedies of the mid to late1980s. It has a few plotlines (that are quite silly and stupid) that converge at the end, providing an excuse to hold a bikini contest fundraiser. However, the plotlines are mostly filler between scenes of models in various stages of undress. 

The DVD is a transfer from the VHS, and as you would expect from a low-budget comedy with no major stars, it did not get any kind of upgraded A/V transfer. The DVD is now out of print, so it can be hard to find at a reasonable price. There are no bonus features specific to the movie, just a bunch of trailers/previews for other low-budget direct-to-video movies that can be played from the main menu. Ultimately, the movie is a dumb comedy with several good-looking models in it. There is a bunch of nudity and some swearing (although not much of the latter). Despite the nudity, there are not really any sex scenes (only one that you mostly hear through a door). It is kind of a blast from the past if you grew up in the 90s and remember seeing it on TV, but you will not miss much if you skip it. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Beerfest

 

Beerfest is a 2006 comedy that spoofs the concept of Oktoberfest. The film was made by the same team behind Super Troopers and the Dukes of Hazard movie (but it was not as good as either of them, and much closer in quality to Dukes of Hazard than Super Troopers). It was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and stars Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Stoter, Erik Stolhanske, Eric Christian Olsen, and Will Forte. Monique and Cloris Leachman have hilarious supporting roles, and Donald Sutherland, James Roday, and Willie Nelson have cameo appearances. The movie is one of the spate of raunchy comedies released in the early 2000s after American Pie became a huge hit. The crux of the story is that after the death of their grandfather (played by Sutherland), two brothers (played by Stoter and Stolhanske) travel to Germany to spread his ashes. They discover an underground beer drinking competition called Beerfest, where they find out their grandfather allegedly stole a beer recipe from their German cousins. After being humiliated at the competition, they put a team together to compete at the next year's competition to take on the German team.

The Blu-Ray's A/V quality is good but nothing to write home about. The extras include two different commentary tracks on the movie, one with Chandrasekhar and Lemme and one with the other lead actors. Then, there is about a half hour of deleted scenes that can be played with or without commentary, some behind-the-scenes material, and the trailer. The movie is okay, but not great. It is definitely not as good as other films in the raunchy comedy genre, but it does have some funny moments. However, I would say that among stupid comedies, it is more stupid than funny. It has a lot of swearing, some sexual content, and nudity. If you are not a fan of that type of comedy, then you absolutely want to skip this. Even if you are generally a fan of that type of comedy, you may or may not like it. Personally, I would not have gone out of my way to purchase it, but it was delivered by mistake and wherever I purchased it from did not make me send it back. Ultimately, it is an okay comedy, but you are not missing anything if you skip it. 

4k-UHD/Movie Collection Review: Men in Black Trilogy

 

This is a 4k release of the Men in Black trilogy of films (1997's Men in Black, 2002's Men in Black II, and 2012's Men in Black 3) directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. This is the franchise that, along with movies like Independence Day, vaulted Will Smith into the status of summer blockbuster movie star. The original trilogy spanned a period of about 15 years, from the 1997 release of the original movie, the 2002 release of Part II, and the 2012 release of Part III. As most are aware, the premise of all the movies is that aliens are living free among humans on Earth, and a shadowy, secret organization called Men in Black keeps track of all the aliens, keeping the peaceful ones safe and in line, policing the non-peaceful ones, and making sure humans are blissfully unaware of their existence. It starred, primarily, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agents J and K, respectively, who in all the movies have to stop some kind of plot that will destroy Earth or cause some kind of intergalactic war.

Each movie had a strong supporting cast, including Linda Florentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn, Tony Shalhoub, Laura Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson, Patrick Warburton, Josh Brolin, Emma Thompson, Alice Eve, Mike Colter, Nicole Scherzinger, and more. The films (especially Parts II and III) included celebrity cameos (mostly playing aliens), such as Michael Jackson, Martha Stewart, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Yao Ming, and Tim Burton. All of the movies blended a lot of humor, action, and even a bit of drama, and managed to tell unique stories without being carbon copies of each other, which would be very easy to do in a franchise such as this. Smith and Jones, and later Smith and Josh Brolin (who played a young Agent K in Part III) had great chemistry with each other. And, it seemed genuine from the behind-the-scenes material. If their relationships did not work, it would have never become a franchise that moved beyond the original movie. Smith, as a brash younger agent, played extremely well off of Jone's deadpan, curmudgeonly delivery. And in Part III Brolin did a wonderful job playing a version of Agent K that was different from how Jones played him but was able to include elements of what Jones did with the older version.

The 4K set is a six-disc set. The movies look and sound fantastic in the upgraded format. Obviously, Part III looks the best, but even the original is an excellent upgrade over the original DVD release. Each movie has two discs, one UHD disc with just the movie and one regular blu-ray with the movie and extras. Each movie has at least one general behind-the-scenes feature and then several specific featurettes such as, for example, scene breakdowns, how they came up with and made the alien creatures, the special effects, etc. There are also gag reels, trailers, and music videos. Each movie also has a commentary track. A lot of material for those who like going through the extras. The only negative to the set is that the discs are stacked on top of each other in their case (each movie has its own case within the outer box). It is a minor point, but it would have been better packaged so that each disc sat on either side of the case in its own housing. That said, I definitely recommend picking up this set.

DVD/Movie Review: Chasers

 

Chasers is a 1994 comedy directed by Dennis Hopper and starring Tom Berenger, William McNamara, and original Baywatch babe and former model Erika Elaniak. The supporting cast included Crispin Glover, Dean Stockwell, and Gary Busey. Hopper also made a minor but funny appearance about 2/3 of the way into the movie. The film is part buddy-cop, part chase, and part romantic comedy. In it, two Navy shore patrollers (the Navy's version of military police and security), Eddie Devane (McNamara), who is a day away from being discharged, and Rock Reilly (Berenger), are assigned to transport prisoner Toni Johnson (Elaniak) from Camp Lejeune to their base, where she is to be transported to prison. She keeps trying to escape detention, causing a series of mishaps along the way. Along the way, Eddie and Toni fall in love, and he regrets having to turn her in.

The DVD is very bare-bones. It can be played with English captions, and the only bonus feature is the movie's trailer. The best way to describe the film is good but not great. The story is a bit predictable and formulaic, but it does have some funny moments. Berenger plays a great, no-nonsense but somewhat out-of-touch grump, and Elaniak and McNamara had pretty good chemistry (and both were ridiculously good-looking). Elaniak was a couple of years removed from Baywatch and absolutely gorgeous. The movie has a lot of swearing, some sexual content, and nudity. Elaniak is in lingerie a couple of times during the film, and there is a sex scene between McNamara and Elaniak about halfway into the movie where she is topless and shows her ass. So, it does earn its R-rating. While it is not the greatest movie ever, it does not try to be more than it is, and it has some entertaining moments. It is worth checking out as long as you don't expect it to be something it is not. 

DVD/Movie Review: Can't Hardly Wait: 10 Year Reunion Edition

 

Can't Hardly Wait is the underrated and often overlooked late 1990s coming-of-age teen comedy. It is overlooked mainly because American Pie was released a year later and became a massive hit and franchise. This movie, released in 1998, was co-written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green, Lauren Ambrose, and Peter Facinelli. The supporting cast includes several recognizable faces (especially if you grew up watching TV and movies in the 1990s or early 2000s), including some who would become stars and/or appear in more prominent roles. They included Jason Segel, Jamie Pressly, Sean Patrick Thomas, Freddy Rodriguez, Donald Faison, Chris Owen, Selma Blair, Amber Benson, Clea Duvall, Breckin Meyer, and Eric Balfour. Jenna Elfman and Jerry O'Connell, who were more recognizable than the rest of the cast when the movie came out, had cameo appearances in the film. 

The movie is set during a graduation party in which all of the various high-school cliques show up. Several storylines occur in the movie, including Seth Green's character Kenny/Special K trying to get laid, the school geek Preston, finally taking his shot with the girl who doesn't know he exists (JLH's character, Amanda) who he has been pining after since freshman year and has just been dumped by the mega jock, Mike Dexter (played by Facinelli). Dexter is the subject of a humiliation plot by a group of nerds. Some of the storylines intertwine, and some are kept separate. Green is hilarious in the movie as the typical white suburban kid who thinks he is black, trying too hard to impress everyone. Hewitt does not do much in the film (besides looking pretty) until the end, and Facinelli plays a great asshole. It ultimately becomes a story of old friends reuniting, people from different high-school groups discovering (at least for a few moments) that they have something in common, and the guy trying to get the girl of his dreams. All mixed in with graduation party debauchery. 

The DVD release has many extras, including just under an hour of featurettes filmed in 2008, including interviews with Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont and several cast members discussing the film and what they think their characters would be doing ten years later. Then, there are deleted and extended scenes, the music video for Smash Mouth's "Can't Get Enough of You Baby," which featured members of the cast and clips from the movie, and two different commentary tracks on the film, one done for the original DVD release and one for the 2008 re-release. Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont, and Seth Green participated in both commentaries, and in the 1998 commentary, Faison, Facinelli, and Joel Michaely (one of the nerds) participated. In the original commentary track, Green started out using a British accent and seemed content to do it the entire time until Kaplan told him the joke was getting old, which Green brought up in the 2008 commentary. In the special features menu, a Special K 411 edition is listed, which appears to be another commentary track that would just feature Green in-character commenting on the movie, but it just plays the original 1998 commentary track again. 

Ultimately, the movie is a well-written and acted comedy that mixes in some drama. It does feel dated now, and certainly, some of the jokes they used would not be used today. It was not as raunchy as American Pie, and while there was some sex and a lot of swearing and drinking, there was no nudity. Most of the actual drinking was kept off-camera to keep the movie PG-13, and when we did see people drink, the actor was drinking non-alcoholic beer. Overall, the movie was pretty tame, especially by today's standards. While I would not say that it is as good as American Pie (or any of the American Pie movies with the main cast members) or that it is the best film in the coming-of-age comedy genre. That said, it is enjoyable and absolutely worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Good Place Season 3

 

+++Warning, this will have spoilers from prior seasons, but no major giveaways from Season 3+++

The 12-episode third season of The Good Place aired during the fall of 2018 and winter of 2019. It continues telling the serial story, so there is no way you can jump into the show part-way through and have a hope of following along with it. The seasons tell one long story that will make little sense if you just try to start watching it halfway through. In fact, each episode begins with a title card listing the chapter number, which has been counting up from the start of the series. So, if you are going to watch it, start at season one.

The season begins with everyone back on Earth, with Michael having saved them all, altering the events just before they each died to keep them alive, in the hopes that they will, on their own, become better people and end up in "The Good Place. "Of course, things start to go off the rails, and the plan ends up changing. It is almost impossible not to give too much away, but by the end of the season, the show comes (almost) full circle with twists.

The show continues to be well-written and acted. You really do get the idea that the bulk of the story has been planned out from day one by the writers, so it has a very good flow, and keeping the number of episodes in the season low, really works well. While all the actors do a great job with their parts, D'Arcy Carden deserves special props for her portrayal of Janet because she has to play so much in one character. Most of the same guest stars make at least one appearance this season, including Maya Rudolph as the TV binge-watching judge and Adam Scott as a demon from "The Bad Place."

The DVD set is a two-disc set. While the show is fantastic, the DVD release, as has been the case with the prior seasons, is bad. It is basically a MOD release that happens to have a couple extras. The plus of getting the DVD is that some episodes have an extended running time over what was broadcast. I am not sure if Hulu has the extended episodes. The two extras are an 8-minute gag reel and a 2-minute special-effects reel. Otherwise, there are no commentary tracks, captions, behind-the-scenes material, or anything DVD sets used to get. And, of course, there is no blu-ray release, which is not surprising given that TV series blu-ray sales are so bad as a whole that only a select few series ever get a blu-ray release, and when they do, more and more, they are getting MOD releases. The DVD transfer is not of great quality, at least when watching it on a DVD player that does not have an HDMI connection. So, mainly, the reason to get this is the extended episodes and for those, like me, who still have a large physical disc collection to keep it complete. Otherwise, you are not getting much above just streaming it.

DVD/TV Series Review: Grounded for Life Season 5

 

Grounded For Life was a very underrated sitcom that aired from the early to mid-2000s. However, it ended up being a very uneven series due to a cancellation from FOX, switching to the WB network (and nights that it aired), and a good amount of cast turnover. The final season was really a partial season given to the series to give it a sendoff as opposed to an outright cancelation. The 13-episode 5th season aired during the 2004/2005 TV season. The actor who played Henry (Jake Burbage) left the show after the fourth season, and no explanation for his absence was ever given. There were only a couple of throwaway references to him in the final two episodes of the season. Walt (played by Richard Riehle), who had become a minor recurring character (which really hurt the show, in my opinion), only appeared in the series finale.

The show ended with a "life will go on" feel for the characters. The writers tied some things up by the end of the series but left a lot open for the characters, leaving the audience to imagine how life would work out for them. That was a fine way to end a series like this. Even though the series did not feel the same as in past seasons, it tried to hit on similar themes of family and growing up that had carried throughout the prior seasons. Overall, the show ended up with a 91-episode run, slightly under a "normal" five-season run for a series, which usually results in at least 100 episodes. While it was the right time to end the series, I would have liked the full original cast to have more of a presence, at least in the final couple of episodes.

The DVD set is a two-disc set. Of all the DVD releases for the series, this one is the most bare-bones. It just includes the episodes. It has no extras, and the episodes do not have captions. The DVDs do go out of print from time to time and can be harder to find at a reasonable price. If you can find the set at a fair price and have the other seasons, it is worth adding to your collection. If not, it is available to stream and I believe is included if you have Amazon Prime.

DVD/TV Series Review: Grounded For Life Season 4

 

The 28-episode fourth season of Grounded For Life aired during the 2003/2004 TV season. It ended up being the longest in the series run. This is because there were six episodes filmed during season three that were held over as the show moved from FOX to the WB network after FOX canceled it. While the show continued to be very funny, I think the downgrading of Richard Riehle's character to recurring (he only appeared in a few episodes this season) hurt the show. That said, since the show had a large ensemble cast, coming up with enough material to give all the characters enough of a story arc was hard, so I can see why they did it. However, having his character as a part of the dynamic regularly was missed.

For the most part, the show continued with the same feel as it had. Mostly, story-of-the-week episodes that did not carry over to subsequent episodes. They did not rely on flashbacks as much as in prior seasons to tell the stories. The show still incorporated them into most of the episodes; they just did not use as many as they did in the prior seasons. The show continued to use the themes of family and growing up, both for the kids and the adults of the show. Although the characters of Henry and Jimmy took a backseat to Lilly's storylines as far as the kid's characters went.

The DVD set is a four-disc set. The extras were the same as the season-three set. Commentary tracks on select episodes and previews for other DVD sets released around the same time. There are no other behind-the-scenes materials. Chances are, the only people likely to get these DVDs are people who were fans of the show when it was on the air. The sets are going out of print and getting much harder to find as time goes by, which is why some are $50+. This one is the most expensive of the individual season sets, so if you can find it for a reasonable price, pounce on it because they may get more expensive as time goes by. And, given that TV series being released on physical discs are going the way of the dodo bird, the chances of it ever getting another DVD printing is slim to none.

DVD/TV Series Review: Grounded For Life Season 3

 

The 11-episode third season of Grounded For Life aired during the 2002/2003 TV season. It ended up being a bit of a mess for the series, primarily because Fox ended up canceling it, and it was then picked up by the WB network. So, some episodes aired on FOX, and others aired months later on the WB. A couple of the episodes filmed during the third season never aired on either network (but are included in this DVD set's bonus features), yet other episodes were held for the fourth season. Needless to say, it was a bit hard to follow as the show aired, but having things in the correct order on DVD makes it better.

The season starts out with life changes for the family, as the result of Claudia's pregnancy test at the end of the second season is revealed. I will not reveal everything that happens, but some things about the show stayed the same, but others changed quite a bit, brought on by the kids growing up and Richard Riehle being downgraded from a series regular to a recurring role, which, in my opinion, did hurt the show a lot. In the shows that aired on TV, he was only in one episode this season, but he did appear in the two bonus, unaired episodes. The show continued to deal with themes about growing up, both for the kids and the adults, in a humorous way, including relationships, peer pressure, sex, etc.

The DVD set is a two-disc set. The bonus material includes the two unaired episodes and commentary tracks by cast members and showrunners on a few select episodes. There are no other behind-the-scenes material or cast interviews as there are for the sets for the first and second seasons. As is the case for the other seasons, the DVDs are basically out of print and getting harder to find at a reasonable price, so if you are a fan of the show and see the sets at a good price, they are worth the pickup, even though the DVD sets are fairly bare-bones.

DVD/TV Series Review: The League: The Complete Series

 

The League was an adult sitcom that aired on FX from 2009 to 2015. It was centered around a group of friends who played in a fantasy football league. In a very large sense, it was almost one of those sitcoms about nothing in particular, just events that occurred in the characters' lives. But the focus was always on the weekly matchups in the league and a lot of smack-talking. It starred Katie Aselton, Mark Duplass, Stephen Rannazzisi, Paul Scheer, Nick Kroll, and Jon Lajoie in the main roles. It featured several recognizable actors in guest and recurring roles, including Jason Mantzoukas, Nadine Velazquez, Seth Rogan, Janina Gavankar, Leslie Bibb, Brie Larson, Brooklyn Decker, Jeff Goldblum, Adam Brody, Zach Woods, and Keegan-Michael Key. It also featured cameos by several NFL stars and announcers throughout its run.  The show ran for seven seasons, with the first three being the best and the final season the weakest. The cast really seemed to have great chemistry (whether real or fake) and worked well together. Nick Kroll was, in my opinion, the star of the series as Ruxin, the acerbic corporate lawyer. But all of the cast members did a great job and really had great moments throughout the series.

For those who get this DVD set, it is just a different packaging of the individual season releases. It is a huge keep case with 14 discs (two discs per season, with the episodes split across the two discs) with round plastic holders with a tab in the middle that the center of the disc is placed over. In the early seasons, if you use the play-all mode, it only plays the broadcast versions of the episodes. If you go into the episodes menu, you get the option to play the broadcast version or the extended/uncensored versions, which usually had more swearing but also, at times, nudity. The extras were pretty consistent throughout the series. Deleted scenes, gag reels, alternate jokes reels, and musical numbers (sometimes the same that aired in the shows and sometimes ones just included as DVD extras).

As I said above, the show is not for everyone. But, if you like the more adult humor that the cable series can get away with, it is definitely a show worth checking out even though it did hang on for a season or two too long.

DVD/TV Series Review: Grounded For Life Season 2

 

Grounded for Life was one of the shows on Fox that was always on the brink of cancellation, yet ended up with a five-season run (although a couple of those seasons were partial seasons, so in episode count, the series had about 4 "full" seasons worth of episodes). The 22-episode second season aired during the 2001/2002 season. 

The feel of the second season was much like the first, with the episodes telling a self-contained story, picking up the story in the middle (or later) of the story, and then catching the audience up using flashbacks. This season tackled topics like pregnancy scares, the teenage sex talk, Claudia taking up smoking again, adolescent love, both requited and unrequited, etc. The show told serious stories with a comedic twist, without going over the top into stupid, hokey comedy.

The best part of the show is that it depicted real people in relatable situations. The cast did not look like a bunch of supermodels, and the people were not depicted as perfect like a lot of sitcom families are. It filled in the studio audience's reactions with laugh tracks, but that never bothered me. I know some people hate shows with laugh tracks, so if that is you, it is worth keeping in mind.

As with the first season release, this DVD set is fairly bare-bones. It contains the 22 episodes on three discs. The discs are in paper sleeves inside the case, which sit in a rectangular cutout. It is actually a pretty good setup to keep the discs from getting scratched up. There are no captions, which may be a pain if you are hard of hearing or watch TV while working out on a treadmill or elliptical or something like that. There are about 25 minutes of extras, including an interview with Kevin Corrigan, a gag reel, an interview with Jake Burbage and Griffen Frazen, a sizzle reel of season-two highlights, and a segment on Ashton Kutcher's guest-starring role. Other notable guest stars in season two include Stephan Root, Natasha Lyonne, and football players Jim McMahon and Willie Gault during a Superbowl episode.

Chances are anyone who knows about the show after all this time will be a fan trying to track down the DVDs. They are getting harder to find at a reasonable price as they are now out of print. So, if you are a fan and you see the sets at a good price, snap them up because they may not be around that much longer, and I have not (as of this writing) seen the show on any of the streaming services. The DVD release is not great, but it is likely the best that will ever be put out for the show.

DVD/TV Series Review: The League Season 7

 

The 13-episode seventh and final season of The League aired during the fall and winter of 2015. As was the case with prior seasons, it centered around the group of friends who played in a fantasy football league. In a very large sense, it was almost one of those sitcoms about nothing in particular, just events that occurred in the characters' lives. But, the focus was always on the weekly matchups in the league, and a lot of smack talking.

This season was largely similar to the others, mixing a couple of ongoing storylines (one significant one involving Andre and another involving a bet between Kevin and Jenny) with procedural stories of the week. It continued to be a very raunchy comedy and is definitely not something that will appeal to everyone. Overall, I thought the episodes were weaker in this season than in the prior seasons, but I do think that was partly due to the show generally running out of steam. There was only so much mileage that a show like this would have, and by the time this season rolled around, it was ready to end.

The DVD is a single-disc set. The extras are the same as in prior seasons for those who get the DVDs. Musical numbers, a gag reel, deleted scenes, and an alternate jokes reel (sometimes another gag reel). A decent amount for a 13-episode season of half-hour (mostly) long shows. As has been the case for the prior few seasons, there are no separate broadcast and extended/uncensored versions of the shows. The extended versions are included (for the episodes that had them); otherwise, they are the broadcast versions of the shows.

As I said above, the show is not for everyone. There is a lot of swearing, references to drug use, and sex. In the uncensored episodes from prior seasons, there were some nude scenes, but not much in this season (aside from a couple of butt shots). It is definitely not a kid-friendly show. But, if you like the more adult humor a cable series can get away with, it is definitely a show worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Lethal Weapon Season 3

 

The 15-episode third and final season of Lethal Weapon aired during the 2018/2019 TV season. The show started out with so much promise and ended with mostly a whimper. As many people are likely aware, Clayne Crawford was fired from the show after the second season due, in part, to his behavior on the set and, in part, to his ever-degrading relationship with Damon Waynes. It appears that Crawford was a hothead and Waynes kind of a jackass who did not really even want to do the series in the first place (which makes it kind of surprising that the series was not canceled after season two, and that they decided to go forward with him in the lead role).

The series picks up just after Riggs gets shot at the end of season two, and we find out within the first episode that he died, then there is a six-month time jump and we find out that his brother committed suicide, and that was it for the Riggs storyline (aside from a couple of throwaway lines during the season that mentioned him). The series then focuses on the new Lethal Weapon, an ex-CIA agent named Wesley Cole (played by Sean William Scott), who is new to the department trying to put his past behind him and connect with his 12-year-old daughter.

It is mostly again, a case-of-the-week series, but there are a couple of storylines that play out across multiple episodes. I do think Scott did a great job with the character of Cole. Given that he has mostly played Stifler or slight variations of Stifler his entire career (with a couple of exceptions), this showed he has a range beyond the raunchy comedies. Maggie Lawson (best known for the series Psych) was another good addition to the cast as Cole's ex-wife who is trying to put her past with Cole behind her, yet still, have an amicable relationship with him for the sake of their daughter. One major defection from the cast (aside from Crawford) was Jordana Brewster, who basically left the show after a couple of episodes.

It is a fairly standard MOD set for those who get the blu-ray set. The fifteen episodes are spread over three discs. It has captions and a true "play all" mode that allows you to pick back up where you stop, even in the middle of an episode. There are no extras like commentary tracks, making-of, deleted scenes, or behind-the-scenes material. It did try to keep a similar feel to the prior two seasons, and I think the writers and cast did the best they could, given the mess they had going into the third season. However, it was not the same show without the character of Riggs.

DVD/TV Series Review: The League Season 6

 

The 13-episode sixth season of The League aired during the fall of 2014.  The show's format continued in the same vein as the similar seasons. The primary storyline in each episode was set around the weekly fantasy football matchups, and intertwined were stories involving the characters' lives.  As in past seasons, there were cameos by NFL players. This year, most player cameos occurred during a hilarious sequence at the combine that kicked off the season. The jokes were very similar to the past seasons, and an argument can certainly be made that this season is when the show started to get stale. I think overall, there were fewer laugh-out-loud moments than in past seasons. Jay Glazer and Darren Sproles were among the celebrity cameos this year, and there was another Rafi and Dirty Randy-centric episode, which, as in past seasons, was co-written by Jason Mantzoukas and Seth Rogan. Brenda Song, Rob Huebel, and Zach Woods also had guest roles this season. 

The DVD set is a two-disc set. The extras are the same as in the past seasons. Those include deleted scenes, Taco Tones (musical numbers that appeared in the episodes), an alternate joke reel, and a gag reel. Also, you do not have to choose between broadcast and extended versions of the episodes. The extended/uncensored episodes are automatically included when available and replace the broadcast versions. So, if you only get DVD sets when there are a lot of extras, you get quite a bit. Ultimately, the show is still funny but less funny than in the early seasons. Most of the jokes are played out at this point and are generally not as clever or edgy as they were. That said, if you have liked the show up to this point, it is still worth watching as long as you realize it may not be as enjoyable as the prior seasons were.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Lethal Weapon Season 2

 

The 22-episode second season of Lethal Weapon aired during the 2017/2018 TV season. Most fans know that the friction (to put it mildly) between Wayans and Crawford led to Crawford's firing and Riggs's writing off of the show. I will not spoil how the season ends, but needless to say, it ends on a very big cliffhanger.

Much of the season is devoted to Rigg's past, specifically at the hands of his abusive father. There are a lot of flashbacks throughout the season. Riggs still has guilt issues over the death of his wife, but the storyline that ended the first season (with Rigg's going to Mexico to get revenge) is resolved pretty much in the first episode. Two of Riggs' friends from his youth are brought into the story this season, one of which becomes a new love interest. I will not go into details to spoil anything for those who have not watched, but it follows the same formula as a weekly procedural that deals with the case of the week, with a larger story arc that spans the course of the season. This season's guest and recurring stars include Michelle Hurd, Ernie Hudson, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, Adrian Pasdar, Scottie Pippen, and Swoosie Kurtz.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc MOD set. They allow for a play-all mode that lets you pick up where you left off, which is better than the "regular" blu-ray sets for the other WB shows. The only extras are deleted scenes for select episodes. There are no commentary tracks on any episodes or behind-the-scenes material, most likely due to the on-set tension that occurred throughout the season. You could tell that by the end of the season, Crawford and Wayans were being kept away from each other as much as possible while filming, and it seemed like every effort was being made to have them together in as few scenes as possible. Even so, they managed to maintain their on-screen chemistry. You could not tell that they were (reportedly) screaming at each other until "action" was called on set.

It is unfortunate that the two leads hated each other because it was a great show, with the two iconic movie characters cast perfectly. Like the first season, it paid homage to the movie franchise and characters without being a carbon copy. Whether it is good or bad going forward into season 3, it will not be the same without the character of Riggs. Chances are it will not survive after season 3, which is a shame because it was really a show that could have had a good 5-6 season (or more) run in it.

DVD/TV Series Review: The League: Season 5

 

The 13-episode fifth season of The League aired during the fall of 2013. By the fifth season, the show had found its format and mostly stuck to it. Most of the episodes are centered around the weekly matchups between the fantasy football league members, along with one or more side stories involving the characters' personal lives. That format is shaken up a bit this year. First, we learn that there is an out-of-town member of the league named Ted, played by Adam Brody. Second, there is a totally off-beat episode featuring Rafi and Dirty Randy written by Jason Mantzoukas and Seth Rogan, in which the primary characters barely appear. Along with Brody and Roga, this season's guest stars include Ali Larter, model Erin Heatherton, NFL players Greg Jennings and Vernon Davis, Aziz Ansari, and Lizzy Caplan,

The DVD set is a two-disc set containing uncensored/extended episodes, deleted and extended scenes, alternate jokes, a gag reel, and the musical numbers (again called Taco Tones) that appeared during the season. Ultimately, the show continues to be a good adult comedy. It is definitely on the raunchier side and has a lot of swearing, sexual content, and drug references. An argument can be made that the show was starting to get stale by the fifth season, and the writers definitely recycled some jokes (although the side stories did remain pretty fresh). While it is not as good as it was in the first couple of seasons, there are some very funny moments and the show is still worth the time to watch. 

DVD/TV Series Review: Grounded For Life Season 1

 

Grounded For Life was an early 2000s sitcom about a young, middle-class, or lower-middle-class family living in Staten Island, NY. It starred Donal Louge, Megyn Price, Lynsey Bartilson, Griffin Frazen, Jake Burbage, Kevin Corrigan, Richard Riehle,  Bret Harrison, and Miriam Flynn. The 15-episode first season aired during the winter and spring of 2001. The show's premise is that a couple named Sean and Claudia Finnerty, played by Donal Logue and Megyn Price, have a kid just out of high school (and eventually two more kids) and are still growing up as they raise a family. They make plenty of mistakes and learn about life and parenting along the way.

Like most family-based sitcoms, pretty much every episode has a self-contained story that involves some conflict that has to be resolved by the end of the episode. The twist that the series puts on it is that the show starts the story halfway to two-thirds of the way into the story, so the conflict or disaster has either happened or is ongoing, then tells, through flashbacks, what led up to the point where the episode starts. It was a fairly unique way of storytelling for sitcoms up to that point and kept it from being a cookie-cutter, carbon copy of what had come before.

The rest of the main cast included Kevin Corrigan as Sean's slacker brother, Richard Riehle as Sean's dad, and, Lynsey Bartilson, Jake Burbage, and Griffin Frazen, as the kids Lilly, Henry, and Jake. All the actors and actresses did a great job and had chances to steal scenes they were in. Lynsey Bartilson did a great job playing a moody teenage girl (with a great shriek when she got mad) who often scared the adults who had the responsibility to punish or lay down the law with her.

The DVD set is a four-disc set. The DVD release is bare-bones, with just the episodes and a handful of extras. The Mill Creek releases (which are not easy to find since they are out of print) are getting harder and harder to find at a reasonable price. They were put out years after the series ended as TV series releases on DVD were getting very scaled back, so you will not get commentaries, captions, or extremely in-depth behind-the-scenes material. That said, the extras included are still more than a lot of the sets are putting out these days (the end of 2019 as I write this), where many DVDs or, in the even rarer case, blu-ray releases just provide the episodes and nothing else. They include character profiles for Sean, Claudia, and Lilly, a chat with the show's creators, a short gag reel, and highlights from the first season episodes. Probably just over a half-hour's worth of material.

Overall, the show was very good, and a bit underrated. It is kind of shocking Fox kept it on the air as long as they did, given the network's reputation for giving shows a quick hook if they do not get great ratings immediately. While I do not think the show was ever a ratings monster, it was well-written and acted, and came across as a lot more "real life" than some family-centered sitcoms do. It also tackled subjects like sex, bullying, and even religion in a humorous yet respectful way, and is definitely worth a look. Just a note that it was filmed partially in front of a live audience and partially without, and does use laugh tracks for the parts that were not filmed live (much like The Big Bang Theory). So, if you are one of those people who absolutely hate laugh tracks in sitcoms, it is something to be aware of.

DVD/TV Series Review: The League Season 4

 

The 13-episode fourth season of The League aired during the fall and early winter of 2012. Chances are, anyone reading a review of the fourth season of the series will know what it is about, so I will not spend much time on the substance of the storylines. The season follows a similar format to the first few seasons, but there are more callbacks to earlier episodes, jokes, etc., in this season than in the prior seasons. But, for the most part, it is all about the group's weekly matchups and the trash-talking that went along. There are many more cameos by NFL players, including in the season premiere, which was filmed at the Cowboy's training camp. There are also a couple of hilarious episodes set around Jenny and Kevin's new baby.

The DVD set is a two-disc set. The extras are similar to those included in the prior seasons' DVD releases. A gag reel, an alternate jokes reel, deleted scenes, and Taco Tones (mostly replays of the musical numbers). There is no longer an extended episodes option on the episodes menu. The DVDs have uncensored versions of the episodes, meaning some f-bombs and nudity are mixed in. So, not that the show was a good one for young kids to watch anyway, but even less so since you cannot play the broadcast versions vs. the uncut versions.

Overall, the series remains very funny. The writing and acting are still top-notch, and for a show that is centered around fantasy football, it is enjoyable for those who do not play fantasy football, or even like football all that much. Although, I do think it helps to do both. It is definitely one of the better adult sitcoms of the recent past.