DVD Review: 8 Simple Rules: The Complete First Season
From Buena Vista Home Entertainment:
Does your dad have "rules" for your dates to follow? This funny TV series, originally titled "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenaged Daughter" featured a caring dad who drove his teenaged kids nuts! You can probably relate at some level to the episodes and it's sad that actor John Ritter, who played the dad, died while shooting the 2nd season of the show. After his death, the tone of the comedy changed, in my opinion, for the worse. That is why checking out the first season is kind of special. There are all 28 episodes here and, like most new shows, the cast and stories get better as we go along.
John Ritter (of classic comedy "Three's Company" fame) plays Paul Hennessy, a former sports writer and columnist who works at home. His wife Kate (Katey Sagal from "Married With Children") is a nurse and dad has to be Mr. Mom at home with the kids during the day. Bridget (Kaley Cuoco) is a hot teen blonde who cares about clothes and boys, of course. Kerry (Amy Davidson) is very artsy and is an expert at the put-down remark. Rory (Martin Spanjers) is the only boy and, as boys will do, likes to needle his sisters constantly. Is this series full of ground-breaking comedy material? No, but it's dished out quite well. Actors are good and you get a real family feeling here. Some of the episodes are way funnier than others. I like the ones that deal the most with dad's bout with the men in Bridget's life but I didn't find any really sucky episodes at all. You'll probably relate to a ton of these family love and squabble storylines. Look out for guest stars like Jason Priestley of "90210", Cybill Shepherd or Nick Carter.
Video/Audio: This DVD looks really good in widescreen. It's a five year old show but it's really colorful, clear and looks brand new. The sound isn't great in the surround department but you don't need that in this type of DVD. You can hear the dialogue and the laughs just fine.
Special Features: Not many. Oddly, you don't get anybody being interviewed about Ritter's death but maybe they are saving that for a later DVD or find it tasteless or...something. You do get a few Outtakes or Bloopers and these are pretty funny. You can see how much fun Ritter and cast were evidently having with each other.
Wrapping Up, both you and your parents will enjoy this DVD. Hey you all may get some tips on how to deal with dating, parental overprotective behavior, etc. Definitely worth a fun rent if not a buy for fans of the short-lived show.
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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.
