Desperate Housewives – The Complete First Season

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B-     Extras: B     Episodes: B

 

 

The prime time soap opera cycle of the 1980s came back in a few shows afterwards, but had died for all intents and purposes, especially with the shallow and cheap thrills of so-called reality TV.  That soapy legacy extended to cable TV and hit series Sex & The City, which had the advantage of being able to be sexually explicit in language and nudity.  However, the show lacked a certain panache and if you subtract the cable freedoms and liberties, the shows limits become obvious.  This is why Desperate Housewives is a hit, because it has the wit that series lacked, picking up where its predecessor left off.

 

Both shows have the still-unusual feature of an all-female cast, and again very able-bodied ones, though the ladies of this show are slightly oppressed versus their freewheeling counterparts.  That makes the show more interesting, because you do not know when these women will try to exceed their domestic limits to take action in a given situation.  The show begins with one of the ladies committing suicide, the same woman who will narrate the series indefinitely.  His is out of the Film Noir tradition, though the show is the furthest thing from it, despite its dark streak.

 

Teri Hatcher was already a name star from both film and TV, but instead of being overbearing in the ensemble cast, she fits in well with terrific co-stars Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria and Nicollette Sheridan.  Those ladies have had some commercial success before, but this show has brought them to a whole new plateau, even Miss Hatcher.  Creator Marc Cherry is a very keen observer of human nature and how caddy people can get, especially when they get a little emotionally crammed into a situation.

 

The 1.78 X 1 image is not bad for a TV series, with good color, if not great depth al the time.  The look and production design always remind us that this is the slightly plastic suburbs and that forwards the narrative nicely.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is fine for a show with this kind of with its voice over and dialogue-driven constant conversations.  Extras include select commentaries by creator Cherry and his cast on select shows, some episodes that are nicely extended & uncut, deleted scenes, five featurettes and maybe an Easter Egg – or is that a candied apple?

 

I also like the slipcase, which is a clear plastic shell with print all over, encasing a fold up with a satin-like cover that makes the cast look like they are wearing similar dresses.  Very clever and classy.  Desperate Housewives – The Complete First Season is a great package with extras more along the lines of what we should see more often for TV on DVD all around.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo