Grounded For Life – Season 1

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Episodes: C-

 

 

I know Grounded For Life is a situation comedy meant for families, but what families?  It is supposed to be “safe” but how safe?  The epitome of this commodification and plasticization of the “ideal” family can be found in Season 1 of this extremely flat, dull, tired, predictable, pseudo-hip and wall-to-wall dysfunctional show.  Even worse, it is so comfortable in that state of infantilism that the parents and children blur.

 

Part of this comes from the parents starting at 18 with children that have now grown out of their control to some extent while they have only grown so much arriving in their 30s.  Donal Logue is the father some people will remember from the first Blade film, leaving the others as newcomers for the most part, give or take a veteran here or there.  The show is very trivial and forgettable, with later episodes making no headway in developing anything worth another season.  All in all, the animated family shows get smarter and bolder, while the live-action ones are like unfunny mannequins trying for laughs.  Too bad, because family shows used to have heart.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is the usual videotaped-looking show, with the usual flat lighting and the Dolby Digital 2.0 is pretty much stereo-only as any attempt to create surrounds hollows out the sound and exposes its limits.  Extras include select audio commentary on some of the shows, four interviews, a highlights featurette and a bloopers reel.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo