Anything But Love – Volume One
Picture: C Sound: C Extras: C Episodes: C+
John
Ritter was such a major force at ABC that they even wanted him to produce
projects because they thought it could amount to hit TV shows. One that worked out better than expected,
even if it was not a huge hit, was Anything
But Love. This show paired comedian
Richard Lewis with comic actress Jamie Lee Curtis long before Dharma & Greg, Mad About You or other such loving couples shows. They meet on an airplane and that gets their
relationship “flying” with lunacy.
She works
at a publishing firm, one that he is about to join. At first, it is a friendship, but it is
obvious that the plutonic relationship will have a hard time staying that way
as their feelings slowly grow for each other.
Lewis was a red hot comic at the time, while Curtis just finished A Fish Called Wanda, which was a huge
international hit.
The show
is likable and gets points for the combination of intelligence and subtly along
with the chemistry of its leads, but it is not for all tastes and this critic
would add that it is not just because it has a major female audience. If it has that, it is because of how
well-written Curtis’ Hannah Miller is and how good she is in the role. Not exactly a feminist icon, Miller was still
more modern than the often regressive 1950s-type matriarchs updated to bad
1980s sitcoms. Lewis and Curtis can act
and both have great comic timing, which helps the show when it sags. With this new set, you can see for yourself
how it holds up.
The 1.33
X 1 image was actually shot on film, though the pilot (only seen partly in a
supplement) was taped, yet there is digititis throughout all episodes when
these shows need HD transfers. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 Stereo is a bit harsher in volume as if it were a generation or two
down. Extras include two audio
commentaries among the 28 shows and two featurettes about the development,
making and arrival of the show: Stories
From The Set and All About Anything But Love.
- Nicholas Sheffo
