Soul Food: The Series – The Second Season
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: C+
After all
these decades, the Big Three Networks (even becoming four with FOX) never had a
one-hour drama with an all African American cast, but the hit film Soul Food led to the hit TV series on
the Showtime Network and Soul Food: The
Series – The Second Season finally arrives on DVD. Except for the fact that these 20 hour-long
shows from the 2001 – 2002 season (on 5 DVDs) are edited from the original
broadcasts (including music being cut out), fans should be just about happy.
Unfortunately,
the show is as much soap opera as drama and though it is better than many of
its contemporaries, it still has its limits as far as formula and melodrama are
concerned. Vanessa Williams leads a
good, serious, solid cast of actors getting a chance to show their stuff as
head of the Joseph Sisters, their trials and tribulations. Because the shows do not have to worry about
a bunch of commercials, the stories get more development room, which helps it
out a good bit.
The 1.33
X 1 image is too soft for a new show, though the second-generation look is
likely due to these copies being second-generation from being reedited. The show was likely shot on film, but the
video masters were likely used for the editing.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is supposed to have surrounds, but when you
use regular Pro Logic, it cuts the sound up and minimizes it instead. There are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
