Antonio, Lou

The Rockford Files - Season One

From the premiere of its first hour-long episode on September 13, 1974, The Rockford Files was a critical and commercial success that gained a large and loyal following. Like other private-eye shows of the 1970s (such as Columbo and David Janssen's Harry O), the series offered smart mystery plots in the hardboiled-sleuth traditions of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Rex Stout, given a sunlit spin in contemporary California. But ex-convict turned private investigator Jim Rockford (who served time for a crime he didn't commit) was anything but a conventional gumshoe; for one thing, he rarely carried a gun, and resorted to violence only when he'd exhausted his options. As played to perfection by James Garner (in what would become his signature role, surpassing his previous success as Maverick), Rockford preferred wisecracks over violence, and his going rate ("$200 a day, plus expenses") was typically applied to cold cases, missing persons, and family disputes, frequently leading to entanglements with organized crime and L.A.P.D. Sergeant Dennis Becker (Joe Santos), whose friendship with Rockford lent the series one of its pivotal character relationships. As Rockford pursued the truth from his rusty trailer-home on the Pacific Coast Highway, his inherent warmth and compassionate sleuthing were further enhanced by engaging interplay with his retired ex-trucker father "Rocky" (Noah Beery, Jr.), his lawyer and on-and-off girlfriend Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett), and his weasely former cell-mate "Angel" Martin (Stuart Margolin), a trio of supporting players as memorably appealing as any in '70s television. As a loose-knit ensemble, they followed Garner's capable lead with intelligent dialogue (the best of it written by series cocreator Stephen J. Cannell and frequent contributor Juanita Bartlett) and occasionally burst of stunt-laden action, typically involving Rockford's expert driving of a versatile Pontiac Firebird. (As Garner fondly recalls in the disc 1 bonus interview, "That car could do anything.")

With a catchy Mike Post theme song, The Rockford Files began each week with a new message on Rockford's telephone answering machine, usually a humorous indication that Rockford's life was always in some kind of financial disarray. Garner played this angle to the hilt, portraying Rockford as a nice guy who knew all the scams and wasn't above using them if it aided his case. His portrayal, and the show's excellent writing, attracted a wide variety of new and established guest stars, and these 23 episodes (24 if you count the two-part "This Case Is Closed," originally broadcast as one 90-minute episode) feature appearances by Joseph Cotten, James Woods, Sharon Gless, Lindsay Wagner, James Cromwell, Suzanne Somers, Ned Beatty, and others, along with lesser-known but familiar TV regulars like Sian Barbara Allen and Mills Watson, all adding flavor to a series that was routinely hailed by mystery writers as one of the best private-eye shows in TV history. Speaking of mysteries, one can only wonder why Universal failed to include the series' 90-minute pilot (originally aired in March 1974), and while this reviewer experienced no playback problems with these three double-sided DVDs (four episodes per side), many consumers have reported DVD freeze-ups likely resulting from lower-quality players less capable of handling high-compression DVDs. These caveats aside, season 1 of The Rockford Files is a bona fide treat, setting the tone for even better episodes that followed in subsequent seasons. --Jeff Shannon

The world's most unlikely detective comes to DVD for the first time ever in all 23 thrilling Season One episodes of The Rockford Files. Emmy(r) winner James Garner stars as the offbeat Jim Rockford, an ex-con-turned-private-investigator who would rather fish than fight, but whose instinct on closed cases is more golden than his classic Pontiac Firebird. From his mobile home in Malibu, this wisecracking private eye takes on the cases of the lost and the dispossessed, chasing down seemingly long-dead clues in the sun-baked streets and seamy alleys of Los Angeles. Including an interview with James Garner himself, this phenomenal DVD set contains 23 TV hours of classic Rockford action and includes such stellar guest stars as Lindsay Wagner, James Woods, Abe Vigoda, Suzanne Somers and Ned Beatty. The Rockford Files are now open and declassified for mystery fans everywhere!

Party of Five - The Complete Third Season

Lots of changes are in store for the Salinger family in Party of Five: The Complete Third Season. Over 25 episodes, the San Francisco-based siblings, survivors of parents who died at the series' beginning, confront some of the most difficult issues anyone has to deal with, from depression to alcoholism, breakups, dishonesty, separation and much more. The season kicks off with a bang as eldest brother and surrogate father Charlie (Matthew Fox) suddenly finds the mother of his girlfriend Kirsten (Paula Devicq) staying with them for several days due to marital problems. Given that their guest has never given--and still will not give--Charlie a break on anything, the fact that he is more empathetic about her plight than Kirsten is surprises even him. Meanwhile, Bailey (Scott Wolf) tries too hard to have a final adventure with his best friend before the two are separated by college plans. Traveling in Mexico with their girlfriends (including Bailey's longtime date, Sarah, played by Jennifer Love Hewitt), the old buddies have a series of disasters, culminating in the disappearance of Bailey's jeep. While that's going on, Julia (Neve Campbell) discovers her eccentric boyfriend, Griffin (Jeremy London), is back in town and hasn't contacted her for reasons unknown. Not to be outdone, little sister Claudia (Lacey Chabert) claims to have a boyfriend that no one has actually met--until, one day, he shows up at the door.

During the rest of the season, Julia and Griffin will struggle to figure their relationship out, growing apart and then back together, leaving one another far too often, and finally deciding on a permanent solution that makes for a touching finale. Kirsten's career ambitions threaten to throw a wrench into her relationship with Charlie, until her new doctoral degree and teaching job at a Monterey college are undone by the discovery that she plagiarized part of her dissertation. Her ensuing depression makes for dark and lonely times, and ushers in more than one relationship drama for Charlie before season's end. Restless Bailey struggles to find his way as a college man, stooping to some ambiguous ethics and discovering, almost tragically, that he has a serious drinking problem that affects his romance with Sarah and his status as a promising wrestler on the school's team. Little Claudia chafes against the amount of adult responsibility being placed on her shoulders, and a new woman in Charlie's life brings a lot of promise and a lot of emotional confusion. All that, and people still ask the Salinger offspring if they're related to you-know-who: that famous author guy. --Tom Keogh

The five-disc DVD set includes all 25 episodes from the third season which features guest stars Carroll O'Connor (TV's All in the Family, Return to Me), Jeremy London (Mallrats, Gods and Generals), and Marla Sokoloff (Dude, Where's My Car?).

This season presents a whole new set of life-changing and soul-searching moments. Some of the emotional roller-coaster issues include the unpleasant consequences of Kristin losing her Ph.D. after plagiarizing; Charlie's realization that the good old days of high school might have been more old than good; and Julia dealing with her guilt after a friend's suicide. In addition, Claudia authorizes a $3,000 plumbing repair, and the family bands together to help Bailey confront his drinking problem.

Banacek - The Second Season

A self-made millionaire and living in Boston's posh Beacon Hill area Thomas Banacek (played by George Peppard) has a taste for only the finest things. Being of Polish decent he also loves to recite enigmatic Polish proverbs. Banacek is aided in his efforts by his limo chauffer and gofer Jay (played by Ralph Manza). Jay usually has his own ideas on how the items were taken and also has dreams of recovering the items himself first and get the reward. Banacek also relies heavily on his close friend and bibliophile/bookstore owner Felix Mulholland (played by Murray Matheson) to help in background research. Insurance companies are loath to call on his services for the recovery of lost or stolen insured items because of these fees. Nevertheless they call on him when they get stuck as no one else can solve these impossible cases.System Requirements:Running Time: 576 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 829567045725 Manufacturer No: 670457

Banacek - The First Season

A self-made millionaire and living in Boston's posh Beacon Hill area Thomas Banacek (played by George Peppard) has a taste for only the finest things. Being of Polish decent he also loves to recite enigmatic Polish proverbs. Banacek is aided in his efforts by his limo chauffer and gofer Jay (played by Ralph Manza). Jay usually has his own ideas on how the items were taken and also has dreams of recovering the items himself first and get the reward. Banacek also relies heavily on his close friend and bibliophile/bookstore owner Felix Mulholland (played by Murray Matheson) to help in background research. Insurance companies are loath to call on his services for the recovery of lost or stolen insured items because of these fees. Nevertheless they call on him when they get stuck as no one else can solve these impossible cases.Runtime: 576 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 829567042823 Manufacturer No: 670428

Dawson's Creek - The Complete Fourth Season

The fourth season of Dawson's Creek is dominated by two themes. The first is senior year at Capeside High, as high achievers Joey (Katie Holmes) and Andie (Meredith Monroe) have as much pressure to deal with as low achiever Pacey (Joshua Jackson). The second is the constant love triangle following Joey and Pacey's return from their summer of bliss, threatening to destroy anyone's chance of having a healthy, functional relationship. Pacey's insecurity doesn't let him believe he's actually the lucky one, even as he proves with his actions that he deserves it. Fortunately for Dawson (James Van Der Beek), he finds a sympathetic ear in Pacey's older sister, Gretchen (Sasha Alexander), though he also has to enter an "indentured servitude" relationship with an old curmudgeon (Harve Presnell). Joey takes a job waiting tables at the yacht club, where she has to deal with the heir apparent to Abby Morgan's evil shoes, Drue Valentine (Mark Matkevitch), who also turns out to have a shadowy history with one of the friends. Meanwhile Andie and Jack (Kerr Smith) coach a youth soccer team, and Jen (Michelle Williams), having suddenly lost her boyfriend from season 3, cements her best-friendship with Jack and drags him to a gay coalition group where he spars with the activist leader (David Monahan). Look for cameos by Andy Griffith as a retired movie actor and by frequent soundtrack contributor Mary Beth Maziarz as a club singer.

Toward the end of the season, Dawson asks, "Is it just me, or did things get suddenly bigger in the last year?" It's true that as the characters have grown up--even Dawson, sort of--situations turn more serious, whether it's an afternoon sail on the cape or a rave that leads to the abrupt departure of one of the regular cast. After a prom from hell, the final phase is the graduation ceremony, and for Dawson's Creek it marked the end of an era, which the characters themselves felt deeply in the season-closing "Coda." The series would run for two more years, but it would never be the same again.

As with previous DVD sets, the background music has been changed significantly, including replacing the Paula Cole theme song. On the bright side, some of the linchpin songs--Shawn Colvin's "Blue Like That," Eva Cassidy's "Fields of Gold," Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You"--have been preserved. Executive producer Paul Stupin contributes his usual (and increasingly unnecessary) commentary on two episodes, joined on the second by a "mystery guest," consulting producer Alan Cross. --David Horiuchi

It's senior year for Dawson Joey Pacey Jen and Jack! After spending the summer together Joey and Pacey find it difficult to keep their romance going with the realities of school college applications and their strained relationship with Dawson. Dawson rediscovers his true life's dream Jen turns over a new leaf after getting a new boyfriend and Jack tries to rebuild relationships after revealing he's gay.System Requirements:Starring: James Van Der Beek Katie Holmes Joshua Jackson Michelle Williams Kerr Smith Running Time: 998 Min. Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396054431 Manufacturer No: 05443

Dawson's Creek - The Complete Sixth Season

The final season of Dawson's Creek is when the series became Joey's Bar. With the titular character (James Van Der Beek) mostly on the opposite coast working for tyrannical director Todd (Hal Ozsan) and dating an actress (Biana Kajlich), the series' other central protagonists tended to gather only at Joey's (Katie Holmes) workplace, a Boston college bar called Hell's Kitchen. But those central characters usually went their separate ways, becoming the linchpins around which wound a dizzying array of new characters who were coincidentally interconnected. Working at the bar are Emma (Megan Gray)--a punk rocker who ends up rooming with Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and Jack (Kerr Smith) and whose band Audrey (Busy Phillipps) joins as lead vocalist--and Eddie (Oliver Hudson), who's Joey's main antagonist in a lit class taught by an antagonistic professor (Roger Howarth). While Joey is busy at Worthington, Jack and Jen (Michelle Williams) are at Boston Bay College, where both are attracted to a pop-culture professor (Sebastian Spence), but Jen ends up dating a help-line worker (Jensen Ackles). Pacey goes Gordon Gecko in a new job as a stock broker mentored by a cutthroat businessman (Dana Ashbrook). The lack of interaction among the main characters proved the biggest drawback to this era of Dawson's Creek, but when they were put together, sparks could still fly, such as when Pacey and Joey get locked in a Super K-Mart overnight, or when an old romance--and rivalry--is rekindled. Season 6 was also the end of Dawson's Creek, and the episodes improved as they drew to their inevitable conclusion, peaking in the devastating series finale. Creator Kevin Williamson returned to write a flash-forward in which the main characters are 25, and a reunion in Capeside leads to tragedy and some final decisions.

The version of the series finale is the same that was released on a standalone DVD, complete with the extended cut, commentary track by Williamson and executive producer Paul Stupin, and all the original music such as Paula Cole's theme song and Beth Nielsen Chapman's "Say Goodnight" (though not the additional scenes from the pilot presentation). The rest of the season replaces some songs as previous DVDs have done, including the theme song, but the No Doubt concert is complete. Season guest stars in addition to No Doubt include Loveline's Dr. Drew and Adam Carolla as themselves, and Mimi Rogers as Jen's mom (replacing season 3's Mel Harris). --David Horiuchi

It's a season of discontent for the Dawson's gang with broken hearts and interrupted dreams causing major friction for all. Joey and Dawson rekindle their romance but the flame quickly dies out when he reveals he had a romance with an actress in L.A. - the same actress who's coming to Boston to star in Todd's movie. Audrey's dad helps Pacey get a job and makes her singing debut with Emma's band but her inner demons threaten to destroy everything. And Jen faces the biggest challenge of her life - one that will have a lasting effect on them all.System Requirements:Run Time: 1104 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396129184 Manufacturer No: 12918

Dawson's Creek - The Complete First Season

Kevin Williamson (the Scream movie series I Know What You Did Last Summer) created this engaging drama which chronicles a group of young friends' passage from adolescence to young adulthood in the small coastal town of Capeside Massachusetts. Based on Williamson's own experiences growing up "Dawson's Creek" focuses on fifteen-year-olds Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes) who have been friends since they were five and are trying to cope with the way their friendship is changing now that their hormones are raging. Add to the mix their friend Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and the new girl in town Jen (Michelle Williams) and you can count on extra twists to the drama in their already turbulent lives.Filmed on location in Wilmington Durham and Raleigh North Carolina this first season marks the beginning of an unforgettable journey that explores the agony and the ecstasy of teenage life. Can the kids of "Dawson's Creek" really grow up without growing apart? Watch and find out!System Requirements:Starring: James Van Der Beek Katie Holmes Michelle Williams Joshua Jackson and Oliver Hudson. Running Time: (total) 570 Min. Color. These episodes are presented in "Standard" format. Copyright 2003 VPD Inc.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating:  UPC: 043396102392 Manufacturer No: 10239

Even viewers who consider themselves beyond their teen-angst years might find Dawson's Creek compelling watching. For years Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes) have watched movies and slept in the same bed, but they find that as they enter high school their relationship will inevitably change. That becomes especially clear when Dawson is immediately attracted to Capeside, Massachusetts's sexy new arrival, Jen (Michelle Williams). Meanwhile, their friend Pacey (Joshua Jackson) pursues an unachievable love object.

Creator Kevin Williamson based Dawson's Creek on his own youth, and sure, the characters may not really look or sound 15, but the Dawson-Joey-Jen interplay--especially embodied by the sad-eyed and cynical (but still adorable) Joey and the smart but emotionally inept Dawson--gives the show its heart. And just like Williamson's fresh take on the teen-horror genre, Scream, Dawson's Creek has a winking self-awareness, for example when Dawson says they're having a "90210 moment" or explains that they use big words because they watch too many movies. Highlights of the first season include Dawson's discovery that his perfect home life may not be so perfect, an unwelcome reminder of Jen's past, the Breakfast Club takeoff "Detention," the Scream takeoff "The Scare," a beauty contest in which two unlikely competitors square off, and the heart-rending finale.

On the DVDs, Williamson and producer Paul Stubin have a commentary track for both the pilot episode and the last episode, in which they offer parallels between the two "bookends," notes on the locations, vast praise for their cast and affection for the show, and a few spoilers regarding subsequent seasons. Williamson and Stubin also do all the talking in an 8-minute featurette "From Day One," while Van Der Beek, Holmes, Jackson, and (briefly) Williams discuss their characters in the 7-minute "Season One Time Capsule," recorded back when the series premiered. On the downside, picture quality is sometimes quite grainy, perhaps because all 13 episodes plus bonuses are squeezed onto three discs. --David Horiuchi

Dawson's Creek - The Complete Second Season

The saga continues in this thought-provoking second season. Set in Capeside a small coastal town near Boston "Dawson's Creek" tells the story of five teenagers struggling through adolesence. Dawson Leary (James Van Der Beek) an introspective dreamer and Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) a precocious tomboy unaware of her beauty have been best friends since childhood. Pals Jennifer (Michelle Williams) Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and Jack (Kerr Smith) join them as they live love and learn.System Requirements:Starring: James Van Der Beek Katie Holmes Michelle Williams Joshua Jackson Directed By: Kevin Williamson Running Time: 976 Min. Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396013377 Manufacturer No: 01337

The second season of Dawson's Creek finds Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes) exploring the newest phase of their lifelong friendship, leaving Jen (Michelle Williams) and Pacey (Joshua Jackson) on the outside. The former enters a downward spiral assisted by bad girl Abby (Monica Keena), but Pacey happens into a "meet cute" with one of Capeside's new residents, the impossibly perky Andie (Meredith Monroe), who turns out to be his perfect foil. The Creek also struck gold with its second major addition, Andie's brother Jack (Kerr Smith), who shows Joey that he's more than just a clumsy waiter. With the siblings' help, Pacey and Joey show the most personal growth during the season's 22 episodes. The constant parent-child crises can be a bit much, but there were numerous other developments, including a two-part sexual whodunnit, Dawson embarking on his second movie (assisted by Rachael Leigh Cook in a sizzling guest appearance), Dawson's birthday party from hell, a vicious rumor that spreads through the high school, and the emotion-wringing finale.

The only bonus feature is a commentary track on the first and last episodes just as with the first season, though executive producer Paul Stupin is by himself rather than accompanied by creator Kevin Williamson. The interplay is missed, but Stupin enthusiastically offers a lot of information about how the cast had become celebrities by the second season and had to juggle other projects, and random details and trivia. Stupin mentions how carefully he selected different pieces of music, which "would become forever part of our show." That's ironic because for this DVD set Stupin himself picked a lot of new music to replace the selections that originally aired, presumably because of the cost involved in securing the rights (a problem for many television DVD releases). A couple of episodes are unaltered, but others have had almost every song replaced. Newcomers to the series probably won't notice, but serious fans may want not want to tape over their VHS cassettes just yet. --David Horiuchi

Dawson's Creek - The Complete Third Season

It's a new season and a new semester for the Capeside friends! With the pressures of high school increasing and senior year just around the corner Dawson (James Van Der Beek) Joey (Katie Holmes) and the rest of the gang have a lot of planning to do. Along with pals Pacey (Joshua Jackson) Jennifer (Michelle Williams) and Jack (Kerr Smith) they deal with sex ethics jealousy and more.System Requirements:Starring: James Van Der Beek Katie Holmes Joshua Jackson Michelle Williams Running Time: 997 Min. Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396051294 Manufacturer No: 05129

"Jen is a cheerleader and Jack's on the football team. I got sane and everyone else went crazy?" That's how Andie (Meredith Monroe) sums up the topsy-turvy beginning to the third season of Dawson's Creek, in which nothing seems to be as it should and the series takes a major turn. It's junior year at Capeside High, and Jack (Kerr Smith), the town's resident gay teen, is indeed on the football team, and Jen (Michelle Williams) finds herself the object of unexpected and unwelcome popularity among her fellow students, especially the freshman quarterback (Michael Pitt). Pacey (Joshua Jackson) finds that his relationship with Andie can't be restored, and Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes), after the events of last year, both think it's for the best that they're no longer together--they just never think it at the same time. Significant events include the friends starting to date outside their circle, Dawson's giving up some of his aspirations, a crisis for the school's new principal, a college tour, and the openings of the Potter Bed & Breakfast and Leery's Fresh Fish. But the Dawson-Joey relationship is still the heart of the Creek, and it comes to a head in one of the series' most memorable episodes, "The Longest Day," and then the season finale. Even in its first season without series creator Kevin Williamson, Dawson's Creek still had plenty of punch.

On the DVDs, executive producer Paul Stupin does his usual commentary track for two episodes, and he's joined by Kerr Smith. They discuss the series itself, Smith's character, and Smith's subsequent career more than the events of the episodes. The second-season DVD set disappointed many fans by replacing a large portion of the music, and that trend continues in the third season, most surprisingly in the loss of Paula Cole's theme song. Instead, the opening credits feature Jann Arden's "Run Like Mad," which was used briefly in the international broadcast. Stupin explains the switch as an attempt to do something different and creative, but then admits there was also "a bit of an economic reality." Fortunately, the DVDs do have John Lennon's "Imagine" and Mary Beth Maziarz's "Daydream Believers"--songs that in dramatic context simply could not have been replaced--and it could be argued that a veteran viewer might skip the opening credits anyway. Still, for many fans, the music made Dawson's Creek what it was, and without all of it--especially the theme song--the DVDs seem like a compromise rather than a permanent keepsake. --David Horiuchi

Party of Five - The Complete First Season

After the sudden loss of their parents the Salingers must band together to keep their own lives on track discovering first loves last calls and themselves along the rocky road to growing up. Headlined by a young sexy cast including Neve Campbell Scott Wolf and Lacey Chabert this high-rated long-running series (1994-2000) firmly found its place as a pop culture phenomenon for all ages. Shot through with equal doses heart-ache and laughter PARTY OF FIVE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON remains an emotional knockout delivering all (22) episodes of this Golden Globe®-winning (Best TV Series Drama 1996) series' breakthrough debut season proving again that home is where the heart is.System Requirements:Starring: Neve Campbell Scott Wolf Lacey Chabert Matthew Fox Running Time: 984 Min. Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396028654 Manufacturer No: 02865

In its seven-year run on television, Party of Five managed to portray extreme emotions in a contained, tasteful, and level-headed way without sacrificing poignancy or richness. Aimed at a teen audience but with crossover appeal to most viewers, the series dealt with recurring themes of loss and disappointment, made all the more interesting because Party of Five's major characters, especially in season 1, are youthful siblings coping with the recent deaths of their parents in an automobile accident.

Shocked into a beyond-their-years awareness of the fragility of ordinary life and the importance of loyalty and loving bonds, the Salinger offspring--24-year-old Charlie (Matthew Fox), high schoolers Bailey (Scott Wolf) and Julia (Neve Campbell), 11-year-old Claudia (Lacey Chabert), and baby Owen (various infant actors)--bring a deeply felt, sometimes desperate gravitas to lesser but still significant misfortunes in relationships, peer pressures, and ambitions. On top of that, each has to take on responsibilities beyond their experience--hiring nannies, raising money for mortgage payments, etc.--and make sacrifices robbing them of formative experiences. Charlie, accustomed to adult freedom, has to rejigger his plans and move back home as a surrogate, and often resented, parent. (If he doesn't do this, his brothers and sisters could be separated and sent to foster homes.) Ultra-responsible Bailey, with little time for homework, buddies, or girls, loses perspective and gets hung up on an older, appealing nanny (Paula Devicq). Top student Julia's academic career fades as she seeks a second family among undeserving thrill-seekers. Claudia, a gifted musician, pawns her violin.

Despite all that drama, the essence of Party of Five is the Salingers' homing instinct, the way they survive internal and external conflict to find their way back to reassuring family rituals--among them weekly (free) dinners at the restaurant their late father owned. The 22 episodes on six discs in this boxed set typically test the Salingers' hopes, dreams, and mettle, and while stories can certainly be unsettling, a viewer is never left with serious worries that things won't turn out all right. Among the highlights are "Homework," in which Julia, having made plans to attend a party rather than salvage her failing grade in English lit, stays home instead to save Bailey's bacon by writing his difficult term paper. The powerful "Thanksgiving" concerns a face-to-face meeting between the Salingers and the drunk driver (John Rubinstein) who killed their parents. Most memorable is a suite of episodes featuring Megan Ward as Bailey's girlfriend, Jill, a possible drug addict whose fate rocks the startling season finale, "The Ides of March." --Tom Keogh