Zinberg, Michael

Family Ties - The Fourth Season

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/05/2008 Run time: 673 minutes Rating: Nr

Romance was in the air in Family Ties' fourth season (1985-86), when it was in the coveted 8:30 p.m. slot following The Cosby Show in NBC's Must-See TV Thursday lineup. When Alex (Michael J. Fox) is starting his sophomore year at Leland College, his plan to pick a prospective girlfriend from the freshman directory goes awry when he battles with her art-major roommate, Ellen (Tracy Pollan). Not surprisingly, opposites attract, and Alex and Ellen's dance together and the heart-tugging aftermath became one of the series' emotional high points and made a No. 1 single out of Billy Vera and the Beaters' "At This Moment." (It turns out that Fox and Pollan's incredible chemistry wasn't just acting: they married less than three years later.) Many of the season's best episodes feature Alex and Ellen, including those involving her father (played by Ronny Cox), but another major character was added in Nick (Scott Valentine), the Kawasaki-riding, garbage-art-making, earring-wearing boyfriend of Mallory (Justine Bateman). Nick, whose favorite greeting is "Ayyy!", immediately sets off warning bells for Mallory's father Steven (Michael Gross), though the Rambo comparisons seem silly today.

Also in the season, Mallory tops Alex in an IQ test, Stephen finds a new and demanding job, Elyse (Meredith Baxter-Birney) and Alex take an automotive class, Jennifer (Tina Yothers) winds up in a difficult spot when Alex helps her with a speech, and Skippy (Marc Price) finally decides to pursue Mallory. Guest stars include River Phoenix as Alex's 13-year-old math tutor, Martha Plimpton as a young shoplifter, and Peter Scolari as Elyse's romantically inclined coworker. The four-DVD set has the 90-minute Family Ties Vacation movie that aired before the season started, episode promos, the original theme song, and the original Billy Vera song. --David Horiuchi

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In TV Land, a new baby, or the introduction of new love interests are traditionally ratings ploys to prop up a sagging series. This was not the case with Family Ties, which in its fourth season was ranked second only to The Cosby Show in the ratings and Emmy-nominated for Best Comedy Series. Breakout star Michael J. Fox would win his first Emmy as Alex, primetime's first compassionate conservative, while costar Justine Bateman received a nomination for her deft work as underachiever Mallory. The season, and this box set, gets off to a jolly good start with the feature-length "A Family Ties Vacation," which sends the Keatons off to England, where they become embroiled in espionage (hey, it could happen). Once the season proper begins, the show regains its solid footing with the key additions of Tracy Pollan and Scott Valentine in recurring roles. Pollan, the future Mrs. Michael J. Fox, is introduced in the Emmy-nominated two-parter, "The Real Thing," in which Alex meets his match in the beautiful and brainy Ellen Reed, and falls in love with her (to the indelible tune of "At This Moment" by Billy Vera & the Beaters). Valentine etches a fine and funny portrait of every parent's initial nightmare as Mallory's new boyfriend, an "environmental artist" who seems to be channeling Sylvester Stallone. He reveals his more soulful side in the episode, "The Old College Try," in which he changes Mallory's mind about not wanting to go to college. Family Ties' ensemble is thoroughly at home in their iconic characters. Each handles the prolific jokes like Friars Club roasters, as well as the more emotional moments. Happily, this season goes easy on the Very Special Episodes. Even so, the few two-parters aside, there is no issue that cannot be resolved within the allotted 30 minutes, whether it be Ellen's estrangement from her father (Ronny Cox) in "Where's Poppa," or Mallory being forced by a teacher to "grow up" and apply herself in order to graduate high school in "Paper Chase." There are no early appearances by future A-listers along the lines of Tom Hanks and Geena Davis from previous seasons, but a young River Phoenix impresses in the episode, "My Tutor," as Alex's 13-year-old tutor who becomes a "crazed lunatic" over Jennifer (Tina Yothers). The Keatons were one of television's most functional families and it's heartening to watch them grow. These are the Ties that bind. --Donald Liebenson

Taxi - The Complete First Season

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/22/2006 Rating: Nr

Hail, Taxi. It's great to finally have one of the defining sitcoms of the 1970s available on DVD to take out for a spin. This character-driven humane comedy from the creators of The Mary Tyler Moore Show rolled out of the garage with a full tank of gas: a lightning-in-a-bottle ensemble, smart, witty, and compassionate writing, and extraordinary characters. The Sunshine Cab Company was a much grittier workplace than the sunny WJM newsroom. Its down, but never out employees--single mother Elaine (Marilu Henner), aspiring actor Bobby (Jeff Conaway), hapless boxer Tony (Tony Danza), reptilian dispatcher Louis (Danny DeVito), naive rube John (Randall Carver), and indeterminately foreign mechanic Latka (comic iconoclast Andy Kaufman)--struggled to keep rolling along. Judd Hirsch's salt-of-the-earth cabbie Alex Rieger solved everyone's problems but his own. Half hours don't get more moving than the Humanitas Prize-winning episode, "Blind Date," in which Alex tries to befriend an embittered overweight woman, or funnier than "High School Reunion," in which Bobby impersonates Louie at Louie's reunion to impress his mean former classmates.

Along for the ride in this Emmy-winning first season are a pre-MagnumTom Selleck and Mandy Patinkin ("Memories of Cab 804") and life force Ruth Gordon, who was honored with an Emmy for her performance as one of Alex's most memorable fares ("Sugar Mama"). The poignant episode "Paper Marriage" features Christopher Lloyd as burn-out Reverend Jim, who would join the ensemble in season 2. Regrettably, this three-disc set is a stripped down model, with no commentary or interviews. But there is nothing hack about Taxi itself. This is "must-own" television fare. --Donald Liebenson

Family Ties - The Complete First Season

A couple who were ardently leftwing political activists in the sixties face the problems of raising a family with children who have strongly conservative views. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 02/20/2007 Starring: Michael J Fox Meredith Baxter Birney Run time: 530 minutes

Though it emerged during the Reagan era, Family Ties remains as relevant as ever. Most children find their parents a little embarrassing, but what sets this sitcom apart is that former hippies Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse (Meredith Baxter-Birney) Keaton have three children, Alex (three-time Emmy winner Michael J. Fox), Mallory (Justine Bateman), and Jennifer (Tina Yothers), yet they haven't lost their youthful idealism. The ambitious Alex and materialistic Mallory, however, don't share it. Poster children for the go-go 1980s, they'd rather rake in the cash than change the world. As Alex quips in the pilot, "The '60s are over, Dad." If the writing were more cynical, it's unlikely the ABC show would've become a seven-season hit. It works because the Keatons obviously love each other--foibles and all.

In their first year, the family faces a variety of challenges. Steven finds out his father has a fatal illness ("I Never Killed for My Father"), 15-year-old Mallory deals with unwelcome male attention ("Give Your Uncle a Kiss"), and 17-year-old Alex learns a lesson about responsibility when he loses nine-year-old Jennifer while babysitting ("The Fifth Wheel"). Guest stars include Bewitched's Dick Sargent as Elyse's father, Charlie ("No Nukes Is Good Nukes"), and a lanky Tom Hanks as her brother, Ned (two-part episode "The Fugitive"). Though Fox (Back to the Future, Spin City) was the breakout star of Family Ties, he was part of a strong ensemble. Some storylines are also surprisingly hard-hitting, particularly the script dealing with sexual harassment. On the downside, there are no extras and, like many Paramount boxed sets, most of the original music has been changed or eliminated. The theme song "Without Us," for instance, is sung by session players on several episodes rather than by Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Beyond Family Ties

More DVDs with Michael J. Fox

More `80s TV Series

More TV Series on DVD for the First Time

Taxi - The Complete Second Season

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 09/16/2008

Caroline in the City - The First Season

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/12/2008 Run time: 534 minutes Rating: Nr

Of the NBC series that attempted to carry viewers from Seinfeld to ER in NBC's vaunted Thursday night line-up, Caroline in the City came closest to "Must-See" status (no offense, Veronica's Closet). Unlike other woman-anchored sitcoms, Caroline in the City is not in the "you're going to make it after all" vein of That Girl or The Mary Tyler Moore Show. As with series creator Fred Barron's previous series, Dave's World, Caroline in the City revolves around an artist whose chaotic personal life provides a fount of material. Caroline (the babe-dorable Lea Thompson, best known as Marty McFly's mother in the Back to the Future trilogy) is already a success. She draws the highly popular "witty and carefree" comic strip about a hapless single woman who is not Cathy. As this inaugural season unfolds, Caroline finds herself increasingly torn between two men. The first is Del (Eric Lutes), her on-again-off-again boyfriend for whom she creates Caroline merchandise for his dad's greeting card company. The second is Richard (Malcolm Gets), Caroline's new assistant and a struggling artist with a sardonic wit that's a tonic to the show. Caroline and Richard don't generate sparks like Sam and Diane or David and Maddie; They are more Ross and Rachel, and the season gets more involving once the romantic tension tightens. Adding spunk to the series is Annie (Amy Pietz), Caroline's neighbor and best friend, and a Broadway dancer (she's in Cats). Annie and Richard make fine and funny natural-born enemies (they address each other as "tightass" and "tart"). Helping to get the fledgling series aloft like the Caroline in the City parade balloon in the Thanksgiving episode is a roster of fellow "Must-See" stars (David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves from Frasier, Matthew Perry from Friends, and Jonathan Silverman from The Single Guy), as well as future Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham in a recurring role as Richard's flakey and impossible to shake girlfriend, and TV icons (Jean Stapleton as Caroline's aunt, Florence Henderson as herself, and in the poignant episode, "Caroline and the Watch," Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam, though it's off-putting to hear the former Buddy and Sally joke about "screwing"). A top 5 show in its first season, Caroline would prove it was more than a time-slot hit (a series that benefits from the popular show that precedes it) when it went on to hold its own on Tuesday, and then Monday, nights. Those who were living for the City will welcome its arrival on DVD. Those just making Caroline's acquaintance should beware the bonus episode promos; some, like "Caroline and the Folks," contain major plot spoilers. --Donald Liebenson

Taxi - The Complete Third Season

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 09/13/2005

From the melancholy opening notes of the theme song, Taxi promised to be a different kind of sitcom, epitomized by the show's central character, Alex Reiger (Judd Hirsch, Ordinary People): down to earth and compassionate, with neuroses that smacked of real life and not the forced zaniness of too many television shows. Alex was the conscience and emotional caretaker of a makeshift family of cab drivers working out of a grungy garage in New York City, run by the domineering Louis De Palma (Danny DeVito, who would go on to be a bigger star than the rest of the cast in movies like Get Shorty and Batman Returns). Taxi didn't always maintain a degree of realism--if you haven't seen it in a long time, you may be surprised by some of the cornier jokes and bits of slapstick--but at its best, the show managed to merge sadness and humor into rich and satisfying stories.

The third season has many standout episodes. Alex learns that his daughter is getting married but hasn't invited him to the wedding, which leads to a surprisingly sparky confrontation with his ex-wife (guest start Louise Lasser, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman). When single mom Elaine (Marilu Henner) is embarrassed by meeting a more successful high-school friend in her cab, she lies to save face and Alex steps in to back her up. Aspiring boxer Tony (Tony Danza, Who's the Boss?) can't decide how to tell Elaine that her new boyfriend made a pass at him. Tony's sister (guest star Julie Kavner, the voice of Marge on The Simpsons) falls in love with the addled but affable Jim (Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), much to Tony's dismay. Also crucial to the show's success was the oddball presence of Andy Kaufman, whose quirky, unspecifically-Eastern-European mechanic Latka Gravas sometimes made an awkward fit with the rest of the ensemble. But even at his most eccentric, Kaufman was always weirdly watchable, especially in his bizarre, season-closing transformation into the loungy Vic Ferrari. All in all, the third season is an excellent sampling of this sterling sitcom. Sadly, there are no commentaries or other extras. --Bret Fetzer

Taxi - Seasons 1-3

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: TAXI
Title: SEASONS 1-3
Street Release Date: 09/13/2005
Domestic
Genre: TELEVISION

Men Behaving Badly - The Complete Series

Kevin and Jamie are two roommates. Kevin is irresponsible and sloppy but compared to super-slob and slacker Jamie Kevin looks almost anal-retentive. While both are content to wallow in their immaturity Kevin must contend with his girlfriend Sarah's attempt to "improve" him. Jamie is always ready to provide immoral support.System Requirements:Run Time: 780 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 826663104042 Manufacturer No: D4D10404

Retrosexuals are back, baby, and between "Man Laws" and Rob Schneider's unaccountably successful film career, this short-lived 1996 Americanized remake of the popular Britcom should behave much better on DVD than it did in the Nielsen ratings. Schneider stars with Ron Eldard (ER) as Jamie and Kevin, childhood friends and roommates. Jamie puts the "id" in idiot with his Kramer-like body spasms and double takes whenever in the presence of a hot babe. He's the slacker type who uses underpants as a coffee filter and endangers an impending job interview so he can surreptitiously rummage through the belongings of his beautiful new neighbor who has unwisely given him her keys. "First impressions can be unfair," she tells him, "but you really seem like a jerk." That's an understatement. Kevin has a slightly more evolved attitude toward women (in the first episode, he queries whether sex is still consensual if his partner falls asleep during it). He at least has a girlfriend, Sarah (Justine Bateman of Family Ties). While the pathetic Jamie struggles just to get to first base, Kevin wrestles with his commitment issues. The situations are predictable (in one episode, Jamie pretends to have a child so he can date a single mother) as are many of the jokes. "They're tire models," Jamie states in one episode during a disastrous double date. "They're used to being rotated."). But you've got to admire Schneider's steadfast commitment to his rude muse without regard for audience empathy.

Eldard and Bateman departed after the end of the first season, but hold those jumping sharks. Schneider took top billing and welcomed a new and equally stunted roommate, Steve (Ken Marino). Both were well matched with female foils. Dina Spybey, who has a young Goldie Hawn's ditzy charm, enjoys an expanded role as Jamie's neighbor, Brenda; Jenica Bergere is Steve's new girlfriend, Katie. Men Behaving Badly may not rank in the "Must-See" pantheon, but especially for Schneider fans, it makes for great boys' night in viewing. Beer, chips, and supermodels not included. --Donald Liebenson

The White Shadow - Season 1

A timeless classic that fans are clamoring for! From the Creators of "COACH CARTER," "ST. ELSEWHERE," "NORTHERN EXPOSURE" AND "NYPD BLUE." When professional basketball player Ken Reeves (Ken Howard) suffers a serious knee injury, his career comes to a grinding halt?and all his dreams of glory seem shattered. Fortunately an old friend, who is now the principal of a Los Angeles inner-city high school, offers him a job as a basketball coach. Although initially hesitant, Reeves' love of the game finally convinces him to accept the position. But he soon discovers the only thing worse than his team's lack of skill on the court is their lack of belief in themselves off the court. Yet the new coach feels certain that the right combination of guts, sweat, luck and attention will make his players winners in the end.

The entertaining and sometimes powerful The White Shadow gets under one's skin very quickly. Ken Howard plays former NBA star Ken Reeves, whose career in the pro game is cut short by serious injuries. Along comes Ken's old college roomate, Jim Willis (Jason Bernard in the pilot episode, Ed Bernard after that), principal of an inner-city high school in Los Angeles with a high dropout rate and plenty of antagonism between thuggish students and an angry faculty. Jim makes Ken an offer any sensible man might refuse, but somehow Ken can't: becoming coach of the school's low-achieving basketball team.

Hardly a bleeding heart and prone to inopportune wisecracks, Ken nevertheless gets the team on its feet and slowly takes cautious interest in the personal lives of individual players. Over the course of 15 first-season episodes, Ken gets in the middle of his students' problems, including alcoholism, gang affiliations, early fatherhood, racism, and fighting. Ken is not without his own issues and biases, which have to be faced at critical times. In "Just One of the Boys," the addition of a new player, who might be gay, to the team makes him terribly anxious--and embarrassed that he feels that way. "Spare the Rod" finds Ken at his lowest moment after striking a student who punched him in the nose. What makes this story interesting is that every adult in the school rushes to Ken's defense, even praises him for taking a stand. Yet the attention deepens his shame, and makes Ken too ready to forgive his dangerous attacker. Actress Joan Pringle is excellent as vice-principal Sybil Buchanan, Ken's ally-adversary. Be on the lookout for a number of actors who would soon have starring roles on 1980s TV series, among them Michael Warren and Bruce Weitz (Hill Street Blues), Peter Horton (thirtysomething), and Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation). --Tom Keogh

The White Shadow: The Complete Second Season

When professional basketball player Ken Reeves sustains a career-ending injury, he accepts a job as basketball coach at a Los Angeles inner-city high school. Now, in his second year at Carver High, he realizes he's become more than just a basketball coach. He's the person his players can turn to when things go wrong at home, or when things get tough out on the street. Clashes still arise highlighting the differences between the world Coach Reeves knows and the tough neighborhoods where his players live, but ultimately the bond between coach and player is strengthened?and the daily hardships they face become a true learning experience for all.

The White Shadow's sophomore year, its last with the series' original roster, is a winning season as the inner city Carver High School basketball team, led by former Chicago Bulls forward Ken Reeves (Ken Howard), further share "the unique joys and sorrows experienced in organized sport." To quote an aspiring sportswriter in the season opener, "On the Line," it's the "blending of friendship, teamwork, discipline, and trust that makes this unit what it is." The Carver team will be tested on and off the court in their run for the city championship. Several episodes take an authentically gritty look at such hot-button issues as sports betting ("On the Line"), race ("Albert Hodges," "Links"), child abuse ("The Hitter"), sexually transmitted diseases ("Me?"), inappropriate teacher-student extracurricular activities ("Salami's Affair"), and the scourge of drugs ("Gonna Fly Now"). But it is the hard-earned life lessons that put The White Shadow in a class by itself. In "Globetrotters," a good team goes astray with bad sportsmanship after a winning streak, prompting Reeves to recruit an incognito Harlem Globetrotters to give his players a much-needed comeuppance. Tragedy strikes in two of the season's most memorable episodes. In "Sudden Death," Reeves is guilt-stricken after a promising player he encouraged to join the team suffers a fatal aneurysm during practice ("I hope very much this burdens you for the rest of your life," the boy's unforgiving mother tells him). And in "The Death of Me Yet," jubilation over the team's Cinderella story is short-lived after one of the team's (and series') most valuable players is slain during a liquor store robbery.

The White Shadow was never a ratings slam-dunk, but, especially, if you were on a high school basketball team, it was must-see viewing. Some more prurient episodes find The White Shadow off its game (in "The Stripper," Reeves is stunned to discover his new girlfriend, a Carver chemistry teacher, moonlights as an exotic dancer), but overall, it still scores with its real-world tone that often leaves conflicts and crises unresolved by the final freeze frame. Now available for replay on DVD, The White Shadow should find a new generation of fans. --Donald Liebenson