8 Simple Rules - The Complete First Season
Starring: John Ritter, Katey Sagal, Kaley Cuoco, Amy Davidson, Martin SpanjersDirector: James Widdoes
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Running Time: 601 minutes
DVD Release: August 7th 2007
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DVD Review
After gaining fame as ladies man Jack Tripper on the 1970s sitcom Three's Company, John Ritter steals the show as a father of three--including two nubile teenage girls--on 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter. The first season, which aired on ABC during 2002 and 2003, introduces viewers to Paul (Ritter) and Cate Hennessy (Katey Sagal) and their precocious children Bridget (Kaley Cuoco), Kerry (Amy Davidson), and Rory (Martin Spanjers). When former stay-at-home mom Cate returns to the work force as a nurse, it's up to Paul to write his newspaper column at home on occasion and mind the kids. The first season deals with that uneasy transition. It's actually refreshing to see a family depicted where the parents don't always like the kids. Paul often jokes with Cate that he's mad she ever suggested they start a family. He also notes, "What's it called if you're damned if you do and damned if you don't? Oh yes, fatherhood."
As for the children, we've seen similar stereotypical characters on other sitcoms. Bridget is the 16-year-old blonde bombshell. Kerry is her awkward, brunette younger sister, and Rory is their kid brother who has the creepy habit of hiding in their closets. Paul's relationship with Rory is even keeled. But it's his daughters that he is trying to win over. They love him, but they're also embarrassed and befuddled by him. Just when he thinks he's bonding with them, the girls will sarcastically point out his faults--such as his being at least 100 years old. As he succinctly points out to his wife, "They live in my house, but they don't even like me. They're not kids. They're cats!" Though the show is big on comic moments, it also is generous in sharing poignant memories. When Paul looks at his girls, he doesn't see young women that even his friends think of as hotties. Rather, he still views them as innocent toddlers who looked up to and adored him. Sagal, who was so over-the-top in both looks and mannerisms when she played the matriarch on Married with Children, is a wonderful foil for Ritter. Beautiful, smart, and funny, she's a tough act for him to follow when it comes to being a stay-at-home dad. --Jae-Ha Kim
User Reviews
First Season Arrives on DVD - Rating: 5/5
"8 Simple Rules" was a popular ABC nighttime comedy series when it premiered in 2002. The show's first season starred John Ritter (Three Company) and Katy Sagal (Married With Children) as parents trying to raise their teenage daughters and their son. Unfortunately John Ritter passed away before the series was able to complete it's second season. John Ritter fans and fans of "8 Simple Rules" will be pleased to know that "8 Simple Rules-The Complete First Season," is now available on DVD from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. The DVD includes all 28 episodes from the shows first season on three discs.
The premise of the show is about John Ritter's character Paul dealing with the struggles of parenting teenage children after his wife Cate returns to work. Dating is a challenge and just making sure all of the kids get along all the time are among the parenting struggles. "8 Simple Rules" was a popular series that continued after the untimely death of show star John Ritter. Fans of the show will be glad to own the long awaited first season on DVD. Bonus features include a blooper real. Season one guest stars include Terry Bradshaw, Jason Priestly, and Cybill Sheperd.
John Ritter Still Great, Although Not A Physical Comedy Like Three's Company Was - Rating: 4/5
On the whole, not bad. Of course, Three's Company was far more funny. John Ritter was younger and Three's Company was a more physical comedy.
John Ritter was great in timing and punch lines when it comes to cracking unexpected jokes in "odd situations" in the comedy. He is still the king of sitcom.
In Eight Simple Rules, remember not to miss the best episode in this first season:
16. Come and Knock on Our Door
In this Episode, there was a parody about Three's Company in the show.....
perfectly cast comedy - Rating: 5/5
If you live in the UK, you probably think, "What's the point of buying this on DVD?". ABC1 show this constantly, so just switch on the TV! However, what a really pleasant surprise, having put the DVD in, to see that it's in widescreen. ABC1 live in the past and broadcast in 4:3 format. Plus they seem to show them out of sequence a lot of the time. This is a great show; a perfectly cast comedy with `serious' parts intertwined, that only US TV does well. Having said that, this is possibly the closest to a UK family comedy I've seen from the US. If you like this series, and live in the UK, buy it to watch it how it should be viewed. I think it went off a bit in season 3, but I'm really looking forward to season 2 being released (please!).
So happy it's finally on DVD - Rating: 5/5
I have pre-ordered this DVD and hope the other seasons are released soon. I had been waiting for John Ritters final tv project to be available for purchase. I loved this sitcom, and even after John had passed away, it never lost it's charm.
Absolutely brilliant and funny :-) - Rating: 5/5
John Ritter is/was always one of my favourite comedic actors. He had such brilliant timing and the perfect face for delivering great lines. In this show, he played a caring father who was strict enough to let the kids know who was boss, but still had fun with his family.
I cannot wait for this to come out on dvd. It's so funny and this was probably the best season ever. If you haven't seen this show yet, you must do yourself a favour and get a copy when this is released. It's fantastic and something I know I'll enjoy watching many times over.
