Info:
DVD Release Date: February 6, 2007 (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
Color/1989, 1989-90
MSRP: $39.98
Number of Discs: 3 (double sided)
Number of Episodes: 28
Running Time: approx. 661 minutes
Total Run Time of Special Features: approx. 32 minutes
(not counting two audio commentaries)
Languages, Subtitles, Closed Captioning: English &
Spanish Languages; English & Spanish Subtitled; Closed
Captioned
Special Features: 2 Episode Audio Commentaries, “All
About Anything But Love” Featurette; and “Stories from
the Set” Featurette.
Introduction:
From the moment they met on an airplane, you could see
that Hannah and Marty would bond. Jamie Lee Curtis
and Richard Lewis star as Hannah Miller and Marty Gold
in this well-written sitcom from 20th Century Fox and
Adam Productions (John Ritter's production company).
They are best friends and co-workers who suppress
their smoldering desires, not wanting to spoil their
friendship. Once they do take the plunge, though, they
quickly discover that falling in love is the easy
part! Together, they face some of life's biggest
challenges - love, work, love at work, and working at
love - with humor, sophistication, and feeling in this
unforgettable TV classic. Finally, the critically
acclaimed, Emmy-nominated, and Golden Globe winning
sitcom is on DVD from 20th Century Fox Home
Entertainment with the first 28 episodes from seasons
one and two.
Memorable Episodes / Notable Guest Stars:
While the first six episodes seem very different from
the next 22, this series was still great in the first
season, I think. The show really took off and found
itself by season two, but I did like a few season one
episodes. ABC wanted to go a different direction after
the first 6 episodes, so they did. It all started in
the Pilot “Fear of Flying,” Hannah decides to quit
teaching and leave her boyfriend, Jack, and return
home to Chicago to become a writer. On the flight home
to Chicago, Hannah meets and helps Marty deal with his
fear of flying and he tells her about a research job
open at Chicago Monthly, the magazine where he is a
writer. On the extras, we find out that originally
this was not the pilot. I will tell you more in
extras section. Another good episode from season one
is “This Is Not a Date,” where Hannah is down in the
dumps and Marty gets dumped, so the two of them go out
together, for her birthday and the end of his
relationship with Alice but it's "not a date." The
season two opener, “Ch-Ch-Changes,” is very big as it
has many changes, Hannah returns from a vacation to
find that the magazine has been bought by a
corporation and the hip new editor comes in and begins
to stir things up, especially Marty who considers
resigning. Hannah becomes a writer, the magazine is
changed to a weekly format and is renamed The Chicago
Weekly and an English book and theater critic is
brought into review television. “Hotel of the Damned”
is a big episode. When the magazine needs a new cover
story in less than 20 hours, Hannah & Marty must go to
a hotel to write the story. While searching for an
angle on the story, Hannah decides the mood may be
just right to check out the bed with Marty. This is a
well-written show that should have lasted longer, and
really all the episodes are very good.
Some guest stars these two seasons include Wendie
Malick, Tia Carrere, Richard Kind, Andy Dick, Courtney
Thorne-Smith, and Gail O’Grady. For those wondering,
John Ritter guest stars for a handful of episodes in
season three (and four), which will be on DVD together
very soon.
Packaging:
This 3-doubled-sided-disc set features all 28 episodes
from the first two seasons of the sitcom. The
packaging is a thin box with two slim cases inside.
The box’s cover has a nice head shot of both Richard
and Jamie Lee, with the logo on top in maroon-red and
Jamie Lee Curtis and Richard Lewis credit on top of
that. Volume One is indicated on the bottom right.
The back of the box has three snapshots from the
episodes, with two quotes, and a nice synopsis of the
show & set. The features of the set are also stated.
The cases have the same front cover as the box. The
back of the cases have a notepad style image that
tells us which episodes are on each disc, along with
original airdates. The discs are double-sided, so
there are no art/images on the discs itself. Slim case
one holds disc one. Side A has the first season’s six
episodes. Side B has the first four from season two.
Discs two and three are on slim case two. Disc two
Side A hold the next seven episodes from season two.
Side B has the next four episodes. Disc three Side A
has the next four episodes and Side B has the final
three from season two. Special Features are also on
Side B, but more on that in its own section below.
Menu Design and Navigation:
The main menus feature a different photo of Hannah &
Marty on each disc, so three different styles. The
show logo is present; the episodes are listed on the
main menu itself with a little heart as a pointer.
When we select an episode, we get to an episode menu
where we can choose Play, Language Selection or Scene
Selection. Language selection has options of English
Stereo or Spanish Mono, with subtitled available in
English and Spanish. Scene section has five different
starting spots you can choose to start the scene.
Chapter stops are available within the episodes as
well, using your remote.
Video and Audio Quality:
The video and audio are both very good. On some of the
outside shots of building and stuff, you can tell the
video is great because I could see the water shining
off the buildings clearly. The show is not too old
and the audio is very listenable. In addition, it is
in stereo, too, so it is nice sounding. The episodes
are about 23 minutes or more in length. Starting with
season two, the show had short teasers before the
opening credits. These teasers would have Hannah and
Mary talking about a topic at a diner. Things like
vacations were talked about. I think that they are
interesting and probably was cut out in syndication on
Comedy Central.
Here is a list of the episodes by disc, including
their running times:
Disc 1 Side A
-------------------
1. Pilot Fear of Flying (23:32)
2. Deadline (23:57)
3. Burning the Toad (AKA: The Jack Story) (23:45)
4. Love and Death (23:21)
5. Dorothy Dearest (22:36)
6. This Is Not a Date (23:49)
Disc 1 Side B:
-------------------
7. Ch-Ch-Changes (23:35)
8. Those Lips, Those Thais (23:42)
9. It’s My Party And I’ll Schvitz If I Want To (23:42)
10. Scared Straight (23:42)
Disc 2 Side A
-------------------
11. Mr. Mom (23:40)
12. Just The Facts, Ma’am (23:40)
13. Bang, You’re Dead (23:15)
14. Truth or Consequences (23:28)
15. It’s Better to Have Loved and Flossed (23:56)
16. Hearts and Bones (23:52)
17. Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (23:31)
Disc 2 Side B
-------------------
18. Breast of Friends (23:18)
19. Hotel of the Damned (23:16)
20. All About Allison (23:55)
21. Proof It All Night (23:55)
Disc 3 Side A
-------------------
22. Three Men on a Match (23:48)
23. Partying Is Such a Sweet Sorrow (23:31)
24. The Ice Woman Cometh (23:56)
25. Hooray for Hollywood (23:56)
Disc 3 Side B
-------------------
26. Robin Q. Public (23:57)
27. The Days of Whine and Haroses (23:29)
28. Thirty...Something (23:56)
Special Features:
See, really Adam Productions conducted this set so
20th Century Fox gave us some extras! We get two
episodes with audio commentary. The first audio
commentary is from Jamie Lee Curtis AND Richard Lewis
on the first episode “Fear of Flying.” The 23:32
episode starts the series off and Jamie Lee and
Richard give great facts and stories from their days
on the show. Jamie Lee seemed very happy to talk
about it. The next commentary is on Disc 2 Side B for
the episode “Hotel of the Damned.” The 23:16 is a
pivotal episode and the director of that episode,
Robert Berlinger, does the commentary. He also gives
great facts and stories. I wish we had more
commentaries from Jamie Lee and Richard--maybe on the
next set when the John Ritter episodes come. At least
I hope so.
The final two extras are all on disc three side B, and
both are featurettes. The first one is the best one
titled, “All About Anything But Love.” It runs 26:22
and has interviews with Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard
Lewis, Wendy Kout, Robert M. Myman, Peter Noah, Janis
Hirsch, Ann Magnuson, Michael Lessac, and Robert
Berlinger. This is a very informative, interesting and
detailed interview. I sure learned a lot from it. I
never knew they made a pilot in 1988 but ABC passed on
it because originally the show was about Hannah, Marty
and Jack, with a love triangle in between them. It
did not work but test audiences loved Marty & Hannah,
so ABC redeveloped it for mid-season 1989, and it got
picked-up. I wish we had gotten that unaired pilot as
an extra. This featurette showed clips of it, and it
made me want to watch it. The featurette also talked
about John Ritter, as his production company produced
the series. John also guest starred in seasons 3 and
4. I cannot wait to see those on DVD. Another
interesting fact was the producers were told by ABC to
rework the series again after the first season, so
thus the many changes by season two, including the
leave of the creator of the series (Wendy Kout). You
will learn even more stuff by watching this. This is
a very good extra indeed. The final extra is a short
featurette titled “Stories from the Set.” It runs 5:23
and has interviews with Peter Noah, Michael Lessac,
Richard Lewis, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janis Hirsch, Robert
Berlinger and Ann Magnuson. Again, we learn a lot here
and I will not give it away.
Final Comments:
I am so surprised we have started this show on DVD.
20th Century Fox has promised seasons 3 and 4 together
in a Volume 2 set, as both seasons were pretty short.
I can’t wait to get that on DVD because of John
Ritter, but this set is also very good. The episodes
hold up very well today, the video & audio is great,
and the extras on this set are amazing. In addition,
the show stars a legend in Jamie Lee Curtis. I wish
she would do another sitcom again as she has done just
this one in her career. Adam Productions are trying to
get their shows on DVD fast, as Hearts Afire was just
completed on DVD from Image Entertainment. I am sure
Hooperman is next on their radar. I would guess 20th
Century Fox would handle that one. If you have never
watched this show, buy this set. In addition, if you
are a fan of Jamie Lee’s and have never seen her in
this, then you must buy this set. And if you’re a
quality sitcom fan, then this show is for you. It was
well written and well acted. What a perfect show to
pick-up just in time for Valentine’s Day! Hope to see
the final volume this year!
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars - How our point system works)
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Special Features: 3/5
Menu Design/Navigation: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5
-- Reviewed by pavanbadal on 02/04/07
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