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Rating: Country: USA Release Date: August 7, 2007 Distributor: Buena Vista Home Entertainment Cast: · John Ritter · Katey Sagal · Kaley Cuoco · Amy Davidson · Martin Spanjers · Larry Miller · Billy Aaron Brown Related Sites: ·IMDb: 8 Simple Rules
Grade: A+
John Ritter left us laughing before he left us crying, taking on the lead role of writer Paul Hennessy in the family sitcom 8 Simple Rules (based upon W. Bruce Cameron's book, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.) Joined by Married... With Children alum Katey Sagal, Ritter led viewers through the funny-yet-touching trail of being a father of maturing girls.
The daughters who drive Paul to distraction are nearly polar opposites. Bridget (Kaley Cuoco) is the blonde, popular girl who talks too fast, dresses too skimpy, and is thus overly popular with the boys in her school. Younger daughter Kerry (Amy Davidson) is more of a tomboy, who's very studious but doesn't get asked out a lot. That's a situation that will change over the evolution of the first season, which really tears at Paul's heart.
Father Means Best. Paul bemoans to wife Cate his feelings of
disconnectedness from his daughters.
(L-R: Ritter, Sagal)
Fortunately for Paul, there's always his youngest child -- "the boy" -- Rory (Martin Spanjers), who can always be counted on to instigate a sibling dispute and then sit back and watch the show. He's a bit of a Bud Bundy, but more lovable.
The key storyline this season involves Bridget's relationship with classmate Kyle (Billy Aaron Brown), who also happens to be one of the sons of Paul's co-worker, Tommy (Larry Miller), who sends shivers down Paul's spine with the tales of his sons' exploits and conquests.
Midway through the season, the relationship between Kyle and the Hennessy family takes an unexpected turn when Kyle and Bridget split up, with Kyle starting up a relationship with Kerry, creating a heightened tension between the siblings. This episode is also one of the season highlights, as it encapsulates a Three's Company dream sequence that finds Ritter playing Mr. Roper. It's all the funnier when the episode pulls a Newhart at the end, with Paul waking up from the dream to find Mr. Furley (Don Knotts) in bed with him! Other guest stars to watch for this season include Cybill Shepherd and Jason Priestley.
Family Meeting. Rory, Kerry, and Bridget endure another
parental lecture.
(L-R: Spanjers, Davidson, Cuoco)
What I really enjoyed about 8 Simple Rules was the sharp writing that carefully made sure that the father character was out of touch with his daughters -- but not so out of touch as to become the generic "clueless dad" that populates so many family sitcoms. The opening episode where Paul finds a dumped Bridget at the mall crying sums up Paul's role in a nutshell, as we see Cuoco's character replaced with a younger and still younger version of Bridget -- the little girl needing her daddy that she will always remain in her father's mind.
The only bonus feature on this three-disc set is a ten minute blooper reel -- one of the good kind, where you actually get to see all the flubs in context, not just a montage of the actors laughing at jokes the viewer can't get. And let's face it, the more of Ritter we get to see these days, the better he makes us all feel.
Audio in English and French. Subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Previews on this disc include "The Jungle Book" 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition, "Ratatouille," "Meet the Robinsons," and Ugly Betty - The Complete First Season.
8 Simple Rules The Complete First Season
Disc 1
Disc 2
01. Pilot
02. Wall of Shame
03. Bridget's First Job
04. Wings
05. Son-in-Law
06. Cheerleader
07. Trick or Treehouse
08. By the Book
09. Two Boys for Every Girl
10. Give It Up
11. Paul Meets His Match
12. All I Want for Christmas
13. Rory's Got a Girlfriend
14. Career Choices
15. Kerry's Big Adventure
16. Come and Knock on Our Door
17. Drummer Boy (part 1)
18. Drummer Boy (part 2)
19. Cool Parent
Disc 3
20. Every Picture Tells a Story
21. Kerry's Video
22. Good Moms Gone Wild
23. Career Woman
24. Queen Bees and King Bees
25. Bake Sale
26. The Doyle Wedding
27. Sort of an Officer and a Gentleman (part 1)
28. Sort of an Officer and a Gentleman (part 2) Bonus Feature: Blooper Reel (9:58)
