Synopsis
Our protagonist is Cory (Ben Savage), a Grade Six student, and we see the world through hisfrequently puzzled eyes as he moves on the cusp between childhood and adolescence. This is asitcom, and it is by no means any kind of radical new groundbreaker in the field. For one thing,smart-aleck kids a dime a gross in this genre, and there isn’t the surreal comedy that would comein the later Malcolm in the Middle. Still, the writing is several notches above most othershows…of this type. Some of the lines are actually funny.
Audio
The 2.0 surround sound deploys the music from all speakers, but that’s pretty well it. Eventhe laugh track, which is a natural for rear placement, sticks resolutely to the front speakers. Thisis hardly an immersive experience, then, but one could hardly expect anything different from adialogue-driven sitcom. The sound is clear and clean.
Video
The transitional shots are a bit rough, being prone to grain and (especially) colourshimmering. The rest of the time, the transfer is pretty good for TV, with good colours and areasonably sharp image. There is some digital grain now and then, however.
Special Features
The principle cast members reunite to provide a commentary track on four episodes. They’reall having a very good time, but the result is a bit giggly and frivolous for my tastes. The onlyother extra, apart from a handful of Disney trailers, is a bonus episode from Season 4. Themenu’s main screen is animated and scored, and the secondary screens are scored.
Closing Thoughts
Though not a breaking hugely away from the sitcom pack, this is certainly a superiorexample of the genre.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentaries on 4 Episodes
- Bonus Episode from Season 4
- Trailers
