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This one’s hard, man – very hard. 8 Simple Rules’ first season really strives for greatness – it doesn’t contain real greatness, mind you, but it strives for it. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that if John Ritter hadn’t passed away tragically mid-way through the show’s second, 8 Simple Rules would have really catapulted itself to the top tier of broadcast sitcom TV (it could have been at least as big as, say, Two and a Half Men). But it’s Ritter’s death that still smarts; maybe in ten years or so we’ll be able to look back at 8 Simple Rules and revel in its comedic potential, but as it stands, it just makes me sad.

As far as sitcoms go, 8 Simple Rules’ premise is lowbrow and been-there-done-that, but John Ritter was a genius at taking ridiculous scenarios and spinning gold out of them. This time he’s sports writer Paul Hennessy, a husband and father of three who recently moved home to write from the house while his wife (Katey Segal) embarks on a new nursing job. That leaves Paul home with his three kids (Kaley Cuoco, Amy Davidson, and Martin Spanjers). Hilarity ensues, no?

It should come as no surprise to any TV viewer that the difficulties and challenges stemming from the wildly different mindsets of a middle-aged sportswriter and his mall-frequenting daughters provide most of the fodder for 8 Simple Rules’ framework (and, natch, its title). This is both the show’s strength and weakness. John Ritter was not an implicitly complex actor. His fame and pedigree came from embodying many facets of the every-male and then spinning those personality traits into madness as things don’t go his way. Whether it was his iconic work in Three’s Company as a swinging bachelor who was scared of love yet reminded of it by his hot roommates, or his turn in 8 Simple Rules as a fish-out-of- water father, it’s the simple stuff that gives Ritter the greatest comic meat to chew on.

But in 8 Simple Rules, there’s too much Yes, Dear and not enough Everybody Loves Raymond. Yes, Ritter’s deadpan lunacy accentuates what would otherwise be by-the-book sitcom doldrums, but 8 Simple Rules’ inaugural season is so all-over-the- place and unsure of its footing that it’s hard to laud its semi- frequent successes. Ritter and Segal make a good onscreen team, but their relationship doesn’t have any roots, any electricity.

However, that’s the kind of thing that comes to an ultimately successful sitcom over time, and 8 Simple Rules simply didn’t have an opportunity to make good on its intentions. And that’s what makes this DVD set more of a bittersweet eulogy than a collection of comedic TV episodes. I was never a tried-and-true Ritter devotee – I’d watch Three’s Company, but I’ve never loved it – but the guy knows what to do in front of a TV camera.

It’s a shame we weren’t able to see that naturalness evolve as 8 Simple Rules’ matured as a sitcom – it might have really been something.

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

These 1.78:1 anamorphic transfers are really something. Flesh tones are a bit off through this entire season – they’re oversaturated and thick – but this is the only detriment to an otherwise lovely visual presentation. Finely grained detail is showcased with obvious fluidity and definition, and black levels remain deep throughout. Not perfect, but still quite damned good.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mixes, on the other hand, aren’t anywhere near as impressive. You can hear everybody clearly, and the show’s stinger music cues come through with nominal fidelity and presence, but this is really just a stereo mix with a handful of tendrils to the surrounds (most in terms of the occasional music cue and the relatively infrequent sound effect). I suppose it’s better than nothing. I would begrudgingly call it a step up from a two-channel mix, but it definitely doesn’t exploit the format fully.

Included are English, French, and Spanish subtitles as well as English Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

The only bonus is a hilarious blooper reel.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?

There are no DVD-ROM features on this DVD.