DVD Review | Will & Grace (Series 1 Episodes 9-15)
Written by: Kage Alan

Film Rating: A
DVD Special Features: C

The first DVD of "Will & Grace" did so well overseas that they went ahead and released the rest of the season at the same time instead of spacing it out.  
It's definitely testimony to the writers of the show as well as the cast and
the chemistry they have on-screen because it's unlikely we'll see a North
American release of the series anytime soon.  Oh, well.  An American studio
loses out again and profit that could be theirs goes to Medusa Pictures in
Britain.  If they don't have a problem with it, I certainly don't.

For those of you not familiar with the show or who are reading these reviews
out of order, Will Truman (Eric McCormack, "Here's To Life!") is a gay
private New York lawyer who shares his apartment with his best friend, Grace
Adler (Debra Messing, "Hollywood Ending"), a designer he's known since
college.  Both have terrible luck with their love lives and act as a crutch
for each other through all sorts of situations that come their way.  Rounding
out the regular cast of characters is Karen Walker (Megan Mullally,
"Monkeybone") as Grace's filthy rich, loud, obnoxious, alcohol drinking and
pill popping assistant and Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes, "Cats & Dogs") as
Will's overly flamboyant gay friend.

The episodes featured on this disc are: "The Buying Game," "The Truth About
Will and Dogs," "The Big Vent," "My Fair Maid-Y," "Secrets & Lays," "The
Unsinkable Mommy Adler" and "Will Works Out." Highlights include what happens when one eavesdrops too much on their neighbors, Grace and the "ah," Will dealing with what he sees in Jack as being "too gay" and the introduction of Grace's mother played by the absolutely delightful and scene stealing Debbie Reynolds.

While uproar about a gay sitcom was expected, executive producers and writers Max Mutchnick and David Kohan keep the humor front and center and play off of stereotypes in the best ways possible.  They don't attempt to make moral judgments here or say that one way of living is better than another. Instead, they treat and show everybody as being equal at heart no matter how rich, poor, intelligent or clueless they are and it's a formula that has
continued to make the show a success as it enters its fourth season this
fall.

Medusa Pictures has delivered a topnotch Full Screen transfer of the episodes
with excellent picture and audio quality.  We are given the option of
watching the episodes either separately or one right after the other and are
given chapter breaks throughout as well.  Very nice job, guys.  As for
extras, we get a couple of cast biographies, an animated picture gallery and
a 2-minute preview of Season 2.  It's not much, but at least it is something.

I hope that Series 1 continues to sell well overseas, especially for those
who haven't had an opportunity to see the show.  A friend of ours in Hong
Kong seems to be enjoying it, so hopefully he'll get the word out over there.
As for over here, we'll have to contend with imports for now until the
studio decides to look into whether or not a market exists in North America.  
I, meanwhile, will be looking forward to the release of Season 2.  For anyone
interested in ordering copies of the series, the discs are available for sale
in Region 2 at www.blackstar.co.uk.  They will NOT play on Region 1 DVD
players unless you have a player that specifically allows you to access
different regions of the world or unless you have the software on your
computer that allows you to use your DVDROM drive in the same capacity.