'Accidentally on Purpose: The First Season'
(Jenna Elfman, Jon Foster, Ashley Jensen, Lennon Parham, Nicolas Wright, et al / 2-DVD / NR / 2010 / Paramount)
Overview: A San Francisco newspaper film critic becomes pregnant after a hookup with a much younger man and together they raise a nontraditional family.
DVD Verdict: Well, here's the news and views on this TV show release - good, bad and ugly! In no order re: that last statement, 'Accidentally on Purpose' (the so-called "First Season," for as we all know, it wasn't icked up for a second!) comprises not one on-going surprising plot twists! I mean, sure there's some nifty, fairly decent acting talent involved here, but the writers must have dozed off during work time to have them blurt out such lacking speeches each week!
Taking a look at the two main characters, and Billie (Elfman) is nothing short of an easy-to-grasp impulse gal - ready for the comedic comeback at the drop of a hat, some three sentences out! And Zack (Foster) is so much of a stereotype that it seems mighty wasteful having him around in the first place. I mean, the whole premise could have worked just as "well" without ever even seeing him after the first episode!
Now, and with all that said, sure, in these types of comedy you have to be able to suspend all personal levels of disbelief! But, pretending the really, really offensive laugh track doesn't exist is going to be one of the hardest things to keep under control! And as for the so-called "chemistry" between Elfman and Foster, well, continue to suspend away!
Anyway, and regardless of such a stereotypical relationship, the premise is full of interesting possibilities about love and age and unconventional parenting. It's just that none of the rules and regulations set out before them re: real life seem to have applied here on TV!
I mean, come on now, but Zack's immaturity is hard for even me to witness and deal with! In almost every episode, Zack makes increasingly dumb decisions that quickly raise Billie's anger levels to boiling point. So, being that she's a business adult, wants to keep the kid, but knows she doesn't want to parent Zack at the same time, WHY is this guy with the typical (dim) man-child standards still living in her apartment?!
Ending on a nice note, Ashley Jenson of 'Extras' (a WONDERFUL show, if ever there was!) is great here, but even she (real-life pregnant for most all the series!!) gets little to do aside from spit out 100%-expected, ready-for-them zingers! This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.77:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:
Mary Pols: The "Real" Billie Chase
The Best of "Lunch with Nic and Jon"
The Bro-partment
An "Unconventional" Behind-The-Scenes Documentary
Gag Reel
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