Suburgatory The Complete First Season 2011 DVD Release Date
- Actors: Jeremy Sisto, Alan Tudyk, Cheryl Hines
- Format: Box set, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 3
- Rated: Unrated
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- DVD Release Date: September 18, 2012
- Run Time: 484 minutes
Customer Reviews
When ABC positioned its new sitcom "Suburgatory" between the wildly underrated "The Middle" and the consistently charming "Modern Family," it had a cushy slot between two of my favorite shows on TV. But I was a bit skeptical. I have liked star Jeremy Sisto for years, but never envisioned him headlining a weekly comedy. And the idea of city folk making fun of the suburbs has been a topic of humor for decades. As I tuned in for the premiere, the show scored a number of easy laughs--maybe too easy. Truthfully, the program felt dated. I felt like the same sitcom with the same jokes could have been on in the eighties or the nineties. That's how familiar the suburban satire premise appeared. But as the season progressed, I found myself liking the show more and more as it found an increasingly unique voice. Through witty scripts, eccentric plot lines, and especially a deft comic ensemble of actors--"Suburgatory" fully came into its own. It may not qualify as TV's best sitcom, but it is solidly entertaining and appealing.
The basic set-up involves Sisto bringing his daughter (Jane Levy) into the clean living suburbs from their existence in New York City. Of course, they both love the city but Sisto thinks this is the best option for raising his teenaged girl. Levy, very Emma Stone-esque, is perfect as the wizened yet cynical protagonist. She and Sisto view their new home as a Wonderland of eccentricity and early episodes play largely off this fish-out-of-water concept. Both smart and funny, Levy brings a contemporary edge that helps to buoy the more well-worn elements of the initial storylines. As they get to know their neighbors, we do as well. And this is where the show really starts to shine as an ensemble piece. Among the cast, there is Ana Gasteyer (as the no-nonsense rule maker), Cheryl Hines (as the spoiled socialite) and Alan Tudyk (as Sisto's competitive best friend). There is also a talented young cast for Levy to play off of as she tries to adjust to her surroundings.
While Levy is certainly the focal point of the show, the supporting characters all got stronger and more pronounced as the year went on. One of the show's more intriguing story line involves an increasing flirtation between Hines and Sisto and there is a funny rivalry between Hine's daughter and Levy. As with every sitcom, you might not fully love every plot thread. Late in the season, Alicia Silverstone has a romantic arc with Sisto that I was never particularly crazy for (it included a surrogate pregnancy angle that didn't really work for me either). But the appeal of the show is that the actors are game and energetic and sell the material. Gasteyer, for my taste, is absolute perfection (she's not even in the starring credits). Every time she's on screen. she serves up a laugh (double points when she's with her husband played by Chris Parnell). And Hines is deceptively complex, this is a real change of pace from her years on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." But everyone is fully committed to the madness, which is oftentimes slapstick in nature, and so the show is infectiously fun. And a final shout-out to Jane Levy for making a stock character seem fresh and real. Season One consists of 22 episodes. KGHarris, 6/12.
Manicured lawns. Cookie-cutter homes. Big lips. Little nose jobs. Synchronized sprinkler systems that erupt at the exact same time. A massive mall, the mecca for mass-consumerism and soggy food-court cuisine. Welcome to the suburbs, heaven for many. But for one teenage transplant from New York City, the suburbs represent her unique version of hell. Forget purgatory -- this is Suburgatory. Suburgatory is a family comedy that asks us not to judge our neighbors until we've gardened in their clogs. It is also about one man's struggle to answer the question that has plagued parents for all time: Is the safe choice really the right choice?
DVD Release Date on Suburgatory The Complete First Season 2011
