Disc One Episodes: “A Friend In Need,” “Louise Feels Useless,” “George’s Family Tree,” “Lionel, The Playboy,” “Mr. Piano Man,” “George’s Skeleton,” “Lionel Cries Uncle,” “Mother Jefferson’s Boyfriend”
Disc
Two Episodes: “Meet The Press,” “Rich Man’s Disease,” ”Former
Neighbors,” “Like Father, Like Son,” “Jenny’s Low”
Stars:
Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, Mike Evans, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover, Zara
Cully, Berlinda Tolbert, and Paul Benedict
Writers:
Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, Bernie West, Barry Harman, Harve Brosten, Lloyd
Turner, Gordon Michell, Perry Grant, Dick Bensfield, Roger Shulman, John Baskin,
Erik Tarloff, Gordon Farr, Arnold Kane, Dixie Brown Grossman, Bruce Howard,
Joelson Baer, and Art Baer,
Director:
Jack Shea
Created
By: Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West
Developed
By: Norman
Lear
Approximate
Episode Length: 26 minutes each/ Approximate Total Program Length: 338 minutes
Languages:
English Monaural
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Gatefold Within Glossy Cardboard Slipcase
Number
Of Episodes: 13
Sound:
Monaural Sound
Year
of Television Broadcast: 1975/DVD Release: 2002
Home
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
“The
Jeffersons” is one of those classic television sitcoms that not only are a
part of television history, but also landed on the airwaves running. There is no
warm-up on “The Jeffersons” because the series was funny from the start.
Developed by Norman Lear,
the series lasted a decade from 1975 to 1985 and these thirteen episodes that
make up the first season are exactly as I remembered the series with Sherman
Hemsley and Isabel Sanford and a supporting cast that quickly helped the series
to establish an identity that was vastly different and in many ways superior to
“All In The Family.” I think the issues and comedy of “The Jeffersons”
are still very timely today and quite honestly “The Jeffersons” is funnier
than anything on television today as well not to mention that in some ways it is
easier to relate to “The Jeffersons” as a family having achieved the
American Dream, which is far less depressing than the world of “The Bunkers”
on “All In The Family.”
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment’s DVD set is packaged just like “Sanford And Son:
The First Season” with a glossy gatefold containing two discs with an insert
containing log lines and credits for all thirteen episodes of the first season
packaged within a glossy cardboard slipcase. The lyrics to the show’s catchy
theme song are printed within the gatefold. The episodes are presented in the
original (1.33:1) analogue broadcast videotaped format with a clear digital
English Monaural Soundtrack that is free of background noise and hissing.
English Captions and Closed Captions and Spanish Language Subtitles are encoded
on to both discs for each episode too.
Every
episode in this set is hilarious, but ironically the two best in the set are
arguable the pilot entitled “A Friend In Need” and the first season finale
episode “Jenny’s Low.” The menus are standard interactive still frames
that are easy to navigate. Of the three classic 1970s TV sitcoms Columbia
TriStar has and will release, “The Jeffersons” is arguably the best. “The
Jeffersons: The Complete First Season” will debut on DVD on Tuesday August 6,
2002 from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. That same day “Sanford And Son:
The First Season” will also debut on DVD from Columbia TriStar Home
Entertainment and “All In The Family: The Complete First Season” is
available on DVD-Video now from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and
collectively the three make for a great set in anyone’s DVD library.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.