DVD Review: What I Like About You – The Complete First Season

DVD Reviews

By June L. Jun 12, 2007, 20:11 GMT

What’s not to like about this series? Sixteen year old Holly Tyler (Amanda Bynes) wants to live with her older sister Valerie (Jenny Garth) instead of having to move to Japan with her Dad. The pilot episode has Holly making a visit to Valerie with the intent of showing her what a great roommate she can be, and amid all the accidents both sisters discover that this new living arrangement is a very good thing.

This series has so many truly funny moments, and such believable emotions between the sisters, and among their friends Gary (Wesley Jonathan) and Jeff (Simon Rex), it is a joy to watch. Tough issues arise for both the teenagers and the young adults who are striving to be good role models, but love and honesty win the day. How refreshing! Things can get silly, but never so much so that the real humor is lost, and the acting skills of the cast make the quick responses, and quirky bits seem effortless. The gag reel included in the set shows us just how hard they work to get those moments to appear real. Each episode has a message, and would, I believe, be helpful to older children, either as some guidance through sticky situations, or as a taking off point for family discussions.

What I Like About You – The Complete First Season is a three disc set with 478 minutes of play. It is presented in standard format and includes extras such as the gag reel and subtitles for the episodes in French. All 22 season one episodes are included. Disk One:
1. Pilot episode – Holly has six days to prove that she is the perfect roommate for her sister Val.
2. Spa Day - Holly tries to be in two places at one time (funniest mud bath scene since DESINGING WOMEN).
3. Roommates – Organized Val gives Holly a chance to improve by using the GRC, the Good Roommate Chart..
4. The Teddy Bear – Is he “Bity Bear” or is he “Lorenzo.” A childhood toy reduces the sisters to all out childishness.
5. Cool Older Sister – Val wants to prove to Holly that she isn’t a “Mom.”
6. The Parrot Trap – What happens when a crush leads Holly to become an animal rights activist.
7. Tankini – New friend Gary, meet old friend Samantha, and suddenly Holly is the third wheel.
8. Copy That – Holly’s attempt to follow Jeff’s advice makes her .the laughingstock at her new job.Disk Two:
9. Thanksgiving – Try ditching family for Thanksgiving by telling a lie. Holly and Val learn it just leads to more hassles..
10. The Party – High school girl meets college guy with a bad reputation, and survives…with a little help from her friends..
11. The Other Woman – Whoever thought you could stay friends with an ex with no problems, never met Jeff’s ex, a hottie with connections..
12. Girl’s Night Out – What happens when the guy you like, makes a move on your sister?
13. The Cheerleading Incident = Jeff’s Mom makes a surprise visit, and mistakes Val for a free spirit and enlists her to take her partying. Can Val live up to her new reputation?
14. The Game – An interesting twist on how to get even with an office rival for a promotion. Holly has great game plans, but Val’s ethics rule!
15. Valentine’s Day – Gary is out to impress a new girl, but does not have a sense of the romantic. Disk Three:
16. Holly’s First Job – Confusing, as I think this should have aired earlier. Holly has already been working at the copy center, and as a temp for Val before this episode aired.
17. The Breakup – Val and Jeff have called it quits. She wants a future, he wants things to stay as they are. Is Val taking this just a little too well?.
18. Dude, where’s Val’s car? - Holly and Henry borrow Val’s car to ditch school and go to the beach.
19. Loose Lips – It is hard to start dating again after a breakup, just ask Val and Jeff.
20. The Fix Up – It is an unwritten rule, never let a younger sister fix you up with a date.
21. Tyler v. World - An old enemy of Val’s gets Holly evicted from the apartment. How hard is it to find an apartment in New York City?
22. The Talk – Val decided it is time to have “that” talk with Holly when she comes home early and finds her sister and Henry in the bedroom. Never mind they are just studying, the whole issue of trust is on the line.Clever writing and excellent acting make this a good series to watch repeatedly. Not for the young children, although there is not so much objectionable material. The topics are more for pre-teen and teen to adult.What I Like About You – The Complete First Season is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.