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DVD Review: How I Met Your Mother, Season 1
Hot off the presses (DVDs are pressed right?), the first season of How I Met Your Mother is out on DVD today. Without getting into specifics, I got lucky and ended up with a copy last week. So I've had all weekend to play around with it. The simple answer is that this is a great DVD set... for all HIMYM fans. Anyone else that picks this up probably isn't going to get as excited about the special features as I did.
That being said, the special features are scant. There's not many, but what you do get is worth it. Once you get over the fact that it's only presented in full frame (Joel and I were both angry about the lack of widescreen), there's plenty to watch. I especially enjoyed the commentaries on the pilot episode and "Drumroll, Please" because Pamela Fryman sat in on those sessions. It's a rare occurrence when one person helms the directorial duties for an entire 22-episode run, but Fryman did it and created a constant visual style throughout the entire season. So her thoughts held some weight in those commentaries.
As you would expect, there are a few blooper reels. Those things are usually cheesy and I generally don't find them all that funny, but there were some good ones here. I couldn't stop laughing during one of the takes where Ted was trying to get through the infamous "green testicle" story. It's genuinely funny stuff, but once again, I suppose it's only something that a true fan of this unique sitcom could appreciate.
By far the best bonus is a short featurette called the "Video Yearbook." It chronicles behind-the-scenes madness of the entire season and tosses in a bunch of interviews. The good ones? Bob Saget! That's right, we get a few words from the narrator. Future Ted in the flesh.
The best Q & A came from show creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas though. They had a lot to say about persevering and what a complete pain in the ass it was to pitch a show at a period when many were declaring the sitcom to be dead. I'm glad they didn't take no for an answer.
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