Dharma & Greg - Season One

Rating NR Formats DVD Genre television series Starring Jenna Elfman, Thomas Gibson, Shae D'Lyn, Joel Murray, Mimi Kennedy, Alan Rachins, Mitchell Ryan, Susan Sullivan Directed by James Burrows, Will Mackenzie, Tom Moore, Gail Mancuso, Philip Charles Mackenzie, Ellen Gittelsohn, Gil Junger, Ken Levine Publisher 20th Century Fox External Links Official 20th Century Fox Website

In today's world we hear quite a bit about the Blue and Red States, and how different they are. Well, back in the latter part of the 1990's instead of colors, the television viewers had Dharma & Greg. This was a funny little series that can be best described as quirky meets stuffy. It is the epitome of opposites attract, and its quirky offbeat humor made it a hit with television audiences. The first season of Dharma & Greg which fans will more than likely tell you was the best, is finally available on DVD in a three disc set.

The series is based on the whirlwind romance and marriage of Dharma Finkelstein (Jenna Elfman) yoga instructor and free spirit daughter of hippies, and Greg Montgomery (Thomas Gibson) a dedicated lawyer and son of wealthy conservative parents. The vast differences in ideologies between the two families made for constant humorous conflicts with the Dharma and Greg characters always caught in the middle.

This was the series that introduced viewers to Jenna Elfman and launched her career. Her portrayal of the honest and genuinely nice Dharma is dead on, and her energy is definitely what drove the show. Thomas Gibson was the perfect foil and counterpart. The chemistry between the two is so perfect you believe they really are a couple.

The supporting cast is equally good. The fact Susan Sullivan was never nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of the staunchly conservative Kitty Montgomery is a shame. She is hilarious and completes the cast perfectly. Mimi Kennedy, Alan Rachins, and Mitchell Ryan are just as funny and entertaining in their respective roles.

Every episode of Season One is written to perfection, and the humor is nonstop. As the season goes on, viewers are treated to Dharma and Greg's first Thanksgiving and Valentines together. We also see a peak into the main character lives before they met each other when we meet their exes in the episode "The Ex-Files". My personal favorite was "The Cat's Out of the Bag" when they are asked to watch a neighbor's cat while she is away and the cat turns out to be an actual guy who believes he is a cat.

The three disc set of Dharma & Greg Season One contains all twenty-three episodes including the pilot. The first episode on each disc has the option of commentary from the stars, Jenna Elfman, Mimi Kennedy, and Alan Rachins. These are worth listening to as they add some insight into the creation of the show. There is also a short featurette, "When Worlds Collide: The Dharma & Greg Story", and a series of eleven vanity cards that were shown at the end of several episodes. These are hilarious in their own right and they give you a look into the mind one of the series creators Chuck Lorre. Lastly, there is an interactive game which is basically a ten question quiz about the Dharma character called "Reaching Your Inner Dharma".

The series Dharma & Greg proved Liberals and Conservatives can live and work together. The main characters had a marriage that I am sure everyone dreams of, but you only find on television. Its quirky humor was beautifully written and the cast made each role their own. Each episode of season one is extremely entertaining, and any fan needs to have this three disc DVD set.