Release Date: 8/21/07

The Show

I was never a fan of the wildly popular sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond. I never found the humor all that funny, but one thing I did enjoy was the presence of Brad Garrett. The man brought something very Lurch-like to the sitcom, and thus, something very gut-bustlingly hilarious. So when I found out that Garrett would be getting his own sitcom, ‘til Death, I met it with a little more fanfare than his former series even if it was just another run-of-the-mill show.

The series follows the lives of two couples living and learning about life from each other. Eddie (Garrettt) and Joy Stark (Joely Fisher) play the resident elder statesmen that have been married for almost 24 years. Clearly, they have moments of matrimonial happiness, but of course, it’s those weathered moments of conflict that define the couple. Offsetting the grizzled veterans are the wide-eyed newlyweds, Jeff (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and Steph Woodcock (Kat Foster), who have a few things to learn from and teach to Eddie and Joy.

Clearly, the star of the show is Garrett and the chemistry between him and Fisher. Thomas does well to also add some spark to the younger couple, but ultimately play foil to the older couple. Overall, this is a fairly entertaining debut season from a less than earth shattering series that should promise more seasons to come.

The 3-disc set comes with all 22 episodes from the The Complete First Season with a Play All option found on each disc.
Disc 1
1. Pilot
2. Sex for Furniture
3. The Ring
4. The Wood Pile
5. The Garage Band
6. Your Mother of Your Wife
7. Dream Getaway
8. Death Sex
Disc 2
1. The Toaster
2. Daddy’s Girl
3. The Anniversary Party
4. The Hockey Lie
5. Fight Friend
6. The Colleague
7. The Bachelor Party
Disc 3
1. The Italian Affair
2. The Clay Date
3. I Heart Woodcocks
4. The Coffeemaker
5. That’s Ridiculous
6. Webbie’s Not Happy
7. Summer of Love

The DVD

The main menu comes with an introduction and silent still backgrounds. Submenus are treated similarly.

The video transfer is offered in 1.78:1 Widescreen Format. The picture certainly looks better than anything on broadcast television. Details are sharp and colors are bright and on point. The widescreen picture looks exceptionally good with only a few fleeting moments of pixilation and compression issues.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1. Overall, it’s serviceable for a television sitcom. Voices and laugh track are crisp and I have no complaints. Subtitles are not available.

The Extras

The 3-disc set comes in 2 slimline cases encased within a cardboard case. Episode descriptions and original airdates are found on the backs of each case.

Behind the Scenes of ‘til Death runs about 13-minutes and offers the usual smattering of clips, backstage looks, and interviews with the cast and crew.

Brad Garrett on the Set of ‘til Death offers a 6-minute interview with the star of the series.

The bonus options round out with a throwaway of a piece, The Wedding, which is a 3-minute piece featuring a promotional stunt where Garrett marries a handful of couples, and an 11-minute reel of Bloopers.

Final Thoughts

‘til Death – The Complete First Season isn’t exactly anything groundbreaking, but still manages to bring the laughs and entertainment. This is a strong rental.

- Morris Tang