Release Date: 8/7/07

The Show

It’s said that Hollywood doesn’t know how to truly memorialize past achievements and series. Shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Murphy Brown, and Ally McBeal are all touted for being groundbreaking shows featuring independent women as the leading roles. However, you don’t hear much about That Girl starring Marlo Thomas. The debut season showed us us why she may have been the original Murphy Brown or Ally McBeal whereas Season Three put forth a reflection of the turbulent era the series aired within by focusing on topics like spousal abuse, racism, and politics.

The sitcom that featured Marlo Thomas as a young, assertive, and confident is now DVD. The comedy might be a bit outdated, but what the show lacks in nonstop laughter it makes up in charm and heart. We watch as she confronts her parents and becomes engaged to her boyfriend on her own terms, and essentially do everything on her own terms. She didn’t compromise, and when she did, it was out of her own volition. This is a fun series set against a hustling New York backdrop. Guest stars for the third season included Penny Marshall, Larry Storch, McLean Stevenson, Florence Halop, and Mary Frann.

The 4-disc set comes with all 26 episodes from the third season with a Play All option on each disc.
Disc 1
1. Sock it to Me
2. The Hi-Jack and The Mighty
3. Eleven Angry Men and That Girl
4. 7 1/4 (Part 1)
5. 7 1/4 (Part 2)
6. Secret Ballot
Disc 2
1. The Face in the Shower Room Door
2. A Muggy Day in Central Park
3. Just Donald and Me And Jerry Makes Three
4. The Seventh Time Around
5. Ann vs. Secretary
6. Decision Before Dawn
7. Should All Our Old Acquaintances Be Forgot
Disc 3
1. The Homewrecker and The Window Washer
2. The Eye of the Beholder
3. Dark On Top of Everything Else
4. The Earrings
5. Many Happy Returns
6. My Sister’s Keeper
Disc 4
1. There Was a Time Ann Met a Pie Man
2. The Subject was Rabies
3. The Defiant One
4. Fly Me to the Moon
5. It’s So Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House
6. Bad Day at Marvin Gardens
7. Sue Me, Sue Me, What Can You Do to Me?

The DVD

The main menu comes with an introduction and music plays against an animated background. Submenus are presented in a similar fashion, and overall, it’s very appropriate and looks great.

The video transfer is offered in 1.33:1 Fullscreen Format. The picture is serviceable with a bit more detail than I had originally expected. Also, while the colors do appear a little drab, there are also moments when they pop off the screen. It’s a crap shoot, but overall, handled nicely.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital Mono. Unfortunately, this is probably about as good as it’ll get for a series from this time period. Dialogue is clean, but the music doesn’t always hold up as well. It’s spare, but you’ll notice if you listen hard enough.

The Extras

The 4-disc set comes in a glossy fold-out digipak encased within a glossy cardboard case. The episode lists are printed right on the digipak with original airdates.

Audio Commentary is provided by Thomas and series co-creator Bill Persky for the episodes: The Face in the Shower Room Door, My Sister’s Keeper, It’s So Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House, and Bad Day at Marvin Gardens.

That Show… That Woman… The Creation of That Girl: The Woman on Both Sides of the Camera with Marlo Thomas wins the award for longest bonus option title and runs about 12-minutes long. The retrospective piece includes an interview intertwined with clips from the show and photos from the set.

The bonus options round out with a Marlo Thomas Makeup Test that runs about 2-minutes and offers silent footage of Thomas on camera.

Final Thoughts

While not quite my favorite series from the time period, That Girl – Season Three certainly had its moments that fans, collectors, and historians will want to get their hands on.

- Morris Tang