Release Date: 9/4/07

The Show

The Black Donnellys were poised to become another hit Monday night hit on NBC. Positioned right after the monster hit, Heroes, the series debuted right at a time when the finale of HBO’s mafia epic, The Sopranos, was about to air. Where would television viewers get their weekly mobster fix? Enter The Black Donnellys. Unfortunately for the show about a family of Irish brothers getting involved with the mafia, the ratings simply weren’t there and all we got were six episodes with seven being aired only on the Internet.

I remember when my girlfriend at the time urged me to watch the show. I gave it a whirl on the series debut, and quickly tuned out after. Admittedly, I didn’t give the series a fair chance. Upon receiving The Complete Series on DVD, I became enthralled by the story of four Irish-American brothers, led by a calculated and charismatic Tommy, as they figured their way around the cold and ruthless world of New York organized crime. Narrated by a less than accurate wannabe gangster, Joey “Ice Cream,” the show gets a very natural feel to the story and plot. These brothers all have their own conflicting personalities. However, they adhere strictly to the “family first” code, much like the Italian mafia’s law of “omerta.”

The series had plenty of promise and here’s to hoping that it could benefit from The Family Guy effect if enough of these DVD sets are sold. What happens to these dynamic characters in the first episodes was the tip of the iceberg with so many possibilities that could have played out if NBC had given the show a bit more of a leash.

The 3-disc includes all 13 episodes from the first and only season with a Play All option found on each disc.
Disc 1
1. Pilot
2. A Stone of the Heart
3. God is a Comedian
4. The World Will Break Your Heart
Disc 2
1. Lies
2. Run Like Hell
3. The Only Thing Sure
4. In Each One a Savior
5. All of Us Are in the Gutter
Disc 3
1. When the Door Opens
2. Wasn’t That Enough
3. The Black Drop
4. Easy is the Way

The DVD

The main menu comes with an introduction while music plays against static backgrounds. Submenus are treated in a similar fashion.

The video transfer is offered in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Format. The video transfer looks great with sharp details and a very nice color palette. Darker scenes are handled very well as there is little to no detail loss. This is a great picture as is expected from a series recently aired on television in the HD era.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1. The sound is adequate for what is necessary on a show like this. You can make out the dialogue very cleanly and given that this is a dialogue driven show, what more do you want? Positional sound is available in small spurts. Subtitles are offered in English.

The Extras

The 3-disc set comes in a dual foldout digipak encased inside a cardboard box that looks great. The episode guide is printed right on the digipak.
Deleted Scenes are offered for God is a Comedian which is curiously not noted on the back of the case, however, fans will no doubt love the included 7 episodes that were only broadcast over the Internet and never aired on television.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t give The Black Donnellys a fair shake when it first debuted on television. However, after spending time with The Complete Series on DVD, I hope sales of the set will spur the gripping series’ revival on television for its handful of devoted fans, including one special fan named Stacey.

- Morris Tang