August 2005
Undeserved Expulsion
Undeclared
The Complete Series on DVD
For a number of reasons, I never watched “Undeclared” when it aired on FOX in 2001. I went into viewing the promotional DVD, which includes the first five episodes of the series, knowing only that it was created by Judd Apatow, an executive producer on the great Freaks and Geeks.
In the pilot, Steven Karp, played by Jay Baruchel, leaves for college at the fictional University of North Eastern California. The show follows the exploits of Steven, his roommates and the two girls who live across the hallway as they navigate the perilous waters of classes, dating, and college work study. The actors were all (then) largely unknown, although Apatow managed to get several of the Freaks and Geeks actors on the cast, either as regulars or guest stars. Steven’s dad also shows up throughout the series, deftly played by Loudon Wainwright.
I spent a lot of the pilot episode trying to figure out who the characters were, and wasn’t sure what to make of the show; it wasn’t as obviously funny as most comedies, without the “big jokes” so common to most sitcoms. However, it’s just that quality that makes the show ultimately appealing, and the lack of a laugh track leaves the decision to the audience which bits are funny. As it happens, the pilot was largely improvised by the cast members, who were chosen before the pilot was written, and the characters were based on the personalities of the actors themselves. In fact, improvisation was a large part of the show, and resulted in a gently funny and moving show that didn’t fit the mold of the usual half-hour program. Unfortunately, it also didn’t translate into big ratings, and it only lasted 16 episodes.
As listed on the back of the promo DVD case, the full set contains 17 episodes, including one that was never aired, plus a version of the second episode that ended up being partially reshot when the network decided that it wasn’t funny enough. There are commentaries for every episode, including the two that never aired, and every episode includes two to four deleted scenes. Bonus features also include auditions, outtakes, rehearsals and extended versions of certain scenes. There’s a Q&A with the cast and creators that was held at the Museum of Television and Radio, concert footage of Loudon Wainwright, and even a script for a show that would have been in the second season. Audio is in Dolby 2.0, with an available 5.1 Surround Sound track. The set is closed-captioned, but there are no subtitles available, nor are there audio tracks in other languages than English. The video can tend to look a little dark and grainy at times, but nothing that detracts from the enjoyment of the viewer.
Watching the first five episodes made me want to obtain the full set so I could see the rest of the series. Unfortunately, I’m sure that the show’s original fans were left wanting to see “the rest”, as well. Maybe we should be grateful for good television when it comes along, in whatever amount. Undeclared is definitely good television, and will find a place on my DVD shelf.
Undeclared The Complete Series on DVD
Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Melinda
Talk about it here
Posted August 31, 2005 Permalink
