So…

I’m a professional writer.

For the past seven years I’ve been sitting at home and typing.

Professionally…

All that sitting at home means I do a lot of watching TV. It’s just one of those things I do to break up the day. As a result I end up watching a lot of shows that just happen to be on, rather than what I enjoy seeing. Over the years I’ve watched endless episodes of “Law and Order”, “Judging Amy”, “Murder she Wrote”, “Quantum Leap”, “NYPD Blue”, “Everybody Loves Raymond” and finally, “Will and Grace”…

Most of these shows are programs that I never watched when they were on the air, nor did I follow them as I was watching the repeats… For me, they were simply there to fill the hour while I ate my lunch, or when I was trying to wind down at the end of the day; the entertainment equivalent of “comfort food”.

Which brings us to my review.

First off, does anybody REALLY need Season 6 of Will & Grace. I mean, if you’re only going to buy one season, would you really want the 6th? Which begs the question why offer to review the show at all?

Quick answer. It makes me laugh and it didn’t cost me anything.

You on the other, well, this would cost you money. You’d have to pay to own this thing. Now if you’re not familiar with the series, of course, you should start with the first season so I couldn’t recommend this set. If you’re a huge fan, and already own the first five seasons, then you’ve probably bought this already.

For the rest of you, I offer the following. If I may paraphrase the show itself, “If you’re looking for a show that combines the gay sensibility of ‘Sex and the City, the gay sensibility of ‘Fraiser’, and the gay sensibility of “Friends”... If you’re looking for a DVD box set that chronicles the exact moment when a popular series “jumps the shark”… If you’re excited by the thought of watching a series that has a surprise guest star on practically every episode… If you’re looking for a show that has a main star get pregnant during the run of the season and not only is that fact not mentioned, but also causes that said star to disappear for a handful of episodes, again, with no real explanation given… If you think, like the character on the show named “Karen Walker” that “Fags are a hoot”… THEN THIS MIGHT BE THE COLLECTION FOR YOU.   

Granted this isn’t much of a recommendation, but what can I say, it’s hard for me to get excited about sitcom comedies. By definition they’re formulaic. You’ve got your wacky character, your sarcastic character, the befuddled character (usually the lead) and then there’s his compatriot.

This particular show has a great little backstory. Originally, the program was supposed to be about a married couple and Will and Grace (the female interior designer and her gay lawyer roommate) were supposed to be their wacky friends. As it turned out, the network hated the original leads and loved Will & Grace, they were given even wackier friends (uber-gay “Jack” and uber-bitter socialite “Karen Walker”).

VISUAL/AUDIO

Whatever…

SPECIAL FEATURES

While all these box sets were being put together, the shows creators were in a huge legal battle with NBC who had horribly ripped them off. As a result there are no real special features to speak of. No insights to the creation of the series or what it was like to have J. Lo appear on the show, or to work with John Cleese. They do have bloopers and wacky compliations of bits that or neither really that interesting, nor that funny.

FINAL WORDS

I know I haven’t said much to make you want to buy this collection, but I do need to add, that these shows do make me laugh. I think that’s do to the fact that rather than have normal people surrounded by wacky people, this show is essentially about wacky people and their even wackier friends. When you add that to the relentless gay sub-text (which now that I think about it, isn’t really a sub-text at all but should actually be called the “actual text” because it’s so blatant)  you end up with a show that is simultaneously both risqué and comforting.

In the “Will and Grace” universe, gays are both under-sexed (Will) and over-sexed (Jack), they’re both a girl’s best friend and a threat to their every relationship, they’re just straight guys only better groomed, and at the same time they’re mincing over-feminized artistes who make Paul Lynde look like John Wayne.

So while I can’t really recommend shelling out the cash for the set, I can say if you can get it for free, you should go for it…

I’m gone…