Search - The Drew Carey Show: The Complete First Season on DVD

Drew Carey - The First Season: Moon Over Parma!

Servo | Atlanta, GA USA | 04/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Envisioned by star Drew Carey as what his life would be like if he had never become a standup comic, "The Drew Carey Show" casts Carey as a beleaguered assistant personnel director of Winfred-Louder, a Cleveland department store. "I [would have] wanted to have some crummy, white-collar-type job where I COULD be in charge, but I'm not," Carey said.

Although unfulfilled professionally, Drew is sustained by his longstanding friendship with pals Oswald (Diedrich Bader), Lewis (Ryan Stiles), and Kate (Christa Miller). While the four pals all find humor in being losers - a fact typically pointed out by Drew's cosmetics-challenged co-worker/arch enemy Mimi (Kathy Kinney) - only Drew cares about getting ahead on the job, but his prospects are few and fleeting.

Like the rest of us, according to producer Bruce Helford, Drew's trying to juggle a life and career and get through the day with a bit of dignity left. He takes his lumps, then goes home and feels better by hanging out with his pals at the Warsaw tavern. For me and my friends, it's the local IHOP. Initially branded as yet another one of the many Friends clone shows to appear during its freshman season (1995-1996), The Drew Carey Show immediately stood out from the pack with its unique brand of humor, going on to become one of ABC's longer-running hit comedies (9 seasons). It's good to see the show finally packaged in a season set DVD release. Hopefully, the first of many to come.

The Drew Carey Show - The Complete First Season is a 4-disc (489 min.) set featuring all 22 episodes in Full Frame (1.33:1) video, plus the following Special Features: "1-900-MIMI" and "Life Inside a Cubicle" featurette.

Episodes include:
1. "Pilot"
Between best friend Kate and hostile Mimi (who threatens to go to his boss), pressure to fill a cosmetics-counter job has Drew a shade irascible.

2. "Miss Right"
Drew finally finds "Miss Right" (Katy Selverstone), only to discover she's also just right for the window-dresser job he's trying to fill.

3. "The Joining of Two Unlike Elements Is a Mixture"
Drew vows to throw Kate a surprise shotgun wedding after she laments that one of the few states she never entered was that of holy matrimony.

4. "Nature Abhors a Vacuum"
When Drew fires his boss's inamorata, Mr. Bell (voice of Kevin Pollak) forces him to employ all his resources to find him a new girlfriend. Unfortunately Kate is the only other woman who rings Bell's chimes.

5. "No Two Things in Nature Are Exactly Alike"
Drew's painted into a corner when a female co-worker misconstrues an off-color cartoon he distributed at work and files a lawsuit against him.

6. "Drew Meets Lawyers"
With the company attorneys (Penn & Teller) pushing him to settle, and legal aid finding he makes $2000 too much for eligibility, the only other lawyer Drew can afford is Kate's obnoxious ex-boyfriend.

7. "Drew in Court"
After weeks of facing sexual-harassment charges brought against him by a co-worker, Drew gets his day in court--acting as his own counsel.

8. "Lewis' Sister"
Lewis's newly divorced sister takes an immediate interest in Drew when he takes her on a date - much to Lewis' (and Drew's) chagrin.

9. "Drew and Mrs. Louder"
Drew's "shortcut up the corporate ladder" new position as the store owner's personal assistant soon turns compromising.

10. "Science Names Suck"
Kate feels she's being elbowed out of the group when Drew and the guys welcome back to town an old high school friend.

11. "The Electron Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree"
Drew's not too wild about joining his visiting dad's lodge, the Wildebeests, especially after learning that most of the members are bigots.

12. "Isomers Have Distinct Characteristics"
Drew is forced to hire scabs when store employees--including Kate--go on strike during the holiday shopping rush.

13. "Drew and the Unstable Element"
Drew is threatened by a mentally unstable man (David Cross) who he foolishly hired, then fired for refusing to see the company psychiatrist.

14. "Drew and Mr. Bell's Nephew"
Drew accepts a promotion in exchange for showing Mr. Bell's spoiled-brat nephew Blaine (Michael Landes) the ropes at work - but soon winds up trying to give the upstart enough rope to hang himself.

15. "There Is No Scientific Name For a Show About God"
A life-altering experience reawakens Drew's teenage aspirations to become a minister.

16. "Drew's New Assistant"
The Good: Drew's dream of getting a personal assistant comes true. The Bad: Mimi is it. The Ugly: Drew fears that Mimi wants to assist him on another level.

17. "The Front"
After the store bans interoffice dating, Drew asks Kate's boyfriend Jay to be a beard for his romance with Lisa by acting like her man in public.

18. "Playing the Unified Field"
After Lisa rejects him and starts dating other people, Drew decides to ask out his party-animal hairdresser (Jamie Lee Curtis).

19. "Atomic Cat Fight"
Drew must decide whether girlfriend Lisa, best friend Kate or worst friend Mimi will head the store's new personal-services department.

20. "Drew and Kate and Kate's Mom"
Drew tries to straighten out family ties between Kate and her judgmental mother (Susan Saint James), and winds up being mom's pick for Kate's ideal mate.

21. "Drew Gets Motivated"
Encouraged by a motivational speaker, Drew's one great idea elevates him to head of promotions, which requires him to come up with more ideas every week or he'll be fired.

22. "Buzz Beer"
When Drew learns there's a good chance he could get canned from the store in two weeks, he decides to start his own beermaking business.

Highly Recommended!"

PLEASE READ BELOW FOR FANS OF THE SHOW - YOUR VOICES NEED TO

Scott J. Zuncic | Willowbrook, IL | 09/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Last Monday, September 15, 2008, The Home Theater Forum had Warner Brothers home video (T.V. and Animation Divisions only) on their chat line. Questions about a release for the 2nd season of Drew Carey Show were asked and Warner Brothers flatly said "no plans". I think this is a disgrace!!! Drew Carey is one of the best Comedy shows of the 90's!! We need to write to Warner Brothers and bombard them with emails and letters to get this show on DVD!!! Fans of the series Knots Landing did just that, and now Knots Landing (according to last mondays chat) Warner Brothers is giving that show another chance on DVD! We need to do the same for this show if you want more seasons of this show released on DVD!!! GET YOUR VOICES HEARD!!! The good news is Warner Brothers is planning to release another DVD set of Drew's other show: Whose Line Is It Anyway? Season 2. Personally, I would prefer The 2nd season of THE DREW CAREY SHOW......but at least Drew's other show is getting recognized!!!"

No Doubt THE Funniest Show Ever

S. Kielkucki | 04/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The premise of an everyday guy living a lifestyle that the majority of people can identify with is the soul of the show. Drew has a job with no educational requirement that anyone could have, he has morals, good friends and the typical circumstantial and personal adversaries that everyone has in one form or another. It's what we all have been through or are currently going through and it offers a view of all this that lets us know that you can only take life seriously to a certain extent without requiring some sort of medication or therapy.

This review is not so much about specific episodes as it is a synopsis of the show from it's beginnings to it's untimely demise. I can honestly say that I found enjoyment and laughter in every single episode and I look forward to buying all the seasons for this show.

I'd like to see some outtakes and cast interviews added to future releases. The cast was a great combination of people who were as funny off the set as they were on. Personally, I feel Ryan Stiles has a lot of room to grow from this series and show creators/producers/writers are missing the boat on this highly talented comedian (as long as they don't write him into a box; his creativity would be an asset to any script) and what he could do for their show(s).

While I'm on it, there should be a show that brings Ryan and a couple other incredibly talented individuals from "Whose Line", namely Collin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, together in their own sitcom. I believe, with the right sitcom/script, that they could definitely have the next top comedy since The Drew Carey Show. The improvisational possibilities would be outrageous.

Other shows that have shown similar qualities since Drew Carey are "Two and a Half Men" and "Scrubs". If you liked The Drew Carey Show, these would be welcomed additions to your sitcom DVD library."

I am in love....

Holly Lehto | APO, AE United States | 01/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"....with this show! I am living in Germany at the moment and I watched the show every single day when I lived in the U.S., and even taped most of the episodes so I could watch them over and over again! I loved it so much and was so disappointed when we went overseas and I couldn't see it anymore (I moved right before the finale) and now it's FINALLY out on DVD and I can have it - I am so happy!

I quickly lost interest in most popular television shows because the humor was very fake and forced. This show is about your average every-man and a kaleidescope of hilarious friends and colorful nemesis, and all the "adventures" they go through together. I have yet to meet someone who has actually sat through a full episode of this show and not adored it; everyone finds the humor fresh, unique, and very real. Oftentimes they will have outtakes from the episode playing during the credits (although I'm not sure if they do in the first season) and you can see that even the actors can't get through it without laughing - everything is SO funny and enjoyable!

This show is also more than great laughs. The casting is also genius: you can't help but love Drew Carey because it is all too easy to relate to his problems and sense of humor - a very un-romanticized portrait of what it means to have a mundane job! His buddies Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrick Bader) brilliantly adopt silly, idiotic characters with charm and perfect comedic timing. Mimi (Kathy Kinney) is his rival - and don't judge a book by its cover! She is a ruthlessly funny enemy who gets the biggest kick out of playing pranks on Drew; or as she calls him, "the pig." Her excessive makeup and outlandish clothing only add to the hilarity of her character. As for HUGE super-fans of Mr. Wick (Drew's second boss who stays for the remainder of the show's run) don't despair - he isn't in the first season, but he arrives in the very second episode of the following season. He is fantastic as well.

Fans, please buy this show so the rest of the seasons come out all the quicker! Non-fans, check it out - you will NOT be disappointed!"