Product Details

• Actors: Mayim Bialik, Joseph Lawrence, Jenna von Oy, Ted Wass
• Directors: Don Reo
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Shout Factory
• DVD Release Date: January 27, 2009
• Run Time: 840 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001GP5TMW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,812 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Blossom: Seasons 1 & 2" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"A very special episode of Blossom" is an easy punchline along the lines of how the French adore Jerry Lewis, but Blossom really is something special. Along with Clarissa Explains It All, this 1991 coming-of-age series ushered in a new generation of empathetic and empowering teen and tween queens. Fifteen-year-old Blossom (the enormously appealing Mayim Bialik, who portrayed the young C.C. in Beaches) is the only girl in a house that includes her session musician father (Ted Wass), her curmudgeonly grandfather (Barnard Hughes), and two brothers, recovering addict Anthony (Michael Stoyanov) and jock Joey (Joseph Lawrence in his teen idol-making role), who is a few yards short of a first down. Mom has abandoned the family to pursue a singing career in Paris. Bialik’s high-spirited dance during the opening credits instantly draws viewers in with its exuberant girls-just-want-to-have-fun spunk, and within the first 40 seconds of the first episode, in which Blossom attempts to buy her first box of tampons, the series broke the primetime mold. Blossom would deal with age-relevant issues other series did not, including puberty, sex, substance abuse, and hurtful gossip. Blossom was totally relatable; not quite a beauty, but neither completely a geek (her participation in marching band notwithstanding). She was smart and reasonably popular. Unlike Clarissa, Blossom did not break the fourth wall to confide in the audience. She had a rich fantasy life that illustrated her feelings. In the first episode, with no mother to talk to about the changes she is going through, she dreams of a sitcom fantasy mother, embodied by The Cosby Show’s Phylicia Rashad. In "Rockumentary," a series benchmark, a flu-stricken Blossom imagines herself as a pampered, self absorbed rock star in her own version of Madonna’s Truth or Dare. Not that she really needs to embellish her real life. In "I’m With the Band," she finds herself in an elevator with the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith. Meanwhile, in episode after very special episode, she and her chatty best friend, Six, (Jenna von Oy)--perhaps the best girl buddy team since Patty and Lauren on Square Pegs--navigate the hazards of adolescence. And what exactly is a Very Special Episode? At heart, it’s the Will She or Won’t She moral dilemma. Will Blossom lie to her father about attending her first makeout party? Will she smoke a joint she finds on the bus? Will she go to "second base" with her new boyfriend? Refreshingly, Blossom leaves some episodes open-ended, providing families with something to talk about. There are some (last time, I promise) very special bonus features, including convivial cast commentaries, the original pilot, and segments about the development of the series and Blossom and Six’s friendship. Adding to the fun are glimpses of future stars, including Neil Patrick Harris, Johnny Galecki, and Giovanni Ribisi. Some dated references aside (Hammer pants?), Blossom’s quirky spell is undimmed. To quote the theme song, in my opinionation, it’s gonna surely shine on DVD. --Donald Liebenson

Product Description

In 1991 NBC changed the face of prime-time sitcoms by introducing young audiences to an eccentric teenaged girl from a broken home on the mend. A video blogger predating the Internet, Blossom Russo (Mayim Bialik) chronicled the events of her teenage life in full, hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking detail, providing inspiration to youngsters and their families for five very special seasons.
Now the groundbreaking Emmy nominated series first two seasons, 37 episodes, are available for the first time in one deluxe DVD box set. Starring: Mayim Bialik (Beaches, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jenna von Oÿ (The Parkers), Ted Wass (Soap), Michael Stoyanov and Joey Lawrence in the role that made him an international heartthrob!

Bonus Features:

* Original Pilot

* Blossom Trivia

* A Very Special Show: A retrospective look at the series creation and impact on television, including brand-new interviews with creator Don Reo and stars Mayim Bialik, Jenna von Oÿ, Joseph Lawrence and Ted Wass.

* A Very Special Friendship: An examination of the onscreen friendship of Blossom Russo and Six LeMeure, as well as the off-screen relationship between actresses Mayim Bialik and Jenna von Oÿ.

* Audio Cast & Creator Commentaries

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY!!, October 7, 2008

By 

Thiago Sardenberg (Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blossom: Seasons 1 & 2 (DVD)

Everytime I think of 'Blossom', I remember myself watching it, at the age of 8 or 9, while eating lunch, getting ready to go to school (I used to see it on its morning reruns) and having great fun. It was probably one of the very first TV series I actually cared about.

I grew up watching this show and it's been a long , long time since I saw it for the last time. I can't even remember the show precisely! I do remember some moments, some situations and of course, those delightful characters that always made me laugh so hard. So, I guess it'll be simply great to revisit the series after so long; I bet it'll be like having a whole new experience.

Well, it's been virtually a decade that I've waited for these DVD's, so I'm really looking forward to this pack with Season 1-2. I'm glad there are extras in the pack, such as commentaries from the director and cast, and interviews with Mayim, Joey and the others!!

Thank you 'Shout!' for bringing these DVDs, and I truly hope it doesn't take long for the other seasons to come!! I'm sure this will be a sucess on DVD.


EDIT (February 22, 2009):

So here I am, finally through with the complete seasons 1 and 2. And I couldn't be happier! As a matter of fact, there was little I actually remembered about 'Blossom' - moments, a few lines, few storylines. I just knew I had loved it. But I was very surprised to realize that I still think, over 10 years later, that this is a good, well-written, funny show.

The actors did a wonderful job and the plots were interesting. The teenagers were never underestimated, very believable. I realize I appreciate the show now on a whole new level, taking into account aspects I sure didn't years before.

And the special features are great! We get to see all the actors nowadays reflecting back on their experiences on the show. There are a couple of featurettes on their friendship, the style of the show etc. and also commentaries on the episodes; not to mention the original pilot, quite different from the show itself. Very nice.

Overall, it was worth the wait. Bring on Season 3!!


EDIT (May 5, 2010)

And here I am again, over a year later, to complain about the fact that there's still no news of Season 3 being released anytime soon! That's just mean! Shout Factory gave us a taste of what we had missed and now leaves high and dry? Come on! Time to start writing them about it!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In my opinionation, DVD sales will surely shine..., February 3, 2009

By 

MollyRK (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blossom: Seasons 1 & 2 (DVD)

Maybe it's just that ultra-catchy theme song or the refreshingly real title character, but in any case, I was thrilled to learn that these DVD's were arriving in January 2009. It's been long overdue, especially since it hasn't even been shown on TV since I was a kid, so the timing is great to finally have it immortalized through the DVD's!

For those who grew up with the show and remember it as a blast from their 1990's past, this has been a great way to kick off the new year! I was very happy to purchase this over the weekend (at a very good price, too), and it brings back fond memories of those good old '90's classics that will never again be matched by anything. Of course, considering all the reality TV and other "the way teens really are" junk that airs these days, it doesn't seem like most screenwriters are challenging themselves to meet the original standard that was set by television shows from decades past.

Just in case you aren't familiar with show's basic premise, Blossom Russo was a young teenager in a house full of men after her mother Madolyn (interesting spelling, huh?) took off, leaving her entire family behind, to pursue a singing career in Paris. Four years have already passed since this stressful family event occurred, meaning that the writers were able to bypass the deserted husband and youngsters' initial shock and anger, but there was still plenty to explore with how the four of them were coping a few years down the road. It was no easy task for Nick Russo to finish raising three kids on his own, especially since he was dealing with one son who was a recovering drug addict, another underachieving teenage son who acted more like a kid than most kindergarteners, and an impressionable young daughter who was right in the wings of adolescence (one of the scariest things in the world for most dads, especially when boys start coming into the picture).

The series started out fairly low-key, focusing mainly on Blossom and featuring her father and brothers as supporting characters in her life. It was indicated that Madolyn still had telephone and postcard contact with her children, although this was not at all central to the rest of the story, at least not at this point in the series, and the attention was placed largely on Nick and the kids, not their mother/ex-wife's whereabouts. Also, once the second season started, the writing became somewhat more quirky, complete with various dream/fantasy sequences (watch for the infamous "Rockumentary" episode, filmed almost entirely in black and white, which established a more exaggerated form of the unorthodox style that the show gradually took on). The script also began juggling more subplots and characters at a time, including the kids' maternal grandfather Buzz, whose thick sarcasm makes it easy likening him to Frank Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond." Exploring the relationship between a divorced man and his ex-wife's father is something that most family sitcom writers wouldn't even bother to attempt, let alone develop over more than just a few episodes. In typical "Blossom" fashion, though, the challenging and the controversial were unveiled, and the audience got a refreshingly honest look at how Nick had to set aside his own bitter resentments in order to let his children have their grandfather in their lives.

Things were tough for the Russos after Madolyn split, but their home life wasn't exactly worthy of complaint, either. The household was run by a strong and loving father, and the older brothers were two decent, caring guys who would do anything for their younger sister. Blossom was forced to enter those rough teen years without a mom to talk to or ask questions, but again, her dad and siblings were always there when it really mattered. The first two seasons watched them slowly adjust to their new situation and begin feeling like a family again. That much about the series is pretty clear, but now that it has come to DVD about 13 years since the final episode aired, the intended audience is a little trickier to identify. Also, as I've already mentioned, the show has not aired in reruns on TV for years, so adults who don't remember much about it may be tempted to think that it's appropriate for their children to watch, much like "Full House" and "Punky Brewster," both of which have attracted whole new audiences through their DVD releases. One thing is for sure, though: "Blossom" is much edgier TV entertainment, experimenting with some controversial storylines that include drugs, alcohol, sex, messy divorces, recovering addicts who fall off the wagon, and all those things that you wouldn't necessarily expect from a family-oriented show of its time. I was pretty shocked at some of the sexual innuendos, including a scene where the Russo kids wondered if Nick's attractive new girlfriend would eventually become their stepmother, and Joey showed no shame in saying, "You think we could get her to spank us?" Needless to say, you probably wouldn't want to plop your elementary-aged child in front of the screen with dialogue like that in one episode after another (and trust me, some plot material and visual images got pretty racy).

It's actually fascinating that the show got away with some of the things that it did, but then again, the face of family sitcoms was changing rapidly at the time, and writers began deciding that completely squeaky-clean scripts should be "humanized" with funnier, slightly more permiscuous material. "Blossom" was one of the first family series to do this, and now that more risque shows like "Two and a Half Men" are so widely successful, it's interesting to note how the sitcom world started turning in the early 1990's. Getting back to my original point, though...in my opinion, I'd have to say that these DVD's are primarily geared toward the original fans, and while there are other younger generations who may enjoy it (it's ultimately up to the parents to decide if they think their children can handle it), you almost have to have experienced it previously in order to really appreciate it.

Again, in terms of the more mature plot threads, oldest brother Anthony was a former alcohol and substance abuser, which represented one of the most heartbreaking stories in the series. He had been clean for over a year when the show started and was finally beginning to thrive again (despite being somewhat reluctant to admit that he was actually ready to take the next step in life), but those former skeletons returned to haunt him when it came to rekindling old friendships and looking for work. The writers obviously trusted the audience to understand and respect some more grown-up, "real-world" material in these storylines, and Anthony's issues represented what several shows were too scared to expose. Blossom was portrayed as the show's moral compass, but even she slipped on more than one occasion, including an episode where she and her best pal Six considered drinking in their hotel room during a school trip, and another episode where they brought home some marijuana that they found on the bus. Russo patriarch Nick was a generally good man who worked hard to take care of his family and cope as a single father, but he was constantly forced to make difficult decisions, many of which were undermined by his children (and sometimes even the audience) over a succession of episodes.

Of course, there is plenty to love and respect about the series as a whole, and while the writers did touch on more serious social topics, most of the situations were idealized to accommodate the show's generally "family friendly" label. Despite the abandonment of her mother during her formative years, Blossom was remarkably well-adjusted, with acts of rebellion that were only occasional and short lived, then quickly forgiven and forgotten. Her relationship with her father was also one of those quieter, yet magical assets to the show, and come to think of it, it's one of the only things I remember vividly from the show's original run. Even when I was younger, I was able to sense that special bond that existed between them and was completely separate from the relationship that Nick had with his sons. Seeing as Blossom was his only daughter, she represented the little girl that he adored and desperately wanted to protect. Terms such as "practically a saint" and "a gift from God" were the descriptions that Nick had on hand for his daughter during these early seasons, while Blossom referred to him as "inspiring" and "one of the cool guys that everybody admires". Sure, it's little cheesy, but it also happened to be the heart of the show in many ways, so I'm willing to take it.

The cast is solid, with each individual actor meshing well with the rest of the group. Leading lady Blossom was scripted to be somewhere in-between the Queen Bees and the nerds, and Mayim Bialik was perfect in projecting that image. Maybe she was slightly more on the dorky side, but she was always comfortable with herself, and she earned a lot of points for setting that example. Her style was quirky yet lovable (the opening credits let you know, right off the bat, that the next thirty minutes are going to be a lighthearted retreat), and her overall character managed to be admirable without being too overdrawn or sappy. Joey Lawrence pulled off the "teen hunk" status for younger female viewers without having to even exert much effort (most of his one-liners make me crack up no matter how often I watch it), and Michael Stoyanov succeeded with his much different, yet equally likable character. Anyone who has ever had to accept and conquer the mistakes of their past will easy identify with his story. Ted Wass was also well cast in what ended up being his final acting gig before he switched to directing, and while maintaining a fine balance between hip and responsible, he was as much of a respectable TV... Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WHOAH!!, March 13, 2010

By 

Robin Orlowski "political activist" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blossom: Seasons 1 & 2 (DVD)

Rejecting the traditional scripting formula for shows targeted towards teen girls, Blossom did something definitely 'alternative' for it's viewing audience: It realized that we were supposed to be more than boy-crazy and shallow anorexics.

Blossom Russo (played by the very talented Mayim Bialik) lives with her father Nick and two older brothers, Tony (Michael Stoyanov)and Joey (Joey Lawrence).

Joey, having grown up on television ('gimme a break') was originally set up as the teen heart throb of the series, even having recorded an album. But I was unexplainably drawn to the past' of Tony, the 'older brother', who is now working as a paramedic after having apparently led a wild personal life. He could rescue me any day.

When other teen shows (including some of the other ones which I also watched) were still portraying recovery merely as an excuse to show 'rough' characters, young viewing audiences saw a more compassionate portrait in Tony. Having to work for his sobriety, he struggles--even without the traditional over dramatics assigned to similar characters.

'Tough Love' realistically shows what a recovering addict and their family goes through. Tony Russo cannot stay with his family without first getting and successfully keeping a responsible job. Nick loves his son, but wants his family to take care of and keep themselves healthy.

Nick faces another dilema in 'The Joint' after he discovers the marijuana cigarette Blossom and Six brought into the house. He has to discover who it belongs to--and prevent them from doing this again. He also has to get them to confess, not an easy task when the kids are aware that confessing WILL generate punnishment: He is a musician, but Nick is not that laid-back, he expects his kids to stay clean!

Tony himself saves the day in 'Intervention' because his own history is what enables him to see that a friend of Joey's is becoming hooked on drugs.

Joey (Joey Lawrence) is eye candy, but he does not tend to think things clearly through. So cheating accidentally lands him in an honors class ('Honor?')--where strangely enough the school administration does not question the sudden academic classification of Mr. Russo. They just assume that he now magically had the grades to enter the honors class!

And several episodes show that Tony is working in a position requiring a great deal of responsibility and authority, something which would not have been possible were he not successfully staying sober.

We effectively saw how these other characters own lives ultimately interacted with her own. And because she cares about their well being, she again comes across as an infinently better media role model for a young woman to want to emmulate.

The first and second seasons are bundled together, which is a virtual godsend for both cost and quantity of this series release. The first season only has 13 episodes, so it was essential that season two was added. People either falling in love with this pioneering one-of a kind series for the first time or remembering still-awesome episodes would come away sorely disappointed if only being able to view one season! And waiting out potential releases would have us crawling the walls.