Customer Reviews

Dave's World - The First Season

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember when Dave's World came out on TV, in the early 1990's. I would have not been much older than Tommy, the older son in the show. Somehow, through the years, some key scenes remain in my memory, including Dave and Tommy listening to Shel's droning answering machine message ("5-5-5...."), a restaurant called "Butter, Butter, Butter", and other short, nonsensical snippets that have managed to pervade my conscious thought from time to time ("Stop - my head is in the elevator door!"). Dave Barry is a funny columnist, in a sort of absurd way, and Dave's World was an entertaining show.

The DVD set brings back memories, and the show is as witty as I remember it (maybe even more so). The sharp, snappy lines are delivered almost tongue in cheek, brazenly unapologetic, by the characters. Looking at this show after 15 years (has it been that long?!) is revealing as it is much easier to pick out the typical TV-sitcom stereotypes -- Kenny is a parody of himself, it seems, for in the 21st century when do we ever see a blond-maned, egocentric, sport-coat wearing womanizer like that anymore, and still take him seriously? -- but, it all still works. The series thesis -- "look ma, we're old all of a sudden!" -- hits me in a different way, far more personally, than it did when I was a kid, now that I myself have turned 30.

One key element is missing, however, in my eyes a crucial one. Look very carefully at the fine print on the back of the DVD box and you'll see words that say "Music has been changed". They took away the theme song! This was an utter shock as one of THE defining things about this TV series was the catchy animated opening sequence set to Billy Joel's "You May Be Right" (as performed by Southside Johnny). They must not have been able to secure distribution rights for this classic song, which is a pity, as the DVD version only includes generic guitar strumming. This renders the opening sequence totally lifeless, in this reviewer's opinion! I give this show four out of five stars, but took away one star for the omission of this key ingredient.

Still, the DVD is well presented, and I enjoyed the tour through my own childhood years as I watched the antics of this charming family unfold on my TV screen once again.

Just make sure you cue up your own Billy Joel CD to play during the opening credits.

I was thrilled when I saw that Dave's World was coming to DVD and I purchased it as soon as I could. This show was a favorite of mine and I hope that the rest of the seasons will be coming to DVD in a timely manner as well. While the theme song is missing, as has previously been stated, it really doesn't bother me. The episodes are just as hilarious as I remembered, and I think I enjoy this show even more now than I did when it originally aired. And Kenny's wardrobe is definitely funnier now! I would definitely recommend this DVD set. The entertainment value makes it money well spent.

My husband and I were ecstatic when we learned that Dave's World was being released on DVD. We used to watch this show and loved it. We love it even more now because we have two boys the same age as the children on the show and can appreciate the humor in a different light than we used to. The show was always a fun show to watch, but we really look forward to sitting down and watching it again. I, too, miss the Billy Joel opening song; however, it doesn't take away from the meat of the show. It's as good as ever. We look forward to Seasons 2 through 4 in the future.

When I first found out this show was finally coming out to DVD, I was a happy young man. I grew up with the series over the years of its run. After buying the first season on DVD, I found some odd things with it that I don't think many people saw. In a couple episodes of the first season, some of the pre-opening segments were chopped, cutting out buildup to some of the punchlines, example: In one episode, Dave is singing The Beatles' I Am The Walrus in the shower, and then he yells out to Beth "What happened to my body? I AM the walrus!", the singing in the shower part was cut out and so we have just that punchline. While I may not have the theme song I grew up with when watching the show, I can still enjoy the show. Hopefully season two doesn't have the same problem with season one regarding chopped episodes.

I always enjoyed watching Dave's World but the episode that stuck out the most in my mind was Saved by Estelle and it is on this Season. It is a laugh riot so even though the theme song is cut and there are a few other scenes that got deleted - why I don't know. You simply have to buy this season for that episode alone because it is possibly the funniest TV episode I've ever seen... It is at least in the best 100 funniest TV moments I've ever seen that "I got Kenny for the bathroom rug" joke has stayed with me for years and Jackee Harry was just wonderfully cast.

When I was a little kid I watched Dave's World, and years later I picked up Dave Barry's Greatest Hits, which is a great collection of the actual Dave Barry's hysterical columns of which many an episode of Dave's World are very, very loosely inspired. As many reviewers have stated, Barry's writings are far better than the television series, but Dave's World is not without its charms. The cast is a highly likeable and compatible group of actors; even the two child actors who play Barry's young boys seem natural and sincere. Though the show occasionally drifts into typical sitcom silliness and conventionality, many episodes provide genuine laugh out moments and occasionally shell out some weightless, but original insights packaged in a cozy sitcom environment. Give Dave's World a try if you watched it when it was on primetime television, if you like Barry's columns, or if you like inoffensive, unchallenging, family oriented sitcoms.

It was a great show wished it lasted longer. I am a fan of harry anderson.