Customer Reviews

Less Than Perfect: Season 1

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Office sitcoms have definitely been all the rage the last couple decades. ABC might have the formula down to a T though, marking Less than Perfect as their third winner in a row. Drew Carey ran from 1995-2004, Norm from 1999-2001, and Less than Perfect from 2002-2006. Drew Carey and Norm were certainly more crude and zany (and as a result, significantly less family friendly) than Less than Perfect, but here we have a sitcom that manages to ground the characters and also supply viewers with some surprisingly *good* acting.

The adorable Sarah Rue stars as Claude Casey, a pleasantly plump temp from the fourth floor that amazingly gets the promotion she's always dreamed of but never fathomed actually getting. Whisked away to the upper floors of the building she's greeted by news anchor Will Butler, her new boss. Eric Roberts clearly has a great time, oozing all the charm and none of the angst from his experiences in every Lifetime movie imaginable.

Andrea Parker and newcomer Zachary Levi are present as Claude's (attempted) foils, gunning for her job and looking to destroy her at every turn. Andrea Parker is strikingly funny as the devious Lydia, which is a very different role given her previous part in the ultra serious Pretender. Chuck fans will no doubt recognize Zachary Levi as the smarmy metrosexual Kipp, having the pleasure of working right next to Claude as Will's assistant.

Last but not least, we see lots of Claude's friends from the fourth floor; Sherri Shepherd and Andy Dick, both in high form (especially Shepherd, who nowadays can be seen on that unfortunate yuk fest 'The View'). Andy Dick can be an acquired taste for some, exhibiting his usual eccentric but amusing behavior as the oddball Owen.

Even with a fantastically acted cast that melded wonderfully, that wasn't enough to prevent cancellation after its Friday night slot placement, which everybody knows is a television graveyard. Luckily, it was able to air a consistent 4 seasons of quality comedy without getting a chance to overstay its welcome, a problem that seems to plague many similar shows that have a very basic premise.

Unfortunately, this DVD set has absolutely no extras to speak of. None. No commentaries, no featurettes, no deleted scenes, zilch. Luckily, it has been released at a very low price point. 15-25 dollars is definitely a steal for a high quality sitcom, and Less than Perfect is very easy to recommend.

This show is as fun as I remember, with many laugh-out-loud moments, and Sara Rue is a comedic gem and a doll as lead character Claude Casey. Sure, there are some character and plot clichés, but the cast meshes together so hilariously well that I find them easy to overlook. I'm giving this DVD package only 4 stars, though, because there are no extras of any kind, which is a bummer. The order of the episodes on the discs is also a bit out of whack from the original air dates. I honestly didn't even notice this, though, until the final disc; when you get to this one, just make sure the last episode you watch is the season finale, "The Umbrella."

This is my favorite show ever! I can't stop watching it! A great mood lifter! I will buy every season! Love it!!!!

This show is fantastic ... my second favorite sitcom of all time (second to Arrested Development - another show that suffered from early cancelation). This show is witty, and delivered with sharp precision. Why do we have to wait so long for the DVD release of all four seasons? Because not enough people are buying it ... so buy it, buy it now - you won't regret it! This entire series is laugh out loud funny.

i was very happy when i heard this was finally released on DVD. And even happier when, despire what's written in the details, it is presented in widescreen format, and not cropped to fullscreen. the only letdown, which i am stunned that no-one else seems to notice: the episodes are in complete random order. i regrettably realized it at the very end, when after the cliffhanger-episode for the first season where claude faces an important decision, there comes yet another episode which has nothing to do with what just happened. and then it became clear to me why in one episode claude has a boyfriend who in the next isn't even mentioned - and why lydia falls in love and then again is cold and alone (this episode ran almost at the end of the season but can be found a lot earlier in this set). i would have liked to see these in the order they were intended. why do things like these keep happening?

It was easy for me to click with the actors and the characters they are playing. I find it way better than the new sitcom hot in cleveland which I find not nearly nice.

I wonder if they will have Less than perfect Season 2 - 4!!!!
I wanna buy them all.

Sitcoms these days are pathetic. They are stupid, all about sex and just plain mindless 22 minutes of ignorance. However...back in recent decades, sitcoms were funny. This is one of the last good ones on TV. It is nice to see a main female character that isn't a "barbie doll" look-alike. She is funny, serious, has normal problems and works a high status new station...with all those problems and the issues with friends and co-workers etc. It is just a fun sitcom to enjoy, laugh and applaud. I highly recommend this series

Great series. Such a pity that good series like that one and Drew Carrey, Dharma & Greg etc do not get faster on DVD...

One of the best series I've ever seen! In Russia the title was slightly different - GO, CLAUDE!
Too bad there is only 1st season available on DVD...

I really wish this show had been given more of a chance! It is so funny and Sara Rue is adorable! Suprisingly, I love Andy Dick's character as well!! A wonderful and funny show!