Product Details

• Actors: Adam Arkin, Damian Lewis, Robin Weigert, Brooke Langton, Sarah Shahi
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: September 2, 2008
• Run Time: 477 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (313 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0019Z3P84
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,746 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Life: Season One" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A quirky drama with moments of startling originality, Life: Season One concerns Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis of Band of Brothers), a cop who spent 12 years in federal prison for murders he did not commit. Exonerated by DNA evidence, Charlie receives a multimillion-dollar settlement for his troubles and returns to his old job, though now as a detective. Cleared of the crime, Charlie still faces skepticism from his law enforcement brethren and the impatience of a new partner, Dani Reese (Sarah Shahi), a former drug addict squeezed by her superior (Robin Weigert) to find reasons to boot Charlie from the force. None of this hostility, however, compares with the terrible time Charlie experienced behind bars, where a former cop is everyone's punching bag. Charlie's sanity, saved by studying Zen methods of non-attachment, remains with him after he is released into a digital world, Charlie has a lot of catching up to do, but it is his post-prison unorthodox manner and tendency to speak without thinking that prove jarring for colleagues and crime witnesses. Still, it is easy to root for the guy and appreciate (non-attachment aside) his fondness for the good life: a mansion, fast cars, beautiful women, and lots of fresh fruit.

The pilot episode is a knockout, the kind of show featuring moments one has never seen before, such as a scene in which Charlie is forced to shoot a suspect and then talks him through an almost dream-like death. Subsequent episodes are a little uneven in quality, but the overall package is quite compelling, particularly as Charlie quietly solves the mystery of the murders for which he was blamed. Throughout, Charlie's religious transformation in prison collides with his darker impulses toward possible revenge, making Life a fascinating study in conflict. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Life was his sentence. Life is what he got back. Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers) stars as the unconventional police officer-turned-convict-turned-detective with a second chance in each compelling Season One episode of the critically acclaimed mystery series Life. After twelve years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, offbeat Charlie Crews has returned to the force with a $50 million settlement, a new spiritual outlook, a strong fondness for fruit, and a highly unusual approach to solving crime. With the aid of his skeptical and demanding new partner, Dani Reese, played by Sarah Shahi (Rush Hour 3), he’s turning police procedure upside down in this unique and fast-paced series with a “terrific cast [and] terrific writing” (Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 59 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "Life was his sentence. And life was what he got back." June 16, 2008

By H. Bala TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Prison changes a man, and it certainly changed former LAPD police officer Charlie Crews. From 1995 to 2007 he served hard time for murders he didn't commit. When DNA evidence surfaces proving his innocence, Crews is released and reinstated in the force (he also lands some serious settlement money). Now Detective Crews finds himself working with a new partner even as he covertly seeks answers to what the hell happened.

LIFE looks to be a very promising cop detective show, and not because the mysteries themselves are dynamite stuff or anything. No, the viewing addiction lies in watching the lead actor work his craft. Britisher Damian Lewis is simply fabulous as the wounded, brooding protagonist, trying to piece his life back together. It's fun watching Crews apply his askewed perspective on his cases. I'm normally not a fan of folks who sling zen about, but Lewis makes it such a quirky and integral part of his character. And if it's a loose cannon with an agenda slinging that zen, all the better. After all, zen helped Crews survive the penitentiary. I also like the little touches which remind us that Crews is still coping with his new found freedom, whether it's his habit of munching on fresh fruit (they never have fresh fruit in prison) or his preference for light and open air or the fact that he still doesn't have furniture in his home.

Lewis's supporting cast is so-so. I do enjoy Sarah Shahi, who's a former Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. She plays the no-nonsense Dani Reese, Crews' new partner and not ecstatic about it. It's true that her character tends to fall in the generic character-saddled-with-demons category, so, yeah, nothing new from that angle.... But I think she has very good chemistry with Damian Lewis, and I just love her bemused or irritated reactions to Crews' barrage of philosophical quirk. Two other actors who nicely play off Lewis are sexy Brooke Langton as Crews' smitten attorney and Adam Arkin as Crews' former inmate and current best friend and financial adviser.

I like the show's use of interview clips. They reveal certain insights and usher several sub-plots into the light. We learn, for instance, that Crews' former partner didn't stand up for him and that Crews' beautiful wife had divorced him while he was serving out his time. We even get a teeny whiff of the conspiracy surrounding Crews' frame-up. More layers and foreshadowings, thanks to these interview clips.

SPOILERS now.

With the steady influx of crime drama on TV, I wasn't planning on tuning in to this show. Then the pilot changed my mind. Other standout episodes? "Powerless" is the powerful sixth episode, focusing on Dani as she pursues a rapist who'd been haunting her AA meetings. "Farthingale" (episode 8) is a fun one, an intriguing mystery which begins with a man having been half blown off by an exploding stove. Then there's the intense two-part, season closing story arc (episodes 10 & 11: "Dig A Hole" & "Fill It Up") as Crews finally tracks down the man who committed the murders for which he was incarcerated. In "Dig A Hole" we also get to see a showdown of sorts between Crews' new and former partners.

SPOILERS end.

I can't stress enough how good Damian Lewis is on this show. I remember him from HBO's great wartime mini-series, Band of Brothers, and he made big noise back then, too, and was even nominated for a Golden Globe (although he didn't win). Damian Lewis, with his complex performance here, elevates LIFE from a humdrum procedural into a riveting police drama. And since NBC has already indicated that this wonderful drama series will be picked up for a second season, well, LIFE is good. Read more ›

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It just keeps getting better December 13, 2007

By R. Weeda

Format:Amazon Instant Video

The show started off a little shaky, seeming not to know what its balance between procedural and character drama should be. But, considering the characters have all been fantastic from the start, the more recent turn in that direction is very smart. Damian Lewis has always been a talented actor, but this is one of his most riveting performances ever. I've never seen a character like Charlie Crews, and now I'm dying to see more of him. As he gets deeper into the conspiracy to frame him, all the little layers are getting pulled back. I sincerely hope NBC realizes what a gem they have here and starts giving it better promotions.

79 of 98 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars The show is great, but it's the wrong music !! August 22, 2008

By fred

Format:DVD

I LOVE this show, it was the best new series of the season, and I fell in love with everything it is. It looks at first like another cop drama with a twist, but that description couldn't be more further from the truth.

LIFE is great, funny, light, intelligent, serious, dark, it's got it all, the writing is awesome, so many terrific lines/one-liner that are just brilliant, directing, acting, music selection, it's a masterpiece of art!

BUT : I have not and will not buy the DVDs, and I recommend against it, because NBC screw things up and IT IS NOT THE ORIGINAL MUSIC !!!

The replaced the music everywhere by some other songs, and it's far from being anywhere near as good as it originally was!!

[...]

No way I buy DVDs like that, that's not the show I watched, love, and want to watch over & over again, not like that. NBC, you just lost a customer.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars That's Zentertainment ! September 23, 2007

By Gregory Granquist

Amazon Verified Purchase

If you don't march-step to one of the religions of the people of the book, yet still would like a dash of spirituality with your entertainment, Charlie Crews is the man to watch. Shows like this - and I can think of only two, Kung Fu and Joan of Arcadia - come along only once in a blue moon. Crews' quirky character - Sherlock Holmes with a dash of Asperger syndrome - can be a hoot one moment, and then move on to something sublime, like the scene where he cradled the dying guy's head and whispered "go back to sleep, it's just a bad dream." I hope to get a few chuckles from this show. But should the Nielsen God frown, and some network toady cancel the series, I'm prepared to laugh then too at the joke - like Crews in the final scene of the pilot.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Life: Season One, best mystery on TV, now on DVD June 1, 2008

By mindmat

Format:DVD

Like most mystery fans, I love to be challenged by a good story that makes me dig beneath the surface and come up with new insight about multi-dimensional characters I'm willing to spend time with. Such stories are rare, especially on TV, but "Life" proves it can be done. Damian Lewis stars as LAPD Detective Charlie Crews. The first episode, Merit Badge, begins with his first day back on the police force after serving 12 years in maximum security prison, a cop framed for a crime he didn't commit. What does that do to a good man? Sarah Shahi costars as another rich character with a flawed background, his no-nonsense new partner, Dani Reese. She doesn't know if she can trust him or not - is he now a cop or a con?

Prison life was brutal for Crews, but discovering a book on Zen saved his life and his sanity. Now he uses Zen techniques and principles to deal with his anger and to solve crimes. He's not Zen, he's Zenish! Mostly he drives his partner crazy. One thing this show excels at is rocketing from light-hearted fun to heart-pounding action in seconds.

The 11 episodes of Season One are done in police procedural style, but that's not all this show is about. "Life" is also about struggling to return to a normal life after suffering tragedy. The crimes the two detectives investigate illuminate the life of Charlie Crews. He's so glad to be alive, to be free, and to have fresh fruit! Once you've seen all 11 episodes, you can go back and re-watch and catch many clues you missed the first time through. Themes and imagery repeat in subtle ways. It's all connected!

Is "Life" a modern-day retelling of "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas? Events in the life of Charlie Crews do have similarities to events in the life of Edmond Dantes.... Both were falsely imprisoned as young men, lost their families as a result, and came out extremely wealthy. But whereas Dantes is cold, relentless, and emotionless in his drive for retribution and revenge on those who wronged him, Charlie Crews is more conflicted. We see that Crews is capable of violence, but he demonstrates great warmth and compassion for others he sees as victims of oppression.

No wonder Richard Keller of TV Squad called Life

"One of best written and acted shows in this abbreviated season."

So even though we had a short season, Rand Ravich (the creator/writer/producer) and all the others who made this excellent show succeeded brilliantly. The Season One finale, Fill It Up, builds to a satisfying pay-off for our attention during the previous ten episodes. That said, new questions raised mean I can't wait for Season Two, which starts in October on NBC. Read more ›