Customer Reviews

Spin City: The Complete Second Season

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I'm a BIG Spin City fan from the U.K.
Unfortunately when it was in syndication over here, it got bumped to something like a Tuesday night at the commencement of the third season and thus never really enjoyed the demographic that, in my lay opinion, it richly deserved.
It was, during the the first two seasons, on channel 4 Friday nights after Friends. A lot of people may have switched off after Friends; I myself stuck around and watched Spin City and found it thoroughly enjoyable and, dare I say it, a better standard of comedy than the former.
It is, for those new to the show and considering purchasing it, from Bill Lawrence, the creative talent behind Scrubs which of course has now been in syndication a lot longer than Spin City was. The latter show however is really funny and the second season in particular is a step-up in quality if I may say. (I think I should be given some sort of commission for this review Mr. Lawrence!)
I don't have an episode list but I can remember some of the highlights which tickled, for me at least:
There's an episode where Mike is dating a female magician who becomes really obsessive and clingy, after only one date. Mike is chatting to his friends in Stuart and Carter's Bar (The quiet alternative to fun, HAHA!)about this new relationship and it goes something like this:
Carter:"Didn't Corrie tell you? we booked her as this evening's entertainment."
Mike:"Carter no! Corrie is a psycho okay...after she pulls the rabbit out of the hat, she boils it!"
The season is full of funny moments and great one-liners. A lesson in great comic timing and, I think, a great template for contemporary writers who are attempting the multi-camera, studio audience genre of comedy (of which we don't have many current greats).
Hope this hasn't been too long-winded and that it is helpful to both age-old fans and anybody considering buying it. To the latter I say, give it a go, you'll laugh a lot!
Cheers.

New York City's most lovable (if not always savvy) deputy mayor returns to City Hall for more laughs in this 24-episode season two.

Getting divorced from Helen, the Mayor then prowls for female companionship. And in an urbane and cosmopolitan city such as New York, the development would not present a problem. After all, elected officials need companionship too!

Except in "Paul Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". The Mayor's initial attempts at forging new relationships do not go smooth. It's hard to just get out and date when you are an elected official.

And in "Gentleman's Agreement" he must quickly learn the taboos of having joined a social club which excludes membership from women.

Himself the caring father of a daughter ("They Shoot Horses Don't They") the Mayor does not hate women, he just did not grow up socializing with them as equals. Uh-oh! Not the best move to navigate the `gender gap' during election time.

His good-natured cluelessness again gets deliciously illustrated in the two-parter "Family Affair".

On a visit to her son the deputy Mayor, Macy Flaherty (a very cleverly-cast Meredith Baxter Birney) and the Mayor start up an innocent but flirty relationship. It REALLY creeps Mike out.

This good-hearted but socially naïve mayor initially and honestly does not notice Mike's blatant discomfort with their relationship. It's up to his mother to make this all-critical connection...and things right again. She breaks off the relationship.

A different kind of uncomfortable social arrangement unfolds when Stuart, the office womanizer becomes Carter Heywood's roommate ("Single White Male"). Their ensuing `out of office' scripts consequently provide reliable hijinks for the rest of this series.

Carter gets a solo pivotal episode "In the Heat of the Day" when the city police, apparently unaware who the City's "Minority Liaison" personally is, apprehend him for a `mugger' during a city park jog.

While the police convince themselves they are `preventing crime' through this proactive monitoring, Carter realizes that they targeted him only because of skin color. A white jogger would have been left alone.

Having the resources to challenge this stereotyping, he also wants to ensure the police fight crime without unfairly harming law-abiding citizens, including those who cannot fight back with similar resources readily at their disposal.

Finally, we cannot forget "The Goodbye Girl". This episode is where Stacy Paterno (Jennifer Esposito) comes on board as Mike's wise-cracking, but wise secretary. She will remain with the rest of the series, providing strong chemistry

Extras include a featurette on Fox's foundation work.

This administration always works around the clock. They reliably deliver first-class comedy to their `constituents'--in New York--and Nationwide! Here's to subsequent releases on DVD.

My husband and I are BIG fans of Michael J and the cast of Spin City. But having said that, I'm disappointed with the 2nd season so far. I'm not convinced that Stacey is a character with chemistry and merely provides the show with a "genuine Noo Yawker" and all the sterotypes that encompasses. We certainly laughed our way through the first season and for the first few episodes of the 2nd but we sat stony faced at the last two episodes and the double header with Meredith Birney Baxter. No chemistry there at all; was there a writers strike on at the time? It all seemed so forced and contrived. I'm all for heightened reality, (hey it's a comedy show after all) but it seems that whoever wrote these episodes had little idea of the characters. Everybody dancing and singing "Bahamas Bahamas" and doing the conga when Carter wanted to go to the Caribbean ?? That made no sense given what we knew about the characters and their quirks beforehand. Michael Flaherty riding tandem on a horse with the Mayor when everything the character had done up to that point was to try his best to preseve the dignity of the Mayor and the office?? It seems like Spin City suddenly took a drop in script quality for the moment. I'm sure it will come back. I hope so!

Edit April 2010 Well, luckily that was just a bad blip in quality on those few episodes. There is still the occasional clunker in there; some episodes work better than others, the whole Heidi Klum thing has been dreadfully overplayed and the Mayor is morphing from simply naive to the idiotic. But it's still entertaining, although I find that the Stuart character (Alan Ruck) is becoming more OTT and unlikeable.

This is a great comedy for those who like to think a bit more than usual and have an open mind.

Season two of Spin City does not fail to deliver the laughs! Michael J. Fox and his amazing comedic timing, in additional to a great ensemble cast, make this a must own collection of episodes!

I should probably have more to say, but I think my feelings are pretty simple...

I loved "Spin City" when it was on TV, so the show going to DVD was a long time coming. Michael J. Fox has, had, and will always have a witty sense of humor. The show's writers were amazing, providing the cast with memorable lines and opportunities for great comedy. The cast members were perfect for each other, and by season 2 everyone was pretty well established in their characters. I've always loved workplace comedies; "News Radio," "The Office," "Frasier," "Sports Night." If you like any of those, you will also enjoy "Spin City."

What can I say, Michael J. Fox,is AWESOME! I love this show and can't wait to get the next season!

I was a big fan of Spin City, still am. I loved the commentaries on the first season DVDs and was really looking forward to this season's only to find that there weren't any. I would have loved to hear about Meredith Baxter's arc on the show or Tracy Pollan's (Fox's wife) episode. Oh well, maybe season 3. Just sad that $30 doesn't buy you commentaries or extras except the promo for Team Fox.

Still a great series and a great season of it. :D

ABOUT TIME!

When can we expect season 3 now?

Hurry Hurry...

hmm... the price has gone up by nearly a 1/3.
i wonder why...