Product Details

• Actors: Barry Watson, Matthew Davis, Sarah Lancaster
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: September 25, 2007
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000P6YNT8
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,850 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Television > TV Series By Letter > W > What About Brian

• For more information about "What About Brian - The Complete Series" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sharing more in common with the chatty feel of Felicity than the action-driven Lost or Alias, the ubiquitous J.J. Abrams has another gem with the witty and bittersweet (but short-lived) drama What About Brian. Both seasons are included in this five-disc set, though the first year produced just five episodes. Airing from 2006-2007 on ABC, What About Brian stars Barry Watson (7th Heaven) as the only single person in his group of friends. Over the course of 24 episodes, he pines for his best friend's girlfriend Marjorie (Sarah Lancaster), one of his friends comes out, and they all mourn the loss of one of their own. While not as melodramatic as nighttime soaps such as Melrose Place, What About Brian maintains a soap opera feel in the way the characters' lives are intertwined, regardless of whether they should be or not. As Brian's older sister Nicole, Rosanna Arquette is a scene stealer who hits all the right notes. Married to a younger man and desperately wanting a baby, Nicole shares some poignant moments with her husband as they navigate a challenging journey. The theme of "the grass is always greener on the other side" runs rampant here. Brian, who his friends correctly see as afraid of commitment, wants to be married or at least part of a couple, while many of his married friends long for the freedom to date whomever they want again without having to return home to the same person. The show's strongest episodes are at the beginning of its run when Brian finds out his best friend has proposed to Marjorie and that she may have unresolved feelings for him as well. Listening to his answering machine, he hears her say, "It's hard not to imagine 'what if'..." His girlfriend at the time hears it, too, and understands the implications of what Marjorie says better than Brian does. Unrequited love can only propel a show for so long, and other subplots run rampant--a pastry business for two of the main characters, a potentially life-threatening illness for the child of another couple, and friendship that often seems on the verge of a breakup. But when all's said and done, What About Brian could also have been called What About Love. --Jae-Ha Kim

Product Description

They are people you know, juggling life and love just as you do. From the producers of Lost and Alias comes the witty and seductive drama The Chicago Tribune calls "breezy, bittersweet and infectious." Step into the middle of a circle of friends who experience the world from the inside out. Trying to find your way in the cut-throat city of Los Angeles can break the strongest soul. However, Brian (Barry Watson, 7th Heaven) and his friends lean on each other as their relationships become more intense and they discover that the truth that stings can, sometimes, be your salvation. Find out what you’ve been missing as you join the journey from the very beginning with every episode of What About Brian’s first two seasons in this 5-disc box set. And uncover even more about Brian with behind-the-scenes bonus features available only on DVD.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What about Brian?, August 13, 2007

By	T. Stewart "moviemancritter" (Santa Cruz) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This series initially started two different ways: J.J. Abrams (creator of "Lost" and "Alias") trying to go back to his roots of simple relationship drama (year ago he created the WB hit "Felicity"); as well as Jeff Judah and Jason Katism (of "Life as We Know It" and "Freaks and Geeks" fame) trying to produce a show with their signature quirks, yet one with a premise appealing enough were they wouldn't get cancelled after 13 episodes. And so "What about Brian" was born.

The show was simple enough: Brian (Barry Watson from "7th Heaven") is a serial-dater that has never been able to keep a girlfriend around longer than several weeks. Upon the engagement of his best-friend he finds himself as a 7th-wheel among his closest friends (including his college roommate/business partner and his much-older sister). The series follows as Brian tries to search out love, as well as the various romantic entanglements/problems that his various friends find themselves in such as: affairs, new business ventures, single-parenthood, engagement, etc.. Essentially the show was about a group of early thirty-something's trying to not only make their mark on the world, but trying to share their success with "that someone special" and all the hilarity and heartache that comes with the territory.

Unfortunately for the creators and ABC, while the premise was interesting, the actors/characters likable, their was always something missing from the series. That special SPARK that a series needs in order to find itself on the lineup for the better part of a decade was missing. After airing 6 our of the produced 8 for its first season the network pulled the show, re-staffed a majority of the producers/writers, fired an actors/hired three additional actors... basically all in an effort to make the show what it could be. And while yes, the second season is an immensely pleasing 19-episode arc ultimately the series was doomed from the beginning. And like similar shows of the past (such as "once and again" which had many of the same producers) the show was never able to find a following and it was canceled due to low-ratings.

That is not to say the show is bad in any way. In fact it's highly enjoyable, its just easy to tell why people would prefer to watch it in one or two sittings, vs. weekly over the course of a year. Presented here on 5 DVDs are all 25 aired episodes (the 2 unaired episodes leftover from season 1 are not included) along with deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes interviews.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What was ABC thinking????, September 8, 2007

By	D. Veluzat "lucyandrickky" (CALIFORNIA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

HELLLOOOOOO! This was a great show!!!ABC had it in the wrong time slot and should have re aired it from the begining during off season (at a better time slot, similar to how they do shows like wife swap) to show more viewers what they were missing!This was a more real "today" type show. They could of took the whole show alot further, boy did I have some good ideas for where they could have gone. This could have been the next Better Melrose Place. What are they thinking???? Anyhow for those of U who missed the first two seasons - the DVD's are something to check out...Only problem is you'll want more....ALOT more and if they have truly cancelled it we all are missing out!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Underappreciated Best New Show, November 4, 2007

By	K. Harlan (Los Angeles, Ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This show deserved a lot better than what it got. The writing was both heartfelt and funny. Serious when it needed to be but lighthearted when appropriate. The show was about a group of friends which meant different stories but the center of it was their bond to each other.

I was a big fan of those show and very sad when it was officially cancelled. I recorded the episode every week and always looked forward to the next.

This set has pretty cool extras with behind-the-scenes and an unaired episode. If you were a fan of "What About Brian?" you won't be disappointed. And if you are looking for a show to make you laugh, cry, and think...this is definitely one of those.