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The perfect blend of goofy, kid-oriented comedy and astute adult drama, no matter how cheesy and silly its concept, Doogie Howser, M.D. proved to children of the '90s that TV could be both syrupy and deep.
Don't believe me? Do you remember the romance between Neil Patrick Harris and Lisa Dean Ryan to be overly saccharine and unbelievable? Was Max Casella's Vinnie character too much of an Italian stereotype for your tastes? Was James B. Sikking's elder Dr. Howser simply too serious?
Think again. While this first season DVD box set of Doogie Howser, M.D. may not completely convince the anti-Doogie cynics, for those who vaguely remember watching the show when it was on but aren't sure if the series holds up at all, it's time to take a long, deep breath. Doogie Howser, M.D. is not just Steven Bochco's greatest and most underrated achievement - it's a kick-ass television program.
It's the tone of the thing that really rings true. Where other sitcoms of the time - Fresh Prince, Cosby, Roseanne - were aiming directly at the funny ha-ha comic jugular of the American public, Doogie Howser wanted to earn its laughs. Neil Patrick Harris runs around in Yo! MTV Raps t-shirts (a funny in-joke for those who were as addicted to that show in the early '90s as I was), and that borderlines on ridiculous, but later in that episode, he saves some lady's life or loses a patient or something serious.
Bochco (and co-creator David E. Kelley) don't rest on the referential laurels of what could very well be just another pop culture reference - they use its implementation in the world of their protagonist to emphasize the irony of it all. Doogie Howser never was like Alex P. Keaton or other TV-sitcom mega-nerds; he was a proficient doctor with a mind sharp as a razor who was simply trapped in the body of a 16-year-old.
This isn't to say that Doogie Howser is too smart and precocious for its own good - the series knows a good gag when it sees one. And it also knows how to balance goofy gags with melodramatic weepiness in an entirely effective way. The episode in which Vinnie makes a documentary about his best buddy Doogie's life as a surgeon plays in theory as a groan-worthy sap-fest - they go through some producer/subject problems but eventually learn the true meaning of Christmas anyway - but in execution, it's a multi-faceted gem of a show.
The long and the short of it is that Doogie Howser is a pristine example of what comedy can accomplish on network TV. Sitcoms sans laugh tracks still face troubles in the marketplace today - Arrested Development is, as we speak, teetering on the verge of cancellation due to poor ratings - but Doogie couldn't have worked any other way. Over the course of these first 26 episodes, Neil Patrick Harris and company show us just how enjoyably hilarious, affecting, and rounded a TV experience can be.
The Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Presented in its original 4:3 full-frame aspect ratio, Doogie doesn't look too bad, although everything errs a bit toward the soft side. Yet while line definition is a bit of a problem, color contrast and black levels (particularly thorough) aren't. For a show of this age, the exploitation of the visual palette is quite nice. There are more than a few edge halos, though, which definitely detracts a bit. Doogie deserves more - not a lot more, but more, nonetheless.
The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
There's nothing particularly objectionable about the stereo mixes - they get the job done. Mike Post's synth music is mixed fine, dialogue sounds okay, and the atmospherics and sound effects of Doogie's hospital are impressive. But a little more utilization of separation and surround channels would have been nice. Maybe next time . . .
Also included are English Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
In addition to a flimsy 8-page journal included with the case, all we have are two interviews: one with executive producer/co-creator Steven Bochco (17:00), and another with Doogie himself, Neil Patrick Harris (16:00). Both are moderately interesting, if not entirely definitive. Where are Max Casella and Lisa Dean Ryan, though?
Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?
No DVD-ROM features have been included.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, while the artistic qualities of Doogie Howser, M.D. are impeccable, this first-season DVD package is not. Transfers are just okay, and the two interviews that are the only special features on this edition are overlong and not quite comprehensive enough. For almost $40, this isn't a slam-dunk, but Doogie fans will definitely be able to find charms here. I sure did.
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