Grey's Anatomy (TV Series): Season 1 (DVD)

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he one significant thing that "Grey´s Anatomy" has going for it is the easy accessibility of its diverse cast of characters. While the show´s basic premise may be clichéd (even down to the voiceover narration by the main character, Meredith), all the characters--some of them I admit are still identifiable television archetypes--are written with multi-dimensional personalities that learn to evolve and get more interesting over time. In fact, these characters could easily be someone we know or may have come across in the past, which makes this show very much believable. Some of the situations that these interns get embroiled in may seem contrived but how the characters react to them proves to be most entertaining.

Of course, one must also not forget about the enjoyable humor. Without a doubt, the comedic element on this show is the one thing that makes it so much fun to watch. The potent mixture of drama and humor here is so well balanced that neither of these elements risk overpowering one another. The comedy is intelligent, it is sexy and it thankfully never crosses the line into absurdity.

Unlike the usual TV shows that produce 20 to 24 episodes per season, the condensed first season of "Grey´s Anatomy" is a brief one and it offers only nine episodes that are distributed on two DVDs in the following manner:

Disc 1: "A Hard Day´s Night", "The First Cut is the Deepest", "Winning a Battle, Losing the War", "No Man´s Land", "Shake Your Groove Thing"
Disc 2: "If Tomorrow Never Comes", "The Self-Destruct Button", "Save Me", "Who´s Zooming Who?"

Video:
"Grey´s Anatomy" is broadcast in high-definition and I´ve not seen the show in any other resolution until this DVD (yes, I am spoilt!). Although the DVD´s video quality is quite good, my eyes found it hard to adjust to its lower 480p resolution. Originally broadcast in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, this DVD version offers the same ratio in anamorphic widescreen. As expected of a recently produced show, the transfer here is clean, without any artifacts or errors and the colors are vibrantly reproduced. You also have the option of turning on English subtitles for the hearing impaired.

Audio:
Like most of Buena Vista´s other DVD reincarnations of its most popular TV shows, "Grey´s Anatomy" only offers a single audio option--English in Dolby Digital 5.1. As this is not an action-oriented show, do not expect any dynamic use of all 5 speaker channels when you watch this show. It does, however, offer clear dialogue and a nice reproduction of the show´s catchy and contemporary soundtrack that comes across nicely through the 3 front speakers.

Extras:
The bonus extras on this DVD set can be found on both discs. On Disc 1, you will find two audio commentaries on the pilot episode, "A Hard Day´s Night". The first is with creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes and director Peter Horton while the other features actors Sandra Oh, Katie Heigl and T.R. Knight. While the former focuses more on the technical side of how the pilot episode was put together, the latter one is more laid back, with the three actors dispensing jokes and anecdotes about their experiences on the set.

The second disc holds the bulk of the bonus material. They are:

"Under the Knife: Behind the Scenes of Grey´s Anatomy"
This is a 12-minute look at the making of the show. It features interviews with series creator Shonda Rhimes, director Peter Horton and some of the cast and crew from the show. This is more of a fluff piece as it only scrapes the surface of the show and you only hear about the good things that went on during filming.

"Anatomy of a Pilot" (with optional commentary by creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes and director Peter Horton)
This feature shows the scenes that were shot but never made it into the final cut of the pilot episode. It explores in greater detail, some of the back-story and relationships between the doctors as they are first introduced on the show. Listen to the accompanying commentary for more information on why these scenes were cut.

"Dissecting Grey´s Anatomy: Unaired Scenes"
This is where you will find the deleted scenes. The five scenes featured here are culled from the following three episodes:
- "The First Cut is the Deepest" (3 deleted scenes)
- "Winning a Battle, Losing the War" (1 deleted scene)
- "No Man´s Land" (1 deleted scene)

"Alternate Main Title"
An alternate version of the main opening title. I´m just glad that the producers did not go with this one.

"Avant Garde Trailer"
This is an amusing black and white trailer for the show that comes with funny French captions.

Packaging:
This 2-DVD set comes packaged in a regular keepcase that contains 2 disc trays, on top of the other. A nice cardboard slipcase that goes over the keepcase tops off the attractive package.

Film Value:
Season One of "Grey´s Anatomy" is undoubtedly short but in just that 9-episode span, it has managed to create a strong connection with me, the viewer, something that many other TV shows sporadically fail to achieve in an entire full season. With each passing episode, the show is able to reveal previously unseen sides of its highly likeable characters while offering poignant medical stories that are skillfully combined with moments of witty humor. It is this successful fusion of drama and comedy that makes each visit to the Seattle Grace Hospital an enjoyable endeavor rather than a dreadfully painful one.

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