Samantha Who? (TV Series) (DVD)

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There are certainly elements to suggest that Samantha is a better person than she's been in the past, and it all starts with her instinctual treatment of "the help," as was the case with Goldie Hawn's character in "Overboard." At first doorman Frank (Tim Russ) is skeptical, but as an unlikely friendship develops from her suddenly civil treatment of him, viewers come to understand that Samantha has a darned good chance of becoming the kind of person she wants. "Samantha Who?" is a smartly written show, with writers Donald Todd ("Dave's World," "Ugly Betty") and newcomer Cecelia Ahern leading the way.

All 15 episodes from Season 1 are included here: Pilot, The Job, The Wedding, The Virgin, The Restraining Order, The Hypnotherapist, The Hockey Date, The Car, The Break-Up, The Girlfriend, The Boss, The Butterflies, The Gallery Show, The Affair, and The Birthday. Unlike shows like "Desperate Housewives," there's no great secret or mystery to provide the first-season narrative arc. This is a character-driven show about self-discovery, and the episodes, while they feel "small," are still awfully fun to watch. In fact, some of the funniest moments come not from Sam's moral dilemmas, but from her "forgetting" basic things about life, things that adults would know after 30 years.

The episodes and bonus features are contained on two single-sided discs that are housed in a single-width plastic keep-case with a single plastic "page" to hold the second disc.

Video:
"Samantha Who?" is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, and the colors are bright and near-fully saturated, while there's a decent amount of detail. But this is standard def, and there's a slight graininess throughout.

Audio:
The soundtrack is an English or French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, with French and Spanish subtitles. It's a solid soundtrack that delivers the dialogue with forceful clarity, though there's surprisingly little in the way of ambient sound.

Extras:
ABC has been into printed materials lately, and included here is a six-page full-color booklet, "The Good & Bad of Love, Life & Career," written by Samantha, Andrea, and Dena, the "women of Samantha Who?" It's basically in-character musings on those three topics--mildly amusing.

Applegate and executive producers Donald Todd and Peter Traugott deliver an entertaining commentary track for "The Pilot" episode on Disc 1, but fans had better enjoy it, because that's it for the bonus feature. Sure there's a blooper reel and seven deleted scenes with optional intros from Todd, but this is your Applegate fix. You get the feeling, though, listening to their commentary that they think this show is going to be around for a while.

Bottom Line:
Christina Applegate turns in an Emmy-worthy performance as a lovable amnesiac out to reclaim her life. Tonight, we'll see if I can change that adjective to "Emmy-winning."

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