Party Of Five DVD Credits:

Region: 1

Party Of Five DVD Release Date: 24th March 2008

Our Rating: Extras Rating:

User Rating:  Log in to rate this DVD

Party Of Five DVD Review:

Party of Five was an hour-long dramatic series that ran between the years of 1994 to 2000 on the FOX network primetime television. The series centered on the five children of the Salinger family, whose lives were ripped apart when their parents were killed by a drunk driver.

Now the eldest son, Charlie (Matthew Fox) must step in and take care of his four younger siblings, and he must serve as both father and brother. This job would have proven to be difficult for a team of parents, let alone an inexperienced college student who has had the responsibility unwittingly thrust upon him. The show depicts Charlie’s struggles as he tries to run the family owned restaurant, control the pubescent angst of his three teenaged siblings and father his infant little brother. This proves to be more difficult than expected as Charlie strives to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Bailey (Scott Wolf) develops a drinking problem, Julia (Neve Campbell) continuously dates cruel and abusive men, and Claudia (Lacey Chabert) has to enter adolescence without the guidance of her mother. It quickly becomes obvious to the whole group that in order to survive, they have to stick together and help one another through the most difficult time of their lives.

Party of Five is the television series that launched the careers of Matthew Fox (Lost, Vantage Point), Jennifer Love Hewitt (The Ghost Whisperer, I Know What You Did Last Summer), Neve Campbell (The Scream Trilogy, Wild Things), Scott Wolf (Go, Everwod) and Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls, Lost in Space).

Party of Five Season Three marks the year that Party of Five won a Golden Globe for Best TV Drama. The third season found Bailey deeper in his alcoholism, and Julia interested in dating Cooper, Bailey’s roommate. Charlie’s on again off again girlfriend comes back and secures a job at a local university, only to find it in jeopardy when it is discovered that she had unintentionally plagiarized part of her dissertation. Claudia returns from camp in love with a boy she met that she may or may not have made up.

Party of Five was a primetime melodrama on the air in a time when FOX was laden with melodramas. During the late 1990s FOX was running soap opera styled shows in prime-time, like Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place, and Party of Five was just another primetime soap. The characters are border-line formulaic with such cliché characters as Bailey the alcoholic, Sarah the good girl, and Julia the good girl attracted to bad men. Party of Five did attempt to attract a slightly younger audience teen audience, however, unlike Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place who skewed 20+, by including characters ranging from upper 20s to 6 months of age.

The Party of Five Season Three DVD box set includes all 25 hour long episodes on 5 DVDs. Special features include two “minisodes” Silver Spoons – Boys will be Boys and The Facts of Life – Into the Frying Pan. All episodes are presented in full frame with a stereo sound track.

Our Rating: Extras Rating: User Rating:  Log in to rate this DVD

Party Of Five DVD review written by: Andrew Mattson