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The Osbournes - The First Season

From the time of its debut to this DVD release, "The Osbournes" has been the focus of an ongoing debate over which is more accurate: that it's one of the funniest and most groundbreaking shows availabe on cable television today, or it's little more than a piece of garbage from someone we'd expect nothing more out of. Despite the fact that Bill Cosby, in an Access Hollywood interview, labeled the Osbournes "a sad, sad family," the first season of the show went on to win an Emmy award for Best Reality Series, and since its initial airdate, it has become the highest-ranking MTV series ever (take that, Real World). ***

In my opinion, it's best left up to the viewer to decide how they approach the idea of spending time with former Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy, his manager wife Sharon, and their two children, Jack and Kelly, whose pink hair has since become a fashion extravaganza in teen girl magazines. The first episode sees them moving into brand-new home, complete with crucifixes and persian rugs, not to mention their five dogs and one cat (soon to become two). With no script and no direction, the cameras basically follow the actions of the family as they deal with things like the endless puddles of dog urine and s***

left by their untrained pets, family arguments and upsets, noisy neighbors, Ozzy's Ozzfest tour and birthday, Kelly's and Jack's birthdays, and Christmas. ***

Chances are that if you're not sold on the idea of reality television, then "The Osbournes" isn't likely to make a convert out of you. But while the idea of a camera being there to capture the family's more personal moments is tough to swallow at times, the show, surprisingly enough, can be quite funny. Ozzy's outbursts at the dogs, Kelly's "My life, my car, my vagina" quote, Sharon's quarreling with the neighbors, after which she proceeds to throw a ham into their lawn, but not before comparing it to the neighbor's wife's nether regions... it's all very twisted, but still gets the laughs. I'll admit I wasn't too keen on the show at first, but by the time I had seen all ten episodes, I found it pleasantly entertaining if not completely memorable. ***

What makes the show even more interesting in some cases is the fact that Ozzy and Sharon have the same types of problems with Jack and Kelly as normal, everyday parents would. Teenage rebellion has deeply embedded itself within these two troublesome children, and it's intriguing to watch the family discussions and arguments play out. There are instances where it seems as if the cameras have been removed, and you're right there, listening to their troubles, witnessing a real American family sorting through real problems. Of course, there are those who would say that given the extreme nature of Ozzy's career, and the children's surroundings, it could only have turned out this way, if not worse. But hey, whose family doesn't have problems of one kind or another? In any event, the family members do show a mutual love for one another, and it's that humanity that makes "The Osbournes," albeit slightly odd, overall appealing.

The fullframe image for the first season release of "The Osbournes" looks as good as you would expect any reality TV show to look. Since the picture was never pristine or crystal clear from the beginning, it's understandable things like poor contrast and noisy grain are going to run rampant throughout. Blacks, however, are surprisingly solid in many places, while colors are rich and vibrant, though exhibit some signs of bleeding in slight instances (Kelly's hair, for example). The overall clarity is nice as well, with sharp edges and a lack of artifacts. I'm sure a lot of people putting up money for this won't be looking too hard at such things as image quality, but for what it's worth, it's a commendable transfer. ***

The sound pretty much follows suit, with very little engagement of the entire soundfield save for the musical opening and commercial cues. This is mostly a dialogue-driven show, that which has been recorded very cleanly and given proper center channel placement, with some minor leakage into the surrounding channels. It won't blow your mind (or your eardrums), but it works just the same.

For the first season DVD release, Miramax has put together a nice collection of extras that merit the purchase price and will surely please the fans. All ten episodes have been included in their entire, with a variety of viewing options. Each episode gives you the option of listening to the show with the expletives bleeped over, or in its full, explicit-language entire. There is also an option of subtitling the dialogue, either with regular subtitles, or with the Ozzy Translator, which appear as words with pictures and symbols as well. ***

On the supplements disc, there are a number of features that are basic throwaways, and others that are very entertaining. The most interesting of these are the interviews with the Osbournes, which covers things like their views on family values, Ozzfest, and life on the set of their reality show (the final interview with Michael the security guard is forgettable). While the first two interview collections are those that were filmed for insertion into the shows themselves, those concerning life on the show are newly-filmed and very insightful. Sharon, who dominates most of the discussions, talks about getting used to the cameramen being around, and how they refused to follow the suit of other reality shows by ignoring the crew. Kelly also goes over her first-day jitters, later setting out to just be herself. ***

The other stand-out feature of the DVD is the blooper reel, which shows the family reacting to the presence of the camera crew and basically having a good time with them. While it most certainly would have been awkward seeing the crew in the actual show, it's nice that they have a place here. The rest of the DVD is pretty succinct, with some highlight clips from some of the best moments of the season, some unaired footage that doesn't really do much, Ozzy's Ten Commandments about life, and some set-top games, including one where you match the fecal matter with the dog who left it (clues included in the form of clips).