CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 8/12/05

TV Cum Laude

by jason davis

Judd Apatow, Rodney Rothman, Jennifer Konner, Alexandra Rushfield, Seth Rogen, Nicholas Stoller, Joel Madison, Kristofor Brown, and Brent Forrester
Created by Judd Apatow

After NBC's cancellation of Freaks and Geeks, showrunner Judd Apatow decided to try something less angst-ridden and more comedic -- only to discover that college, sitcoms, and Fox could be heartbreaking too. Following the collegiate misadventures of Steven Karp (Jay Baruchel), Undeclared tackles everything from long-distance relationships to parental divorce in a rapid-fire fashion that, despite its comedic trappings, goes straight for the gut. The characters, many inspired by the actors who play them, have a verisimilitude unusual for a 30-minute TV series, and the situations are all drawn from the writers' own experiences. Though character arcs develop across the 17 installments, each episode presents a couple of self-contained stories that tie together thematically to convey the reality of college life. The assembled supplements range from informative to fun, with every episode featuring a commentary with some combination of writer, director, or actors. Deleted scenes offer insight into the show's dedication to experimentation, with ad-libbed takes alongside scripted material trimmed for comedic pacing. An alternate cut of episode two presents a glimpse behind the scenes of putting a show on the air, while an unproduced script suggests what might have been. Best of all, a 70-minute recording of the cast and crew's appearance at the Museum of Television and Radio allows Apatow and his compatriots to shine a light on the realities of making network television in the 21st century while illustrating their affection for their work.

Undeclared: The Complete Series
Shout! Factory
Not rated; 385 min.
$49.98

Buy it now for only $34.99 (save 30%)

At the age of 21, Jason Davis was hit in the face with a car. He has since devoted his life to writing. His words have appeared on TBS, MSN.com, and CS Weekly, where he serves as DVD Coordinator. He lives in Burbank.

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