Desperate Housewives: The Complete First Season

Probably the most eagerly anticipated television box set of the moment, there's no denying that Desperate Housewives is a huge phenomenon. But if you're someone who has been hesitating watching because you doubt the merits of a show that gets this much hype, think again. The show has been compared to many other hour-long dramas. In one of the special features in this package, Julia Hartley-Brewer, the Political Editor of the Sunday Express, says it's a mixture of Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, American Beauty and Knots Landing. While that may be accurate, the most obvious comparison that comes to mind is Twin Peaks. Though Housewives is not as weird as anything to come from the mind of David Lynch, the similarities pile up, from the sweet-looking small town with a very dark underbelly to the main character who dies before the show starts to the mystery of her death that is strung throughout the entire season to the sense of humour that ties it all together. As proven through the special features, another striking similarity is the madness of the fans surrounding the program. People get together in halls and bars to watch it and play games themed around the show during the commercial breaks. When Peaks was a phenom, fanatics would band together, surrounding themselves with logs, donuts, coffee and pie (all elements from the show) in order to express their love and devotion. Maybe in ten to 20 years people will be having Desperate Housewives fan festivals where cast members make special appearances to satisfy the nostalgic masses. If you like to watch well-written shows that keep you captivated through mysterious, dark twists and turns, this is a worthy box set to check out. There are special features galore, but beware, do not watch any of them until you have watched the series all the way through because most of them discuss the end of the season and what might be in store for season number two. (Buena Vista)