Family Guy - Volume 1: Seasons 1 & 2

Family Guy, which was released on FOX, has finally been released on DVD. While seasons one and two are the only 2 seasons to have been released thus far, if you're a fan of the show, this set is a must have. Family Guy, which spanned 4 seasons, is one of the most original and unique shows breaking many boundaries and making many strides forward in entertainment. The use of many references to other shows and historical events, this show plays to both the intellectual crowd and the comical audience.

Features

While the DVD's don't contain an exorbitant amount of extra features, the ones that are included are well done. Several episodes contain commentaries done by the creators, writers, and several actors (Seth Green, voice of Chris Griffin, as well as Alex Borstein, voice of Lois Griffin) are also included in a few commentaries. On disc 4 there is also a short behind-the-scenes featurette done by Fox. Another extra feature is the addition of several of the commercials advertising Family Guy during the Superbowl afterwhich it was aired, I believe in 1998.

Despite the fact that the episodes are on actual DVD's, the quality is still television quality since the transfers were taken from television film. While the quality is not enhanced due to the transfers as well as the fact that enhancing an animated series would be difficult, the DVD's are still a good buy. DVD's will always have a longer life than VHS cassettes and the quality on the DVD will be higher than that of VHS because the cassette tapes record at lower quality than broadcast TV. So, recording the episodes yourself would also result in lower quality.

While some of you may look at the price and remark on how high it is, keep in mind that the run time on this set is over 600 minutes and includes 4 DVD's. That's less than $10 per DVD.

Conclusion
Family Guy is, in my opinion, a great well-rounded show with something for everyone. However, I would not recommend this set for everyone. If you haven't seen the show before, I would highly recommend that you view a few episodes before shelling out the $35 as some people may not agree with the somewhat risque humor that makes up the bulk of the show. If you're already a fan of the show, than don't hesitate, because I know you'll love this set. I can't wait for the 3rd and 4th seasons to come out, I know I'll be buying them the day they come out.