SPIN CITY (TV SERIES) - DVD review

You gotta love DVDs. "Spin City" ran from 1996-2002, and yet I never saw a single episode when it was part of ABC's line-up. And I never saw the first season that Shout! Factory released on DVD, either. My first exposure to this show came with the Season 2 DVD, and it was one of those pleasant surprises. There are so many mediocre sitcoms on television (and now, on DVD) that to find one that's clever and funny, well-paced and plotted seems a real treat.

"Spin City" placed in the Nielsen Top-30 its first season and then dropped out of the top tier its sophomore year before coming back the third and fourth. But frankly, after watching the second season, I'm surprised "Spin City" didn't stay near the top.

Though the title may sound like another radio show, it's a political show that refers to "spin doctoring"--what good PR people say they never do. Michael J. Fox stars as the Deputy Mayor of New York City whose job it is to run the show, because the mayor, Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick), isn't exactly the most reliable. He's easily distracted and prone to both stick his foot in his mouth and use both feet to hightail it out whenever he feels like it.

Season Two begins the with mayor, who's in the process of divorce, enjoying his freedom--so much so that he ends up going to Florida for spring break with one of the men from his office. That leaves Mike facing the press and trying to come up with a believable alibi that doesn't sound as flakey as "the mayor went to Florida for spring break and missed important meetings without telling anyone."

Fox is brilliant in this show, and it's no wonder he was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for each of the first four years, finally winning his fourth time. His reaction shots are impeccable, but his character is such a deadpanned extension of Alex P. Keaton, the character he played in "Family Ties," that it's like watching Alex all grown up . . . or as grown-up as someone as short as Michael J. Fox can seem. Height jokes come up a number of times, especially since he becomes romantically involved with a succession of women who are all taller than he is. But he's surrounded by interesting character actors as well, with Richard Kind ("Mad About You") playing press secretary Paul Lassiter, who's as hapless as he is clueless, and Michael Boatman ("China Beach") cutting his comic chops here as a gay African-American who's been brought on-staff to help smooth out the mayor's relationship with the city's minorities. Alan Ruck is also hilarious as the hyper-caffeinated and over-sexed Stuart Bondek, the #2 person in the office who wants to be number one . . . or watch porn. And every sitcom needs a naïve character. Alexander Chaplin does a fine job of playing one as speechwriter James Hobert. Rounding out the main cast are Connie Britton as accountant Nikki Faber and Victoria Dillard as Janelle Cooper, who thinks she should be getting more money and responsibility than she is.

In every episode I found myself laughing out loud or appreciating the writing at least a half-dozen times, and that's rare for a sitcom. I tried writing down some of the funny lines, but they were delivered so quickly and crisply that I would have had to have paused the DVD a bunch of times. Even the clichés sound funny when they're supported by a stronger line, as when one character remarks, "She's not the sharpest tool in the shed," and Paul quips, "If her IQ hits 40, she should sell." Some interesting guest stars also turn up this season (see below).

What's nice too is that fans can consult a seven-page full-color booklet for complete listings of episodes, writers, air dates, directors, and synopses. Here's a rundown on the 24 episodes that are contained on four single-sided discs and housed in two slim clear plastic keep-cases, taken directly from the booklet:

1) "Paul Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Acting as the Mayor's divorce layer, Mike finds himself attracted to his opponent, Laurie Parres (Paula Marshall). A psychiatrist (Mark Linn-Baker) declares Paul insane when the press thinks he has suffered a nervous breakdown.

2) "Porn in the U.S.A." Mike and Nikki compete to spend time with Mike's new girlfriend, Laurie. Paul's bombshell mom (Raquel Welch) visits the office, and the Mayor is caught on tape looking for porn.

3) "Wonder Woman." Mike wants a commitment from Laurie, but she isn't looking for a serious relationship. Stuart and Carter are determined to uncover James's new hobby.

4) "The Goodbye Girl." Mike finds himself in the middle of the Mayor's new relationship with a much younger woman (Marla Maples). Paul enjoys himself a little too much while filling in as Mike's assistant.

5) "In the Heat of the Day." Mike wants to suppress a story about Carter's run-in with the police, but Carter resists. Paul obsesses over proving that he's not racist, while James obsesses over a date.

6) "Radio Daze." To Mike's dismay, the Mayor agrees to a mock election with a popular shock jock. The women in the office lust after the attractive water delivery man.

7) "Thirty Year Itch." Upon turning 30, Mike keeps a promise to meet an old high school girlfriend (Tracy Pollan) at the top of the Empire State Building. The Mayor recruits Carter for help in discovering if his nephew is gay.

8) "My Life is a Soap Opera." When Mike begins dating a writer for the soap opera "All My Children," she uses their dating life as material for the show. Stuart pretends to be gay to get closer to women.

9-10) "Family Affair," Parts 1-2. Mike's mom, Macy (Meredith Baxter--talk about a blast from the past) hits it off with the Mayor. Nikki's new man isn't very romantic or talkative . . . but his ventriloquist dummy is. Paul is accidentally shot by an elderly security guard.

11) "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" The Mayor's daughter (Alyssa Milano) disrupts a rally in Central Park to draw attention to her animal rights stance. Smitten with his anonymous pen pal, Paul misses opportunities to reunite with Claudia (Faith Prince).

12) "Miracle Near 34th Street." Speaking at a press conference, the Mayor announces that Santa Claus doesn't exist. Mike struggles to make the children of New York believe again, including one pyromaniac little boy.

13) "Same Time Next Year." Mike and Nikki fight when he scares off her date at the Mayor's New Year's Eve party. Carter comforts Stuart, who is inconsolate over the death of his family cat, and Stacey and James compete.

14) "The Paul Lassiter Story." Mike receives upsetting news from his doctor and has difficulty coping. Meanwhile, Mike enlists Donald Trump to help the Mayor, who is struggling to write his new book; and a strict bureaucrat refuses to supply the staffers with new chairs.

15) "Gentleman's Agreement." The Mayor attempts to convince Mike that his male-only club isn't so bad. Stuart joins an all-female book club. Paul is determined to beat a street hustler in three-card Monte.

16) "Deaf Man Walking." Stacey's grandmother curses Mike after Stacey decides to move. The Mayor worries he's getting older when he has trouble hearing. Stuart can't cope when he relocates to an upstairs office.

17) "The Marrying Men." Mike is thrilled when his ex-girlfriend Laurie returns in time to save him from a lonely Valentine's Day. Laurie finds Paul's engagement ring for Claudia and thinks it's for her.

18) "One Wedding and a Funeral." Laurie and Mike begin to worry that they are moving too quickly. Paul struggles to propose to Claudia. Staffers fantasize about what it would be like if they married Mike.

19) "A River Runs Through Me." The staff undergoes drug testing for the Mayor's new antidrug campaign, but Mike risks failing when he accidentally gets high. Paul has trouble dealing with his mother's dating.

20) "The Pope of Gracie Mansion." Mike attempts to reign in the Mayor, who is spiritually revitalized when the Pope visits the city. Carter fixes Nikki up with a blind date.

21) "Bye, Bye Birdie." Paul's bachelor party becomes an attempt to dismantle a new statue sure to cause an uproar. Mike, James and Carter are held hostage in a hardware store. The girls and Stuart prank each other.

22) "The Lady or the Tiger." Mike meets a magician and sleeps with her, and she proceeds to get clingy even after he breaks it off. Stuart and Carter purchase a bar without obtaining a license for dancing.

23) "Single White Male." Mike and Paul try to take out a rat living in Mike's office, but their attempts are continually thwarted. After being evicted, Stuart wants to move in with Carter.

24) "The Paul Bearer." Mike mistakenly books the church for Paul and Claudia's wedding on the same day that a funeral is scheduled. The Mayor suffers from a stuttering problem.

Video:
The source materials must have been quite good, because the picture quality is such that the colors seem true and there's only the slightest amount of grain. "Spin City" is presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

Audio:
The audio is a nothing-fancy Dolby Digital Mono, but it gets the job done. It's mostly dialogue, but the center-speaker locus makes sense because everyone who talks is front-and-center.

Extras:
There are no bonus features.

Bottom Line:
"Spin City" is better than the average sitcom, and even approaches those rare classics. Though it's not quite as consistently hilarious and it doesn't have quite the knockout ensemble cast that contemporary shows like "Friends" or "Frasier" had, it's still head and shoulders above most of the drivel that tries to pass for TV comedy. I laughed in every episode, and the plots never worked against the tone of the show--which was as smart as the writing.