Aired in
1998, Significant Others was a short-lived series from
Party of Five creators Amy Lippman and Christopher Keyser. It
focused on Campbell (Eion Bailey), Henry (Scott Bairstow), and Nell (Jennifer Garner),
three Los Angeles-based friends in their early twenties. In the
pilot, Campbell finds out that Henry and Nell are together but
they break up, and Campbell’s brother Ben (Michael Weatherly) gets
married. Throughout the rest of the six-episode run, Campbell
tries to start a business, Henry has an affair with his married
boss and tries to really write, and Nell tries to find direction.
They deal with family, making money, and each other.
CRITIQUE
Thanks to the
success of the amazing Alias, Jennifer Garner crossed over to
the big-screen (Daredevil, 13 Going on 30), and now
Columbia is capitalizing on her elevated profile to release her early
television show on DVD. I remember catching part of an episode when
the series aired and being interested, but it was soon cancelled. Only
three episodes were broadcast and now the three unseen episodes join
them on the two-disc DVD. As relationship-driven dramas go,
Significant Others is a solid, well-written, well-cast series that
ends just as it gets really good.
The pilot feels
less like the “let’s introduce everyone” piece than some other series
have had, and the writing strives for a balance of pathos and humor
from the start, as well as for an even amount of focus on each
storyline. Throughout the first few episodes, the tone and format are
just getting settled. Mainly, this works by shifting levels of humor
in the episodes. The comedy gets progressively prominent until the
fifth episode, which is also the funniest. The sixth and final episode
seems to have smoothed out this balance, one reason it is my personal
favorite. Also, the use of fade outs between scenes and starting the
dialogue of the following scene in voice-over at first seems to be the
standout stylistic trope of the series but ends up being used
sporadically.
The acting needs
to be mentioned because of some wise casting. Jennifer Garner can
carry Nell’s emotional scenes fine and she feels believable. Eion
Bailey, that perfect-looking man, truly takes on Campbell in all his
clear-sighted, sometimes funny, idealistic glory. He’s truly a
surprise and deftly handles the most comedic material. Scott Bairstow
makes the least impression but his performance is actually a good
embodiment of a slightly shallow guy stretching uneasily into deeper
issues of life. Some of his best work is when his character’s father
dies. It’s a credit to all three that the characters only come off as
whiny at rare moments early in the series.
This series is
in the end worth a DVD release and I hope it bodes well for other
short-lived series. The longer runs of the excellent My So-Called
Life and Firefly are already released and have done well,
so the question remains if other TV series of even shorter runs, such
as Significant Others, can be resurrected on DVD. (My pick
would be 1996’s Relativity.) Or maybe only if their stars end
up having a hit series and/or movie. Here’s hoping.
THE VIDEO
This disc is in
1.33:1 full screen. Unlike films, television is best formatted this
way, as it is the format of the original presentation. Picture quality
looks good without major faults, as does the color balance. Detail and
sharpness are decent.
THE AUDIO
Dolby Digital is
used for this DVD and English closed captioning is offered. The
production’s actual soundtrack is clear here.
THE EXTRAS
Jennifer Garner
Recalls Significant Others
-This eight-minute featurette is a decent interview with
Garner. Scenes from the series are intercut with her comments on the
plot of the show, working with the other actors and the creators, and
her discussion of the writing, which she calls “character-driven.”
Behind-the-scenes footage sometimes plays as she talks.
Previews
- The disc includes three trailers, all Columbia Tristar Home
Entertainment releases. As expected, Garner’s 13 Going On 30 is
one, and then 50 First Dates and the Dawson’s Creek
DVDs.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Significant
Others is a brief
series I liked better as it got along. This 2-disc set is enjoyable
viewing despite the lack of extra features. The release could point to
more cancelled series seeing a life on DVD, and this series is a good
one in itself. Even if you’re not an early-20-something, you’ll
probably find something to relate to in the show.
