Home Improvement: The Complete First Season DVD Review

All 24 episodes are presented in 1:33 full frame and whilst usually I'd criticise any DVD for this, Home Improvement is a TV series after all and one which is 14 years old, way before the days of widescreen sets. So all is forgiven on that front...

Surprisingly, I actually found the video quality to be reasonably good. Certainly the print itself appears remarkably free from dust, scratches and other damage, and the images are reasonably detailed. Colours are relatively strong and clean also, though there are a number of scenes where the colour balance looks a little high, with some blooming apparent on some bolder colours such as red (it's minor though and most people probably won't notice). Also, some edges betray a little shimmering at times, especially on small objects.

Overall, though, for all its low budget, TV roots and being 14 years old, the video transfer holds up very well.

Don't we have a treat here! Dolby 2.0. Yes folks, it's a stereo mix on offer, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Dialogue is clean and crisp and other effects are exactly the same. No deep bass, no pin-sharp steering, no exploding surrounds. But then, folks, you weren't expecting that anyway were you?

The extras on offer here are rather lightweight to be honest; there are 3 audio commentaries, each running for the duration of an episode, and they feature Carmen Finestra and David McFadzean (Co-Creators and Executive Producers). While it's disappointing that Allen himself isn't present, the commentaries are still entertaining and informative, leading us through how the show first started and some interesting snippets on the cast amongst the usual production tit-bits.

Wrapping up the package is “Loose Screws - The Shows Most Hilarious Moments”, which is a collection of 9 clip compilations taken from the series. Amusing yes, but if you watch all 24 episodes you'll find there's nothing new here.
24 episodes of superb, funny family entertainment, captured for the first time on DVD. Ok, so this isn't in widescreen, and it's only in stereo but who cares in this case? A recommended buy regardless.