Plot: What’s it about?
Dr. John Becker (Ted Danson) has a small medical practice in the Bronx, the kind of place that you’d expect to find caring, personal service. But Becker isn’t as compassionate as some doctors, at least not at first glance. He seems to be bothered, annoyed, or distracted by anyone and anything around him. His patients, his friends, even his co-workers, no one seems to be able to stay on his good side for long. His assistant Linda (Shawnee Smith) has been able to keep her job thanks to Becker’s sharp personality, as he has to overlook her flaws, since no one else will accept the position. Becker follows a routine to the letter, between his stops at a newspaper stand to his practice to visits to a local diner, he has his path down pat. But is Becker really as harsh as he seems, or is he just hiding his softer side?
With six seasons and well over one hundred episodes, Becker enjoyed a more than solid run on television. Now the series has been released on DVD, so fans and newcomers alike can check out these episodes. I don’t watch a lot of sitcoms and I missed Becker when it was broadcast, but I have seen a few episodes in syndication. After going through this first season, I can say that while Becker is not a great show, this is a decent first season. The show doesn’t double us over with constant laughs, but it provides a brisk, humorous half hour in most cases. The writing is basic and follows most of the sitcom formulas, so there are ample cliches, but the show also has a voice of its own thanks to some edge. Ted Danson is solid in the lead, with some good supporting players, especially Shawnee Smith, who provides some of the show’s funniest moments. In the end, Becker proves to be a solid show of this kind and while not a landmark series, its worth a look for those in search of brisk humor with a slight edge.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame, as intended. As I said before, I’ve seen a few episodes of this show in syndication and for the most part, the visuals here look about the same. The image might be a touch crisper, but overall these episodes have a clean, but forgettable presence. The show doesn’t have much of a visual design, so the bright colors and mostly even contrast don’t stand out that much. While the visuals might be rather basic, that doesn’t mean the transfers are bad by any means, as the show looks good, just not great.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio follows the same path as the visuals, adequate but not memorable. Aside from some minor musical touches, the audio here centers on dialogue anyway, so there isn’t much need for dynamic presence. The vocals all come across clean and clear, which is all that matters with a show like this one, in my opinion.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes no bonus materials.
