Plot: What’s it about?
We’ve all ran into a store for a few minutes, only to return and find a ticket on our windshield, for a parking violation. In Parking Wars, we’re taken inside the Philadelphia Parking Authority, home to parking enforcers, tow truck drivers, boot teams, and of course, the impound lots. This series follows members of the PPA through their shifts, as the enforcers walk the street and issue citations, as the boot team immobilizes vehicles, as the tow trucks haul off the offending cars, and as the impound lot staff works to get the cars returned to their owners in proper order. This yields all kinds of confrontations, as citizens become irate over fines or time spent at the lot, all while the PPA just tries to enforce the laws. So if you’ve ever wanted to see inside the world of parking enforcers, Parking Wars is your front row ticket.
A&E continues to produce unique, fun to watch shows that follow real life professions, as evidenced with Parking Wars. I would never expected to see a show of this kind, but after one episode, I was hooked. I have never gotten a parking ticket, but I can imagine the frustration involved and in this show, you see the full spectrum of citizen reactions. Some admit they’re wrong, pay the fine, and go home, while others spend hour after hour arguing over tickets, with no hope of exoneration. At the same time, some of the PPA team members do seem to take more pleasure in their jobs than others, but that only serves to add more drama and personality to the series. Parking Wars is about real people in the real world, in a profession that serves a purpose, but few appreciate and most despise, an ideal candidate for a show, I think. I enjoyed all seven episodes on this disc, but I do hope A&E returns to season sets, as Parking Wars deserves a proper release.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 non anamorphic widescreen. I have ranted in the past over the lack of anamorphic enhancement on these A&E/History Channel releases, but the trend continues. This kind of material might not benefit a lot from being anamorphic, but it would look better, to be sure. As it stands, this shot on video series looks solid, but the zoom required on widescreen televisions does the show no favors. But unless you can watch the show in high definition on A&E, this is the next best way to catch the show
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is rather basic, as the series is more about dialogue than music or brash sound effects. So if you’ve seen a reality show before, you should know what to expect, a track that is clean and effective, but unmemorable. Then again, we wouldn’t want a dynamic track in this case, as it would distract from the material too much. We need to focus on the people and their dialogue, not the surround channels. The dialogue is smooth and always clear here, so no vocals wind up muffled or drowned out by other elements.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some additional scenes.
