Customer Reviews

Gimme a Break! The Complete Series

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A Toronto-based company called VEI first acquired the rights to "Gimme a Break" back in Spring 2006 and released Season One just a few months after Universal did the same in the U.S.

Universal, however, never bothered with a follow-up while VEI brought viewers Season Two in January 2007.

Since then, it seemed as though "Gimme a Break" had fallen off the DVD radar. There were rumours in 2008/09 that a series set was on its way, but nothing was set in stone, until now.

Proving once again that the smaller companies are the go-to people for Classic TV on DVD, whether it be the '50s, '60s, '70s, or in this case, '80s, VEI is to be commended for putting out the complete Six Seasons in one fell swoop.

I wish all my favorite shows would get this kind of DVD treatment.

VEI also recently brought us "Kate and Allie: The Complete Series" for a price point under $40. Some hold-outs are still waiting for Universal to do the same in the U.S. (They may be holding their breath: Universal never got past Season One on this show either). I cannot understand some U.S. customers' hesitation in ordering from Amazon.ca when the DVDs are all Region 1 and will be compatible in all North American players. However, it's their loss.

The same can be said of "Gimme a Break: The Complete Series". There are no compatibility issues with these discs so those skeptical U.S. buyers should pick this up while they can. VEI's release of "The Stockard Channing Show" quickly went out of print and became hard to find just two years after release.

The first two seasons of this show were my favorite when it was just Nell, The Chief and the three girls.

Season Three brought a new '80s-synth theme song and the arrival of little Joey Lawrence as the orphan boy Nell eventually adopts. Telma Hopkins also became a regular as Nell's best friend Addy, with whom Nell gets into many Laverne-and-Shirley type predicaments. Addy's first appearance in "Nell's Friend" remains one of the best, funniest scripts the cast ever played.

In Season Five, Dolph Sweet who played Chief Carl Kanisky passed away and the show began to flounder.

For the sixth and final season, the producers moved Nell, Addy, Joey (and his little brother Matthew) to New York, where a young Rosie O'Donnell joins the cast.

Many of the jokes are lame and the situations predictable. However, Nell Carter does have the personality and charisma to evelate the show, and the cast work well together. Dolph Sweet has the thankless task of playing straight man and does so admirably.

Of the three girls, I always liked Lauri Hendler as brainy wallflower Julie the best, with her dry, observational humor, though Kari Michaelson and Lara Jill Miller do have their moments as boy-crazy, somewhat defiant Katie, and pubescent tomboy Samantha, respectively.

Though not one of the best-written or acted sitcoms of the '80s (It's certainly no "Cheers" or "Golden Girls") there's something comforting about "Gimme a Break".

The outer box is not as sturdy as I would have liked, but that's my only real complaint about the packaging. The artwork is basic but nice and they matched the correct cast photos with each volume. Each snap-case securely houses 6 discs that contain two seasons each.

For those times when you crave a small dose of '80s nostalgia, this set will surely satisfy your appetite.

Kudos to VEI for finally coming through and also for not making us wait for season-by-season volumes.

The other reviewers have said it already, I'll just agree. The complete series set for GIMME A BREAK is a great deal!

All six seasons, complete, uncut, with ALL the music intact! And picture/sound are excellent. For less than $50! You can't go wrong. VEI has to be commended for a superb DVD release.

This is a fun, family-friendly (but not preachy or cutesy) sitcom that all can enjoy. Like others have said, I wish all my favourite shows were released on DVD this way.

Until you watch the entire series of Gimme a Break, you almost forget how wonderfully talented Nell Carter was. She sings like an angel, her comedic timing is brilliant and her emotional range is amazing. The supporting cast fills out storylines in this series. It really takes us back to the a highligthed time in the 80's and Nell Carter and the cast of Gimme A Break really makes you feel good and spirited.

VEI has done a tremendous job with this release. The packaging is simply gorgeous. The pics are colorful and vibrant. It's not too bulky. Each case houses 6 discs (2 seasons per case) with a rundown of episodes and original release dates on the back of each.

The quality of the video is excellent. These episodes have never looked so good. And...the episodes are uncut and complete with all of Nell's musical performances in tact. All other studios should take a lesson from VEI about how to produce a "Complete Series" set.

There are no bonus features (apart from the bonus episodes that were originally on the first 2 season sets). However, having the complete series in dvd quality more than makes up for that.

Don't hesitate to pick up this set! It's a funny, heartwarming show from the 80's that you will enjoy again and again.

Very good service.
I have watched this entire series twice already.
I have never laughed so much in all my life.
Great series. sj.

really happy with my purchase it came lightning fast and was beyond my expectations so glad I own the entire series I recommend any Gimme A Break Fan .....buy this set you won't be disappointed

I was very pleased with my purchase. It is exactly as described in the advertisement. The DVDs arrived very quickly too.

As a baby of the '80s I still have very fond memories of watching the groundbreaking TV show "Gimme a Break!" on Saturday nights. Ms. Nell Carter (may she rest in peace) was always so funny and sweet and often made such a big splash in every scene she was in.

I purchased this from Amazon Canada (where it almost made it to the top, peaking at #14!). I got this the day it was released and it arrived within just a couple of days (they are quicker than regular Amazon dot com!) The price is exceptional. And so is the quality.

Included in this set are a total of 18 discs. There aren't any special features (besides a few bonus eps of some throwaway '80s sitcoms) but that doesn't matter because for the first time we have the entire series of GAB! on DVD. This includes a total of 137 eps, unedited and complete, over the course of 6 seasons (3 discs per season).

Yes, it is dated and hokey and corny at times, but watching GAB! again has brought back so many memories. First of all, I love the opening credits. Nell had such a beautiful signing voice and could really carry a tune. And I love the part in the opening credits (taken from the first ep) when Nell dramatically jumps up and down when the Chief pulls out his gun to lock it up. Pure Nell.

Over the span of it's run the series tackled many tough subjects, such as death, depression, diet and weight loss, s-e-x, smoking and marriage. Remember, GAB! was on during the golden era of "very special eps" so it's no coincidence that just about every ep had a message and a moral.

Nell was always the voice of reason and the voice that everyone heard the loudest. She was cook, maid, seamstress, babysitter, friend, listener and surrogate mother to her entire extended family. And like her counterpart, Nell Carter was such a talented actress that could do so much, she was a fine dramatic actress a wonderful singer and dancer and entertainer. And I have to admit it is somewhat sad watching her now, but at least we have Nell's legacy preserved on this fabulous DVD set.

Some of my favorite eps from the series are probably yours as well. And these include: Nell Goes Home - after leaving her family as a teenager Nell returns home to see her father one last time while he's on his deathbed, Samantha Steals a Squad Car - Samantha says a vulgar word then takes off in a police car after her father goes after her, Nell Goes to Jail - Nell finally gets to have her cake and eat it too when she gets the last laugh with the phone company, and Porko's II - with the help of her friends from her diet club, Nell saves the life of a recovering overeater.

GAB! included a revolving door of very talented supporting players, such as Lara Jill Miller (who got the most screen time out of all of the girls), Lauri Hendler, Kari Michaelsen, the late and much loved Dolph Sweet, as well Telma Hopkins in later seasons.

Get the complete GAB! series and experience all of love, laughs, tears and trouble again! You will not be disappointed. Remember, you are what you watch.

"What happenned to my piece of the cake? Gimme A Break!" Well folks, we can have our cake & eat it too with VEI's Gimme A Break The Complete Series. VEI released the first two seasons in their own individual sets but stopped at season 3. Fans demanded more and VEI did the fans right. Instead of continuing on season by season and leaving fans hanging and waiting after each, VEI decided the best route was to release the entire series in a complete series set. Some may not think this is fair after buying the first two sets, but did you happen to notice the price for this set? It's list price is $60 but of course amazon is offering it at a nice discount. Assuming each season costs $20 (which wasn't the list price when released by the way-think more like $35)then the whole series of 6 seasons should cost $80. VEI took that into account and priced this complete set at ONLY $60 (and that's before the discount!) This set is VERY reasonably priced. No one should be complaining. If you waited for each season to be released season by season you would have ended up paying way more than the 40 something dollars you will pay for this beautiful and complete set!

Just to touch on the most important facts about this set (which has thankfully been mentioned & confirmed in many other reviews) this set is just what it says it is COMPLETE. Every episode of GAB that ever aired, just as they aired during their original network run on NBC is here. There are no syndication cuts, these ARE the original episodes. From season three on the original bumpers are even included. All the songs sang by Nell, the cast & guest stars, in additional to the few actual studio master recordings of songs played during the episodes, ARE included UNCUT. Never would I have thought it possible at the price this set is! The video is very clear and the audio is for the most part pretty good. A few episodes have less than perfect audio, but if you turn your volume up, it's not really a problem. The episodes from seasons one and two are the same that were on the original seasons one & two sets. This includes the bonus episodes of Kate & Allie & The Stockard Channing Show. No other bonus features are on this set, but with the complete episodes (many with bumpers) it doesn't really matter. Even the controversial "Baby Of The Family" episode is complete and untouched.

The set consists of 18 discs, with 2 seasons each housed in sturdy plastic amary cases. The three plastic cases are housed in an outer cardboard box with the a picture of Nell, the girls, the chief & Joey. The outer box is a bit flimsy, but with the cases inside it's not a problem. The box looks beautiful, but even better, the amaray cases have different pictures of Nell & cast members from the appropriate seasons. The backs of the cases give the episode listings for each disc, along with original airdate. Each amaray case holds 6 discs, and the discs inside each case have pictures of Nell & cast.

This set is region 1, which means it plays fine on American DVD players. The only difference is that the set is only sold via Canada, where VEI has the rights. For anyone holding out waiting for a release beyond season 1 in the US, you will have a long wait. No one has picked up this series yet and with the complete series now available from VEI it is even more unlikely anyone will. Get this set now before it's very hard to find! At this price it's doubtful too many fans will resist. And besides why should they? In this case we can have our cake and eat it too!

I received my boxed set the other day and have not stopped watching. As was already noted, the set is VERY no-frills, without any special features (save for a couple of episodes of Kate & Allie) and with simple packaging. But the video & sound are in good shape, and you can't beat this for the money- a total of 140 episodes (counting the non-GAB extras) for under $50???

As for the show, it's just as good as I remembered. Seasons 1-4 are the best, as the surprising chemistry between Nell Carter and Dolph Sweet was the backbone to the show- once Sweet passed away, it just wasn't the same.
However, the rest of the cast was good- Kari Michaelson, Lauri Hendler and Lara Jill Miller as the Chief's daughters, Howard Morton as the inept Officer Simpson, John Hoyt (particularly hilarious) as Grandpa, Telma Hopkins as Nell's competitive friend Addy, and Joey Lawrence as a 7 year old con-man adopted into the Kanisky family were the most enduring.
A parade of guest stars and surprisingly provocative subject matter at times (the infamous "Baby of the Family" episode, with Joey appearing in blackface was definitely not your typical "Very Special Episode") add to the enjoyment, but it was the energy and charisma of Miss Carter, and the charmingly curmudgeon Mr. Sweet that were the heart of Gimme a Break! Enjoy.