Amazon.com: Family Affair: Season 1 : Brian Keith, Sebastian Cabot, Anissa Jones, Johnny Whitaker, Christopher Dark, Kathy Garver, Patrick Moore, Lynette Winter, Paul Hartman, Karl Lukas, Tony Campo, Naji Gabbay, James Sheldon, William D. Russell, Austin Kalish, Cynthia Lindsay, Don Fedderson, Dorothy Cooper, Doug Tibbles, Ed James: Movies & TV (original) (raw)

OK....The last I saw of these were those TV Land airings, and from that time around, in contrast from sitting through reruns during the early '70s, I can now see how much of "Family Affair" was irregular, compared to the other Don Fedderson production of note, "My Three Sons" (especially when it got a breath of fresh air via the establishment of Ernie as a new son and Robbie became the "oldest" one with Mike gone). The inconsistencies, however, seem minor, compared to the show that became the modern day "FA": "Full House"; the WEAKEST "FA" episode had more chuckles than the STRONGEST "FH" (depending on how one defines "strong"), hands down!It helps that "FA" was family friendly without being gooey and sickly sweet; there's a hint of non-"political correctness" that runs like a thread through the whole show, and that's conveyed through Brian Keith's low-key, "gruff" performance as Uncle Bill. He keeps things grounded in reality, so the children are never really spoiled. The THREE "FH" male leads could never equal ONE Brian Keith!MPI's first DVD issue of the series began with this first season set. If you want them uncut and in color that looks brighter than the TV Land airings, then this is your first sampling of a JACKPOT, DVD speaking! One could have expected more with the "extras", but Kathy Garver (Cissy), plus a sampling of stills is better than nothing. (Remember, all of this may yet get remastered anew, someday, including the adding on of MORE "extras". Blu-ray? Never say never!)The pilot, "Buffy", still hits me right in the heart and gut; it's unique that the show (presumably) sold, in part, on Anissa Jones' performance ALONE, as Jody (Johnny Whitaker) and Cissy only came around at the very end of the pilot! More of a surprise was finding out Brian Keith was filmed at different times so he could still have a movie career, having an arrangement like Fred MacMurray did for "MTS"!If any CHARACTER can be labeled as inconsistent, it would be Cissy; primarily, she comes off as very bright, but often, it doesn't take much more than BOYS to have her make many a misjudgment, one would swear! Garver manages to do her part well, despite script irregularities; she's showcased in many good first season episodes, including the sentimental "The Thursday Man". (If I recall right, they actually tried to remake THAT episode for the notorious "FA" update with Gary Cole and Tim Curry!) That said, what was it with with the lighting of those shows where there was ALWAYS a shadow below Cissy's upper lip everytime she talked or smiled? Beyond that, I still think she was CUTE, particularly when she had knee socks on!Not bad, but not perfect, either. It's special, most of all, because these shows are UNCUT, and not every TV series available on Amazon (or elsewhere) can be claimed as such! Get this while you can at a sale price for your money's worth. Sturdy, compact DVD case makes for better storage and greater value! Time to look for Mrs. Beasley's glasses. AGAIN!All the Best, Brother Fang.