Much like other series, the supporting cast that revolves around the titular character is the reason to watch as Matthews in particular reminds me of an earlier version of Cheryl Hines on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Dave’s two best college buddies Kenny and Shel (Shadoe Stevens and Meshach Taylor) provide some great Odd Couple humor as the toxic bachelor and sensitive divorcee respectively, and the incessantly cheerful demeanor of his wacky assistant Mia (J.C. Wendel) brightens up every scene she’s in and doubly when her boyfriend Eric (Seinfeld’s Patrick Warburton) is in tow.
Of course, between all of the typical obstacles of suburban life and the many issues facing his circle of family and friends, Dave somehow cranks out that famous column but, despite the charm of Harry Anderson, he never quite makes it believable, thanks largely in part due to the writing team’s decision to draw less from Barry’s column and more from the then current trends of safe family sitcoms. While it has some amusing moments there's not quite enough to fill all twenty-five episodes that are divided into three discs.
Likewise, perhaps another reason it was unable to capture that same childhood magic it held when I was young (despite now our ability to predict nearly every joke uttered by Beth, Shel, or Kenny once you pick up the rhythm) is that the digital transfer quality is unspeakably poor, even on an upconverting Blu-ray player as characters appeared slightly blurred and shadowy despite adjusting the color scheme. Additionally, it’s also missing the show’s memorable “You May Be Right” Billy Joel cover by the band Southside Johnny which was used as the theme opener in lieu of this DVD set's replacement of a standard instrumental track until later in the season’s episodes, it’s abandoned altogether in an odd decision that calls attention to itself due to lack of consistency.
And although overall, while I still feel that Mia deserved her own series (although perhaps so did ABC as she would’ve been at home on that network’s Dharma and Greg), ultimately I can’t recommend this DVD set and instead encourage you to read about "Dave's world" instead of watch this watered down version of the wit of the real Mr. Barry.
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