TV Show Review: Ed

This probably has to be one of my favorite TV shows ever! Many people will disagree with me on this one - *cough* *cough*: that includes you, Mr. Caggiano! It only lasted for four seasons – the first season was the best. I would have to say it was a very refreshing show to come out at a time when there was a lot of crappy TV shows. This unique show stood out from all the reality TV shows that were out at the time.

So, what is this show about? Yes, you guessed correctly, the show is about a guy named Ed Stevens. The story picks up to show Ed getting fired from his lavish New York lawyer job as a result of a misplaced comma in some important documents that costs his firm a lot of money. After his termination of his job, Ed comes home to find his wife cheating on a mailman!

His perfect little world crumbled into pieces in just one day. What is this man to do?

Ed decides to pack up all his things and retreat to his hometown of Stuckeyville for a short period of time. He comes back home and finds everything to still be in its place – including his old infatuation, Carol Vessy. During this time, Carol Vessey catches up with Ed and they both share a moment, which included a kiss that would later be talked about for the next two seasons. This little incident inspires Ed to buy the local Stuckeyville Bowling Alley called Stuckeybowl. So, many of you who are reading this might assume this is a show that revolves on the possible courtship between Ed and Carol. Yeah, it kind of does – but there are other subplots and characters as well to keep the show going besides the cat and mouse game of Ed and Carol.

Another great thing about this show is that the story does not revolve just around Ed. There are other great minor characters in this show that help add depth to Ed. One character in particular includes a teenage boy named, Warren Cheswick, trying to make his way through high school in one piece. Ed finds sympathy in Warren because he reminds him so much of himself when he was in high school.

The character of Ed is just absolutely fantastic! He’s a character that many people could easily relate to and identify with. He has a Jimmy Stewart quality about him; in fact, he actually has a little stammer just like Jimmy. Ed is a dreamer and looks out for his fellow neighbors in a time of need. Besides taking care of the Stuckeybowl alley, Ed also has a lawyer practice as well. Through the rough times that Ed endures, he still finds the positive aspect of every situation. He seems like a guy who takes in every moment and opportunity, and learns from it. The actor, Tom Cavanagh is outstanding as Ed, and I’ve been a fan of his ever since.

There are little things about this show that makes it so good! One of the reasons that Ed has yet to be released on DVD is the music copyright. They use the best songs for this show. They don’t use the same genre of music, nor do they play anything from the same time era. They use a variation of songs that help suit the mood and tone for each scene. I love the fact that the theme song was “Next Year” by the Foo Fighters. The theme song itself got me hooked into the show!

Another great thing about this show is the writing. The dialogue between the characters is realistic. It kind of has that Quentin Tarantino kind of influence. They characters in the show would always make some kind of pop culture reference to some particular topic In every single episode, Ed and his friend, Mike Burton, always have a ten dollar bet to do a certain dare.

Nancy Burton: I've always wondered where that phrase came from - speak of the devil.
Ed Stevens: Well, according to ancient legend, if you said the devil's name three times... he would appear.
Mike Burton: According to ancient legend? Dude, you got that from "Beetlejuice".

Mike Burton: Ten bucks if you go over to that guy and ask him where the lettuce is... only, you don't say lettuce.
Ed Stevens: What do I say?
Mike Burton: Letoos.

What more could I say about this show? This is the best show ever! I just hope that it comes out on DVD pretty soon so more people can realize how awesome this show was.