Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Minnie Driver, Eddie Izzard
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: January 8, 2008
I absolutely love television box sets. Considering I don’t have a lot of time to watch television, box sets give me a chance to catch up on all of the things that I miss. I had heard plenty of good things about The Riches from friends and through recaps that have been done for Literary Illusions. In fact, I cannot recall one person saying one bad thing about the show. I still did not get a chance to see it though, so I was delighted to find that I would be able to review it in this box set.
The Riches has a lot to offer because there really isn’t another show on any of the networks that is like it. F/x has been shining lately when it comes to original shows. I recently reviewed Dirt, which received rave reviews and before that I became a fan of Nip/Tuck despite reviewing it for the first time in season four. In each case, I grew to love the shows from nearly the first episode. The Riches really was no different. This is a great show with an original storyline and lots of laughs.
Release Information:
The Riches airs on the F/x Network, which is home to many of the best shows on television these days. While the network is relatively new they have shown they are willing to take chances and it has helped to make the network stand out in a very impressive way. While new, most people have heard of the network and just as many like at least one of the shows that is currently airing on the network. The Riches – Season One was released on DVD on January 8, 2008. The set includes all episodes and a selection of special features to round out the set. You can pick up season one of The Riches at Amazon for $37.99.
The The Riches – Season One Plot
At the heart of things, The Riches revolves around a family of con artists that are on the run and trying to hide out in a rich neighborhood. It just so happens that after meeting a nice couple that lives in an exclusive neighborhood, the couple ran into trouble and would no longer need their own identities, so the Malloys are able to take their identities over for them.
The Malloy family consists of Wayne (Eddie Izzard), Dahlia (Minny Driver), and their three children Cael (Noel Fisher), Di Di (Shannon Marie Woodward), and Sam (Aidan Mitchell). The Malloy’s belong to a Travelers clan, which is something like a modern day group of gypsies. The travelers hustle their way through life and partake in petty crimes, where necessary.
In the beginning of the show, Dahlia is getting out of jail. This is about the time when the audience gets to meet the children. The Malloys are on the run and as the Travelers chase them an accident causes another family to die in the crossfire. As you can guess, that family is the Riches. Luckily for the Malloys, this family was just on the way to their new home in the ritzy community of Edenfalls. Since the Riches cannot take their home, Wayne decides that they will assume their identities and take the home for them.
Things get amusing real quick when you take into account Wayne’s lack of even a high school education and the fact that Doug Rich was an attorney. The Malloys are going to attempt to pull off the ultimate con and at this rate it is going to take a miracle to do it.
Some of the themes for this first season are Dahlia’s descent into homemaking, the kids and their first go at school, and Wayne’s friendships with area neighbors. The Travelers are still looking for them though because they want their money back. They may not be able to fool the world forever, but its obvious they are going to try and do it for as long as they possibly can.
The Riches comes on strong and makes a good impression from the get go. The acting is fabulous and the on screen chemistry is as perfect as it gets. I didn’t know if I would love the show as much as I do because when so many people talk a show up, it’s hard for it to live up to expectations. The Riches managed to live up to my expectations and then some. There are moments of comedy, shock appeal, drama, and fast paced thrilling action, all of which leave you wanting more.
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Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
The video for The Riches is available with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. While it occasionally had a softer look than I would have preferred, the transfer was far better than it was worse. It was viewable and had little grain. The majority of the softness was in the darker scenes and was easy to ignore as it was not so bad that it disturbed my viewing. The audio appears to be the same as what was offered on television. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix sounds decent overall. The Irish-esque score sounds gorgeous and the dialogue is easily understood. The audio is not exceptional, but it certainly gets the job done.
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Audio:
Bonus Features:
There are a couple special features here for you to enjoy, though for a box set the pickins’ are pretty slim. You are able to enjoy some commentary with Eddie Izzard and the show’s creator, Dmitry Lipkin. Other features include a gag reel, seven webisodes, and some information on casting along with the world premiere. All in all, there is little here to get excited about.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
The Riches - Season One is by far one of the most original shows to be put out in 2007. The acting and storylines are amazing and audience is left waiting for season two with baited breath. If you have a chance to pick this set up, I highly recommend you do so. It is anything but your typical hour long television show, and thus, well worth the purchase.
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Technorati Tags: The Riches, Season One, Eddie Izzard, Con Artists, 20th Century Fox, Comedy, DVD Review, TV on DVD, Home Entertainment
