Charles in Charge: Season 1

I like the tv show Charles in Charge,I watched some of it.

For the diverse population that enjoyed "Charles in Charge" when first broadcast I am of the opinion the DVD will be a treat. A younger adult when the show first aired, I was surprised when, upon viewing it again in 2007, how it impacted me how much our culture has changed since "Charles in Charge" first aired...I guess the best way I can try to communicate what I felt/sensed was: "even in the 1980's were we this innocent" and my resounding response was "yes"...a time when theme songs were allowed to start, complete and end prior to the beginning of episodes, when entertainment on tv could still manage to be acceptable to almost any viewer in terms of content and portrayal..look, bottom-line if you watched it and enjoyed it when it first aired you'll still enjoy it but due to how things have changed it might take an episode or two to settle you back into the comfort zone you once so easily attained...then it will be a nice stress reliever, believe me...a nice "get-away-from-it-all" experience..and if you never viewed it but would like light and very well-done comedy with a family atmosphere, you won't be disappointed. Very talented cast for the first (and in my opinion also in the second and ongoing seasons) season, good writing, and the pairing of Scott Baio and Willie Ames abilities to mesh their acting talents with their characters' traits is a huge part of what has made this show a future classic. Only the passage of time ultimately determines what shows become cultural classics and I do believe "Charles In Charge" will emerge as a definitive 1980's classic...just like "Brady Bunch" is the classic 1970's family comedy (as opposed to "Partridge Family"), just like "All In The Family" (as opposed to "Maude")..you get the drift. You won't regret buying it...especially when you want to return to the 80's, bright colors, snappy lines, and no stress....I never sell well-done comedy that captures its time short. Thanks Scott Baio, Willie Ames and ALL involved with "Charles In Charge".

Whether you prefer the Powell family or the Pembroke family, no Charles in Charge collection would be complete without Charles in Charge - The Complete First Season from Universal Home Entertainment. Presented in Full Frame (1.33:1) video and English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, this 3-disc (single-sided) set not only includes all 22 episodes with the Pembrokes as originally broadcast on CBS, but also the following Special Features: Exclusive bonus preview episode from Season Two with Charles' new family, the Powells! and The Great 80s TV Flashback featurette, plus the following guest stars: Olympic gold medalist Julianne McNamara, Meg Ryan (When Harry Met Sally), Jerry Levine (Teen Wolf), Mario Baio (real-life brother of Scott Baio), Christina Applegate (Married With Children), Rue McClanahan (The Golden Girls), Jeremy Miller (Growing Pains), Brian Robbins (Head of the Class), Raymond Singer (Street Hawk), model/actress Kathy Ireland, Loren Lester (Batman: The Animated Series), Peter Parros (Knight Rider), Matthew Perry (Friends), and Dick O'Neill (Cagney & Lacey). The discs are housed in slimcases (with episodes and plot descriptions listed on the back) all inside a slim outer box. The audio & video are crisp and clear while the episodes themselves (definitely '80s) still retain their charm. Overall, a well-packaged set from Universal. Highly recommended to fans of other family shows from creator/producer Michael Jacobs such as  Boy Meets World , and  Dinosaurs .Episodes:1. Pilot2. Extracurricular Activity3. Another Saturday Night4. War5. Cousin Elliott6. Slumber Party7. Discipline8. Trick or Treat9. A Date with Enid10. Friends & Lovers11. Home for the Holidays12. Accidental Puppy13. The Commotion14. Mr. President15. Jill's Decision16. Pressure from Grandma17. Snowed In18. Charles "R" Us19. Charles' Spring Break20. The Wrong Guy21. Mr. Brilliant22. Meet GrandmaBonus Episode from Season 2:Amityville

Charles in Charge was originally a vehicle for Scott Baio as a followup to his character Chachi from Happy Days - in fact there are several suggestions (mother a Travolta, Italian background) that Charles is the good alter ego of Chachi. This subversive approach to reality is followed in the Charles series, most evident in the manner in which it plays on the persona of Scott. Most revealling is a splendid epilogue in which Baio and Willie Aames (later to udertake a (mercfully brief) career as a beefcake in a Blue Lagoon cash-in)discuss, out of character, their characters. This was, of course, years before the vogue for post modern deconstructions of the fourth wall in Gary Shandling's Show (etc), but fully in the tradition of vaudiville and its televisual successors such as Greenacres (qv).Despite this, Charles in Charge is not revolutionary and follows the rather basic conventions of US sitcoms (live audience, sofa as hearth, agreeable everyman protagonist, wacky sidekicks, vaguely unattainable romantic interest). It also features the worst of 80s' fashions: pastel polo shirts, mediorcre tailorings. It is conservative in tone, promoting the fundamental American interests of bounded tolerance and communual advancement through restrained self-interest. Several soon-to-be stars feature, including Meg Ryan and Matthew Perry, but the true star is Scott Baio, whose amiability makes the bland Charles an identifiable ideal.Charles in Charge - the catchy theme song's sexual undetones should not be overplayed, even though (pace other reviewers)there is little doubt that this show is imbued with the sexual frisson one would expect of a program focused on a young college student - is one of the top situation comedies, almost perfectly embodying the genre's raion de-etre of moral edification. It also features the brilliant riposte to a particularly obtuse interlocutor: 'It's like talking to lint'.

Well before metrosexual became common term, networks had `macho' Italian American men taking up domestic work such as house cleaning---or child care. Resurrecting the careers of both Scott Baio (`Happy Days', `Joannie Loves Chachie') and Willie Aames (`Eight is Enough') this season is classic camp television with some genuinely good surprises tucked awayNineteen-year old Charles is hired by Jill (Julie Cobb) and Stan Pembroke (James Widdoes) to watch over their very rambunctious kids: Lila, 14 (April Lerhman); Douglas, 12 (Jonathan Ward); and Jason, 10 (Michael Pearlman). We never learn Charles's last name, but I remain convinced that Charles's last name is `Arcola'-because `Charles' also was the birth name of Baio's character on both `Happy Days' and `Joannie Loves Chachi'!In this 22-episode 1984-1985 first season (the only one on NBC), Charles is very clean-cut, and his best friend Buddy Lembeck (Aames) is quite the devious schemer. When the Pembrokes really leave Charles in charge for the night, he and Lila discover the dates they both subsequently invited over ultimately feel objectified. We see Charles's date Gwendolyn Pierce (Jennifer Runyon) throughout the rest of this season.Coming to think of his extra curricular activity AS taking care of the Pembroke kids ("Extracurricular Activity") Charles clearly is very special. Very few college students want to spend time as a live-in-nanny, regardless of how obviously angelic the kids and/or parents are. The type of stuff Charles handles is really mild though; none of the kids EVER take drugs...etc.Episodes like "Another Saturday Night" clearly set the series in the 1980's. All of the kids AND Charles are home watching election return results on a Saturday night because Michael Jackson is rumored to make a special appearance at a campaign headquarters. The kids sincerely feel down when Jackson's appearance ultimately gets cancelled due to unfavorable election returns. Contrasting with today, Jackson genuinely was a big entertainment draw in the 1980s.Meg Ryan makes a special guest star as "Jane" a college student thinking of becoming a nanny for the neighboring Wilson's. However, after spending time with Charles, she realizes that working with kids and their problems are not HER strong point; she subsequently gets another job. Being a nanny is not for everybody.The production team genuinely did a good job with the extras. Extras for this season include "The great 80's TV flashback"

En bon état

Very good show

Superbe série