Rita Rocks - Season 1 - DVD

Content: After appearing in the sketch comedy show MADtv, in the hit sitcom King of Queens and in numerous smaller and larger supporting roles, she was able to enchant viewers again and again with her flair for comedy and her very special charm, Nicole Sullivan got her own comedy series written on her body in 2010. The big success failed to materialize, so that Rita Rockt was discontinued after only two seasons. This may be due to the fact that the series simply comes across too bravura and does not really seem contemporary. But since classic family sitcoms still enjoy great popularity, Rita the Rocking Housewife shouldn't have much trouble finding its audience on DVD.

The series centers on the ever-stressed Rita (Sullivan), who has given up all her dreams to take care of her family. In addition to a part-time job, she has to manage the household, deal with the whims of her pubescent daughter Hallie (Natalie Dreyfuss) and her daughter's somewhat simple-minded boyfriend Kip (Ricky Ullman), all the while being lectured by her somewhat precocious daughter Shannon (Kelly Gould). And as if that wasn't bad enough, Rita's hubby Jay (Richard Ruccolo) doesn't seem to appreciate her efforts at all. But when she stumbles across her old guitar in the garage one fine day, memories of a lighter, better time come flooding back. And promptly, Rita decides to finally do something for herself and take up music again after years. Together with the gruff mailwoman Patty (Tisha Campbell-Martin), the unemployed neighbor Owen (Ian Gomez) and after initial doubts also with Kip, Rita forms a band and from then on makes the garage really shake. But of course it's not long before this leads to total chaos breaking out in the household. Rita has to think about whether the band is really worth the extra stress she's put herself through now or whether she'd rather put the guitar back in the cupboard...

Rita Rocks isn't necessarily brimming with originality. The humor is always on a very well-behaved level, with build-up to the gags and their punchlines usually being quite predictable - at least for sitcom fans who have enjoyed watching traditional family sitcoms like Full House, Family Ties, or The Cosby Show. As for the cast, the whole thing could now be wickedly described as a comedy reterampe. Most of the cast members are already familiar to sitcom fans from other series like Trio to Bite (Richard Ruccolo), What`s Up, Dad (Tisha Campbell-Martin), A Prankster Named Carey (Ian Gomez), Phil from the Future (Ricky Ullman) and of course King of Queens (Nicole Sullivan). But the ensemble's series experience really makes itself felt in a positive way in places, as - though this is primarily evident in the original English version - the comedic timing is spot on.

Although the whole thing may not sound positive, it should be made clear at this point that Rita Rocks is not a bad show. The only problem is that it doesn't really have anything new to offer. In an age where there are plenty of more original comedy series out there, from 30 Rock to The Office to the nerd comedy The Big Bang Theory, classic sitcom entertainment just has a harder time winning over a large audience. But for such viewers who just love nice, simple family entertainment with some amusing moments and decent laughs, Rita Rockt offers enough material for fun TV evenings.

Picture + Sound: The technical realization of the twenty episodes is on a decent TV level, with especially the colors and good image sharpness leave a positive impression. In stereo sound, the dialogues, here and there but also the music are clearly in the foreground, but overall the sound remains rather unspectacular. In the original English version, speech and the recorded laughs sound a little more natural, but the dialogue in the German version is mixed a little stronger. Good!

Extras: The only bonus to be seen on the third DVD is a short music clip.

Conclusion: Rita Rocks is a very traditional family comedy that seems a bit dusty in these days of comedy series like The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family or How I Met Your Mother, but fans of more classic sitcoms will definitely enjoy the rocking housewife. Technically, the three DVDs of the set present the episodes of the first season in good TV quality, only the short music clip as the only extra is a bit meager. Nevertheless, for fans of simple family sitcoms, which can be risked here confidently a look.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp