What About Brian - The Complete Series

What About Brian - The Complete Series

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Editorial Reviews

They are people you know, juggling life and love just as you do. From the producers of Lost and Alias comes the witty and seductive drama The Chicago Tribune calls "breezy, bittersweet and infectious." Step into the middle of a circle of friends who experience the world from the inside out. Trying to find your way in the cut-throat city of Los Angeles can break the strongest soul. However, Brian (Barry Watson, 7th Heaven) and his friends lean on each other as their relationships become more intense and they discover that the truth that stings can, sometimes, be your salvation. Find out what you’ve been missing as you join the journey from the very beginning with every episode of What About Brian’s first two seasons in this 5-disc box set. And uncover even more about Brian with behind-the-scenes bonus features available only on DVD.

Sharing more in common with the chatty feel of Felicity than the action-driven Lost or Alias, the ubiquitous J.J. Abrams has another gem with the witty and bittersweet (but short-lived) drama What About Brian. Both seasons are included in this five-disc set, though the first year produced just five episodes. Airing from 2006-2007 on ABC, What About Brian stars Barry Watson (7th Heaven) as the only single person in his group of friends. Over the course of 24 episodes, he pines for his best friend's girlfriend Marjorie (Sarah Lancaster), one of his friends comes out, and they all mourn the loss of one of their own. While not as melodramatic as nighttime soaps such as Melrose Place, What About Brian maintains a soap opera feel in the way the characters' lives are intertwined, regardless of whether they should be or not. As Brian's older sister Nicole, Rosanna Arquette is a scene stealer who hits all the right notes. Married to a younger man and desperately wanting a baby, Nicole shares some poignant moments with her husband as they navigate a challenging journey. The theme of "the grass is always greener on the other side" runs rampant here. Brian, who his friends correctly see as afraid of commitment, wants to be married or at least part of a couple, while many of his married friends long for the freedom to date whomever they want again without having to return home to the same person. The show's strongest episodes are at the beginning of its run when Brian finds out his best friend has proposed to Marjorie and that she may have unresolved feelings for him as well. Listening to his answering machine, he hears her say, "It's hard not to imagine 'what if'..." His girlfriend at the time hears it, too, and understands the implications of what Marjorie says better than Brian does. Unrequited love can only propel a show for so long, and other subplots run rampant--a pastry business for two of the main characters, a potentially life-threatening illness for the child of another couple, and friendship that often seems on the verge of a breakup. But when all's said and done, What About Brian could also have been called What About Love. --Jae-Ha Kim

Customer Reviews

Just plods along without much to show for it.

Reviewed by Tim Lieder, 2009-11-25

Since I got into Lost and loved the last couple of movies, I had been lulled into a trust for JJ Abrams productions. However, I never did like Felicity and Alias never sparked my interest. I was remembering these shows when I was watching this tedious little number.

At first it shows promise as a multi-character piece in which the one single character (Brian) stands in sharp contrast to his friends who are all married or engaged. Even though Brian has the desperate wanderlust of Ted from .How I Met Your Mother: Season One he is not quite as unhappy as his friends who must deal with the doubts and tribulations of staying married. Patricia Arquette has a miscarriage in the pilot and wants to get married. Brian's best friend is marrying Marjorie who Brian loves. The married couple wants to have an open relationship but neither is sure they can carry it off.

That's the first episode in a nutshell.

Unfortunately, that's the next four episodes after that. The married couple have fights over the open relationship and get jealous until finally one fools around. Brian has sex with a gorgeous woman, but he's really in love with Marjorie. Marjorie says that she's in love with Brian but she's staying with his friend. And Patricia Arquette tries to have a baby.

Even though the second season (after the first five episodes) varies it up a little, the characters have become terrible bores by this time and they are too despicable to stay with. Every single one is a whiny self-involved idiot. Every single one is preoccupied with personal crap. And every single one is awful. Well one isn't as bad since he has the good sense to die around episode 12 but sadly, he's the only one. The rest of these characters stay alive until the last horrible little episode of this horrible little show.

T.V. at it's best

Reviewed by Ariel View, 2009-01-12

I loved this show.Sad to see it go.At least I have the box set to watch whenever I want to relive it.

What a pleasant surprise!!!

Reviewed by BOTH RULE, 2008-12-12

WOW! I had no idea what I was missing, because when this originally aired ABC had it in a terrible time slot so I never had the chance to catch it. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Drama, you have to pick this up. It is in JJA's fashion where the drama can be intense and over the top yet feel completely REAL and believable. Sort of like the 2nd Season of Grey's Anatomy was. I hate what Grey's has turned out to be now, and I am sad I didn't know about "Brian" sooner. Great Show, Great Cast and highly Entertaining.

What About Brian

Reviewed by Theresa M. Peirone, 2008-11-03

This product was in excellent condition and came in a very timely fashion. I would buy again from this vendor. The TV Series was excellent, can't imagine why it was cancelled.

what about Brian?

Reviewed by Jan Bates, 2008-09-30

Good show! I was very sad to learn that they won't be making any more of the series. It seems these days they get a good show on television and then for some reason it gets cancled. I'd like to know who decides what stays and what goes, doesn't my opinion as a veiwer count for anything? Anyway, I do enjoy the show and can only hope they revive it sometime in the near future.