There are few of us who cannot claim to have enjoyed the antics of bartender Joe Malone in “Cheers.” A solid ten year run cemented most of the actors involved in our memories, but it was up to Ted Danson to be the glue that held it all together. What strikes me as a bit odd however is that while I knew Danson went on to star in another sitcom, “Becker”, I had no idea that it ran for six seasons. Having not watched the series, I thought it was one of those short-lived shows that stars of past hits are often relegated to. When I learned that Paramount was releasing the first season of “Becker”, I thought I should check it out since I was a Danson fan. But when I started looking into the background of the show… that was where I learned of its secret longevity. Danson took a 360 degree turn with the character of Dr. John Becker. Where Malone was gregarious and outgoing, Becker is more of curmudgeon, seemingly bothered by everything and everybody. He is a creature of habit, almost to the point of obsession.

We’re not talking Monk here, but he prefers to go to the same places and eat at the same restaurants. But what is best about his character is that he is opinionated. I’m talking non-politically correct opinionated. And I love it (I hate Political Correctness – which was created for the Intellectually Challenged).

When I sat down to watch the first few episodes of “Becker”, I found it to be a show that was trying to find its legs. Some shows can hit their mark right off the bat, but this wasn’t the case here. It was an amusing show and I did enjoy it, but as I continued to watch there weren’t really any episodes that I could consider memorable or classic television. Still, it was a solid first season and it began to grow on me enough to look forward to another season release.

Like any good series, the lead cannot carry everything, and while “Becker” did not have a “Cheers” caliber ensemble, it did have a good cast. Fresh of her stint on “Star Trek: Deep Space 9”, it was nice to see Terry Farrell in a more down to Earth role. Farrell starred as ‘Reggie’, the owner of the local diner where Becker would eat… and espouse his opinions of the world. The relationship between Becker and Reggie is one of those ‘should they or shouldn’t they be together’ types that always add tension to any good series. I was also pleased to see Alex Desert as the blind owner of a newspaper stand. I had enjoyed his role on “The Flash”, but here he had a chance to really shine as a comic actor. Finally, we have Shawnee Smith as his assistant, Linda. Smith has always been one of those slightly annoying actresses that have surprisingly had a lengthy career in films and TV (most recently as a part of the “Saw” franchise). Most of the time I really cannot stand her, but I have to admit she was in her element on this series, often getting some of the show’s best lines.

I can now say that I have become a fan of Danson’s “other” series and am looking forward to catching the rest of the five seasons as they become available. But I would like to ask Paramount if they could possibly sneak some extra features on subsequent releases.

Episodes:
Pilot
Take These Pills and Shove Them
Sex in the Inner City
Tell Me Lies
My Dinner with Becker
Man Plans, God Laughs
City Lights
Physician Heal Thyself
Choose Me
P.C. World
Scriptus Interruptus
Love! Lies! Bleeding!
Becker the Elder
Larry Spoke
Activate Your Choices
Limits and Boundaries
Partial Law
Saving Harvey Cohen
Truth or Consequences
Drive, They Said
Lucky Day
Regarding Reggie

Starring: Ted Danson, Terry Farrell, Shawnee Smith. Alex Desert
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 4/1/2008
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Becker: Season 1 a B-.