The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the series "Coach", is that it had to be one of the great underrated sitcoms of the 90's. I watched it from time to time and always found it to be a hysterically funny show. Now that is it out on DVD however, I'm not so sure it was really all that underrated. I was actually a bit surprised to find out that it ran for nine seasons. Not watching it on a regular basis, it just didn't seem to me that it was on that long. Then there was the fact that over all of those years it was nominated for 16 Emmy Awards and 4 Golden Globes. It would appear that if the show was at all underrated, it was by me alone.

"Coach" starred Craig T. Nelson as Hayden Fox, a college football coach for the Minnesota State Screaming Eagles. To most people, Fox was loud, brash and a total chauvinist pig. But underneath the rough exterior, he was really quite the pushover. Nelson's performance, at least very time I saw it, was absolutely perfect. I knew Nelson had a knack for comedy, but I never knew he was that good. I was a bit surprised when he later turned up as the voice for Mr. Incredible in Pixar's "The Incredibles." His voiceover work was simply flawless.

But Nelson wasn't the only reason the show clicked with audiences, he also had a stellar cast to play off of. As Fox's assistant coaches Luther Van Darn and Dauber Dybinski, we had Jerry Van Dyke and Bill Fagerbakke. Van Dyke, who had to spend most of his career under the shadow of his more famous brother, Dick, finally found the perfect role in Van Darn. Playing it to the hilt, Van Dyke came across as a forgetful bungler whose skewed vision of the world came from as far left field as you could possibly live. Fagerbakke, utilized his size (the guy is very tall), super light blonde hair, and husky voice to affect the impression of being the most naïve guy on the planet. He's shown up in a number of other projects, most notably in Stephen King's "The Stand" and more recently as the vice of Patrick the Starfish in "Spongebob Squarepants." But where the rapport really came across in the show was between Nelson and Shelley Fabares, who played his much smarter, long suffering girlfriend, Christine.

Universal is releasing the first season of "Coach" this month in two versions. The first is a run of the mill DVD set, with run of the mill packaging. Alternatively, for the hardy collectors out there, they are also putting the set out in a limited 'Playbook' Edition. This one is rather unusual in that it is designed to look like a… well, like a play book of sorts. The case is set up like a ring binder, with pre-punched sleeves holding the 2 discs inside. When you move the discs out of the way, the binder also holds a little notepad. But here's the kicker (see if you can catch the pun), the outside of the binder's outer covering looks and feels like a football, stitches and all.

For the most part, I kind of like the 'Playbook' Edition just because it's different and kind of cool. BUT… the one problem I find is that it doesn’t sit well on the shelf. The binder is triangular shaped when you look at it from the side, and you really can't set it on either end. It will stay ok if it is between other sets, but it's still kind of awkward. I hoped that I could leave it in the original packaging, which is a little more squared off, but it's also designed in the same shape, just to a slightly lesser degree. A minor nitpick, but a nitpick nonetheless.

Aside from that, the first season set holds 13 episodes, all of which are very funny. If the series was able to keep up this level of humor I can see why it lasted as long as it did. Unfortunately, there are no special features to speak of, another minor nit that I hope will be changed in future season releases.

Episodes:
Kelly and the Professor
Love Me Tender
Kelly, Meet Christine
I'm in Love with a Boy Named Stuart
The Loss Weekend
Gambling for Meat
19 Candles
Parents' Weekend
I'm Sorry I Told You My Wife was Dead
Define Romance
Whose Team is It, Anyway?
Hoot, Hoot Hike
Dauber's Blow-Out

Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Shelley Fabares, Jerry Van Dyke, Bill Fagerbakke
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 6/13/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR

We'll give Coach: Season 1 a B.