Mixed in amongst all the lousy TV shows that sell themselves as nighttime dramas, there are occasionally those that rise to the surface. They do not rely on the lowest common denominator to attract audiences, nor do they depend solely on a sprinkle of pretty faces to keep audiences tuned in. They are few and far between to be sure, and that is often to the detriment of those shows. All too often they are passed over by audiences and cancelled before anyone knows what they were missing. But there are some that stay the course and prove that quality still exists on network TV. One great example is the WB’s “Everwood.” Admittedly, I was like most people and planned to steer clear, expecting it to be just another show about angst amongst the pretty people. But then I took a good look at the cast and thought there might actually be something there.

I watched the first few episodes when they aired, and found the series to be refreshingly creative, in spite of some of the topics that had already been covered by other, less watchable shows. But what kept me watching, was the high quality of the writing, which would have meant nothing if the cast wasn’t so good.

The premise of the series is a familiar one. Dr. Andrew Brown (Treat Williams) is a successful neurosurgeon living in New York City with his wife and kids. Tragedy rears its ugly head, and Brown find himself on the road to another life. One far removed from the hustle and bustle of big city life. He and his kids move to the beautiful town of Everwood, where Brown sets up a family practice. Their day to day lives interconnect with the other denizens of the town, usually with positive results, but occasionally the opposite is true.

The series is now entering its third season, and has continued to be highly rated, and for good reason. It’s darn fine show. The first season alone deals with all the dilemmas you might expect from a family drama, but they are delivered believably thanks to the strong cast. Death, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and even the medical use of marijuana are all touched upon.

I feel apart of the show’s success, and those like it, is due to the aforementioned casting. When the series was being developed, the producers were wise to cast it with actors that would appeal to audiences of all ages, as opposed to focusing on either just younger or older audiences. Old fogies like me are drawn to the series because of Treat Williams, who is one of those underrated actors whose career I’ve followed for years. I still remember seeing him years ago in a comedy called “The Ritz.” In it he played a private detective with a very high pitched voice, going undercover in a gay hotel to locate a Mafioso (Jerry Stiller) in hiding. He was hysterical and nearly stold the movie from the rest of the cast. Over time, he’s played a variety of roles, but seems right at home as Brown.

I was also glad to see Tom Amandes return to network television, after his turn as Eliot Ness in the short-lived “Untouchables” series. He plays Dr. Harold Abbott, the only other doctor in town and so is Brown’s main competition.

For the younger crowd, Gregory Smith (“The Patriot) stars as Brown’s son Ephram. His is one of the best written teenage roles in the current spate of family dramas and he plays it to the hilt. The relationship between him and his father is priceless as the two struggle through the tragedy that brought them to Everwood. The series also features Emily VanCamp, who was terrific in the unfortunately cancelled “Glory Days” as Amy, the daughter of Dr. Abbott. The relationship between Amy and Ephram is a bittersweet one as he deals with his infatuation with her, and her obsession with her comatose boyfriend, Colin. The fact that Dr. Abbott is none too pleased with their friendship doesn’t help matters much.

I mentioned that a lot of the storylines have been done before, but they are dealt with here with little sugar-coating. There is little preaching out against the subjects of teenage sex and pregnancies, but they are not glorified either. Rather the situations are what they are, truthful and as real as they can be.

Warner Brothers is wisely releasing the 1st season of “Everwood” shortly prior to the premiere if the 3rd season. The 6-disc set has all 23 episodes as well as more extras features than I had expected. There are several unaired scenes, as well as an entertaining look behind the scenes that was captured by putting cameras into the hands of Smith and VanCamp.

The best of the featurettes is a 25 minute Behind the Scenes piece that delves quite deep into the creation of the series. There are a lot of interviews and it goes beyond that of a typical promotional puff piece. There are also commentaries on four of the episode (listed below), all of which will appeal to those who are already fans of the series. The Pilot episode is presented as an extended version and in widescreen. The only other episode in widescreen is the Season Finale, “Home.” The rest are full screen.

“Everwood” is amongst the best of the family dramas you can find nowadays, and I’m thrilled that it is making it’s mark by going into a 3rd season. If you;ve never had the chance to catch it, I highly recommend this 1st seasons set to get you started.

Episodes:
Pilot (Commentary by Treat Williams and Executive Producers Greg Berlanti and Mickey Liddell)
The Great Doctor Brown
Friendly Fire
The Kissing Bridge
Deer God
The Doctor is In
We Holds These Truths
Till Death Do Us Part
Turf Wars
Is There a Doctor in the House?
A Thanksgiving Tale
Vegetative State
The Price of Fame
Colin the Second
Snow Job
My Funny Valentine
Everwood Confidential
The Unveiling (Commentary by Gregory Smith, Executive Producers Greg Berlanti and Mickey Liddell and Co-Writer/Co-Executive Producer Rina Mimoun)
The Miracle of Everwood
Moonlight Sonata
Episode 20 (Commentary by Tom Amandes, Executive Producers Greg Berlanti and Mickey Liddell and Co-Writer/Supervising Producer Vanessa Taylor)
Fear Itself
Home (Commentary by Emily VanCamp, Executive Producers Greg Berlanti and Mickey Liddell and Co-Writer/Supervising Producer Michael Green)

Starring: Treat Williams, Gregory Smith, Emily VanCamp, Debra Mooney, John Beasley, Vivian Cardone, Chris Pratt, Tom Amandes
Extras: Unaired Scenes, Behind the Scenes Fun with ‘Greg & Emily Cam’, Extended Version of the Pilot, Making of Featurette, Commentary on 4 Key Episodes by Cast and Crew
Specifications: Fullscreen (Except the Pilot and the Season Finale which are shown in Widescreen), Dolby Digital
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 9/7/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give an Everwood: Season 1 an A.