About five years ago, when the WB (before becoming the CW) rolled out its usual suspects of new shows, I kept my eyes peeled for any that looked like they might stand out from the rest. There were only a couple, but one in particular seemed like it might have the makings of something good. "Supernatural" was sold as being an occult thriller and the previews offered promise. My one worry was that the series would be one of those 'hip & cool' shows that feature models instead of actors in order to attract the still burgeoning MTV crowd. Most of the ads featured stars Jason Paledecki and Jensen (Jenson???) Ackles who, at first glance, seem as though they fit into that exact category. However, my wife and I decided we'd give the show a try in the hopes that it would exceed our expectations. That's where the magic of having satellite TV comes in handy as we could 'record' the show and watch it whenever we felt like it. (Yes, I realize we used to be able to do that with VCR's, but who has those anymore?)

Anyhow, we ended up being totally sucked in by the first episode and continued to enjoy the show as the season carried forward. Both Ackles and Paledecki proved to be decent actors, but it was the shows stories and style that really 'hooked' us in.

As the series began we were introduced to the Winchester brothers, Sam (Paledecki) who is whiling away his hours at college and Dean (Ackles) who prefers to follow in their father's footsteps. Of course the job is a rather odd one, in that Dean crosses the country in search of supernatural events on order to a) fight demons and send them back to Hell and b) track down the demon that killed their mother when they were children. Sam had chosen to leave this life behind, but is drawn into the never-ending battle by Dean after their father goes missing. Reluctant at first, Sam's resolve is set after a tragedy that mirrors his mother's demise strikes his new life. Together, the two brothers set off in '67 Chevy Impala (that my wife loves) in search of their father.

In many ways "Supernatural" both lived up to and exceeded my expectations. There was a bit of the 'hip & cool' feel to it, but it did not pervade the series. As a matter of fact, as the season wore on, that style seemed to drop off a bit. What we really liked about the show was the idea it used that each of the 'demons' they fought were linked to popular urban myths. One week would find them fighting off the 'Hook Man', while another brought them face to face with the mysterious 'Lady in White' who stalks the streets late at night looking for a ride home. They even did an episode about 'Bloody Mary', which I thought was especially effective.

Of course, as the season hit us with 22 episodes, I cannot say that every one of them hit a home run, but the great majority of them were excellent. One that stands out as particularly frustrating was "Bugs", where the boys set up shop in a new housing development plagued by strange murderous… well… bugs. Truth be told, the episode as a whole was actually still pretty good, but when it is learned that the bugs only attack at night it falls apart. When Winchesters find themselves holed up in one of the house fending off the horde, the 'night' only appears to last about 15 minutes. As the sun sets, the bugs start coming and our heroes keep finding new places in the house to hide. But the bugs get through each door pretty quickly. When they finally make it to the attic and you think they are just about to die… the sun starts to rise. There's no way the sequence of events, no matter how they were edited, could have taken place over several hours. That ending pretty much ruined an otherwise good episode. But, if that's the only complaint I have over a full season, that's saying something.

The series is now in its Fifth Season, and truth be told… I still love it. Each season they have found a way to make it fresh and different. No matter how far out they seem to go, it still makes for a great hour’s viewing. Kudos to the creators for keeping up the great work.

This month, Warner Brothers is releasing the full first season on Bluray, as it had only been available on DVD before.All of the episodes are in place and are presented in widescreen. The transfer is exceptional, which is really noticeable when you have a series that features so many dark scenes. But there is also a nice selection of extra features to go along with the package. There are two commentaries, the first from series creator Eric Kripke, director David Nutter and producer Peter Johnson on the Pilot episode. The follow-up commentary is from Ackles and Paledecki on the episode "Phantom Traveler." Both commentaries are pretty decent and well worth a listen. There is also a 15 minute making of featurette, a few deleted scenes and a look at what a day on the set is like for our two stars. You'll also find a fairly lengthy gag reel. Where most reels run a minute or two, this one comes in at closer to 7 minutes. These were all available on the original DVD, this Bluray release adds an Interactive “Devil’s Road Map” as a guide to the urban legends featured in this season. Plus there is footage from the Paley Festival Panel Discussion with the cast.

"Supernatural" was a welcome surprise in that it is a smartly written and acted show that has fun with the urban legends we hear about all of the time without pandering to an audience too dim to understand them.

Episodes:
Pilot
Wendigo
Dead in the Water
Phantom Traveler
Bloody Mary
Skin
Hook Man
Bugs
Home
Asylum
Scarecrow
Faith
Route 666
Nightmare
The Benders
Shadow
Hell House
Something Wicked
Provenance
Dead Man's Blood
Salvation
Devil's Trap

Starring: Jason Paledecki, Jensen Ackles
Extras: Unaired / Extended Scenes, Commentary on "Pilot" by Series Creator Eric Kripke, David Nutter and Producer Peter Johnson, Commentary on "Phantom Traveler" by Actors Jared Paledecki and Jensen Ackles, "A Day in the Life of Jared & Jensen", Supernatural - Tales from the Edge of Darkness", Gag Reel, Still Gallery, DVD-Rom Weblink to Exclusive Supernatural Online Content
Specifications: Widescreen, English Stereo
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 6/15/2010
MPAA Rating: NR
http://www.supernaturaltv.com
http://www.wbtvondvd.com

We'll give Supernatural: Season 1 (Bluray) an A.