My Name is Earl - Season 1 (2005) [DVD, 4-Disc Set]

MOVIE DVD - Erstwhile California skateboarder and bad boy Jason Lee -- a discovery of filmmaker Kevin Smith -- has matured into a terrific comic actor. His talents have a fine showcase in this freq... more

MOVIE DVD - Erstwhile California skateboarder and bad boy Jason Lee -- a discovery of filmmaker Kevin Smith -- has matured into a terrific comic actor. His talents have a fine showcase in this frequently hysterical sitcom, which finds humor in depictions of low-class losers and trailer-park trash. Lee plays Earl Hickey, a mustachioed, self-centered ne'er-do-well who loses a winning lottery ticket when he's hit by a speeding car. After having an epiphany while recovering in the hospital, he becomes convinced that the law of karma is behind his persistent bad luck, and he seeks redemption by making a list of his transgressions and attempting to redress each one. Of course, this strategy seldom works out the way he expects, and he winds up adding as many items to the list as he crosses off. Ethan Suplee plays Earl's dimwitted brother, Randy, who often accompanies Earl on his frequently quixotic missions, along with a waitress named Catalina (Nadine Velazquez). Jaime Pressly (nominated for an Emmy for her performance) is hilarious as Earl's scheming ex-wife, Joy, and Eddie Steeples makes a good foil as her current husband, Darrell. The couples nuptials eight episodes into the season ("Joys Wedding") is one of the young shows best, as drunk-and-uninvited Earl shows up and accidentally breaks Joy's nose, adding another debit to his karmic calculations. A surprise success of the 2005-6 broadcast year, My Name Is Earl surprised viewers and critics alike with its cheerfully zany bl... less