Life With Derek The Complete First Season DVD Review

Life with Derek is a Canadian sitcom currently being aired on The Disney Channel in the United States. The show is a modern day Brady Bunch story, so much so that even the title sequence is similar to the Brady Bunch title sequence, featuring blue boxes with the character’s faces.

The show is primarily about a pair of teenaged step-siblings named Casey and Derek, but the point of view favor’s Casey. They are the same age and in the same grade. Up until this point in their lives, Casey was very content with her life, but things have changed. Her mother has married George and has subsequently been forced to move into George’s house. The show is predominantly about the little battles between Casey and Derek as they work to find a middle balance between what they need and what is available. The parents seem to have little to no involvement with the kids, causing the five children to battle it out for themselves, leaving them to be essentially latchkey kids left to raise themselves.

In between act breaks, or to demonstrate the shift in power, the kids will be in a blue nebulous where they act out their inner emotions ala Ally McBeal. In the first few episodes as the kids fight for room space, they can be seen fighting over a thrown whilst also going back and forth over a crown. The parents never seem to appear in the room. This is the same setting where the kids will often break the fourth wall, addressing the camera directly.

Life with Derek is just like any other mash up type show where two families are forced together by marriage, just like The Brady Bunch or more so like Step by Step. The only difference is the number of kids; there are only five in Life with Derek. The similarities do not stop there, however, as the show further replicates Step by Step with its characterizations. Casey, much like the Dana Foster character from Step by Step, is a good and fastidious student where as Derek is exactly like the J.D. McCall character. He is a popular student who does not spend much to any time taking school seriously. The only thing missing from Life With Derek is the stoned out cousin Cody.

The characters of the show, namely Derek and particularly Casey are obnoxious spoiled brats who refuse to compromise in situations, namely space. Instead, the pair would rather battle it out in an all or nothing situations. In the second episode, Casey begins a confrontation after she cannot store her toothbrush in the overflowing medicine cabinet. Casey takes it upon herself to become the family matriarch, calling family meetings to divvy up time and space in shared living spaces. The duo seem to be completely oblivious to simple solutions and being that they are the only role models the three younger children have, it seems that history is doomed to repeat itself, probably in a spin-off, Life With Edwin.

Life With Derek offers little to no educational opportunity, nor is it really funny. The characters are whiny, self-righteous and obnoxious. The only thing missing to really put the show over the edge is a laugh track.

Life With Derek The Complete First Season on DVD includes all 13 half hour episodes on two discs, each presented in full frame and featuring a Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack. The DVD box set includes several special features such as interviews with cast and crew, a behind the scenes photo shoot, and studio tours with Derek and Casey. There are also some behind the scenes footage included in the box set.