Huff: Season 1 (2004)

The season STARTS with a great sex life...

Genre: Drama Comedy Series

Starring: Hank Azaria (Mystery Men; "The Simpsons"), Oliver Platt (Pieces of April; Kinsey)

Created By: Robert Lowry

Overview: When faced with a tragic incident at work, psychiatrist Craig Huffstodt finds himself experiencing a bit of a crisis. That's ok, so are all his friends and family.

Acting: Hello, quality. I think everyone's favorite character would have to be Russel, the vice-laden criminal lawyer, played by Pratt, but Hank, his wife Beth, and their mothers are all just quality players. Even Huff's and Russel's secretaries do a great job of being strong support characters. Best show on television.
Rating: 9

Cinematography: Terrific. Aside from being professional, interesting and dynamic, there's just this touch of artistic subtlety, use of the rule of thirds, colour contrast and juxtaposition, and the use of wide angle lenses and other low-tech special effects that keeps the focus on the reality, but make the scenes visually impressive.
Rating: 9

Script: And here we go. The fights that happen, the slights, the awkward moments, the chats between friends and the dynamic of the bosses with their secretaries, clients and peers. Each character is distinct, each line is an adventure and the explorations of the angles of approach are just slightly different than everyday. This is what sets this show apart from every other. This is incredible.
Rating: 10

Plot: The best part about this season is that the show starts on a big heavy note that you think will take all season to resolve itself. That's what they use to suck you in, then they move on from that in just a few episodes. They just jump right into Huff's personal life while keeping just a touch of the professional. What a cliff-hanger season ending!
Rating: 8

Mood: I will admit that their 14 year-old son is not the right fit for the role. He's a little too genius for his age, a little to wise beyond his years. Where's the teen angst? Characters like crazy-patient Melody and Huff's own brother are clearly more vehicles for Huff's character development than people who can be considered genuine in their own right, but overall this is one season that will have you glad it's available on DVD because you'll just want to jump right into the next episode.
Rating: 8

Theeeere he is! Rich lawyer lush extraordinaire.

Overall Rating: 88% (Will Leave You Panting!)

Aftertaste: I semi-vowed this year to stop watching television on a schedule. I don't watch TV, and the series' that I watch are all DVD. I hate commercials and I hate being on the clock of someone else. I've always said that the best shows make it to DVD and I can get those and watch them at my own convenience. When Season 2 started, I cursed at how good the opening episode was, knowing that I would be committed to a time and place for the rest of the season. Thanks God for OnDemand because it's commercial free. You get what you pay for.

I've watched this season twice, it's that good.