30 Days - Season 1

These 1 hour episodes seemed take care to be "fair and balanced", showing the given issue from multiple points of view, and stating empirical data -- to make the issues far more than the typical one-sided whining-fest so much of the "news" and "news" channel documentary shows offer these days. I was very pleasantly surprised how consistently this was done.Each episode had little "pod" sections where a particular aspect of the issue was amplified. Morgan frequently took part in these, ensuring he had an active part in the series even when he wasn't in most of the episodes as originally planned.The episode with Morgan Spurlock and his girlfriend trying to survive on a minimum wage income was very interesting. They could have made it (barely) if they had no kids (actually, they have no kids, but they took in a couple of friend's or relatives kids, which resulted in a LOT of stress and spending in just 2 days) and never got sick. Of course in the real world, that doesn't happen. This dramatically shows the impact of modern medical costs to the poor. It also shows how the stresses of true poverty can play havoc with relationships. There were lots of good conversations and normal daily living issues that really brought the reality of miniumum wage living home.Unlike most of the commentary that goes with DVD movies, etc. these days, I thought that the commentary that went with each episode was VERY enlightening and well done. It explained the main throughts and philosopy of some of the main folks producing the show, why they did things the way they did, and pointed out some of the techniques and key points that the viewer might not catch in one viewing.From these commentaries, I was happy to learn that apparently I "got it" -- that this show was about reaching out to people who lived radically different lives, and learning from the experience. (Think how much different the world could be if our first reaction to something we don't understand about someone was to try to empaphize with that person, instead of hurling insults (or worse)).Another key point of these commentaries was that they went with the flow of what REALLY happened in the episodes -- instead of trying to influence things or make them tell some tale that some producer wanted to get across. Thus, for example -- one episode was only really 22 days and some commentary about the aftermath -- since for safety reasons the 30 days couldn't be completed. Instead of trying to hide that or force the issue -- the producer and director just worked with that and made it an honest and integral part of the documentary. Gee. Reality TV that is actually about reality. What a concept.The DVD set (two DVD's) was easy to navigate, and intuitive. Each of the episodes had a commentary track, and also a "missing documentary videos" track, where the main character(s) in an episode spoke alone to the camera about their current thoughts and moods any night during the 30 days that they wished to. Though the quality of these comments and insights varied widely, they added a nice extra behind-the-scenes dimension to the season which added some value to the DVD set, in my opinion.There were only six episodes, making a mighty short season. This was the main drawback to me. Hopefully season two will have a more filled-out line-up, since this show has proven to be a winner for the F/X channel.I am editing an original review from watching 3 episodes on TV. Now that I have the DVD and have watched all the episodes and the extras, I would definitely rate it FIVE stars, but Amazon's editor apparently won't let me change the star rating.

One of those shows that gets you right in the pit of your stomach, leaving you drained and unable to think of anything else. Our nation's lawmakers would do well to watch the "living on minimum wage" episode, and hopefully they will never view the "Living Off the Grid" one. (alternate title: Better Living Through Chemicals)You'll think seriously about your relationship with God, and if the outer trappings really mean that much once you visit Michigan, which has many immigrants who practice the Muslm faith. Then you get to wonder why these gentle, learned people are so demonized, and if the "War on Terror" is merely another Crusade, ~500 yrs late.You will meet the most patient person on Earth, Ed, who lives in the Castro District of San Francisco, who takes in a lovable, heterosexual Caveman for a houseguest. Surprisingly, both are changed at the end of the month (Ed less than Thor, of course). This episode, like most of the others, grabs your attention and doesn't let you go until the ride has come to a complete stop. You stumble through the exit and turn off the television, thinking about what the heck you've seen.We saw all the episodes multiple times (Thank You, TIVO), and have pre-ordered the DVDs. Our hope is that the DVDs will add loads of new material and teasers for the coming season. But even if it doesn't, just getting to watch the episodes once more without commercials will be a real treat.This television series is best for adults and older teens; parents of younger teens will have to decide on a case by case basis.

Television -- The Box That Dares Not Speak Its Name -- has such incredible power. It could be educational, bringing understanding and familiarity to people who otherwise would mistrust and disrespect each other from lack of contact. It could even out some of the disparities in our education system. It could teach critical thinking by exposing the fallacies of blind acceptance of unproven allegations.Instead, it does... not.Except when Morgan Spurlock's on the screen. His "Super Size Me" was a landmark documentary, exposing a corporate giant's avoidance of the truth about its products. And his series "30 Days" extends this same clear-eyed and intelligent investigation to a different subject each episode. Subtitled "Try Someone Else's Life On For Size," this is exactly what he does, and the results are some of the best TV ever broadcast.This first season includes the following episodes:* Minimum Wage - shows how the working poor fall through the cracks and in some ways are worse off than the unemployed* Anti-Aging - how the pseudo-medical supplement industry preys on vanity with no regard for the health risks involved* Muslims and America - what it's like to be a Muslim in post-9/11 America* Straight Man in a Gay World - preconceptions dissolve (on both sides!) when worlds collide* Off The Grid - how to live a totally green existence, and what this would mean to our accustomed standard of living* Binge Drinking Mom - a 46-year old mom tries to keep up with her daughter's partying, and predictably fails miserablyOnly the last one was not full of surprises and hugely eye-opening. I am anxiously awaiting the release of Season Two.

French audio track is not included as advertised.