What is it? Bosom Buddies, complete series, 37 episodes on six discs from CBS Video
When? Now
How much? $29.98
Who are the buddies? Kip (Tom Hanks) and Henry (Peter Scolari), two young men struggling to make their way in the world of advertising.
The Tom Hanks? The very same. This was his first "big break."
What's the story? When their apartment building is demolished, Kip and Henry face a big problem: They can't find a new apartment they can afford.
The Susan B. Anthony Hotel is nice, clean and cheap. The only problem? It's for women only.
So, they do what any rational, reasonable people would do. They create new identities, pick up some dresses, wigs and makeup, and move on in.
Their friend, neighbor and co-worker Amy (Wendie Jo Sperber), who is in love with Henry, is the only one in on the scheme at first. To manager Lilly (Lucille Benson) and fellow residents Isabelle (Telma Hopkins) and Sonny (Donna Dixon), Kip and Henry are just Buffy and Hildegarde, two new girls to hang out with.
The men's lives become a complicated routine of changing from one identity to another multiple times in a day -- Buffy and Hildy at home, Kip and Henry at work, where their ruthless boss, Ruth (Holland Taylor), is none the wiser. But sometimes they're Kip and Henry (aka Buffy's and Hildy's brothers) at home, too.
Naturally, their charade gets them into a lot of off-the-wall situations and stirs up a lot of gender-based comedy. Particularly since Kip is head-over-heels for blonde bombshell Sonny.
Are Scolari and Hanks believable as women? Not a bit. But just go with it.
How is it? Silly, wacky and offbeat. It's not the best series ever but Scolari and Hanks have good chemistry and the semi-improvised nature sometimes elevates it above standard sitcom stuff.
One note: The show's original theme song was "My Life" by Billy Joel, performed by Gary Bennett and Mike Lucas. On the DVD, though, the opening credits play to Stephanie Mills singing "Shake Me Loose."
Are there extras? There's the show's original 7-minute sales presentation video.
New this week: Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Season 1; Crossbow, complete series; Fear the Walking Dead, Season 3; The Handmaid's Tale, Season 1; Into the Badlands, Season 2; Knightfall, Season 1; Major Crimes, Season 6
Next week: Archer, Season 8; Lou Grant, Season 5; When Calls the Heart, The Heart of Homecoming
Style on 03/11/2018