Perfect Strangers: The Complete Series

In a bygone era, officially known as the 1980's, Perfect Strangers was a much beloved sitcom about the immigrant experience; America, in all its wondrous imperfection, seen through the lens of an innocent, unaffected by first-world problems.

The joy of seeing stars Mark Lynn-Baker and Bronson Pinchot awkwardly cope, spar and find common ground is still evident in this 'one and done' box set from Warner Home Video. As the series was shot on film - a rarity for sitcoms of the period - the mastering effort put forth here reveals newfound detail and a gorgeous color palette that analog tube sets of the 80's could only guess at.

Occasionally, the color can appear slightly 'juiced' with eye-popping reds and vibrant greens that appear to have come from a Technicolor spray paint. But mostly, this looks decades younger than it ought. As for the series' longevity...The talent is still there for the asking. Alas, America's cultural shift towards cynicism now makes much of what's here appear as though to have hailed from another planet.

For those old enough, as yours truly, to remember, revisiting Perfect Strangers on Blu is like coming home to an old friend you left behind. Those who've come to this party late, alas, will likely think little more of it than quaint, weird and strangely out of touch with what they've grown up since. Alas, times have changed. And not for the better.