Birds of a Feather: Set 1

The British sitcom Birds of a Feather was a popular fixture of the BBC lineup between 1989 and 1998, although its popularity never quite manifested on this side of the Atlantic (an Americanized 1992 version called Stand By Your Man with a then-unknown Rosie O'Donnell in her first starring role was a dismal Fox flop). In 2014, the show returned to Britain's ITV, with the characters picking up where they left off some 15 years earlier. Frenemy sisters Sharon (Pauline Quirke) and Tracey (Linda Robson) are still in the same financial state—Sharon is poor while Tracey is in a somewhat better though also precarious monetary state—and their zany Jewish pal Dorien (Lesley Joseph) has re-emerged as a novelist with a bestselling “erotic memoir” called Sixty Shades of Green, written under the pseudonym of “Foxy Cohen.” All three women eventually wind up living together due to strapped finances, along with Tracey's sons Travis and Garth, plus the latter's Australian girlfriend Marcie and her 10-year-old daughter. Newcomers to the series will face a challenge, due to the convoluted plotlines from the original series, which make it difficult to keep up with the various estranged husbands and long-simmering antagonism that fuel the central characters' behavior. The new series is mildly amusing, with some sharp one-liners delivered by a warmly humorous ensemble, but the bantering and bickering here ultimately pales alongside the vibrancy of classic Britcoms. Presenting all eight episodes from the 2014 first season of the reboot, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette. A strong optional purchase. (P. Hall)