Life as We Know It: The Complete Series

With its attractive cast, modern rock score, and emphasis on sex, it would be easy to dismiss Life as We Know It (2004-05) as another short-lived attempt to pander to the youth market. However, stellar writing and acting make this show a refreshing, realistic, and entertaining take on young adults. The series chronicles the hormonally-infused adventures of Dino, Ben, and Jonathan, three Seattle high schoolers determined to lose their virginity. As the school year progresses, Dino catches his mother having sex with his hockey coach, Ben begins an affair with his teacher, and Jonathan worries that a bump on his penis may be cancerous. Though the episodes focus on the male characters and their points of view, the female characters are also well-defined. Life as We Know It often features frank and explicit discussions of sex (these are teen males, after all), but none of it seems gratuitous or exploitative, though more conservative viewers are likely to be offended. Over the course of the year the friends deal with situations and topics-- alcoholism, being overweight, masturbation, parental interference, and buying first condoms--in a realistic and oftentimes humorous manner sure to strike a chord with young adult viewers. DVD extras on this 14-episode set (two of which never aired) include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and outtakes. Recommended. (C. Birkmeyer)