I never watched this show when it originally aired, but I had the discomfort of watching a couple episodes on rerun. This show is not funny, it's not even mildly amusing.

The charm of this show,built around the "Opposites Attract" construct of two disparate sorts--a sexy,pretty,"Flower Child" Messeuse and Yoga Instructor(Jenna Elfman)and a button-down,conservatively raised lawyer(Thomas Gibson)--had almost four seasons of wit,charm and good pacing and energy(about a season or two more than the ensuing show from producer Chuck Lorre "Two and a Half Men")before the show's character relationships seemed to hit a wall. Not surprisingly,the show went off the air not long after that. Very good supporting turns by Mitchell Ryan(as Greg's dad),Alan Rachins(as Dharma's dad)and Susan Sullivan(As Greg's mom)kept the show running(sometimes flat-out stole the show)augmented the show's make-up,so it was able to sustain some momentum WELL after the initial disconnect was established. Not as populous in syndication as I initially believed it might be,it's worth some looks.

I have been using my DVR to catch all the reruns I can find (DVR makes it so easy), since this is one of my all-time favorite sitcoms ever. The central cast of Greg, Dharma, his folks, her folks, as well as their friends Pete and Jane were all such well developed characters. The writing and chemistry was exceptional and made watching the show true entertainment. The guest appearances were always a riot as well and dove-tailed into the show so easily; they never strained the believability of the show or the story. This show always tended towards the positive, with the few exceptions of shows that dealt with Dharma and Greg having/adopting a baby (for instance). Even though there were some emotionally "heavy" episodes, the eventual outcome was positive. This certainly made for an inspirational, yet highly comedic half hour of entertainment.I am hoping that the yet to be released TV show "Courting Alex" will be just as successful, since Jenna Elfman is such a great actress/comedienne and then hopefully the Dharma and Greg series will be released to purchase on DVD! I have also been waiting for news of DVD release of "Step by Step" and "Family Matters" and have heard (as of 12/2005) that ABC is considering a 'best of' collection of both of these series and depending on consumer response, may or may not release the entire collection for purchase. Keeping my fingers crossed that will happen!By-the-by, IMDb lists 2 episodes as unknown, but they are actually #14 & #15 from Season 3. And happy days - the First season will be available to purchase on June 25, 2006. Been watching Courting Alex, which is cute, Jenna Elfman is an underrated talent - beautiful & funny! Hope she goes on to make more shows on TV and/or big screen!

Yes, there are parallels to "I Love Lucy," but with a degree of introspection which was impossible for TV in those days. I regard this show as one of the last of the US broadcast networks' "second golden age," which emerged at the end of the seventies.The actors use their voices extremely well; their timing, phrasing and range of modulation are expertly refined and restrained, and amazingly accomplished for TV. There are very few essential sight gags; when replaying the (excellent quality) audio track alone, I am intrigued by how well it would have worked on radio.I notice some don't seem to "get" the parents, seeing them as shallow stereotypes. But their roles were written and played with the winking insight that the characters have become quite well aware their lifestyles, values and belief systems were folly. With evident embarrassment, they pragmatically and self-consciously stick to their pretensions, as they provide the only structure they dare trust enough to hold their fragile self-identities and relationships together.This is gently revealed in the dynamic between and among the folks. The kids may seem to be center stage, but having themselves already caught on, essentially play "straight man" together to the poignant unfolding of their parents' subdued realizations as they sail into the fading expectations of middle age.