Gimme a Break is back and this time it's better than ever. This season began in 1981 and stars the late Nell Carter who plays Nell Harper. Nell is the African American house keeper for the Kanisky family, a polish family of five. The premise behind the show is that the mother (Margaret) passes away and on her death bed asks Nell to watch over the rest of her family.

Her husband is a traditional family oriented Polish-Catholic man, played by Dolph Sweet. He is the chief of police and is left alone to raise his three daughters, and often finds himself struggling between his old traditional values and the resistance of the girls during in the 80's. He and Nell also tend to go head to head as two very strong forces that tend to compliment each other as much as they differ.

The oldest one, Katie, played by Kari Michaelson is a typical blonde high school student, hurtling through puberty. Roughly placed in the 11th grade or so.

The middle one, Julie is played by Lauri Hendler, and is more of the nerdy outcast. Her character tends to be more whitty and experimental due to her age. She is right behind Katie and the two bond more with each other than the other characters.

Samanatha, the baby is played by Lara Jill Miller. Although she isn't really a baby she is the one who seems to struggle the most with their mothers death and is the most clingy with Nell during the first season. Samantha is also a tomboy who is clueless about boys and puberty and all that "yucky" stuff.

Nell is a very lovable yet brassy woman with a whole lot of spunk!

The first season really pulls you into the series itself as it introduces you to each of the characters and if you watch long enough you may recognize a few familiar faces of today. For instance in one episode a young Danny Glover portrays one of Nell's love interests.

Helen Hunt plays one of Katie's friends, who is unwed and pregnant.

As with most 80's shows, Gimme a Break tackles a lot of moral and ethical issues that families were facing during the days it was filmed. It handles everything from teenage pregnancy as mentioned above to racism and at the same time keeps the underscore of the mother's loss at heart.

This show is a very light hearted, laugh out loud, 80's classic that belongs on any dvd collector or pop culture enthusiasts shelf.

It has a few dry moments, and can get quite serious in spots but those parts move along fairly quickly, and the show generally ends on a positive note. It's a feel good kind of show that teaches life lessons while reminding us of the culture and times of the 1980's.

All in all a GREAT BUY!

On Disc 3 it also comes with a bonus feature of 3 episodes of other box sets. 1 is from Season 2 of Gimme A Break, 1 from Kate and Allie, and the 3rd from Charles in Charge. Don't watch them unless you plan to buy them though because if you are a fan like me it can be too much of a tease!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12