DVD Corner

The Girls Next Door: The Complete Series DVD Review

“The Girls Next Door” is a guilty pleasure.

For those who have wanted to see some of what is going on behind closed doors in The Playboy Mansion, “The Girls Next Door” is the series for you. Over the course of the E! Channel show’s six seasons, viewers got to follow the adventures of Hugh Hefner’s prior girlfriends’ peppy California gal Bridget Marquardt, Hef’s number 1 girl at the time (Holly Madison), and wild party girl (Kendra Wilkinson). In season 6, the show focused on new girls (Crystal and twins Kristina and Karissa).

Anyway, through the perspective of these women, you get to learn about their lives, pets, sightseeing trips, their life at the mansion, and even certain business facts as well. Among the MANY plots included in this series are: The women attending awards ceremonies, other Playmates, pets, a Jazz festival trip, birthdays, clubbing, multiple Vegas trips, 4th of July parties, care packages to troops, Fight Night, Playboy photo shoots, salon/hair appointments, Hef’s former girlfriends, Midsummer Night’s Dream parties, movie nights, girlfriend’s families, Playboy Headquarters trip, charity events, a New York trip, Hef’s 80th birthday bash (and other Birthday parties), an ad shoot, an Easter party, a dog birthday party, a slumber party, a baby shower for Victoria Fuller, trips to London, Rome, Paris, Cannes, Barcelona, Munich, Naples, Venice, Halloween parties, an exercise video, a Playboy bunny audition, new fish for an aquarium, paranormal investigations, a Christmas party, a snowboard trip, Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras parties, Playmate of the year competition, horseback riding, Star Wars celebrations, a Marie Antoinette party, Holly working as a photo editor, a calendar shoot, Kendra going to charm school and entering a race, a Renaissance Fair trip, a luncheon, a gym decoration, Kendra’s mom getting plastic surgery, an Alaska trip, Playboy Golf Scramble, a Jamaica trip, a wedding for Holly’s sister, a Monte Carlo trip, a murder mystery game, surfing and swimming lessons, filming a scene for “The House Bunny,” a Super Bowl party,

Hef getting choked up by daughter Christie’s speech, Hef’s family, redecorations, a trip to the Kentucky Derby, a search for the 55th Anniversary Playmate, a Playmate softball game, an Aspen trip, scrapbooking, a Birthday for Bridget’s sister, the production of a horror film that Bridget is involved with, Kendra falling for a Philadelphia Eagles player, scuba diving lessons, a spa trip, Kendra, Bridget and Holly leaving the mansion (and the show), introductions of Crystal, Kristina, and Karissa, a viewing of Holly’s “Peep Show” in Vegas, a roller disco party, a backyard camping experience, the twins rehearsing for Sophia Coppola’s “Somewhere,” an Italy trip, Crystal takes singing lessons, a baby shower for Kendra, and a video commercial shoot.

As someone who generally detests reality show, I have to say that “The Girls Next Door” is better than your average reality show. It does what it sets out to do in that it allows viewers to explore a world most people can only dream of. Sure, it’s essentially glorified fantasy wish fulfillment, but seeing and learning about the life of Hugh Hefner and his girlfriends is nothing short of fascinating. Can it be creepy at times? Absolutely, but you can’t help but get caught up in Hefner’s extravagant lifestyle and the charming ladies that accompany him.

As with most series, the show wears thin by around season 4. By that point, the show had run its course and you had seen virtually every party there is to have. “The Girls Next Door” really hit rock bottom in season 6 when the new cast was introduced. To say the season felt forced is an understatement. It’s no surprise that it was the series final season because these girls just didn’t have the personality that Kendra, Bridget and Holly had.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: The first 5 seasons are in fullscreen while the last season is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen. How does it look?  Satisfactory. The show predictably looks better with each passing season with season 6 looking the sharpest.

Audio Track: Dolby Digital Stereo (Uncensored or Censored). How does it sound? The  music and dialogue sound fine. No more, no less.

Extras:
* 29 deleted scenes from season 1, 48 season 2, season 3 37, season 4 25, season 5 65, season 6 17
* Commentary on all seasons 1-5 episodes by by Holly, Bridget, and Kendra. Giggling, some expanded information and facts,
* Episode promos 2-16
* Photo galleries season 1,
* Interviews with Holly, Bridget, and Kendra talking about their lives.
* Unaired pilot called “Hef’s World” with optional commentary by Holly, Bridget, and Kendra. The main difference with this pilot compared to the show is that you get to see a behind-the-scenes look at the Playboy Mansion staff.
* “Career Dazed” promo.
* A special premiere version of the first two episodes of season 2.
* 2 sneak peak ads for season 2.
* A Fox film trailer and a season 3 teaser for “The Girls Next Door”.
* “Bedtime Stories: The Best Of The Girls Next Door”- A clip show.
* Season 4 uncensored supertease.
* Commentary on all season 6 episodes by Crystal, Kristina, and Karissa. Grating.
* “Bunny House” pilot episode which focuses on the Playmate House.

September 17, 2015 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Bridget Marquardt, Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner, Kendra Wilkinson, The Girls Next Door: The Complete Series DVD Review