Popular is an under praised teen comedy/drama series. The show lasted for an unfortunate two seasons. While the show isn't a clear winner, it still can be very entertaining. However, it heads in two different directions and it can be confusing to the viewer. The show will generally jump back and forth between comedy and drama as extremes. For this reason, I had a hard time getting accustomed to the series. After a couple of episodes I was ready to move to something else. However I found as I watched more episodes, the mix of serious and humorous material actually makes for a very fun show. Once this realization came, I was hooked.

The show is oriented around high school and focuses on two major groups, the popular and unpopular kids. From the first season, the show adds an unoriginal twist by mixing the groups up. The two main character's parents start dating and their worlds collide in ways they never imagined. Moving into the second season, the distinction of the two groups as popular and unpopular isn't really big. The show doesn't really focuses on the two groups, but rather individuals from both groups pairing up and getting into some wacky situations. Each situation results in a comical or serious moment.

In order to make this series comical, just about every single cliche from pop culture gets thrown in. Specifically, there are many references to scenes or lines from movies like The Exorcist, Say Anything, Jerry McGuire, Saturday Night Fever, and Scream. The actual characters also play a big role in making the show funny. Several of the characters are there for laughs and only laughs. They are weird in the way they act, their performances are way over the top, and their reactions to situations are almost unreal. The first of these characters is Roberta "Bobbi" Glass (Diane Delano). Bobbi is a chemistry teacher at Kennedy High and always involved in whatever schemes the kids are up to at school. Her character just pushes the limit in oddities and weirdness, yet the character still comes off as very likable. Generally when she is on screen, it's not a serious moment. Of course, there are a few exceptions. Another character used for laughter is Mary Cherry (Leslie Grossman), who is another character played way out of context. She's the rich girl who seems to only get noticed because she's filthy rich. She's also dumb as a brick. Grossman gives her character an intense approach to slapstick comedy in the way she handles her voice and body expressions. Unfortunately, it gets a little too extreme at times and her character gets annoying. April Tuna (Adria Dawn) is another crazy character. She's a Star Trek loving geek. She repeatedly interacts with the regular cast of Popular to fit in with them, but her geeky tendencies never seem to live up to expectations.

On the serious side, the show tries to incorporate a lot of drama with good old fashion moral lessons. They cover issues like drug abuse, freedom of speech, racism, homophobia, cancer, parent alcoholism, eating disorders, poverty, homelessness, the danger of frat parties (for underage high school girls), etc. The list goes on and on. For the most part the issues were dealt with a fairly decent manner, but they are typically over exaggerated. Part of it is how the characters can turn little issues into something bigger than it is or even the way they approach it.

Lily Esposito (Tamara Mello) is the unpopular turned cool girl who is an activist in practically any issue she can fight for. Whether it's freedom of speech, right to privacy, or forcing a Jewish kid to come out of the closet, she sticks her nose into other people's business without thought of the actual retributions. Lily sometimes goes way overboard and takes the entire cast with her and it can just leave you shaking your head with disgust. She generally takes Josh Ford (Bryce Johnson). Josh is the football star, Brooke's season one boyfriend, and another character who adds to the comical aspect. He usually isn't a very serious person and typically balances out Lily's stern demeanor.

While most of the serious stories feel a little overdone, there are still some very gripping and extremely dramatic plots. In the most dramatic of the season revolves around formerly unpopular kid Harrison John (Christopher Gorham). In the early half of the season he gets caught in drugs, which later unravels a traumatic story that really affects everyone else at Kennedy High. I won't go into details because it is really something you should watch for yourself.

Nicole Julian (Tammy Lynn Michaels) is another character who adds uniqueness to the show. Her role falls in both the comedy and seriousness, but generally the latter. She is the manipulative bitch, who is behind every plot and scheme at Kennedy High. While most of her fellows students are not as caught up with the popularity contest, it's all she seems to care about. There is also Carmen Ferrara (Sara Rue), who is the unpopular slightly overweight girl turned cheerleader. She's not a huge addition to the cast, but adds some substance in the early episodes.

At this point, I have yet to mention the two main characters of the series. They are Brook McQueen (Leslie Bibb), the popular girl, and Sam MacPherson (Carly Pope), the unpopular girl. Their roles in this show fall more towards the dramatic portions, but they do occasionally step into the comedy side. Typically, whatever crazy situation their friends are getting into, they're involved in. While they play a major role in this show, they aren't what really bring this show together. It's the entire cast and how all of their oddities and regularities blend together with plenty of cliches from pop culture that makes the show work. As earlier mentioned, it's both gripping and comical. It has a unique balance of drama and comedy that makes you want to come back for more.

This second season was good, but far from the best television season release on DVD I've watched. It is still quite refreshing and fun. The very large cast is outlined very well in who they are and how they interact. Each new episode brings more situations to make you laugh or cringe. A major flaw pointed out in Gil Jawetz's review of the first season is the series tries to cover way too much. A lot of the stories end with big hugging moments, where everybody forgets their differences and decides to be best friends. In the next episode, whatever relationship was defined previously is out the door. Similarly, there are many stories and some characters that just disappear without (very much) explanation. Regardless, the second season of Popular can be very entertaining and I recommend it.

The DVD

Video:
The second season of Popular is given in 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. The picture quality is generally good and offers a fairly clean picture. There is a grain and minor compression artifacts, but it is not very distinct.

Audio:
The audio track in this DVD release is given in the format of English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound. It is primarily dialogue driven and offers a relatively flat and clean experience. The music, on the other hand, has a little more body to it.

Extras:
The extras are fairly slim with two audio commentaries and a dull interactive trivia game. The commentaries are for episodes "The Shocking Possession Of Harrison John" with Leslie Bibb, Bryce Johnson, and Chris Gorham and "The Brain Game" with Leslie Bibb and Bryce Johnson.

Final Thoughts:
Popular is not the most impressive television series as either a teen comedy or drama, but it is still a fun series. The second season gets very dramatic and also adds a nice touch of comedy. While the approach can be a little extreme at times, it is still done fairly well. The second season of Popular is entertaining and great for fans or general viewers who enjoy teen comedies/dramas.