The First & Second Seasons

George Lopez is sitcom that first aired in 2002. Like many other television series, e.g., Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond, it has a stand-up comic at its base. Stand-up comic George Lopez stars as the head of household in a Latin American family. The series is produced by actress Sandra Bullock (who makes a few guest appearances) and was an attempt to fill a void in ABC's lineup, which was a lack of shows with Latinos. Stand-up comic George Lopez, unlike Jerry and Raymond, does not provide accounts based upon his real life, but instead portrays a fictional Latin American family in everyday situations.

This review covers the first and second season, which has a combined twenty-eight episodes. The first season consists of four episodes, while the second season is the remaining twenty-four. The quality between the two seasons is very much the same, which is quite good. The series begins with a solid start and as its progresses, gets better. The main appeal is lead actor George Lopez. He is abundantly funny and interacts with all of his co-stars to full effect. The first and second seasons of George Lopez are hilarious.

As previously mentioned, George Lopez is the main star of the show. He plays a character of the same name. George is a loving husband and father of two. He works as a manager at an airplane factory with his closest friend and mother. George is a geeky-type who married a former high school prom queen Angie (Constance Marie). She was raised with a very different viewpoint of life, and as such she and George constantly clash on how to go about their lives. Their kids are Carmen (Masiela Lusha), a beautiful teenage girl coming into age, and Max (Luis Armand Garcia), a young boy who is still learning about life. Joining the family are George's chain smoking mom Benny (Belita Moreno), an outspoken and brash single mother, and Ernie (Valente Rodriguez), the token dumb-as-a-brick friend who has awful taste in women.

For the most part, the shining star in the cast is George. He handles the dialogue very well, delivering jokes and melding in a layer of physical comedy. The other characters are not particularly funny, but their interaction with George and each other works. George and Angie have a fun dynamic as a married couple; having been raised in very different environments their conflicts produces some fun situations.

Carmen and Max are young and innocent kids, whose youthful perspectives on life also make for good situations. One in particular is Carmen coming to terms with dating, and how it leaves George feeling. Benny's outspoken personality is decent, but sometimes feels forced. Ernie is the worst of the bunch. His character is far too cliched and sometimes feels like a cheap attempt to get laughs. In fairness, he has his moments and manages a few wholehearted jokes with Lopez.

As for the season one and two content, the episodes are a laugh riot. Each episode tackles daily life issues, some more serious than others. One story arc introduced in the season two premiere "Who's Your Daddy" is George's quest to find his father. Since he was a little boy, Benny has been telling him his father is dead. But it comes to light when he runs into the aunt-he-never-knew that his father is alive and well. From here, George, with the assistance of Angie, tries to locate his father. It introduces a dramatic story arc, which comes with plenty of laughs.

In general, the storylines are episodic, as with most sitcoms. Some of the better episodes deal with George and his reaction (or overreaction) to his kids and growing up. Like the season one episode "Max's Big Adventure". Max decides he is old enough to walk to school alone. George is afraid for his safety and employs his carpool buddy to try to get Max to get in a car with a stranger. The situation is simply funny and George carries himself well. Other episodes like "No Free Launch", where George stands up for what he believes in when the PTA leaders make unnecessary demands on the parents; Sandra Bullock guest stars, "The Unnatural", George tries to cope with the fact that Max doesn't like baseball, "Love Bites", Carmen comes home with a hickey, and "George vs. George", George falls victim to identity theft.

Overall, the first and second seasons of George Lopez offer a fun sitcom that is perfect as wholesome, silly family-oriented comedy. The lead actor George Lopez drives the show and works ell with the others to produce some terrific content. This double season set is worth getting into and will leave you laughing and wanting more.

Season One Episode Guide

1. Prototype: Congratulations, George, you're promoted to management! Now go fire either your mother or your friend.
2. Curious George: Daddy nearest. George sticks like glue to his little girl when Carmen starts dating.
3. Happy Birthdays: Accidents will happen - especially when an employee nicknamed Accident Amy is on the job.
4. Max's Big Adventure: "I'm 10, Dad! All my friends are walking to school by themselves." Max yearns for a little independence.

Season Two Episode Guide

1. Who's Your Daddy?: Aunt Cecilia has startling news: George's father, supposedly long in his grave, is very much alive.
2. Token of Unappreciation: That's sooooo not cool. Carmen's popular friends don't want her best buddy Toby in their posse.
3. Dyslexis Show The: Smart Max. Capable Max. Dyslexic Max?! George refuses to believe his son may have a problem.
4. Halloween Cheer: Reggie's house burns down. His parrot perishes. His wife walks out. Now there's more: George has to fire him.
5. The Unnatural: You're out! Max's Little League coach wants Max to call in sick for the next game.
6. No Free Lunch: Accident Amy is back and trouble comes with her: A school candy sale leads to worksite conflict between Amy and George.
7. The Wedding Dance: I won't dance, don't ask me. Even a wedding reception in his own backyard won't get George on the dance floor.
8. Love Bites: Angie has a little talk with Carmen about boys. Then George does. Then Carmen comes home with a hickey.
9. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, Honey: George thinks he's found his long-lost father and invites him to Thanksgiving. But the day may turn out to be a turkey.
10. Charity: Charity begins at home. Angie throws the household into turmoil when she throws herself into good causes.

11. Meet the Cuban Parents: Whoever has the most toys wins. George goes all out to impress his in-laws with a grande Lopez Christmas.
12. This Old Casa: Can George plumb the depths of Benny's heart? He renovates his mothers dilapidated bathroom, hoping for some gratitude.
13. Super Bowl: George's dying Uncle Joe has something valuable to leave to his heirs: two Super Bowl tickets.
14. The Valentine's Day Massacre: Picture this: A Valentine's Day mural George paitned for Angie years ago may be torn down.
15. Girl Fight: Carmen Hopez. Carmen's rejected ex-boyfriend uses name calling - and worse - to exact revenge.
16. George vs. George: George meets a man who has the same name, birthday and Social Security Number. And that's just the start of the surprises.
17. A Kiss Is Just a Kiss: What's a little kiss between friends? Plenty, when Angie's sister is the kisser and George the kissee.
18. Profiles in Courage: He's an Arab. He took flying lessons. He must be the enemy! Will George stand up for a colleague the bass wants demoted?
19. Secrets and Lies: Distressed to learn that George's father is now wealthy, Benny tries a get-rich-quick scheme: a phony trip-and-fall.
20. Girls Night Out: Angie invites street-tough Marisol to move in. Will Carmen be an influence on Marisol... or the other way around?
21. I Only Have Eyes for You: Daddy's girl? Carmen doesn't think so. She says George prefers Max to her... and George fears she may be right.
22. Team Leader: Nice work, George. His overgenerous evaluation of Ernie puts Ernie in a job maybe he can't handle.
23. George Has Two Mommies: Follow the money. A rough financial path leads George and Angie to some unexpected places.
24. Long Time No See: At last, a father-and-son reunion. George and family head to Phoenix to meet Manny Lopez.

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. The picture quality is generally good. There are occasional compression artifacts and traces of edge enhancement. But overall it is a solid picture.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is given in English and Spanish Dolby digital stereo sound. The audio sounds pretty clean and is very flat. It is as basic as TV on DVD releases get. This release also supports closed captioning and has Spanish subtitles.

Extras:
For extras, this season set includes a featurette and gag reel. Inside the Mind of George Lopez (14:50) stars Sandra Bullock, Valente Rodriguez, Belita Moreno, Robert Borden, Bruce Helford, George Lopez, Deborah Oppenheimer, Emiliano Diez, and Luis Armand Garcia. They discuss the show, the characters, storylines, and so on. Gag Reel 2002-2003 (10:02) is a series of bloopers captured during filming.

Final Thoughts:
George Lopez is a fun sitcom with lots to offer. The series is about a Latin American family and their daily lives. This release includes the show's first and second seasons. For those enjoy quirky characters who can take common everyday situations and blow them out of proportion, you'll love this show. The lead actor George Lopez provides dialogue and physical comedy in such a way that will leave you wanting more. It comes Recommended.