The Girls Next Door: Season Three (Fox DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: B Episodes: C+
Reality
television takes many forms these days; it’s become as varied and changeable as
its much older cousin, the TV game show. The
Girls Next Door (TGND)
reinforces the idea that combining tried and true elements will produce a
winning formula. In TGND, these elements include the presence of hot blonds and the
Reality TV treatment of the Playboy mansion. The girls in question are playmates Holly
Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson. All are beautiful in the ways that we commonly
associate with Playboy Magazine's pinup girls, and watching them on screen is
certainly an easy thing to do. Still,
despite the obvious, sometimes TGND
manages to deliver a little more than eye candy.
Like most
reality television, many of the scenes in the show are heavily scripted,
placing the gorgeous girls in interesting locales or facing them with
challenges that seemingly test their mettle. The withered, but still vital, patron Hugh
Hefner makes his share of appearances, defying time and years to manage his
entertainment empire and his three youthful paramours.
As the
goal of just about all television is to provide escape to the viewer, it's hard
to judge TGND too harshly. Surrounded by the opulence of The Playboy Mansion
and all of the trappings of unlimited wealth, there are many vacuous moments. However, TGND
fulfills its purpose in showcasing the girls and the dreamlike life they lead.
Like all reality television, there exist moments that are truly real. For example, Holly's affection for Hugh at her
birthday party is obvious and heartfelt.
Picture
and sound on these discs are adequate and deliver the necessary quality to
enjoy ogling the girls and their incredible surroundings. Extras include commentaries and the one hour
special "Bedtime Stories: The Best
of the Girls Next Door." This
somewhat revealing glimpse into the back corners and "best" moments
of the show will please the fans. Despite
its somewhat shallow premise TGND
can prove fairly addictive. It's very
easy to kill an hour getting lost in the girls' collective fantasy world, but
somewhat unsettling to realize that what seems like fantasy to the viewer has
become all too real for them.
- Scott R. Pyle
