It's been 37 years since this show first appeared and we were presented with the acting abilities of two young men beginning their careers. Peter Scolari would go on to more TV work in series like HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS and NEWHART. The other actor you may have heard of starring in more big screen movies. His name was Tom Hanks.
BOSOM BUDDIES told the story of Kip Wilson (Hanks) and best friend Henry Desmond, two young men with dreams of making it as an artist and writer respectively, who work at an ad agency. When the building they're living in is demolished they look for somewhere else to stay. Agency secretary Amy (Wendie Jo Sperber), who openly longs for Henry, offers them a place for the weekend staying at her apartment. What she fails to mention is the fact that she lives in an all woman's apartment building. In an effort to "skirt" the regulations Kip and Henry borrow some ladies clothing from their workplace and waltz into the apartment complex as Buffy and Hildegard, sisters to Kip and Henry. When they realize how nice and affordable the place is they decide to make it more permanent and rent the room across the hall from Amy.
Making the place all the more attractive is the fact that Amy's roommate is Sonny (Donna Dixon), a beautiful blonde that Kip immediately falls in love with. Of course this leads to all sorts of shenanigans as Kip tries to woo Sonny while his alter ego Buffy continues to tell Sonny all about how wonderful a catch her "brother" is.
The series was successful enough to garner two full seasons and as a fan I never understood why it disappeared. Reading about it now it seems the ratings just weren't there for the show. Then again when you discover the same thing about a series like CHEERS it makes you wonder why TV executives don't to more to promote their shows and give them a bigger opportunity. The fact that the series has developed a bit of a cult following shows that it could have gone on longer.
The biggest attraction of the series was the quirky nature of the comedy involved here. Hanks and Scolari play well off one another and it's easy to see, more so when you read about it, that there are many improvisational items in the series that made it one of the funniest things on TV at the time. Watching it all these years later it is still hilarious and enjoyable.
But there is something else interesting to note here. There is no way possible this series could be made in now. The timing of this release, completely unintentional, rides on the coat tails of the #metoo movement and many items in the show would simply not fly in today's politically correct atmosphere. They are harmless and often revolve around the natural attraction between men and women. In fact much of the time when either Kip or Henry act like lecherous males it's to their detriment. And by living lives as women part time they discover the other side of the coin.
One episode does a great job of looking at how men look at women as mere meat rather than as entire entities. A night out in drag they're looked over by the men at a local singles bar causing Henry to get angry that the men don't find them attractive enough to bother to ask them to dance. His outrage becomes vocal as Kip tries to remind him that their NOT women and that it's probably in their best interest not to have men attracted to them. Later on Henry realizes that while he was angry at the treatment he received he's been doing the same thing with Amy for some time.
There are a number of jokes in the show that are hilarious and yet would cause the latest social warrior to demand a safe space to recover from being forced to listen to them. But the fact remains that comedy is supposed to make us uncomfortable at times, it's supposed to make us think and consider all there is around us. BOSOM BUDDIES did just that with each episode and made us laugh at the same time. It shows what is lacking in most comedies today, a sense of what is right without trying to shove it down your throat while watching. This more subtle approach unites rather than divides, never taking sides like many of today's comedies do. In the end it will make this the better series to remember and be enjoyed and will reach a larger audience.
The single seasons have been released in the past but CBS Home Entertainment is releasing it now in the complete series format in a single box that will most likely take up less shelf space and keep it all together in one spot. If you've never seen the show then by all means pick this one up. You'll find yourself laughing start to finish and in addition to that get exposed to the crazy antics of Hanks in a very different light than seen in recent years. He's become such a great actor and while that's apparent here he's more inclined to remind you of Robin Williams than the star he is today. Pick up a copy and see why.
6 out of 7 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
