3/5 "Just when you think you're all by yourself, you're not."
  by Westley (Stuck in my head)
"Kate & Allie" debuted as a mid-season replacement in spring 1984. The show's first six episodes, which comprise this first season disk, were an immediate hit (#8 for the season and an Emmy nomination for Best Comedy Series), and the series continued for another five seasons. The series repaired Susan St. James ("McMillan and Wife") as Kate and Jane Curtin ("Saturday Night Live") as Allie - the two had starred in the largely forgotten 1980 movie, "How to Beat the High Co$t of Living" (which also featured Jessica Lange). Kate and Allie are both mothers who have been best friends since childhood. Kate has been divorced for awhile, and when Allie's successful physician husband divorces her, she and Kate decide to move in together and start a new life. Kate works at a travel agency, while life-long housewife Allie stays home and takes care of the house and kids.

I watched "Kate & Allie" regularly as a teen when it was on the air. Since then, it has rarely been in syndication, especially when compared to other hit comedies of the era. Frankly, time hasn't been particularly kind to the show. The first six episodes contain a few laughs, but the show is clearly still trying to find its footing. The acting is so-so, with Susan St. James coming off best as free-spirited Kate. Jane Curtin (who won two consecutive Emmys for Lead Actress in a Comedy, beating St. James in the process) seems shrill today, and her character is simply not endearing. Likewise, Kate's daughter (Emma played by Ari Meyers) comes off much more naturally than Allie's two kids (Allison Smith as Jennie and Frederick Koehler as Chip), who mug for the camera and step on every line. However, the series still is worthwhile for its warm depiction of adult female friends who pitch in to help each other. Most people can only dream of having a friend like Kate or Allie. I would have given it 4 stars, but this DVD set has become outdated by the subsequent release of a set featuring both Seasons 1 and 2. The set really isn't worth buying for six skimpy shows.


5/5 Wonderful show
  by Matt (UNITED KINGDOM)
This is a wonderful show but one wonders why the distribution is lame to say the least.

1/5 Hurray For Canada!
  by David Jackson
I was noticing that Amazon.ca in Canada is releasing Season 4 of Kate and Allie on July 3. It seems like the poor distributors in this country are trying to figure out why nobody is buying America's Season 1. I can't help but wonder if they will wait to release Season 2 after everyone has purchased the complete series from Canada. (And then wonder why nobody is buying Season 2)

5/5 Kate & Allie
  by Jaycee (Massachusetts)
Even though these episodes were made in the 80's they are still true to life stories, timeless, funny and heartwarming. A true classic. I would recommend these to anyone who wants to sit down and curl up with a great woman to woman show. Wish more season sets would be available soon.

1/5 Season 1 & 2 and now season 3...only in Canada eh! ;)
  by Steven A. Lennie (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)
As noted by another reviewer in response to many comments that this disc set only contains 6 episodes, the Canadian release is in fact season 1 and 2 in one boxed set. It contains all 6 season 1 episodes and all 22 season 2 episodes. It is a 4-disc set with the season one 6 episodes on one disc and season 2 on the other 3. It is in two slimline dvd cases with 2 discs per case. It does not contain the bonus features listed on the US set but does contain a bonus episode from Gimme a Break Season 1 titled "The Second Time Around" But I would rather forego the bonus featues and have the second season as well instead of 6 episodes.

The Complete THIRD Season of Kate & Allie was just released in Canada this Tuesday (February 6th) and contains all 23 season 3 episodes. 4-disc set in 2 slimline cases with 2 discs per case. No bonus features but not released in the US. Both sets are available from amazon.ca