20th Century Fox | 2009 | 307 mins. | Not Rated
Before receiving a review copy of Kendra: The Complete First Season on DVD, I had never seen the show. However, I have seen E!’s other popular reality series, The Girls Next Door, so I thought I knew what to expect. Former Playboy model Kendra Baskett (nee, Wilkinson), had a relationship with the magazines founder Hugh Hefner; she met Hef when he was 78 and she was 19. As one of the stars of The Girls Next Door, Kendra was known for her tomboyish personality, and her willingness to do sports themed photo shoots.
The first season of Kendra follows the 23- year-old Baskett shows us her life after ending things with Hef, moving out of the Playboy Mansion and having a whirl-wind romance with the then Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, Hank Baskett (he now plays for the Indianapolis Colts). After only about six months together, the couple end up getting married and find out they’re expecting a baby.
Kendra has an undeniable goofy charm that makes her fun to watch. Since she doesn’t have to share camera time with Bridget Marquardt and Holly Madison, more of her infectious personality is on display. Because she no longer lives at the Playboy Mansion, the endless hours of idle time are gone. As a result, we get to see what appears to be a far more “real” Kendra trying to deal with everyday issues. “We can’t just make things without things!” she says exasperatedly in the middle of the supermarket. Despite her goofiness, Kendra does display a new level of seriousness when it comes to her baby’s health and seems truly grateful to Hef, who lets her have the wedding at the Playboy Mansion, the only one besides his own to take place there.
Though Kendra’s nuptials take place at the mansion, the rest of her life is lived on a decidedly smaller scale. She has her bridal shower in the community room of a condominium development, and gets rather excited when it’s announced chicken wings and grilled cheese will be served. Heck, if she didn’t have her own reality show, and wasn’t marrying a guy who plays in the NFL, you’d swear she could be one of your neighbors.
I can’t finish this review without saying a few words about Hank Baskett. He seems so grounded and considerate; it’s hard to believe he’s a professional athlete. He just doesn’t seem to have an egotistical bone in his body. Kendra may not be the sharpest girl in the room, but she seems delightful. Assuming it’s not an act on their part, here’s hoping Kendra and Hank are the sign of a new era of celebrity–decent people who work hard (whether said jobs including posing nude or catching balls), rise to the top, and remain decent people despite the spoils of fame and wealth.
Presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, The picture is sharp, colors are bold, and compression artifacts are nonexistent.
The Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack in English certainly gets the job done. This is a dialogue driven series and everything is clear and understandable. Closed Captioning and English SDH. Spanish and French Subtitles are included for the hearing impaired.
There is only one extra, reminiscence Bonus Episode: “Keepin’ It Real,” which basically lays out the future plans for the series.
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