Family Bonds - The Complete First Season (2004)

It's Like TNT-Dynamite!

I LOVE THIS SHOW AND WISH THEY WOULD COME BACK FOR ANOTHER SEASON! I WONDER WHAT THEY ARE UP TO NOW. DID CHRIS EVER FIND TRUE LOVE? HOW IS DANA'S BABY DOING? IS SAL STILL WITH THE FAMILY BUSINESS? HOW IS FRANKIE THE KID DOING? HBO, PLEASE BRING BACK THE EVANGELISTA FAMILY! March 31, 2007

Give it a Chance

I myself enjoy the show very much - my husband is a police officer so we realize that a large portion of the show is glamorized, much the same as any other reality show - but come on. If you're going to completely shaft the readers of these reviews with terms like "stuipdness" and "complane", do you honestly think you are qualified to dump on the members in the show? They're real people with feelings - not actors. To everyone else, if you're looking for some authentic, passionate people who joke and laugh and live just like everyone else, take a look at Family Bonds. It's addicting. December 1, 2006

Not as bad as you'd think

'Family Bonds' and 'Dog: The Bounty Hunter' were both similar-themed shows vying for viewer attention at the time, which may explain why a lot of people are more familiar with the basic cable 'Dog' vs. HBO's 'Family Bonds'. This is a DVD I've had for months and had little interest in but I have since watched all 10 episodes just this week. I was glad to be surprised.

The episodes center around the Evangelista family, with the apprehending of bail jumpers taking up a minimal amount of actual screen-time. Instead you see the interaction of the Evangelista family: blowhard (softie) patriarch Tom, his stylized but voluptuous, down-to-earth wife Flo and their children. Nephew Chris, a Jersey bear of a guy, lives on their couch in light of his divorce while Flo's two sisters work in the bail bond offices. Of the two sisters, Dawn is the one who stands out with her frosted hair and Jersey tawk, along with a husband who is not doing such a hot job running their branch of the business.

Episodes generally cross-cut between the pursuit of bail cases in the company van, Tom and family at the office and various family circumstances outside of work. While this doesn't sound riveting (and it isn't) its watchability is raised by the non-intrusive, documentary style of HBOs reality programming/specials where the cameras capture nuance and real-life communication that is refreshing and easy to relate to. Watch this after your primetime line-up and admire the family's unvarnished honesty and real-life comedy. The Evangelista kids aren't sitcom brats and are admirably mature, compared to socialites with their own shows who can't even spell. This isn't classic TV but it is an interesting 300 minutes with a family you don't see often on television and is definitely worth a rent--- unless you're a true fan and want the set for keeps. I wish this family well, big-mouths and all. May 13, 2006

Absolutely LOVE it!!!

I cannot get enough of the Evangelista family!!!! They certainly put the fun in dysfunctional. I now own the DVD, which I plan to watch many times over.

HBO once again has veered off the paved path of typical TV with Family Bonds. I'm a HUGE fan of HBO original programming, and this show ranks right up there with all of the greats - Sopranos, S&TC, Oz, America Undercover, etc. I watched Family Bonds when it originally aired, and after the season ended I was ***dying*** for more. I hope HBO will somehow revisit the Evangelista's in the near future.

(I found the 1st episode to be the less entertaining, but most likely due to the introduction of the family and business. The episodes that follow are priceless!)



December 30, 2005

HOW DID THEY EVER CAPTURE ANYONE?

This was a short-lived reality show about a family of bail bondsmen who live in Long Island...seemingly all in the same house...and their misadventures of life and the pursuit of bond jumpers. I can only assume it didn't last long due to the popularity of A&E's Dog: The Bounty Hunter which is basically the same show. One question...why are both of the stars of these two shows married to hefty, big mouth blondes?

At any rate...we meet the family headed up by Tom Evangilista, his wife Flo, tubby nephew Chris, Flo's sister Dawn, and her husband Jimmy who helps run the business as well as their various kids. Unlike Dog where most of the action is spent in pursuit of bond jumpers, most of the action in Family Bonds takes place either in the home or office. The dysfunctional family spends most of the time fighting with each other over various things such as Chris' weight. and how does a guy that heavy really expect to rundown any criminal? He's more likely to have a heart attack.

In one episode they actually get lost and then have trouble starting their van which is pretty funny. Poor Chris is always the butt of jokes from Tom regarding his weight. Oldest son Sal joins the company as soon as he turns 18 and so we see his training and indoctrination into the business.

In another episode we see Sister Dawn going for lipo suction as she strips fully nude for the HBO camera's. She certainly isn't shy about showing off her body with its extra pounds. At one point Jimmy, who is runnig another office, decides he basically no longer can handle the responsibility. A running story thoughout is the pregnancy and birth of Daughter Dana's baby.

It's not a horrible show. I mean it's certainly real life which unfortunately means that while there are some funny parts it's also pretty mundane and a bit boring. December 13, 2005

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