Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #982 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-06-27
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 8
• Running time: 999 minutes

Amazon.com
Tru Calling's trump cards are its intriguing paranormal premise and the lead performance by the underrated Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), both of which have earned it a small but loyal audience; both of these virtues are preserved in this eight-disc set that includes not only every single episode but a surprising amount of supplemental features. Dushku plays Tru Davies, a young morgue attendant who discovers, much to her dismay, that she can hear the voices of the dead, as well as reverse their fates; with the help of her brother (Shawn Reaves) and boss (Zack Galifianakis), Tru relives the last day of these people's lives in order to prevent their untimely deaths. Episodic highlights include "Valentine," which pits Tru against a serial killer; "Closure," in which a young war hero attempts to reunite with his girlfriend after his death; "Murder in the Morgue," which revolves around the killing of a bride on her wedding day; and "Daddy's Girl," which reveals some disturbing news regarding Tru's past and introduces Jason Priestley as the sinister-seeming Jack Harper, a man with powers similar to hers, but with very different intentions regarding the recently deceased. The eight-disc set includes all the episodes from both series, several featuring commentary by cast and crew; deleted scenes and a music video for Full Blown Rose's theme song, "Can Somebody Help Me," round out the extras. -- Paul Gaita

Synopsis
Eliza Dukshu (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL) stars as Tru Davies in this hip thriller of a drama that is part mystery and part night time soap opera. When her coveted medical internship doesn't pan out, Tru reluctantly takes a job on the night shift at the morgue. Her first night there, she hears a recent murder victim calling for help but dismisses it, doubting herself and the veracity of her perceptions. But when she wakes up the next day, she finds that she's stuck in the day before, and endeavours to prevent the murder that only she knows is going to occur. Thus begins her realisation of her gift and calling, and Tru embarks on her mission to use her ability to go back in time to save lives and prevent tragedy. Meanwhile, her family is having troubles of their own, as her wealthy and successful older sister (Jessica Collins) battles drug addiction, and her handsome but hapless younger brother (Shawn Reaves) is constantly in and out of trouble. Tru finds herself often coming to their aid as well.

Customer Reviews

Cancelled in its prime
Tru Calling is an entertaining premise. Tru, played by the talented Eliza Dusku (Faith of Buffy The Vampire Slayer) works the evening shift in a morgue whilst waiting to apply to Medical School. It is while she is there that she realises that she has a unique ability, whereby people who died before thier time ask for her help and the day rewinds in order that she can alter events and save them.

The first season set up the dynamics of the relationships with Tru having witnessed her mothers death as a child, being detached from her father who has remarried and is closer to his new children than his old, her sister is an career woman with a coke habit and her brother has a gambling habit and is constantly in trouble and mixing with the wrong crowd. We also get to see Tru struggle to come to terms with her gift but eventually receive the assistance of Harrison her brother and Davis her boss (who has excellent comedic timing and plays his role perfectly), whom she confides in.

The main theme of the show however is whether Tru's ability is the right course of action. If people are fated to die, then should she go back in time to save them? What are the consequences for the future caused by someone destined to die living? And this is where the series really picks up towards the end of season one.

We are introduced to Jack, who without giving away too much of the plot, is effectively Tru's opposite. She goes back in time to save lives, but he goes back to keep events from changing and ensure that destiny is fulfilled as it was meant to be. There on we are treated to many plot twists and far more exciting episodes as Tru has not only the challenge of saving the deceased, but also someone trying to stop her.

So why only 4 stars for this series? Well in part due to the abrupt cancellation of the series six epsiodes into season two. For me it had really hit its stride and when watching the dvd you really are left stranded and full of frustration at not knowing what the intention was with these chararcters and the over riding plot. I was actually starting to question whether Tru was in fact doing the right thing.

The DVD was well packaged, but it could have had some form of feature by its creator to give the fans some sort of insight as to where they would have gone with the series - some form of satisfying closure, which is what it is missing.

The special features were also lacking, some good commentries and a few deleted scences, however I do accept that with a cancelled series we can only be offered limted extras and should be grateful that we received the DVD issue at all.

I would recommend this series, it really does hook you in by the mid to end of seaon one and the writing, particularly on the relationships of the core characters, for me was excellent.

If you are a fan of Buffy, Angel, Alias, Charmed or even Quantam Leap - then this series is for you.

Tru-ly great value entertainment.
When I first heard that Eliza Dushku had passed on a Buffy spin-off in order to try something new, I was hugely dissapointed. However, having finally seen that "something new" I am really glad that she did. Tru Calling is a fantastic show: Pacy, twisty and utterly captivating.

The show reminds me a lot of Quantum Leap. Each new episode brings new characters that Tru must engage with in order to, effectively, save the day. The introduction of Tru's nemesis (and opposite) towards the end of the First Season cemented this feeling. However, Tru Calling is by no means a Quantum Leap clone. The show is as much about Tru and her life as it is about the people she must save.

A word of warning: The last two discs of this set contain the second season, which was cancelled after only six episodes. These six episodes are, in my opinion, some of the best in the entire series. However, be prepared to be very disappointed by the lack of closure that the last episode of Season Two brings. So many loose ends are left untied. It's not quite as frustrating as the last episode of Twin Peaks, but it's nearly there.

This DVD set is brilliant value for money. 8 discs for half the price I paid for most of my (6 disc) Buffy box sets when they were released! The special features are entertaning. The deleted scenes don't really add anything new (do they ever?!?) but are fun to watch. Similarly the 4 documentaries (3 about Season one and 1 about Season Two) are fairly standard, but also highly watchable. You also get a music video of the show's theme tune and audio commentaries. All this for less than £30!

A Very Pleasant Surprise
After another day over-spending on films on Amazon I was looking for something to watch while eating my microwave dinners and I came across Tru Calling.But I had my doubts.

A show that gets cancelled after a season or so can't be very good right? Plus it crossed my mind maybe in my mid thirties I may be a bit old for this fantasy lark.And Eliza Dushku I thought at the time I had only seen in Bring It On (I didn't make the connection with the girl in True Lies and This Boys Life!).V pretty but could she really carry a show?
But at the end of the day the price of under a tenner was too hard to resist.

Of course my first concern should have been immediately discounted as studio executives famously don't have a clue.As proved yet again by this show!As for my second you are never too old for well written,well directed and well acted drama and Tru Calling is all three.A word for the support cast who are all very good and very very watchable, especially Shawn Reaves who I thought worked superbly well with Eliza as her wayward brother.
But it is Ms Dushku's show.As another reviewer noted she is on screen for virtually the entire running time yet she never hits a false note which requires a lot more than good looks and charm,though of course she has both.
All in all quality U.S. television.
Not sure if its the best ten pounds I ever spent but certainly the best ten pounds I ever spent online!