Mike & Molly: The Complete First Season Amazon.ca Watching the first season of Mike & Molly (with 24 episodes on three DVD discs, plus bonus features) is a bittersweet experience. On the one hand, this sitcom about the relationship between two plus-size Chicagoans features the kind of coarse humor that will more likely appeal to fans of, say, Married… with Children than The Cosby Show; at the same time, though, the two title characters have enough tender moments to more than counterbalance the raunch. Mike (Billy Gardell) and Molly (Melissa McCarthy, the scene-stealer from Bridesmaids) are a beat cop and a schoolteacher who meet at an Overeaters Anonymous (a.k.a. "The Chub Club") gathering. The series then follows their love affair for the next seven months, from first date to first confessions of love, from their first night together to their first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day, ultimately setting the stage for what may or may not be the nuptial bliss depicted in future seasons (what isn't depicted is much in the way of weight loss; after all, this isn't The Biggest Loser). Along with their moments of awkwardness and uncertainty, these are kind, caring people, and the sweetness of their budding relationship gives the show its heartbeat. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about their families. Molly's sister (Katy Mixon), a pot-smoking moron, and mother (Swoosie Kurtz), a foul-mouthed, superannuated skank, are constantly prying into her sex life and other private matters; meanwhile, Mike's mother (Rondi Reed) is an overbearing, jealous harpy fond of referring to her son's girlfriend--to her face--as "whore" and "tramp." Of course, some may find this hilarious, and it's true that the endless fat jokes have a lot of funny lines (Mike's partner Carl, played by Reno Wilson, tells him, "I'd shoot you, but I don't have enough chalk to outline your body," while his mom recalls raising a child who "ate cereal with a snow shovel"). But there's also a constant stream of sexual innuendo, referencing acts performed both alone and with someone else, in addition to jokes about vomiting, suicide, drinking and drug abuse, and more, some of them amusing but nearly all of them vulgar and demeaning. Directed by James Burrows, whose past credits include classics like Taxi, Friends, and Cheers, Mike & Molly is not for everyone, but will surely delight those who enjoy this type of thing. --Sam Graham