Having just reviewed 'Til Death: The Complete First Season, it's hard not to see similarities between that show and Rules of Engagement. In both shows, there are two couples, a young pair just starting off on their life together and a veteran couple who have many scars from many marital-battles. The major difference between these shows is that one of them, Rules of Engagement, has a fifth wheel in David Spade's character.

Russell (Spade) plays a perpetual bachelor who "does whatever he wants, whenever he wants"... much to the envy of Jeff and Adam (the guys in the two couples. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.) The series starts with Adam proposing to and moving in with his girlfriend of seven months (Jennifer). Down the hall is the older couple of Jeff (played by Patrick Warburton) and Audrey who have been friends with Jennifer for a while. Each episode typically tackles some common dispute between man and woman (like throwing away old "junk") and views it from all three angles.

As far as comedic value is concerned, I typically had one or two laugh-out-loud moments a show and while I didn't find it quite as good as 'Til Death, it is still fun to watch and Warburton is always great to see (and hear) in action. He always pulls off the straight-man really well.

Rules of Engagement: The Complete First Season has only seven episodes and no special features, but at $24.99 it's not a bad night's entertainment. And while David Spade seems to always play the same character, I believe Warburton's prowess and comedic value far out-shines Spade's shortcomings.