First SCTV DVD boxed set to be released Tuesday

[Mr.Admin]

SCTV began as a cheesy little syndicated comedy show in a cheesy little Global TV studio in Toronto. And then in 1981 it got picked up by NBC as a late-night companion to Saturday Night Live. But unlike SNL, the Canadian-based show developed more of a cult following, seen as absolutely brilliant by such future comics as a young Conan O'Brien, while network suits of the day scratched their heads in bewilderment.

But over the years just about anyone who has ever watched television can recall a favourite SCTV sketch, whether it was the widely popular McKenzie Brothers or Count Floyd, or more obscure but inspired pop-culture cross-referencing fare like Polynesiantown, NASA's Mercury III players' version of Murder in the Cathedral or the cast performing a Chekhov play only to be interrupted by Star Trek's Chekov beaming onto the set.

One of the first such sketches was a parody of Casablanca with John Candy and Catherine O'Hara in the Bogart-Bergman roles. But it soon morphed into a Bob Hope-Bing Crosby road movie with a dash of Fantasy Island thrown in (with Candy as the diminutive Tattoo!).

Each DVD set includes five discs, the first set offering episodes of the 90-minute NBC shows that began in 1981. Earlier half-hour episodes will be released later. Also included are lookback interviews by the cast, a tribute to the late John Candy, the 1999 SCTV reunion event at the Aspen Comedy Arts Festival, plus commentaries and a 24-page photo booklet.

Source: Yahoo News (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/cpress/dvd_sctv)

To See Full Details On The SCTV Box Set - Click Here (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001S6AQE/bookbook-20)

[Garry Flank]

I wonder if I would like SCTV. I like Mr. Show, but never saw SCTV.

Should I be beaten with sacks filled with oranges?

[agent_PUNT]

No but I wouldn't rush out to buy SCTV. It comes from a different time period and has alot of jokes based on celebrities/movies of the time. They did some amazing stuff too though. They had a couple of news anchors Floyd Robertson and Earl Camenbert (that's mispelledocious) they were amazing. It was played by Eugene Levy and ... shit I can't remember the other dude, he's Canadian, he was in Happy Gilmore, played the guy who yelled "Hey Happy you suck, Jackass!" ...

No offence to SCTV but it's not something I could ever watch over and over. If you are a huge sketch comedy fan and want to know your roots, then pick it up.

[3v3+Z]

Originally posted by agent_PUNT
... shit I can't remember the other dude, he's Canadian, he was in Happy Gilmore, played the guy who yelled "Hey Happy you suck, Jackass!" ...

Joe Flaherty. That's a weird name to pronounce. FLA•her•tee. Yeah, well, anyway, so, ya see, um, actually, anyhow, the thing is, let me just say, to tell you the truth, to be perfectly honest with you, seriously, I gotta tell you, and let me preface this by saying...

I'm sorry. That one got away from me. I started out actually having something to say though. I do intend to pick up this set. I haven't seen the original NBC episodes in their original 90 minute format since I was REALLY young. I really just remember seeing the half-hour syndicated version. But there's three different eras of the show, and the syndicated version makes it kind of confusing as to what's what. It was originally on in Canada (and I think syndicated in the US) in 30 minute episodes. Then it was on late Friday nights on NBC for 90 minutes. Then it was on Cinemax in a 45 minute format. So this DVD set isn't really Season One. It's the first "cycle" of NBC episodes because they consider them to be much better than what they did first. I think part of that must be the laugh track. I'm ASSUMING that came from their CBC days. Laugh tracks are just pure evil.

I know there are a LOT of important names in intelligent* comedy that worship at the alter of SCTV. Seeing all the different eras of the show mixed up into one pot, it's easy to see the show as extremely inconsistent. I'm hoping that, with these DVDs, I'll be able to fully appreciate why the show is held in such high regard by people that I hold in high regard. I'll post my findings once I finally find them. Or maybe I won't.











*I just misspelled "intelegent"! Huh-huh!!! Duhy! Duhy! Duhy!!!

[tjamick]

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[3v3+Z]

I just picked it up. I'm only part way through the first episode. It DOES have a laugh track!!! That's kind of disappointing. More later.

[gerald hennessy]

SOME of it does have a laugh track but it wasn't filmed in front of an audience so...

[agent_PUNT]

The Half-wits (or half-twits) stuff is amazing.... SNL TOTALLY 100% ripped it off for their celebrity jeopardy.

p.s. Thanks for the Joe Flaherty post. I was mad at myself for days.

[tjamick]

how much did you pay for it?

[3v3+Z]

$55 @ Circuit City. Best price I could find.

[tjamick]

not too bad of a price. i think i saw it for $80 somewhere. how many discs and episodes?

[3v3+Z]

Five discs. Nine episodes @ about 90 minutes each. (Of course it's less than 90 minutes because there's no commercials. No real ones anyway.) It's not the complete season. It's just the first "cycle" of the first of their NBC years. I think there were three "cycles" in the first season and two in the other NBC season, but I don't feel like looking it up to be sure. There's also an extra little "looking back" segment on each of the five discs, most of which are about a half an hour long, but the one one the last disc is an SCTV reunion at the Aspen Comedy Arts Festival from 1999 hosted by Conan. And two (only!) of the episodes contain commentary from (only!) Joe Flaherty & Eugene Levy.

I've only watched a few of the episodes so far (uncut off of the DVDs, that is) but I have a few comments to make on it. For some reason, I'm gonna start those in separate paragraphs. Is that proper?

I complained about the laugh tracks earlier. Laugh tracks are evil! There are some DVDs that have been released where you have the option to turn off the canned laughter. Unfortunately, this set isn't one of them. BUT, as evil and insulting to one's intelligence as laugh tracks are, it's not AS bad as it could be. For one thing, it's not quite as distracting as I thought it would be, unless it's in a sketch that just isn't funny.

Another observation I've made concerning the laugh track is that, in a strange way, it doesn't seem AS dishonest or cheesy as any of the current shows that are filmed/taped in front of a live studio audience. "Applause!" signs are PURE fucking evil!!! When I watch SNL or game shows or talk shows or sitcoms, people will have SUCH over-the-top reactions to such... NOTHING!!! It reminds me of the frequently used opening of the FUCKING BRILLIANT "Larry Sanders Show" where "Hank" is explaining the "Applesauce" sign to the audience right before the cameras start to roll: "...the better YOU are, the better Larry is..."! How perfect! These fucking asshole NOBODIES go to these dumb-ass shows, then call up mommy and say, "Listen closely when Leno says 'Headlines'! You can hear me yelling 'WOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!' louder than anybody!" The laugh track on SCTV is used more sparingly and, ironically, is less insulting than the "real" thing.

There is some absolutely BRILLIANT stuff on here! Rick Moranis is REALLY standing out to me, so far. I mean, they're ALL great, but Moranis had Dick Cavett interviewing Dick Cavett, "The Merv Griffith Show", something called "The Jerry Todd Show" which was a parody of early (perhaps pre-MTV) music video shows with BRILLIANT lounge-y versions of new wave-type songs. But I've gotta say, I've never been a fan of the station personalities like Guy Caballero, Edith Prickley and Johnny LaRue for example. I never really got that. I'm not big on their pseudo-rat pack characters either. Is it just me? Anyway, looking past this and the laugh track, I'm diggin' it so far.