2024 the best of sctv 1988 review
Price: $59.97 - $29.49
(as of Dec 01, 2024 22:12:15 UTC - Details)
Available for the first time on home video, in a 5-disc DVD box set. It covers the first nine 90-minute episodes which aired on NBC (and later in syndication), and also includes tons of special features.
Aspect Ratio : 1.33:1
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
MPAA rating : Unrated (Not Rated)
Product Dimensions : 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 5.6 ounces
Item model number : Relay Time: 768 min; 5Videos
Director : John Bell
Media Format : Multiple Formats, Box set, Color, NTSC
Run time : 13 hours
Release date : June 8, 2004
Actors : Eugene Levy, John Candy, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, Rick Moranis
Language : English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Studio : Shout Factory
ASIN : B0001S6AQE
Writers : Brian McConnachie, Tom Couch
Number of discs : 1
Reviewer: Robert I. Hedges
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Pirini Scleroso: English For Beginners And More Bad News
Review: Unlike many who have watched this set, I am a new convert to SCTV. This never aired where I lived when it was a first run show, so I had only heard of the understated Canadian brilliance that is SCTV until this set was released. Although expensive, this DVD set is one of the true gems in my collection, and I already have had my money's worth out of it.The entire cast is great (although I am not much of a John Candy fan, he is generally excellent in SCTV, particularly doing impersonations such as Alfred Hitchcock), but I think the standouts are easily the two women, Andrea Martin and Catherine O'Hara, who never fail to make me laugh. In particular the recurrent character of non-English speaking Vice President of Program Coordination Pirini Scleroso (Martin) is the single funniest feature of the set. I especially enjoy the guest editorial by Pirini when crabby manager Guy Caballero is out of the room (at one point she answers the phone with "Sell forty shares!"), and her visit to the English for beginners classroom. Martin also excels in the musical "Indira" and with O'Hara in the hilarious episode of "Monster Chiller Horror Theatre" (another recurring favorite) featuring the "Ingmar Burgman" film "Whispers of the Wolf," which is a devastatingly accurate send-up of Bergman. The other Martin bit that I prize is "Mrs. Falbo's Tiny Town," which is the most surreal children's show ever conceptualized. Eugene Levy also proves excellent in virtually every sketch: watch for him as Gino Vanelli and as the host of "Mel's Rock Pile," which features the funniest presentation of "MacArthur Park" in history. I also love Joe Flaherty as Slim Whitman, who sings with everyone from Indira Gandhi to Barbra Streisand to great comedic effect.My favorite sketches include the Guy Caballero and Pirini Scleroso dialogues, "Monster Chiller Horror Theatre" ("Doctor Tongue's 3-D House of Stewardesses" and "Whispers of the Wolf"), the Edith Prickley monologues, "The Larry Siegel Show," "The Great White North," "Farm Film Report," "Mrs. Falbo's Tiny Town," "Spray-On Socks," "High-Q," and "The Brooke Shields Show."Of course along with the winners come a few clunkers. My least favorite storyline was the "Polynesiantown" spectacle, which was never really all that funny and was extremely long. I found the "Leave It to Beaver 25th Anniversary" sketch to be boring and not especially entertaining, either. The only recurring character I disliked was that of Bobby Bittman, which is surprising because I generally like Levy so much. I just think it is repetitive and falls flat quickly.In summary, I am delighted that I have finally been introduced to SCTV. It is brilliant, far funnier than Saturday Night Live, and is now available to comedy lovers everywhere. Buy this set if you want to laugh for a long time.
Reviewer: chris simmons
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great reissue on DVD
Review: Excellent item and service.
Reviewer: Michael Erisman
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Missing Martin Short, but still an absolute classic!
Review: If you are unfamiliar with SCTV, that is simply something that must be remedied quickly. This is the set to do just that. After years of watching my old homemade VHS tapes of this show slowly deteriorate from too many viewings, finally they release this classic comedy on DVD.However, the format is not how I remember it as I used to watch the half hour shows in reruns late at night as opposed to the 90 minute NBC shows depicted here, but many of the same bits are here. Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas do some dead on ringers of Woody Allen and Bob Hope. I think Rick does Woody better than Woody does, if that is possible. Who can forget the "Great White North"? There are simply some unforgettable moments of the kind of satire that makes the Simpson's so funny. The late great John Candy in some bits he later reprised in various films ("Splash", for example) playing Johnny LaRue, with his exercise show with famous line "better take it easy, my heart is beating like a rabbit". For those too young to remember Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, the comedy satire of "Mel's Rock Pile" may not make sense, but for those who do it is too funny for words.The show was a parody of television, with "SCTV" representing a TV channel (likely modeled after 1970's ABC). The commercials, the "sweeps week", the late night programming, and the behind the scenes productions, and more, are all just a wonderfully written satire of what was the unbelievable spectacle of 1970's network television.The only downer is that this set does not include the inclusion of Martin Short, who created some memorable characters such as Ed Grimly, and who participated in some of the best sketches they did. Also missing are dozens of classics which were not part of the NBC 90 minute show. That said we can always hope those are released in DVD quality as well. Considering how many films these actors went on to be in, they represent the same kind of talent development that made SNL famous. I would call this SNL combined with Monty Python, classic sketch comedy, but more satire than antics.Highly recommended. It is great to see John Candy, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, and others so familiar to comedy films in the last two decades, and how they all got their start. Thanks for finally releasing these, now get busy with the second set!
Reviewer: Miles D. Moore
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: SCTV, I love you! HAA-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Review: SCTV was simply the best comedy sketch show ever aired. Its conceptual brilliance and respect for viewers' intelligence exceeded even Monty Python's Flying Circus, and the cast of its Golden Period--John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, and Dave Thomas--was better and stronger than any cast in the history of Saturday Night Live. This 5-CD set captures the first of its glory years, and boy these sketches ARE glorious! This set has several of the long-form sketches for which SCTV was justly famous--such as Polynesiantown, Play It Again Bob, and the parody of Fantasy Island--but there are also the regular characters that brilliantly skewered all the show-biz phonies rampant in the 1980s. Mrs. Falbo, Count Floyd, Lola Heatherton, Dr. Tongue & Bruno, the McKenzie Brothers, Guy Caballero, Bobby Bittman, the 5 Neat Guys-- what a truly glittering bunch of weaselly little losers they were! The set's extras include an informative booklet and several fascinating backstage interviews with the show's stars, writers, producers and crew. There's also a hilarious panel discussion from the 1999 Aspen Comedy Festival, with Conan O'Brien interviewing several surviving members of the cast. Aside from some rough sound quality on the final disc, this CD set is an impeccable tribute to one of the greatest shows in the entire history of television.
Reviewer: Glenn W. Browning
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: collecting this loved series
Review: Helping me to get all available
Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Volume 1 comes with 5 discs. Everything is working fine!
Reviewer: Gary W
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A great group of talented entertainers which gave SNL the idea to do much the same, but without the same level of talent.
Reviewer: E.R.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Perfect!!
Reviewer: don court
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Great show
Reviewer: franknelson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Movi