SCTV
– Volume 4 (Season 5)
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: B- Episodes: B-
SCTV was in the fifth and last season of its original,
classical configuration and had more than held its own against and along with Saturday
Night Live. Along with outlasting Fridays,
ABC’s answer to both with a then-unknown Michael Richards, all of its stars
just about went on to big screen motion picture success. It was 1982 and even SNL was about to go through
some changes. However, Second City Television did not go on the same way, with Eugene Levy
at this moment over twenty years later having a whole new big screen life.
The talent was still there and
in full force, including Levy, the late John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Martin Short
and the underrated Andrea Martin. Some
key cats members (Dave Thomas, Rick Morantis, et al) had gone, but there was
still plenty of life left here and these last 12 shows are loaded with
hilarious moments. The cast had pretty
much seen the concept through as the decline of the Big Three networks was
about to begin as cable, satellite and home video were about to break that
illusory bubble that made the running joke of an alternative TV world more
viable and the freedom to be so wacky feasible in a amusing, even subversive
way.
The six DVDs offer the following
episodes:
1)
Sammy Maudlin’s 23rd
Anniversary*
2)
Indecent Exposure
3)
Melonvote
4)
Jane Eyrehead
5)
Towering Inferno
6)
Christmas*
7)
A Star Is Born
8)
SCTV Classifieds
9)
Bobby Bittman’s
Retirement
10) Sweeps Week
11) South Sea
Sinner
12) Midnight
Cowboy II
These are episodes 106 –
117. Some skits work better than
others, but they hold together well and keep their comic feel and element
throughout. The cast had their own
original characters they portrayed (Mrs. Falbo, Ed Grimley, Edith Prickley,
Count Floyd) and endless star send-ups (Linda Lavin and Neil Sedaka alone here
are a hoot). There are real guest stars
on occasion (John Cougar, Crystal Gaye, Ben Vereen), but the bulk of the
performances and show rests on the cast.
Some of this was getting repetitive by this season and they wisely
pulled the plug, though SCTV/Network
90 would be a revised reprise.
What likely made the show work
so well and distinguish it from other such shows is simply that it was a mostly
Canadian production and they had the right writing team, the right cast and a
great chemistry seeing things in a way most productions in the U.S. would not
about U.S. television. Especially in a
market probably somewhat dominated by U.S. product, it was enjoyable revenge
both markets could appreciate, as the same things often equally annoyed many in
The States.
The 1.33 x 1 image is a bit
harsh and has a slight micro-digital haze throughout, which seems to happen on
more Canadian productions on DVD from all the DVD labels that you would
think. Color fares better, but it
doesn’t make sense. The Dolby Digital
2.0 Mono is better, clean, clear and just fine for its age. Extras include featurettes on all 6 discs, a
descriptive booklet about the whole series with great detail and even trading
cards. Hinterland’s Who’s Who
and Goin’ Down The Road on DVD 1 show sources of Canadian-based nature
spoofs. SCTV At Play, SCTV
Remembers – Part 4, Sammy Maudlin At Second City, SCTV - The
Producers – Part 2 and The Red Fisher Show are all new featurettes
with more information and behind the scenes of the series, while two episodes
marked with an * above have audio commentary tracks by Joe Flaherty/Martin
Short and Catherine O’Hara/Martin Short respectively. That is rather loaded and a key comedy series like this deserves
the treatment. Add the high quality
packaging from Shout! Factory and SCTV – Volume 4
completes a high-quality series of collectible sets worth every penny.
- Nicholas Sheffo
