It’s Garry Shandling’s Show – The Complete Series (1986 – 1990/Shout! Factory DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C+ Film: C+
By the
mid-1980s, a regressive approach to the situation comedy had killed it and to
date, it never quite made a full comeback, but cable TV was still a separate
entity versus broadcast TV which was not happy with the competition. Garry Shandling decided to just totally
annihilate the sitcom and the networks by breaking the fourth wall and not only
talking to the audience a little, but all the time in It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.
Running
four seasons, the show (not to be confused with the later hit, Larry Sanders Show) lasted on HBO via
pay TV and was successful enough in that network’s infancy to do everything
they could with the idea. Unfortunately,
it is a one-note idea and today, things are so deconstructed that the problems
I always had with the show to being with.
Shandling can only do so much and unless you are a fan, this wears thin
very, very quickly. It also made shows
like Married With Children possible.
Of
course, the show has some highlight episodes, especially the great Gilda
Radner’s last television appearance (Season Two show Mr. Smith Goes To Nam) and another great show towards the end that
guest stars the late Bruno Kirby as an agent for singer Chris Isaak (Season
Four show Mad At Brad) as the best
shows.
Other
guests include Ted Danson, Norman Fell, Norm Crosby, June Lockhart, Pete
Conrad, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Tom Petty, Susan Anton, Doc Severinsen, David
Paymer, Florence Henderson, Jennifer Tilly, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Chuck Woolery, Jeff
Goldblum, Bert Convy, Don Cornelius, Joy Behar, Chevy Chase, Martin Mull,
Charlie Callas, Dabney Coleman, Paula Poundstone, Steve Allen, Lionel Stander,
Red Buttons, Stuart Pankin, Sheena Easton, Edie Adams, Bruce Kirby, Tai
Babalonia, Ned Beatty, Connie Stevens, Charles Nelson Reilly, Edie Adams, Tony
Danza, Bob Newhart, Paul Winfield, Dan Ackroyd, Tony Orlando & Dawn and
Frank Novello as Father Guido Sarducci.
That is enough curio power, but not enough to save the show.
However,
the show has its fans and Shout! Factory has issued it in a 16-DVD set (72
half-hour episodes) with an elaborate boxed packaging. Too bad the show is not better.
The 1.33
X 1 image is on the soft and harsh side with definition and detail issues
throughout from the old analog NTSC sources used. Is this second-generation? Hard to tell, but the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
sound is also a problem with limited clarity and slight distortion throughout. Maybe it was the way the shows were recorded
or stored, but expect a dated presentation overall.
Extras include
a color booklet with information about the show, illustrations and an episode
guide that is pretty through, though it missed Kirby in the Isaak show. Extras on the discs include select outtakes,
audio commentaries on some episodes; five making of featurettes with
interviews, two skits form Mike Nesmith’s series Television Parts that inspired this series, Original Promos for the
show and frame-by-frame section of backstage newsletters for the show.
- Nicholas Sheffo
