Tuesday March 1st: SCTV Volume 3 DVD box set (Schmenge Brothers!)

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00079Z9R8/ref=ase_dvdverdict3-20/002-6937638-9133642?v=glance&s=dvd

The third cycle of SCTV's "Network 90" incarnation begs the question: Would success spoil SCTV? By this time, this Canadian cult favorite was flirting with mainstream success, with an Emmy Award for writing to its credit and nation-wide "Hoser-mania" triggered by the surprise breakout success of "The Great White North" segments featuring Bob and Doug McKenzie. But rather than sell out, SCTV stayed loyal to its smart muse. The first episode addresses the McKenzie phenomenon with "The Great White North Palace," the inevitable (and hilariously) ill-fated exploitation of the touque-wearing brothers. And, as Tony Bennett himself serenades the boys, "The Best Is Yet to Come." This batch of nine episodes includes brilliantly conceived sketches that deliriously push cross-parody boundaries. Taking its cue from Steven Spielberg's enhancement of Close Encounters, SCTV offers its own "Special Edition" of "The Merv Griffin Show," an old school talk show which somehow ends up in outer space with George Plimpton taking on George Lucas in an Atari vs. Intellivision video game battle (how '80s can you get?).

SCTV was at its best when skewering show business and television convention, as witness the lavish "People's Global Golden Choice Awards" (the Five Neat Guys' medley of faux motion-picture theme songs anticipates Billy Crystal's Oscar-night showstopper), and "The Battle of the PBS Stars," which pits Julia Child against Mr. Rogers in the boxing ring. This cycle also introduced the pitch-perfect soap-opera parody, "The Days of the Week" (former Second City member and Saturday Night Live superstar Bill Murray brings his considerable cachet to one installment), as well as the polka meisters, the Schmenge brothers (a classic sketch marred somewhat by the absence of "Stairway to Heaven," apparently due to rights issues).

Martin Short, momentously joins the seamless ensemble, and makes an instant impression, with such masterful bits as his devastating "Jerry Lewis Live on the Champs Elysees." Throughout, even when a sketch falls flat ("The Pre-Teen World Telethon"), the cast's commitment to character is exhilarating to watch. SCTV fans who have long suffered the show's intrusive laugh track will want to check out the bonus feature on disc 5, a 1997 reunion of the surviving cast at the Museum of Television & Radio. Rick Moranis reveals that the technician responsible was--no joke--a moonlighting chicken farmer who didn't get the jokes and was simply looking for lulls in which to place the canned laughs. Not even SCTV's brilliant writing staff could have made that up! --Donald Liebenson

This volume offers nine 90 minute shows from the fourth season to feed the demand for more SCTV. Broadcast on NBC in 1982, these episodes introduce new cast member Martin Short and Chronicle the height of success for characters Bob & Doug. It is here where the Shmenge Brothers (John Candy and Eugene Levy) make their first appearance and the Great White North gets the special Treatment in the "Great White North Palace" featuring Tony Bennett. Celebrities Bill Murray and Carl Perkins join the fray and musical guest Bennett, Jimmy Buffett and Hall And Oates offer classic performances.

[joeybee12]

1. Steven Colbert was part of Second City--did he ever make it to SCTV?

Or was that before his time?

[chookie]

2. No

Just the stage ensemble.

[joeybee12]

3. Thanks...that's what I thought...

Jane Curtain was part of SC, I believe, but must have left before the show and snagged SNL and even greater fame and fortune.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

4. Mmmm. Cabbage rolls and coffee.

Thanks for the heads up. This is my favorite show ever.

[LiberallyInclined]

5. Do any of the volumes- 1, 2, or now 3- have "The Happy Hour"...?

with happy marsdale?
it's the kiddie show that takes place in a bar...it was always one of my favorite recurring skits.
they did a spoof serial movie called "six-gun justice" as a part it.

if they're on any of the volumes, i'd buy it just for that.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

8. I think "Happy Hour" was on the Cinemax version...

...and Box set 3 will cover more of the NBC years.

I'd forgotten about "Happy Hour" until you mentioned it...just goes to show the sheer volume of sketches these folks came up with.

:toast:

[LiberallyInclined]

12. is the cinemax stuff on any of the earlier volumes?

or available elswhere?

i'd pay good bucks to get my hand on that "happy hour" stuff- it was genius.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

14. No, they're releasing everything in order

I believe there were 4 NBC seasons, followed by Cinemax. My guess is that if Shout Factory keeps on its current schedule, you'll see Happy Hour on DVD by the end of this year.

A personal favorite of mine from the last Cinemax season was the final "Mel's Rockpile" with musical guests "The Queen Haters," performing their hit "I Hate The Bloody Queen." Martin Short was essentially Johnny Rotten, Eugene Levy was Sid Vicious, it was GENIUS.

:toast:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

6. Good old Yosh and Len...

[CrownPrinceBandar]

7. My favorite SCTV skit.............................

was something like "Immigrant Hollywood Squares", or something like that. The Belgian guy Geis(who couldn't speak English - Eugene Levy) and his wife (Andrea Martin) who get stage-fright and would just stare into the camera.

I'll have to add this series to the ever-growing list of DVD's I must have.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

9. Night School Hi-Q

It's on v.2, I think.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

11. That's it!!!....................................

My sides literally hurt after watching that. The look Martin got on her face when she looked into the camera was hilarious.

Thanks for the info.

edit: "And if I'm wrong, I'll eat a bug!" haha!

[BlackVelvetElvis]

13. On the commentary track of that episode...

Andrea Martin and Catherine O'Hara comment on that look.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

10. Andrea Martin. I have the first set, but now must get these others...