The Best of Oblivious DVD Review:

Hidden camera shows have been done for decades, and they continue to be made. There never really seemed to be a reason to change the way that hidden camera shows were made, although shows like Jackass did things that resembled pranks from these shows without ever telling the victims, but Oblivious is a show which decided to completely change the format.

Oblivious is a show which mixes hidden camera material with a game show. While the contestants/victims of the show are assaulted with bizarre and uncomfortable situations which are common for hidden camera shows, they are also asked a series of questions. For every question that they answer right, they rack up money. There is also the opportunity for them to pull the prank on another person, gambling on them getting answers right, and making more money.

Although this sounds complicated, it really isn’t. In fact, a great deal of the show is overly simplified in a way that makes it somewhat predictable. Although there are moments when the host has a humorous contestant with great reactions, more of the episodes fall short of hilarious by more than a little bit.

At times the pranks are extremely funny and the show seems to be working really well, and then it is interrupted by a series of questions. Although it is interesting at first to see a show which has mixed two very old formats into one, that eventually wears off leaving you wishing it could be one or the other.

This DVD is The Best of Oblivious, which is enough to convince me not to watch the show on television, or sit through an entire season, but for what it is worth, there are some good ones in the bunch. Personally, my favorite is the florist prank, and subsequently the follow up with the woman who was tricked. She does a better job than the actual host, completely flipping out at the end.

With over 100 minutes of show to watch, there is enough for more than one sitting of Oblivious. The DVD has a few scattered special features, which mostly seem to be extended previews for other Eagle Rock Entertainment DVDs. It isn’t that the DVD isn’t worth purchasing, but there isn’t enough to it to justify paying a great deal of money.



Ryan Izay