SCTV: Volume 3 DVD Review:

Much in the way that Monty Python and the Flying Circus handled sketch comedy, SCTV seemed to follow suit as a humorous show that took nearly all of its humor from spoofing news, media, and entertainment. Unlike Saturday Night Live, which used a great deal of the same cast members, SCTV seemed to have slightly more direction. SCTV is a show-within-a-show, and all of the sketches are supposed to be from this made up television channel. This works well at times, allowing for short skits in the form of commercials, but there are other times that it seems the context has been lost with time.

This ninety-minute show seems a bit long at times, with drawn out sketches. It almost seems as though comedy of this style is often better when taken in small doses. It is also undeniable that many of the sketches are sincerely humorous, if only because of the actor’s uncanny ability to imitate other celebrities. Stars like Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, and the unforgettable John Candy reign each episode, showing us what it is that made them famous to begin with. There is something strangely satisfying about watching John Candy dress up as Julia Child and box Martin short as Mr. Rogers.

The show aired in the late seventies through right into the eighties, the fourth season in 1981-2 following Saturday Night Live on NBC. This is the main fact that the release of SCTV on DVD is slightly less satisfying than it should be. As humorous as the show might have been, it seems that a great deal of jokes may be lost on modern audiences. Even though it seems like the eighties weren’t too long ago, few icons from television twenty years ago will still be known by younger audiences.

Although the box set release of SCTV Volume 3 may not be for all consumers, anyone who does remember the series will be very pleased with the great care spent to bring the show into the 21st century. The box set includes nine 90 minute episodes and nearly two hours of special features, all put together on five discs with booklets indexing each episode. Perhaps one of the most fantastic features in this set is the commentaries by Joe Flaherty and writers Dick Blasucci, Paul Flaherty and Mike Short, a rarity with television DVDs. With all of these features it seems like a fan’s fantasy, and ultimately worth every penny. All of the rest of us will have to hope that more television shows are given such great attention.

Ryan Izay

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