SCTV #1: NETWORK 90 - DVD review

In 1981, the third permutation of the famed (or infamous, if you prefer) "SCTV" was getting set to make its debut on the airwaves, this time on network TV following cult favorite "Saturday Night Live." Short for "Second City Television," SCTV was the adaptation to screen several successful bits from the theater that launched a comedy revolution, and plenty of new bits. Rather than be a pure sketch show, SCTV revolved around the theme of a low budget, "UHF"-style presentation of television parodies ranging from game and talk shows to high-concept running gags like a movie starring Woody Allen and Bob Hope that would run for 20 minutes or more, encompassing a commercial break.

Being the third incarnation of the television program, however, "SCTV: Network 90" had a lot of the groundwork on how to create the show already laid down, and several popular characters ready to be brought to an entirely new audience. Initially, NBC had optioned the series with the intention to tone down the material and put it in the family hour opposite CBS's powerhouse "Sixty Minutes," but faced with a loss of creative control, the SCTV crew politely declined. A bit later the executives at the Peacock came to their senses and gave the series what it had honestly earned, a shot at pulling in a mediocre rating on an early Sunday morning.

Filled with characters that have become standards and names that are common (or at least faces that are recognizable in passing), "SCTV: Network 90" should be looked back upon as a comedic launch pad in the same way the early seasons of "Saturday Night Live" were, back when having an SNL'er star in your movie meant something (other than "it'll suck). Stars like Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Martin Short and the unforgettable John Candy populate the skits, giving inspired, sell-out performances that make you forget about the actors and focus on the character as a living and breathing entity. I personally despise sketch shows when they break the fourth wall. I understand perfectly that I'm watching a skit, that it is (at best) absurdist fun, but I don't need to be reminded of that because an actor can't help but laugh at his own joke in an out-of-character manner. That's not a problem with the SCTV crew, they are consummate professionals, giving nuanced, subtle performances in completely ridiculous situations.

In an early skit, dealing with a reunion tour of a 50s pop group, each actor presents a different twist on the reunion theme. The running gag in the sketch is the ridiculous songs that they boys are singing, but the added flourishes the group adds, like Joe Flaherty being an alcoholic, are subtle, inspired, and brilliant. The SCTV players are also the writers of the show, and as such take incredible pride in the work they present, and show that they understand comedy. And rather than play it before a live audience as was done with their lead-in, "SCTV: Network 90" was cut at a quick pace that didn't leave time for laughs, though they were forced in with a laugh track, and kept the show moving along. No time for mugging, the actors press the skits forward, not knowing what will hit and what will not.

Some of the skits that are found in "SCTV: Network 90" are absolutely timeless. Bits like Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis's "Bob and Doug McKenzie" are great for their simplicity and eerie similarity to our expectations of local access television. Exquisite, timeless comedy is hard to find and it's hardly in short supply in "SCTV: Network 90." Bits that allow the inherent comic talents of the actors (who wrote most of the material as well) to shine are hardly in short supply. Performers like John Candy, who could make you laugh with a look. Eugene Levy, who could simultaneously play cocky and cuckold. Rick Moranis, who was nerdy and suave, or Dave Thomas whose burgers are just so… wait, wrong guy. The satire in the comedy is dead-on target, and gags like the 25th anniversary reunion of "Leave It To Beaver" are both funny and appropriate, in light of the now-popular "Behind the Music" and "Where Are They Now" specials on former child stars gone bad.

Unfortunately, not all is well on the SCTV. A lot of the comedy has aged like a cheap wine; great at the time, but useless over two decades later. Die hard fans of the shows many incarnations might want to turn away, or skip ahead to the A/V reviews, lest you learn to hate me (in which case you'll have to take a number and get in line).

I mentioned before that some of the comedy is wonderfully timeless, and that still rings true, but it's not universal. A good amount of the material hasn't held up well, with comedy bits that rely on repetition for humor, but what they are repeating isn't all that funny to begin with. Other sketches, like Rick Moranis's "Merv Griffin Show" parody won't hit with a younger audience who is just being introduced to SCTV, because we've never seen Merv Griffin, and wouldn't know him from Adam walking down the street. Quite a few of the parodies suffer from their timely nature, and simply don't translate well over two decades later.

Furthermore, the high-concept comedy bits are hit and miss, depending on their subject. Some, like the Woody Allen and Bob Hope movie would have better fit in a short subject, instead of running 20 minutes, because it quickly wears out its welcome. Other material is, much like the show, hit or miss.

While it may be hit-or-miss, the bottom line is that SCTV, in all its incarnations, is an incredibly important piece of comedy history. Ever wonder why Eugene Levy gets all those choice rolls in Christopher Guest movies, or who exactly Dave Thomas is, you can't pass up this "SCTV: Network 90" set of DVDs.

Video:
The video, aged more than 20 years in some cases, has held up remarkably well considering the lack of care given to the prints. I did notice a lot of color problems, caused by a lot of grain coming from the cheap stock or video the show was shot on originally. The video had a tendency to shimmer and look inconsistent on solid colors, at times making my eyes water. The fourth episode of the set, on disc 2 is a perfect example, with lines that ran through the whole show giving it a video-like quality. It's not bad, but if you're aware of it, the problem can become a nuisance. Most of the major problems come from the old footage that is cut into the new episodes, because most of the newer material, created specifically for the Network 90 incarnation of the show, looks good.

The shows did suffer from a some digital compression artifacts that result in jaggie lines that looked pretty bad. At times, this compression problem also did make the video seem a touch blurry.

Audio:
The audio track is, unlike the video, wholly unremarkable. English Stereo 2.0 Dolby Digital audio is the only audio option that's available and it sounds just fine. Not muffled and yet lacking crystal clarity, the audio is perfectly serviceable. A light hiss comes and goes, and almost distracts you from the awful laugh track. Often the track sounds stressed or cracked when the speakers shout or laugh loudly, attributing to the low-budget nature of the original recording.

Extras:
Where this set really shines is with retrospective interviews and commentaries. Aside from the late John Candy, the entire cast reunites for a wonderful documentary, called SCTV Remembers where they look back at the circumstances that lead SCTV to NBC and their trials and tribulations therein, fighting with the executives over content issues and the problems adapting stage routines to the television medium, and why they decided to go with the television parody format. The group is separated into different sections, so they aren't given the chance to fully reminisce with each other.

Joe Flaherty and Eugene Levy team up for Commentaries on selected episodes. Most of their time spent together is either in silence or laughter, experiencing these episodes for the first time in two decades. Their comments are limited to "that was great" or "she was great" or "that was a great idea." Generally useless, they do drop a few nuggets as to the shows history and how they arrived at ideas.

Origins of Second City is a documentary that looks back at the creation of the Second City comedy troupe in the 1950s, the influence of jazz and structure in improvisation and how it morphed into a sketch comedy group that drew a packed house every night. The documentary looks at how topical humor was integrated with a theatrical mindset in an interactive setting. Old footage, black and white and grainy as hell, is cut into the documentary featuring the original Second City players in action. The documentary follows how the group grew and morphed, as well as the theories of improvisational comedy. An excellent documentary, looking at the history and lead-in to the improv is a wonderful educational tool for any fan of comedy and SCTV as well.

Remembering John looks back at some of the classic characters created by a wonderful comedian, John Candy, and the man behind the makeup. Surviving cast members and friends look back at his beginnings and how he came into the troupe at a very young age. They remember him as a professional and how popular he was as a person, all fondly, and it reminds us what a talent was so tragically lost.

Disc 4 features a look back at the other side of SCTV, the production bits that brought it all together. Series set designers, costumers, and makeup artists look back at what they had to do to assist bringing the crazy ideas to life. Everyone involved looks back at the product in a fond fashion, proud of the work they did, how they didn't leave anything in reserve and did it again every day. 100 hour weeks and improvisational makeup work marked the creation of each show, but the way these people talk, they wouldn't have traded the experience for anything.

The fifth and final disc contains just one episode, but features the crown jewel of the extra features a reunion of the cast through the Comedy Arts Festival and features a great introduction from the host, Conan O'Brien, and a question and answer period with everyone but John Candy and Rick Morranis from the original cast. Basically anything and everything you want to know about the series comes from the mouths of the creators in this extra.

Also included is a brief bit from "Freaks and Geeks" that encourages you to pick up that most excellent set. I concur!

Packaging:
The package contains a booklet with a ton of brief essays from people both involved in the production of SCTV, and those who were influenced by it. Conan O'Brien, Don Waller, Fred Willard and Ben Stiller check in among a host of others, including the competition! Also included is a brief episode synopsis to help you find whatever bits you're looking for.

Film Value:
I'm of a mixed opinion on my first exposure to SCTV: Network 90. On one hand, a lot of the material in this set is solid, funny, and worth the price of admission. On the other, the concept itself doesn't work for me, and I thought the comedy would have worked better in a pure sketch format without being restricted by the concept. Fortunately the bits that do work, work marvelously and I can recommend this set, based on it's A/V performance to any fan of SCTV.