Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Another great box from Shout! Entertainment. Some excellent skits are contained within. Specifically:
* The Pre-Teen World telethon (with Rick, Eugene, and John as the pre-teen band The Recess Monkeys doing a cover of Chiliwack's "My Girl")
* The first Schmenge Bros. sketch (including commercials for Schmenge Travel and Schmenge Records)
* "Chariots of Eggs" with Hall & Oates.
* The first Al "No Song and Dance Here" Peck Used Cars ad
* The People's Global Golden Choice Awards
* "The Days of the Week" soap, in six parts. ("Didn't you have amnesia?" "Um...maybe. I don't remember.")
* The Battle of the PBS stars
If you've read Dave Thomas' book, watching the last 3 or 4 of these shows will remind you of how burned out he said he was, and it shows in a few pieces. (e.g. "Charlie's Kitchen.")..but the addition of Martin Short to the cast gave the show a great shot in the arm, and this box set contains the only three shows where Short, Moranis, Thomas, and O'Hara are all together.
Martin Short isn't utilized as much as he became later in the run of the show, but he does shine in "Jerry Lewis Live On the Champs-Elysees"
Overall, the production values are at their best here. The makeup, costumes, sets and camera work are much improved in this cycle.
The DVDs have the same great navigation as Vol. 2, with titles to the shows, and chapter stops on the sketches. I even found an easter egg on disc 3, which is the first I've found on any of the volumes (silent home movies from backstage at Edmonton.)
Two new commentaries: one from Joe Flaherty with Paul Flaherty and Dick Blasucci (not very entertaining, although they allege that Eugene Levy is a billionaire after making "New York Minute" with the Olsen Twins). Another from writers Dick Blasucci and Mike Short (more informative and less rambling than the other one.)
The bonus features
* SCTV -The Producers. Not as entertaining nor as informative as I would have imagined.
* That's Life w/ John Candy - a "PM Magazine"-type segment, showing John Candy at home. Short and sweet.
* SCTV Remembers, Pt 3 - Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short are very entertaining in this 20 minute segment.
* John Candy photo gallery - nice photos from the sets taken by his wife.
* SCTV at the Museum of TV & Radio - very nice segment. I wish it was longer than an hour. Rick Moranis was among the cast members at this event, and it is the first "extra" on any of the volumes to include is recollections.
* The booklet includes a nice little intro by Jennifer Candy (John's daughter) and the script to the Jerry Lewis sketch.
If you have the first two volumes, you won't be disappointed with Vol. 3. Good stuff.
(note: I have one beef with Vol. 3. The packaging is different: Vol. 3's DVDs overlap to save space....This makes the width of the box set about 1/16th of an inch narrower than the other two, which is nice - but the overlapping DVDs are a pain. - You need to remove Disc 2 to get to Disc 1.)
Click Here to see more reviews about: SCTV, Second City Television Network Volume 3 (5 Disc Set) (1981)
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.
