Ernie Kovacs was one of the great innovators of TV comedy. In the early days of TV he imagined things that no else had ever considered and created strange and surreal gags and skits with primitive tools. So it's rather fitting that the man who turned TV comedy on its head would spoof the "secret guest" panel show (like I've Got a Secret and What's My Line?) with surreal clues hidden in pre-taped skits, many of which are so obscure and confounding as to be useless to the celebrity panel. It is an absurdist twist on a staple of 1950s TV and the panel (regulars included Edie Adams, Cesar Romero, Hans Conried, and Carl Reiner) was in on the joke, even when they complained (good naturedly) during the shows (and Kovacs kept reworking the format to help the audience "get" the jokes). Banter aside, what makes Take a Good Look interesting are the offbeat skits created by and starring Kovacs (some were reused in his subsequent comedy specials), and the imaginative pantomime commercials shot for the show's sponsor, Dutch Masters Cigars. It's a minor TV landmark of interest largely to fans of vintage TV and Kovacs. Compiling all 49 existing episodes from the 1959-61 first and second (and last) seasons, this is a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)
Ernie Kovacs: Take a Good Look—The Definitive Collection
Shout! Factory, 7 discs, 1,440 min., not rated, DVD: $69.99 Volume 33, Issue 1
Ernie Kovacs: Take a Good Look—The Definitive Collection
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