Mr. Show is comprised of alt-dot-comics David Cross and Bob Odenkirk, whose 1995 half-hour late night HBO series gave a subversive twist to the traditional sketch format. According to their website, "non-fans outnumber our fans by the cajillions," and one can't help but wonder if this two-disc box set of the complete Mr. Show oeuvre will change that. Like the Velvet Underground of old, Mr. Show's fans make up in fervor what they lack in sheer numbers: those who "get it" love the show with a passion; those who do not cannot be faulted if they're put off by the sometimes self-congratulatory "too hip for the room" vibe. That said, much of this is hysterically funny, as when one of Odenkirk's characters asks a convenience store clerk for change, setting off hot-line communications up the chain of command, or in skits involving Ronnie Dobbs, a white trash poster boy who has been spun-off in a yet-to-be-released feature film. Adding to the hipness cachet are contributions by Jack Black, Sarah Silverman (currently on TV's Greg the Bunny), Mary Lynn Rajskub (of the late, lamented The Larry Sanders Show), and Second City veteran Jill Talley. With apologies to Monty Python, Mr. Show is a television rarity; something completely different. In addition to a full 10-episode commentary, DVD extras also include a short video clip of Mr. Show's pre-TV stage act. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)
Mr. Show: The Complete First and Second Seasons
HBO, 2 discs, 288 min., not rated, DVD: $34.98 Volume 17, Issue 4
Mr. Show: The Complete First and Second Seasons
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