Mostly unbearable, Sledge Hammer! was a mercifully short-lived late '80s TV comedy that clearly intended to be a cross between the absurdist Police Squad (which gave rise to The Naked Gun movies) and early Mel Brooks silliness, but couldn't match either. The titular hero, a fascist cop played by David Rasche, approaches every police encounter as a Dirty Harry Jr., wielding a big gun and blowing away criminal scum, with many situations going awry and leading to the usual mayhem. It's a jokey show that requires a taste for lowbrow farce and a certain perfection of comic timing that the series couldn't quite deliver. The amazing thing is that Sledge Hammer! attracted some talented directors, including Martha Coolidge (Rambling Rose), Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing), and former actor Jackie Cooper (not that it much matters; watching a few episodes in a row will wear anyone down, regardless of who's behind the camera). DVD extras on this 22-episode compilation (without the laugh track, in both senses) include a new 32-minute retrospective documentary, select audio commentaries with creator Alan Spencer, the unaired pilot episode, and Spencer's "message to critics" (i.e., people like me). Not a necessary purchase. (T. Keogh)
Sledge Hammer! Season One
Anchor Bay, 4 discs, 534 min., not rated, DVD: $39.98 Volume 19, Issue 5
Sledge Hammer! Season One
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