This 1996 ABC variety series gave Saturday Night Live alumnus Dana Carvey a forum for his wacky brand of comedy and devilishly clever impressions, while also poking fun at sponsors and gleefully presenting controversial sketches that drew complaints from viewers. A bit in one episode revolved around Mountain Dew's supposed resemblance to a bodily fluid, a note of subversive mockery that cost The Dana Carvey Show its primary supporter, PepsiCo, and ultimately led the network to cancel the series after just seven episodes, with an eighth (included here) filmed but barred from airing. Seen today, this short-lived series is reasonably impressive, combining lame variety-show traditions (like Carvey's Carol Burnett-inspired audience-interaction segment) with more creative, insouciant ideas and sketches, while also serving as an incubator for comic talents who went on to bigger and better things, including Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Spike Feresten, future Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, and writer/actor/producer Robert Smigel. In fact, Carell and Colbert often come perilously close to stealing the show from the host, especially in a classic two-man skit called “Waiters Who Are Nauseated by Food,” as well as recurring bits about “Stupid Pranksters” and “Germans Who Say Nice Things.” Carvey occasionally falls back on his familiar characters, such as the Church Lady, but also tries out new ones, and pokes fun at himself while allowing other members of the ensemble to get bigger laughs. Moreover, a surprising number of sketches are political in nature: the 1996 presidential campaign was underway while the series aired, so Carvey and crew deliver many chuckles at the expense of candidates Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. The Dana Carvey Show will delight fans and perhaps surprise viewers who have suffered through Carvey's more recent (and lamer) comic appearances. DVD extras include a new interview with Carvey and Smigel, and deleted scenes. Recommended. (E. Hulse)
The Dana Carvey Show
Shout! Factory, 2 discs, 210 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99 Volume 24, Issue 4
The Dana Carvey Show
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: