The Sonny & Cher Ultimate Collection

It's 1970s pop culture in a box. The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, one of the most popular shows of the decade, paraded a who's who of guest stars before our eyes: Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, Tina Turner, Harvey Korman, Howard Cosell, Glen Campbell, and The Jackson 5, among others. This best-of set collects nine original, unedited episodes from 1971 through 1974 and from 1976-77, when the duo, who had since divorced, reunited for The Sonny & Cher Show. Sonny plays the dummy, Cher smirks a lot, and the musical variety and marital bickering combined with bad lip-synching and worse attempts at comedy add up to what can now be seen only as high camp. Solo and duet performances include the hits "I Got You Babe" and "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves," but the high point may be when Sonny asks Michael Jackson (circa 1972) what he wants to be when he grows up; of course, it's all a joke building to a punchline that will invariably be a putdown of Sonny, but it's still a tad disturbing in retrospect. Cher offers unenlightening commentary on select scenes--we learn which were her favorite earrings!--but fans will surely love every tidbit she shares. Plus, there's "Sonny & Cher Karaoke" on three famous tunes so viewers can sing along. The audio and video on the featured episodes are near perfect, though some of the extras--such as the hilarious CBS promos--have not been remastered. Although rather pricey, this is recommended for larger collections. (M. Johanson)