Starting in the late 1980s and stretching for a glorious decade into the ‘90s, Generation X's refusal to grow up resulted in a brief, shining moment in entertainment history when Saturday-morning TV was a wonderland of snark, smarts, wit, and weirdness designed to appeal as much—if not more—to those over 18 as to those under 8. This wonderfully demented example came at the end of that splendid golden age of grown-up juvenilia, which perhaps explains its lamented briefness—only these 13 episodes were made chronicling the strange and goofy adventures of musical satirist Weird Al Yankovic and his pal Harvey the Wonder Hamster. It's not that this isn't as fine an example of the genre as can be imagined, replete with animated interludes, visits from superheroes, and tons of twisted humor—it's just that a generation can only keep up the hard work of cynicism for so long, and by the time these shows aired in late 1997, sleeping in on the weekend was looking more and more attractive. Still, the show's roster of guest stars serves up a who's who of cult oddity—Judy Tenuta, Fred Willard, Dr. Demento, Barenaked Ladies, Fabio, and many more—while the extras on this boxed set are crazy good: from commentaries on every single episode by Yankovic and others to the theme-song karaoke, and more. Recommended. (M. Johanson)
The Weird Al Show: The Complete Series
Shout! Factory, 3 discs, 320 min., not rated, DVD: $34.98 October 16, 2006
The Weird Al Show: The Complete Series
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