$14.99 SEINFELD!! SHANDLING’S!! FAWLTY!! HOMICIDE!! PALE FORCE!! BLACK ADDER!! BURN!! HercVault!! -- Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

Published on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 11:08pm

$14.99 SEINFELD!! SHANDLING’S!! FAWLTY!! HOMICIDE!! PALE FORCE!! BLACK ADDER!! BURN!! HercVault!!

I am – Hercules!!

HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show” is in my estimation the funniest live-action American sitcom ever forged, but two years before “Sanders” began we saw the conclusion of “It's Garry Shandling's Show,” a funny, surreal and similarly groundbreaking Showtime sitcom from the same creator-star.

I was surprised to see writer Sam Simon worked on “Shandling’s” second season shortly before he became showrunner on the earliest, best episodes of “The Simpsons.” “Simpsons” writers Al Jean, Michael Reiss, Tom Gammill and Max Pross also worked on “Shandling’s.”

I’m reminded that when “Shandling’s” began Showtime was very new to original programming, having dabbled with “Fairie Tale Theatre” four years before and launching a David Lloyd sitcom called “Brothers” two years after that. Nobody apparently had figured out one could say “fuck” and “shit” and get naked on a channel that cablecast uncensored big-screen fare!

A bit of odd trivia demonstrating how everything’s connected: The main entrance to my terrible apartment building in the late ‘80s was located directly across from the audience entrance to the Sunset Gower studios, where many terrible sitcoms were taped. It was not unusual as I collected my mail to see long lines of tourists camped out to see “Benson,” “Who’s The Boss” or “The Facts of Life.” The only time I joined one of these lines was for a taping of “The Schumakers Go To Hollywood,” one of the 72 episodes included on this set, the one with the little-girl character named Lily Woo. And though the studio audience is a big part of that episode, I am unaccountably absent from the episode. Someone else is sitting where I was sitting in the studio audience. Why remains a mystery to me.

Here’s what else you get for your $119.99:

COMMENTARIES:
1.1 “The Day Garry Moved In.” Series co-creators Garry Shandling and Alan Zweibel.
1.5 “The Gradulate.” Shandling and Zweibel.
1.8 “Grant’s Date.” Shandling and writer Ed Solomon.
1.10 “Fate.” Solomon.
1.14 “Dial L For Laundry.” Writers Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Shandling and Zweibel.
2.2 “No Baby, No Show.” Shandling and Zweibel.
2.4 “The Schumakers Go To Hollywood.” Gammill, Pross and Solomon.
2.10 “Mr. Sparks.” Gammill and Pross.
2.17 “Mr. Smith Goes To Nam.” Zweibel.
3.1 “Goin’ Places.” Gammill, Pross, Shandling and Solomon.
3.3 “What’s Happening To Me?” Gammill, Pross, Shandling and Zweibel.
3.5 “The Natural.” Writers Al Jean, Michael Reiss and Shandling.
3.13 “Garry Acts Like A Moron.” Jean and Reiss.
3.18 “Garry Goes Golfing.” Jean, Reiss and Shandling.
3.20 “Worry Wart.” Gammill, Pross, Shandling and Zweibel.
4.7 “Firehose.” Jean and Reiss.
4.15 “Family Man.” Zweibel.
4.19 “Driving Miss Garry.” Jean and Reiss.

OUTTAKES:
1.1 “The Day Garry Moved In” (1:26)
1.7 “Garry Met A Girl Named Maria” (7:33)
2.1 “Who’s Poppa?” (5:58)
2.5 “Nancy Gets Amnesia” (5:57)
2.8 “It’s Garry Shandling’s Christmas Show” (2:09)
2.9 “Killer Routine” (4:43)
2.13 “Save The Planet” (6:48)
2.17 “Mr. Smith Goes To Nam” (3:17)
3.3 “What’s Happening To Me?” (4:25)
3.7 “Vegas, Part 1” (6:34)
3.8 “Vegas, Part 2” (2:10)
3.12 “Ruth’s Place” (5:16)
3.18 “Garry Goes Golfing” (2:15)
3.20 “Worry Wart” (3:01)
4.7 “Firehose” (3:23)
4.10 “The Honeymoon Show” (4:52)
4.11 “Shandling Vs. Mull” (5:13)

SKETCHES:
* “Garry Dates Miss Maryland” (4:19) A surreal segment from “Mike Nesmith’s Television Parts” that looks a lot like part of a “Shandling’s” episode, only on film.

* “Garry’s Car” (5:27) Another surreal segment from “Mike Nesmith’s Television Parts” depicting Shandling taking his new sports car to a very slow-moving mechanic’s shop.

OTHER EXTRAS:

* “Getting There: On The Road To The Show” (19:10) Shandling explains how an engineering student at the University of Arizona at Tuscon came to create a beloved Showtime sitcom. Learn that series co-creator Alan Zweibel worked writing jokes in the Catskills when the Catskills were no longer producing big-time comedians. Learn that Shandling got a job writing for “Sanford & Son” two years after moving to Los Angeles. Learn that Zweibel wrote at least one really famous Rodney Dangerfield joke. Learn that Shandling got laughs during his first attempt at stand-up at the Comedy Store but did nothing but bomb for months thereafter. Learn that SNL apprentice writer Zweibel secretly dated an SNL production assistant for years before he made her his wife. Learn that during his five years at SNL Zweibel wrote primarily for Weekend Update and Gilda Radner. Learn Shandling, while he was a regular guest-host of “The Tonight Show,” pitched a “Shandling’s”-like series to NBC’s Brandon Tartikoff, who said he didn’t think an audience would relate to the life of a comedian. Learn that Tartikoff also didn’t like the idea of Shandling talking to the camera, so Shandling wrote a pilot in which he talked to a dog and made no reference to what he did for a living. Learn that Zweibel and Shandling were put together by their mutual manager, Bernie Brillstein. Learn that Shandling found Zweibel’s lack of sitcom experience a plus.

* “Being There: The Cast Remembers” (26:03) Contributors here include Shandling, Zweibel, director Tommy Schlamme, and cast members Michael Tucci, Scott Nemes and Molly Cheek. Learn that Shandling and Zweibel wrote the pilot at New York’s Parker Meridian Hotel. Learn that Cheek decided to eat a turkey leg during her audition, arguing that that’s the kind of thing one does when commiserating over a break-up. Learn that Scott Nemes is still chubby and bespectacled. Learn Nemes beat out Fred Savage for the role of young Grant Schumaker. (Nemes went on to become a recurring player on “The Wonder Years” soon after “Shandling’s” ended production.) Learn that “Freaks and Geeks” creator Paul Feig had his first recurring acting role on “Shandling’s.” Learn Zwiebel’s old SNL colleagues Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Don Novello and Gilda Radner were all guest stars. Learn that Tom Petty got involved in the show after his daughter mentioned during a “Shandling’s” audition that he was a fan. Learn that SAG members were sometimes seated in the audience because guild rules prohibited giving real audience members lines. Laugh as Tucci smacks his real-life teen daughter in the head.

* “Still There: The Writers and Crew Remember” (26:16) Learn that Shandling met “Shandling’s” writer Ed Solomon (who went on to script “Men In Black” and “Charlie’s Angels” among many other movies) when the latter was a funny 19-year-old student at UCLA. Learn that writers Gammill, Pross & Reiss all wrote for the Harvard Lampoon. Learn that math major Al Jean agreed with engineering major Shandling that a faculty for math can work for comedy because comedy involves formulas. Learn that the “Shandling’s” offices shared a bungalow with highly rated Tony Danza vehicle “Who’s The Boss?” Learn that Jean and Reiss, who had sitcom story experience, were segregated from SNL vets Gammill and Pross, who did not. Learn that “Three’s Company” vet David Mirkin only came in a day or two a week to lend outside perspective. Learn that writers held back their best jokes until tape days so Shandling wouldn’t tire of them.

* “Try To Remember: A Conversation With Garry and Alan” (19:48) Learn that Zweibel was still hanging around SNL five years after he left the show because he liked the fruit and cheese they served the staff. Learn the plot about Vanna White stealing furniture was Zweibel’s idea. Learn that Showtime originally only ordered six episodes. Learn that Gammill & Pross’ only year at SNL was Zweibel’s last year at SNL. Learn that Shandling was not aware of the writers holding back their best jokes at the time, but does now retroactively endorse the technique. Learn that driving the little car from set to set in the “Graduate” episode was Zweibel’s idea. Learn that Shandling used his own swinging arm as a cue for the audience to laugh, and that Zweibel was unaware of the deception prior to the taping of this documentary.

* “Show & Tell With Tom & Max” (7:46) Writers Gammill and Pross show off a watch Gammill designed for the cast and crew, a rave review for the show from People Magazine, a copy of the Shand-line newsletter they created, a photo of the pair winning the Ace award for best song, an autographed photo of Shandling, some notes Shandling and Zweibel passed to each other during a production meeting, “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” gift pajamas and bathrobes, a invite to an “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show”/“A Different World” mixer, the pilot script for “Full House” by “Shandling’s” first-season writer Jeff Franklin, a photo from a never-aired Gammill/Pross marionette pilot titled “Red Pepper” and a message from Rolling Stone asking to profile the duo as “hot humorists.” Gammill (who does the overwhelming majority of the talking) also advises writers to avoid publicity

* “The Shand-Line Backstage Newsletters.” (0:16) Writers Gammill and Pross show off their hilarious homemade periodical. One story, “Elvis’ Ghost Watches Over Construction,” has production staffers sighting the king of rock and roll barking orders at workmen on Sunset Gower scaffolding. A recurring target is an “executive consultant” named Sandy Wernick, who apparently seldom visited the set and didn’t have much to do there when he did.

* Original Promos (5:33) Many reminders that the show used to air on Fox as well, starting Sunday, March 6, 1988. That was less than 18 months after the launch of the Fox Network. I don’t recall it lasting long there.

* “Bruce Grayson: The Man Behind The Brush” (3:19) The series’ makeup artist tells anecdotes about applying foundation to Shandling while writers pitched jokes at him.

* A 40-page booklet featuring new essays by screenwriters Larry Gelbart (“Garry Shandling is Jack Benny on Speed”) and Judd Apatow, who as a high school student interviewed Shandling years before he wrote on “Sanders.” (Years later Apatow bought Shandling’s old Sherman Oaks house, whose interior Apatow says looked exactly like the set of “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show”!) It also contains a congratulatory letter (misdated Sept. 19, 1876!) to Shandling from former Fox Entertainment Group CEO Peter Chernin, then Showtime’s executive vice president for programming & marketing.

“Fawlty Towers” is the funniest British sitcom in history and one of the two funniest live-action sitcoms from any nation. Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection comes with new commentaries by mastermind-star John Cleese on all 12 episodes and extended interviews with cast members. Plus at $34.49 it’s $11.50 cheaper than the old complete-series set.

Homicide: Life on the Street - The Complete Series is based on “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets,” the book by David Simon, who came to write on the series and went on to create another series, for HBO, about Baltimore homicide police called “The Wire.” The old 7-season complete series set goes for $224.99. This new one is $90 less at $134.99.

I think Scott Swan a genius, and not because he’s a friend or fellow AICN contributor. Being not as cool as Harry Knowles I’ve not yet received a copy of “Maskhead,” Swan’s feature directorial debut, but I thought I’d plug it (though it has nothing to do with TV) here in my TV-centric DVD column. Swanny co-wrote John Carpenter’s two episodes of Showtime’s “Masters of Horror,” but it’s “Cofax and Lily,” the hilariously brutal 2008 short he wrote and directed, that convinces me he’s got the comedy goods. Harry’s review suggests, despite that poster, that this one’s funny too. Can’t wait till I get my copy …

$14.99 SEINFELD!! SHANDLING’S!! FAWLTY!! HOMICIDE!! PALE FORCE!! BLACK ADDER!! BURN!! HercVault!!

I am – Hercules!!

Eleven months ago a season of “Seinfeld” sold for $38.99. Three weeks ago it sold for $27.99. Perhaps to commemorate the reunion on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” all seasons of “Seinfeld” are momentarily $14.99 each!!

$9.99 Blu-rays!!

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