The Ballad of Bob, David, and MR. SHOW

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(Full disclosure - links to this DVD are affiliate links; I get a small amount from sales of this DVD to take care of blog-related expenses and, if left over, to take care of a sick kitty)

Having spent my young adulthood in the 1990s, I learned to adopt many of the post-modern, pop culture obsessed cynical attitudes of Generation X. Thankfully, much of the "alternative" comedy of that time reflected that unease - although I loved the Kids in the Hall, the one show that really dared to play with the television medium and to "break comedic barriers" was HBO's Mr. Show.

Revisiting the show since last Christmas (when Mom was in the hospital from the day after Thanksgiving to December 22nd), I had the good fortune to get a set of Mr. Show DVDs rather inexpensively, and the WB Shop now has Mr Show - The Complete Collection available on DVD for a ridiculously low price.

Buy Mr Show on DVD -
My Cat Will Thank You

Sure, I could remind you how so much of this comedy has made its way into contemporary comedic efforts....but what really sets this show apart is not just the willingness to "go there" in terms of subject matter. Mr. Show also managed to play with the medium in terms of sketch flow, surrealism, etc., in a way that had not really been done since Monty Python.

Given its relatively high production value (it was shown on HBO), it's also one of the few '90s shows that has aged very well. The only thing you'll notice is that Bob Odenkirk had more hair back then, and David Cross.....was still bald.

But don't take my word for it - for a little over twenty bucks (including shipping), you can own the entire four year run of the series on DVD. It's done wonders (and continues to do so) for my outlook.

Trust me - Mr. Show deserves to be on your shelf like any other classic television show.

Very highly recommended.