What is it? The Red Skelton Show: The Early Years 1951-1955, 35 hours on 11 discs from Timeless Media Group
When? Now
How much? $59.97
Who was Red Skelton? A comic star of vaudeville, radio, movies and TV as well as a painter and writer. But to boil it all down, he was a clown.
Skelton was an expert in pantomime, fond of silly faces and wacky voices. He was a slapstick artist with a full arsenal of pratfalls and outlandish stunts designed to get a laugh.
And he definitely got laughs. His Emmy-winning TV series ran for 20 years (on NBC, then CBS, and back to NBC) and spent a large chunk of those years in the top 10.
The format changed slightly over the years, but episodes were always a showcase for Skelton's silly humor, with a monologue and musical numbers. There were famous guest stars like Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason and Johnny Carson.
Most memorable, though, were the skits that highlighted Skelton's popular characters such as addled boxer Cauliflower McPugg, dimwitted Clem Kadiddlehopper and amiable hobo Freddie the Freeloader.
How is it? Even though it's 60 years old, it's still funny. Yes, it's a bit dated. The humor is incredibly tame compared to today's comedy shows and stand-up comedians. That doesn't mean it can't make you laugh.
It's a kind, gentle sort of comedy, wacky, eager and warm-hearted. Despite the silliness, it isn't stupid. His style bears a resemblance to a less-hyper Robin Williams.
Skelton was a ball of energy and obviously loved what he was doing. It's fun to watch, particularly for people who can appreciate old movies and television. Skelton was an expert at the ad lib, and seeing him react to the bloopers and prop problems (very common in those early days of TV) is a great part of the show.
Skelton owned the rights to the series and unlike some of his contemporaries, he didn't put the show into syndication, which kept the show from developing much of a following with younger generations. The episodes here were from Skelton's vault and many of them are being seen for the first time since their original broadcast. Given their age and the fact that they were restored from kinescope recordings, it's not surprising that the picture and sound aren't crisp and clear. But they're not damaged to the point that they detract either.
Are there extras? There's an 80-minute biography of Skelton and two bonus episodes. There's also a dress rehearsal for one of those episodes. Skelton's dress rehearsals were famously "naughty" (for TV at that time -- nothing to blink at nowadays) and the contrast between rehearsal and broadcast is fun to see.
New this week: Broad City, Season 1; Gunsmoke, Season 11; Happy Days, Season 6; Justified, Season 5; Perry Mason, Movie Collections 10-12; The Simpsons, Season 17; Sliders, Complete Series; The Strain, Season 1; Zane Grey Theatre, Season 3.
Next week: Barney Miller, Season 6; CatDog, Complete Series; Hart to Hart, Season 3; The Jeffersons, Complete Series; Mister Ed, Complete Series; Mork & Mindy; Complete Series; Secret Agent (Danger Man), Complete Series; Under the Dome, Season 2.
Style on 11/30/2014