Mini-DVD Review: The Best of The Flip Wilson Show (Feb. 27)

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Mini-DVD Review: The Best of The Flip Wilson Show (Feb. 27)

Welcome to another edition of mini-DVD reviews! Today we take a look at Rhino's The Best of The Flip Wilson Show. The Flip Wilson Show of course was the popular '70s variety show that was both funny and entertaining. There were tons of guests and music, but the comedy was the main draw. See skees53's mini-DVD review of The Best of The Flip Wilson Show:

The Best of The Flip Wilson Show (Rhino, $49.98) contains 6 full episodes of Flip Wilson's variety show from the 1970s along with plenty of bonus features to go along with it. These aren't those lame 22 minute excuses of an episode that you'll see running on TV Land every once in a while, but instead the whole 50 minute episodes as they originally aired (though one runs at 44 minutes, leading me to think this one COULD be a syndicated version, but I have nothing to support that claim), complete with all of the skits and the music in every episode as originally intended. On Disc 1, we get to see a 1972 episode with George Carlin reciting his "Hair Poem" (don't worry, there is much more excitement than this in the episode) and another 1972 episode featuring legendary musician Johnny Cash as well as June Carter Cash. On Disc 2, we have a 1973 episode featuring Ray Charles (he actually performs on the episode as shown on DVD!) and Phyllis Diller (the episode even has an introduction by Diller, who looks much better these days than she did back in the 1970s!) as well as a 1973 episode featuring Redd Foxx, Helen Reddy, and Joan Rivers. Finally, on Disc 3, we have a 1973 episode featuring Richard Pryor and Tim Conway (with an episode introduction by Tim Conway), as well as a 1974 episode with Tony Randall and Lena Horne.
One of the best parts of the set is the special features, and there are plenty of them to go around. on Disc 1, you'll find an interview with Bob Henry, producer of the show, as well as a very weird cartoon special, "Clerow Wilson and the Miracle of P.S. 14." On Disc 2, you'll find another of the animated special featuring Flip's Clerow Wilson character, "Clerow Wilson's Great Escape" as well as a Photo Gallery that has many snapshots from episodes, including one of Geraldine with Muhammad Ali (that would have been a good episode to include on this set but I guess just because the "greatest" is in the episode doesn't make the episode the greatest). Disc 3 has a bonus feature that sounds promising but is really a letdown--a special feature called "Flip Wilson: Portrait of an Artist." This isn't much more than just an all text biography that you have to read yourself. Oh well. To be honest, the price is a bit steep for just six episodes, but considering the quality of the episodes and the special features, you may be pick this one up... the devil will make you do it.
-- Reviewed by skees53

(4.5/5 stars)

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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, March 28

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 24)

Friday, March 28

Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones/The Unicorn/Vice Principals) - Watch Walton on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Mike Epps (The Upshaws/Uncle Buck/Survivor's Remorse) - Mike is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building/Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) and Matt Bomer (Mid-Century Modern) - Nathan and Matt talk about Mid-Century Modern on ABC's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Natasha Rothwell (How to Die Alone) - Natasha appeas on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
John Hodgman (Up Here/Married) - John is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am (delayed ET/CT due to NCAA basketball coverage) on CBS.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) and Matt Bomer (Mid-Century Modern) - Nathan and Matt talk about Mid-Century Modern on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Seth Rogen (The Studio/Platonic/Undeclared), Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents), Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) and Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) - Seth, Kathryn, Ike and Chase talk about The Studio on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul talks about Death of a Unicorn on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Keshia Knight Pulliam (Tyler Perry's House of Payne/The Cosby Show) - NBC's Today catches up with Keshia in the 9am hour.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie is joining Drew and Ross to cover the latest news on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Connie Britton (SMILF/Lost at Home/The Fighting Fitzgeralds/Spin City) - Connie is telling Drew about her upcoming movie The Life List on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Beth Behrs (The Neighborhood/2 Broke Girls) - Beth is telling Drew about the latest season of the hit show The Neighborhood on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea talks about Netflix's Chelsea Handler: The Feeling on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Joanna Gleason (Bette/Oh Baby/Love & War/Hello, Larry) - Joanna talks about We Had a World on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.