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

Monday, December 15

St. Denis Medical - "A Waste of Time and Marble" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
With the threat of a nurse walkout, Alex is caught between her colleagues and Joyce; Ron and Bruce go above and beyond to help an unexpected patient.

The Paper - "Churnalism" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Ned takes over Esmeralda's advertorials and assigns the staff to test products themselves, but Esmeralda retaliates and covers one of Ned's stories and finds a scandal; Ken turns Adam into a lab rat; Oscar and Adelola compare pain tolerances.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 15)

Monday, December 15

Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Watch Simu on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He also talks about The Copenhagen Test on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite/Benched) - Maria is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Andy Cohen interviews Kerry on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11pm on Bravo.
Odessa A'zion (I Love LA/Fam) - Odessa talks about Marty Supreme on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Patti treats us to an EXCLUSIVE festive performance of It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Kate talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Rosie Perez (Human Resources/Search Party) - Rosie co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hank Azaria (The Simpsons/Brockmire/Free Agents/Herman's Head) - Hank and The EZ Street Band stop by for a chat and performance on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Ana Gasteyer (American Auto/People of Earth/Lady Dynamite/Suburgatory) - NBC's Today catches up with Ana in the 10am hour.
Connie Britton (SMILF/Lost at Home/The Fighting Fitzgeralds/Spin City) - Connie tells Sherri about starring in The Family McMullen, the sequel to The Brothers McMullen, on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Ashley Park (Emily in Paris/Only Murders in the Building/Girls5eva/Nightcap) - Ashley talks about the highly-anticipated fifth season of Emily in Paris on Netflix on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) - Glen talks about The Running Man on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
William H. Macy (Sports Night) - William talks about Netflix's Train Dreams on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Andy Richter (Andy Barker, P.I./Quintuplets/Andy Richter Controls the Universe) - Andy talks about ABC's Dancing with the Stars on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.