Saturday, October 11, 2008

Blog DVD Review: Lil' Bush Season 2 (Oct. 14)

It is Saturday, so that must mean it is time for the weekly Blog DVD Review! Today we take a look at Comedy Central/Paramount's Lil' Bush: Season Two. Lil' Bush is the hilarious Comedy Central animated series about George W. Bush when he was lil'. See skees53's Blog DVD Review of Lil' Bush: Season Two:

Lil' Bush: Season Two (Comedy Central DVD, $26.98) brings us ten more episodes of the Comedy Central animated sitcom about the life of George W. Bush as a child. If you ever wondered how George W. Bush got to where he is today, you can find out exactly how with this series, along with his friends--although in all fairness, the series isn't exactly biographical. Technically, Lil' Bush is a parody of Bush's childhood, but much of the events are events that are taking place in the current day, or very similar events. But in any event, it is hilarious political humor.
The season has many great episodes, and is honestly better than much the first season. In the first episode of the season, "St. Patrick's Day," we get to meet Lil' Karl Rove (played by... Kevin Federline... yes, the former Mr. Britney Spears) as he helps destroy the Lil' Dems St. Patrick's Day parade. And oh yeah, Barbara buys a tanning bed and cooks some liver in it... her own. The Lil' Cronies get a hold of some prescriptions that don't set well with them in "Big Pharma." The home mortgage crisis in America hits the Bush family as George Sr. and Barbara can't afford their mortgage payments on the White House (don't ask) in "Katrina." In Weekend at Saddamy's," the gang goes on a camping trip in Baghdad. Lil' Cheney has a heart, and apparently Osama bin Laden can use it, in "Afghanistan." Lil' Bush is going to have his own wedding, well getting married to his father, in "Wedding." The season ends with "Anthem & China," where the guys take on all of China.
With more episodes in this season than there were in the first season, the set expands to two discs this time. The set is presented in a standard DVD style case, with an extra tray inserted for the second disc. There are five episodes on each disc, but you wouldn't know that, as they neglected to include any sort of episode guide or list on this set, anywhere. I don't know how they expect people to know where to find the episodes.
The video and audio quality on this set are basically fine, with no real problems to note. Of course, that is expected, as these episodes aired only a few months ago on TV. It is usually pretty difficult to go wrong on quality with such recent shows, as there is never really much to "clean up" on the prints from the time of airing to the DVD. Of course, these were also rushed to DVD, which means that we have closing credits from Comedy Central left intact on all of the episodes. It isn't that bad, though. Each episode runs around 22 minutes.
The set has a great selection of special features, beginning with "Lil' Bush Viral Video" (2:42), which is basically a parody of those videos that many people put on YouTube, such as the "Obama Girl" video, supporting their presidential candidates. There are web clips (6:47), which are essentially just short little videos related to the series that can be found on the series website (gopharmony.com). They are very fun to watch. A commentary can be found on the episode "Big Pharma" on Disc One, as well as all five episodes on Disc Two, although they aren't as creative as the commentaries found on Season One. Instead, we just have commentary from the directors and producers of the series here. Finally, there are some animatics on Disc Two. (20:50), which gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the episodes.
This is a funny series to watch, although it isn't quite as good as the earlier Comedy Central sitcom about Bush, That's My Bush. Of course, it isn't exactly fair to compare the series, as they are completely different series with different objectives, but both are sitcoms about George W. Bush. The real question is this: is this the final season of the series? With no plans for a third season so far and less than four months left of Bush's tenure in office, the entire premise of the series will be outdated before new episodes could be made. Of course, they could make a Lil' Obama or Lil' McCain spin-off, as these are already characters on the series already, but those characters honestly aren't quite as funny. In any event, for now, you can give a hail to the little chief by checking out this DVD set.
-- Reviewed by skees53
(4/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Lil' Bush TV.com Page


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, July 9

Shifting Gears - "Gummies" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Riley is horrified when she finds weed gummies in Carter’s pocket, prompting surprising advice from Matt. Meanwhile, Eve inadvertently lands Gabriel and Stitch in hot water after asking them to donate to a charity auction.

Shifting Gears - "Kiss" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Jimmy returns with a new job and a proposition for Riley and the kids to move into his house, Riley is torn between her past and her future. Meanwhile, Matt's feud with Eve flares up once again after she damages his car.

Abbott Elementary - "Volunteers" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Ava announces the school district is sending a group of volunteers to help out at Abbott; however, when they arrive, things don’t go as planned.

Abbott Elementary - "100th Day of School" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
During Abbott’s 100th day of school celebrations, Barbara receives a surprise from her daughter. Melissa, Jacob and Mr. Johnson join forces to conduct a search party.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary" (FXX and FX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Months after the Gang visited, Abbott's Principal Ava walks viewers through some of the unseen footage of the Gang's volunteerism and reveals their true intentions.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Frank Is in a Coma" (FXX and FX, 9:33PM ET/PT)
The five stages of grief set in for Dee as Frank lies on his deathbed; the Guys plot their new path forward by pitching their business ventures to Philadelphia's elite.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 7)

Wednesday, July 9

  • Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Watch Salma on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Jean Smart (Hacks/Samantha Who?/Center of the Universe/In-Laws/Style & Substance/Designing Women) - Jean is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Cole Escola (Human Resources/Search Party/Mozart in the Jungle/Difficult People) - Cole appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Richie Moriarty (Ghosts), Betsy Sodaro (Ghosts/Duncanville/Disjointed/Animal Practice) and Punam Patel (Ghosts/Return of the Mac/Kevin from Work) - Richie, Betsy and Punam are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Tika Sumpter (mixed-ish/Final Space/The Game) - Tika sits down with the Tam Fam to talk about her new children's book I Got It From My Mama a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Isabela Merced (100 Things to Do Before High School/Growing Up Fisher) - Isabela chats about her film Superman on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Anna Camp (Perfect Harmony/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Mindy Project) and Justin Bartha (The New Normal/Teachers) - Anna and Justin discuss their film Nuked on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) - Simon talks about Peacock's Poker Face on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

07/08 - Tubi Comedy Series Demascus Premieres in August; LEGO Masters Jr. Lines Up Celebs for 4-Week Event
07/07 - Digman! Season Premiere Moved to July 23; Hulu's Reasonable Doubt Returns September 18
07/06 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 7, 2025)
07/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Comedy Central Delays South Park and Digman! Season Premieres; Jackée to Appear in Guest Role in Netflix Series
07/04 - Happy 4th of July; Antenna TV's McHale's Navy Red, White and Navy Independence Day Marathon
07/03 - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 Premieres August 6; South Park New Season Moves by Two Weeks
07/02 - FETV Acquires The Rookies; Hulu Renews The Bear for Season 5
07/01 - Bert Kreischer Gets Netflix Sitcom; NBC Gets Into Survival Mode This Summer
06/30 - The Comeback Makes Another...Comeback; First Look at Black Rabbit at Netflix
06/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 30, 2025)
06/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Comeback Returning for a Third and Final Season; South Park to Remain on HBO Max
06/27 - The White Lotus Star Teams Up with Netflix; Remembering Bobby Sherman, Lynn Hamilton, and Rick Hurst
06/26 - The CW's Fall Movie of the Week; First Look at New York Comic Con 2025
06/25 - Netflix Renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2; My Life with the Walter Boys First Look for Season 2
06/24 - Marc Maron Gets Second HBO Comedy Special; Outlander Prequel Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere
06/23 - MeTV Summer Changes, Adds Adventures of Superman; Jimmy Kimmel Live! Summer Guest Hosts
06/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 23, 2025)
06/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Officially Dead After Not Finding New Home; Weigel Announces New WEST Network
06/20 - Great American Media Announces New Danica McKellar Movie; Jennifer Love Hewitt ID True Crime Series
06/19 - Bad Thoughts Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix; Zarna Garg Gets Hulu Special This July
06/18 - Weigel Broadcasting Announces WEST Network with Classic TV Westerns; Hulu's Season 2 of Such Brave Girls
06/17 - Gary Coleman's Ex-Wife on A&E Series; Digman! Returns July 9 on Comedy Central
06/16 - Hulu's Chad Powers Teaser; Prime Video's Jesse Williams Series
06/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 16, 2025)
06/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Mulls Airing The Paper on Primetime Lineup; Fox Revives Baywatch Reboot Talk
06/13 - My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Renewed for 2 More Seasons; Hanna-Barbera Developing Adult Animated Series
06/12 - Comedy Superstar Jack Black Is the King of Comedy at Nickelodeon; Doc Adds Felicity Huffman
06/11 - Celebrities for Celebrity Family Feud Season 11; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Starts Production
06/10 - Warner Bros. Discovery Separates Company; Peacock's Jennifer Garner Series Adds to Cast
06/09 - Comedian Ms. Pat Gets Season 3 of Courtroom Series; Disney Branded Television Animated Slate
06/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 9, 2025)