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As little actual
television as I watch, I do have my favorite
stations. Nearly at the top of my list is
Comedy Central. I have them to thank for
shows like “South Park”, “Chappelle’s
Show” and “The Daily Show.”
This last one is a special favorite of mine
if for no other reason than I know it is
where I can get the only daily dosage of
truly unbiased news. Forget the network
stations, or CNN, or even MSNBC. If you
want the lowdown on what is really happening
in the world, turn to “The Daily Show.”
Considering this, I was asked back in 2004
by numerous friends if I had ever watched
“Reno: 911!” For some reason,
at the time, I hadn’t. I’m not
even sure why. Perhaps it was scheduling,
maybe I was just been lazy. But somehow
I just kept missing Comedy Central’s
answer to “Cops.”
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However, thanks to Paramount Home Entertainment,
I finally had the chance to sit down and watch
the entire first season on DVD a few short months
after I was asked the question. And let me tell
you I had no idea I was missing such a hysterically
funny show!! “Reno: 911!” was created
by some of the same people who worked on MTV’s
“The State” and its spin-off “Viva
Variety.” I understand that it was originally
developed for Fox, but the Pilot ended up sitting
on the shelf for two years. It received a new
lease on life when Comedy Central got hold of
it and ordered an additional 13 episodes. Thanks
to its huge ratings, it made it through second
and third seasons and a fourth season is about
to begin.
“Reno: 911!” sticks to the gonzo style
of filmmaking that you may be used to from watching
“Cops.” The only difference is that
none of what you see here is real. And thank God
for that. The opening sequence of the Pilot episode,
where two of the officers were called to a scene
where they had been told that shots had been fired
was shockingly funny, so much so that you almost
felt guilty for laughing. What makes the show
so darn funny, is that no matter how ridiculous
a situation is that these ‘cops’ get
into, it is always underplayed. All of the ‘interviews’
as well as the scenes done within the precinct
building are very low-key, yet are laugh out loud
hilarious.
The humor is often a bit gratuitous and certainly
adult in nature, but it is ultimately harmless.
The show utilizes the same blurring effect that
you see on “Cops”, so nudity is generally
alluded to in about the same manner. The language
is at times a bit offensive, but only if you live
in a PC world. The very first episode of the series
had a discussion amongst the officers as to when
it was appropriate to use the “N”
word, and it was one of the funniest scenes in
that episode. Again, it was a very low-key scene,
played completely straight, but I almost spit
out my drink laughing so hard.
I cannot give enough credit to the cast that make
up the characters working in the Washoe County’s
Sheriff’s Department. I understand the show
is unscripted, so every cast member has to use
their improvisational skills to carry each scene.
And let me tell you, these guys are masters of
that improvisational craft. What’s even
more impressive is that most of the cast also
play multiple parts in the show. Usually their
faces are blurred out (“Cops” style),
but there’s no mistaking who the perpetrators
are being played by.
Paramount since released the second full season
on DVD and is about to release the third, just
in time for the premiere of the fourth season.
When the new set hit my doorstep, I couldn’t
wait to pop in the first disc. What I wasn’t
prepared for was just how much more bizarre the
series would get. As funny as it was in the first
couple of seasons, this time around it pulled
out all the stops and is even more shockingly
hysterical than ever before. At the end of the
previous season, the force was facing prison time
and at the beginning of the third season that's
where we find them, getting tattoos and trying
to clear their name.
I probably shouldn’t tell you that they
do get out, spend a little bit of time as security
guards, finally finding their way back onto the
Reno Police Force. From that point on they get
into one mess after another, including being quarantined
under suspicion of having SARS, guarding Liberace's
piano and working as guards on the set of "CSI".
The 2-disc DVD set contains all 13 episodes from
the third season run, as well as some welcome
cast commentary on the 5 of the episodes. And
I highly recommend listening to these commentaries.
These guys are comedians and what you hear from
them is often as amusing as what you see on the
show. There also some extended scenes on the on
each disc. You'll also find some hysterical promos
for "Reno: 911" action figures (which
I would have to get if they were real!). Additionally,
there are some quick clips from some of the other
Comedy Central series, such as "Mind of Mencia",
"Patton Oswald" and 'Drawn Together".
Since catching that first season of “Reno:
911!” on DVD I’ve become a bit of
a fan and I doubt I’ll be able to wait for
the next season to arrive. I’ll more than
likely have to tune in to Comedy Central to get
my fix. Oh, by the way… the first disc opens
with an introduction to the DVD set, which includes
a little bit of a surprise announcement. It seems
the… wait… what am I doing? I don’t
want to ruin the surprise. You'll just have to
get the set and hear it for yourself!
Starring: Cedric Yarbrough, Niecy Nash, Ben Garant,
Thomas Lennon, Carlos Alazraqui, Wendi McLendon-Covey,
Kerri Kenney
Extras: Cast Commentaries, Extended Outtakes and
Action Figure Promos
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital Stereo
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 7/11/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
Website
We'll give Reno 911: Season 3 an A.
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