I haven't posted an Amazon link in a while. This one will give you the chance to order the first of what we hope will be many DVD volumes of the SCTV TV series. This set contains the first nine of the 90-minute episodes done for NBC, which were very fine shows indeed. They featured John Candy, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Joe Flaherty, Catherine O'Hara, and Dave Thomas, along with Tony Rosato and Robin Duke. The latter two would leave soon after and Martin Short would arrive. The set is loaded with special features, including a commentary track by Flaherty and Levy, and I can't imagine why any of us wouldn't want this. Once again, click on this link and be whisked over to Amazon to order.
I am informed by a friend close to the project that the episodes are "almost" the way they originally aired. Apparently, there was some switching-around of segments when the shows were rerun back then on NBC so it was arguable as to what was the proper sequencing of some episodes. The DVD makers selected — almost "arbitrarily," my friend says — a running order, and just about everything that was ever in those nine shows has been included. One exception: The "Indira" sketch (Indira Gandhi's life staged like the musical, Evita) was repeated in a couple of shows and has been excised from all but one. Also, a couple of bumpers (the little announcements going in and out of commercials) have been changed.
Apart from those teensy matters, the only alterations have to do with music. Along with some battles over ownership of the shows themselves, one thing which has often kept SCTV unavailable has been the matter of music clearances. Rumor has it that in some cases, the show never had the right to use certain pieces of music in the first place and counted on the fact that they were produced in Canada and aired after 1 AM to keep certain proprietors from noticing. In any event, it has taken the lawyers many years to clear the usage of enough pieces to make these shows releasable for home video…and even then, a few cues had to be replaced, including some usage of Star Wars themes.
In any case, it oughta be a joy. The "Play It Again, Bob" sketch — with Moranis as Woody Allen and Thomas as Bob Hope — is by itself worth the price of the whole set. If anyone ever asks you what Bob Hope was really like, just show them that bit.