“The Best of Whose Line Is It Anyway?”-Own it on DVD June 9, 2009
- Release Date: June 9, 2009
- Publisher: Warner Home Video
- Price: $16.99 on Amazon.com (Buy It)
- Rating: Not Rated
- Run Time: 216 minutes
- Special Features: “The Best of Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Hour-Long Episode
- Starring: Drew Carey, Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, Jeff Davis, Charles Esten, Kathryn Greenwood, Kathy Griffin, Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood
- Genre: Improv Comedy
I’ve always been a huge fan of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and was glad when Warner Bros. released the first season in two DVD sets. Unfortunately, sales must not have been very good since there hasn’t been a season set released since 2007. Warner Bros. has finally brought the show back to DVD but this time in a “Best Of” format. I don’t normally like “Best Of” releases but in this case, it might actually be the best way to release “Whose Line” since it isn’t really a show you have to own every episode of.
“The Best of Whose Line Is It Anyway?” unsurprisingly features some of the best episodes the show ever aired. All episodes come from seasons 3-6 and many feature celebrity guest stars (Richard Simmons, David Hasselhoff, Florence Henderson, and Jerry Springer are among them). All of the episodes are very good (there weren’t a lot of bad “Whose Line” episodes anyway) but there are a few of my personal favorites that the set is missing. That’s really the only problem with these “Best Of” releases, “Whose Line” is one of those shows where everyone has a different favorite episode. Since all 220 episodes couldn’t be included in this collection, this DVD is bound to disappoint some viewers.
One thing I have to note is that this DVD is uncensored. All bleeps and censor bars have been removed which may appeal to some viewers but not to me. I actually think bleeping out profanities is funnier than hearing the actual word. I don’t know why a censored version of each episode couldn’t have been included for viewers like me.
“Whose Line” isn’t a particularly old show so it isn’t surprising that the video and audio quality are both very good. The transfers are sharp and colorful and as good as they are ever going to look. The audio is crisp and all the dialog, sound effects, and piano music comes in loud and clear.
Along with the ten episodes, one bonus feature is included. It is confusingly called “The Best of Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (just like the DVD) and is an hour-long recap of the highlights of the first two seasons. It’s a nice extra to included but I do think there should have been more bonus features. The show shot so much more footage that never made it to the air that there is bound to be some great unaired scenes out there just waiting to be seen for the first time.
I know a lot of people hate “Best Of” DVD releases but in this case it made a lot of sense. Highly recommended.
