Comedy Central's TV Funhouse

Even better than I remembered!

I was so glad they finally released this on DVD. It was even better than I remembered! A must have for those of us with sick senses of humor. November 3, 2008

Comedic perfection; easily Comedy Central's best series ever...

I have been waiting for this series to be released on DVD for eight years, since I bought my first DVD player, and finally, it has arrived. I simply cannot understand why it took so long, based on its presumably enormous cult following (basically, everyone that's ever seen it has been waiting for its DVD release as impatiently as I have), but let's not dwell on that any longer.

"TV funhouse" trumps even "The Simpsons" (when I mention "The Simpsons," I mean the show that existed before season nine; it became a different series at that point (see: witless and aimed at the politically/socially unaware)) in pure knee-slapping, literally burst-out-loud-laughing hilarity, and it simply MUST be owned on DVD by anyone who enjoys, well, hilarious stuff! Stemming from SNL, one of the unfunniest shows on television for at least the last fifteen years, I was simply SHOCKED to realize how amazingly funny it actually is; I stayed up on multiple occasions to watch the marathons, as did millions of others (despite the low "ratings"), and I have seen each episode at least ten times as a result. With each additional viewing, its brilliance becomes ever more apparent, and I will simply never be tired of it.

Why, might you ask? "TV Funhouse" is mostly a satirical commentary/parody of children's programming (Sesame Street, Mr. Rodgers, etc.) that takes the false image of perfect happiness and harmony and twists it into harsh reality (the implied psychosis of the host, animal mistreatment, etc.), and despite the reality of the images it presents, it's all absolutely hilarious, as previously mentioned. The program also mocks cartoons of the 60's/70's (Wonderman, Fetal Scooby Doo...absolutely priceless...), as well as other 50's-era "programming" (mnemonics, etc. ...hilarious).

I, for one, feel that a petition should be created to get this show back on the air ASAP! I will never understand, despite its squarely adult audience, why it never got the critical support it deserved, and why it was cancelled in its infancy as a result (especially as "The Simpsons" remains on the air, at least ten years ahead of the most recent time it could be deemed "funny" ("painful" is now the term I hear applied most frequently)).

In any event, should you be one of the poor, unfortunate souls that has never experienced Comedy Central's "TV Funhouse" (and for God's sake, I am NOT referring to the garbage of the same name on SNL that this ingenious creation "originated" from...), you simply MUST purchase this set now. Honestly, I don't know how anyone couldn't enjoy it, on one level or another (well, I suppose that animal rights' advocates might have some issues with it, but...). Buy it now! November 1, 2008

Classic - and more than a little underrated

Ever hear of Wonder Showzen? It was on MTV2 for two seasons and went way overboard on more than a couple of occasions. If you already know what I'm talking about and haven't seen TV Funhouse, you need this one now. Total comic nirvana - as in "analogous to the band that influenced scores of bands after it". This one went over the edge long (three years or so) before Wonder Showzen was warping minds.

Far more subversively offensive as well when you consider some of the skits/cartoons they had (JoKamel; The Baby, The Immigrant and The Guy On Mushrooms; Mnemonics; etc.). October 2, 2008

One of the underappreciated shows form Comedy Central

This show was basically a full-blown spin-off of the "Triumph The Comic Dog" character from Late Night with Conan O'Brien, as well as the "TV Funhouse" cartoons from SNL, and it shows, as Robert Smigel, the man behind the dog, has a whole show all to himself, and it's full of all the TV funhouse and vulgar puppet goodness you'd expect from a guy who did the same things on Saturday Night Live and Conan O'Brien.

Very graphic and obscene, but incredibly funny in a LOT of ways. August 30, 2008

Probably the funniest show to ever be cancelled after only 8 episodes.

Thank god this has finally been released. Now the poor quality bootleg VHS tapes on online auction sites are a thing of the past. We have waited 8 years for this! Wow I can't believe it has been so long.

By the way: in case you are wondering, this is the hilarious and short lived show from Comedy Central. This is not a collection of the unfunny sketches from SNL with the same name. August 5, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...