Big Gay Sketch Show, The: The Complete Unrated First Season (DVD)

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VIDEO:
I´m somehow stunned the "Complete Unrated First Season" is presented in anything but anamorphic widescreen format, an aspect ratio rapidly becoming the norm for both network and cable programs. Nevertheless, we get a full screen transfer here landing squarely in the middle of the spectrum. It´s neither spectacular nor horrific; average might be the best word for it. The picture appears soft and ill defined from beginning to end, save for the opening and closing titles. There is a noticeable lack of detail in long shots; close ups or medium shots look better. That being said, the usual crop of video artifacts and issues aren´t present: I didn´t find anything in the transfer not intended to be there (some of the retro sketches are purposely grainy and full of vertical white lines).

AUDIO:
One option here, unsurprisingly. It´s a full-sounding English 2.0 track, replicating the original experience. To be perfectly honest, this is a serviceable mix, allowing the dialogue to come across clearly. The only minor issue I noticed was a lack of depth to the sound field. In other words, the audio sounds flat, undynamic. Which isn´t a major concern with a sketch comedy show, considering the lack of a true score or other audio elements to bring across in the production. English subtitles, though, would have been nice.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Remarkably, the list is quite long, yet amounts to a whole lot of nothing in the end. None of the extras really gets into the groundbreaking program, the network or the people on anything more than a superficial level, which is a shame because of the historic nature of the series. Over on Disc 2, we start with deleted sketches, three in all. As with the individual episodes on Disc 1, there is a play all option for these "Big Gay Bonus Sketches." Nothing too remarkable here, expect for the aforementioned "I Can´t Believe It´s Not the Body and Blood of Christ." And the ""Mary Hart Through the Ages" is a piece better left on the cutting room floor. Dragging on for a seeming eternity (run time is actually just 2:36), the piece retreads itself at least three times to no further comic punch line.

Next up are "Big Gay Interviews," a series of nine short interviews with the cast and Bearse. Topics range from what it´s like to work on a gay show on a gay network to what talent a performer brings to the program. The longest interview is Erica Ash, clocking in at 3:17. The one thing they each share is particularly bad, hollow-sounding audio.

Then there´s "Julie Goldman´s Celesbian Interviews." A completely worthless collection of five "interview" segments with various lesbian performers, Goldman quickly wears out her welcome as host by being deadly serious, though never taking the job seriously. These run a touch longer than what we have previously, ranging from a tick over three minutes to an interminable 4:16.

"Behind the Big Gay Scenes" is simple outtake material thrown into five different categories (Dressing Room Tour, Backstage Antics, Big Gay Bloopers, Making of Fitzwilliam and Pre Show Backstage Exclusive). Rounding out the extras is the wholly disposable "More Big Gay Stuff," which should have been called Pimping Johnny McGovern or something equally fabulous. An interview with the Gay Pimp and his new group (Team Pimp: The Gayest Supergroup in the World) comes first, followed by their music video "Something for the Fellas." Something about McGovern rubs me the wrong way. He´s a fine comic, but as the Gay Pimp, I can´t get behind him. The music is typical club garbage with impossibly pretty boys making out in the most G-rated way possible. Julie Goldman gets one more chance to shine in the Logo Wisecrack segment (3:12) and then the obligatory trailer for Logo.

PARTING THOUGHTS:
There is a spark of juice in these six episodes leading me to believe "The Big Gay Sketch Show" can be so much more than what appears on this set. Good intentioned people involved in the production, a network willing to go on a limb and some genuine talent. It´s all on display here, sometimes dysfunctionally, sometimes not. Ash, McGovern (when he doesn´t hog the spotlight) and Guarino are undeniable highlights; if the production is able to rein in the writing and squeeze a few less stereotypes out of the material, this could be a platform for up and coming gay comics to hone their skills. Season One, though, is raw.

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