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George Lowe, C. Martin Croker,
Andy Merrill
Andy Merrill
Ben Karlin
Space Ghost Coast to Coast: Volume One
- Comedy
- 2003
- Buy the DVD
Reviewed by Jason Zingale
()
I
f Conan O’Brian were an animated superhero, his show would probably be called “Space Ghost Coast to Coast.” Created by Cartoon Network’s mature themed cartoon block, Adult Swim, the experimental show took animation to the next level, nurturing the adult only after hours with such popular shows as “Aqua Team Hunger Force,” “Family Guy” and “Futurama.”
The premise of the show is loosely based on a late-night talk show featuring the classic 1960s Hanna-Barbera superhero Space Ghost, whose character likeness to Batman is uncanny. Joining Space Ghost on the show are his producer Moltar and bandleader Zorak (a giant, talking praying mantis) as he interviews numerous celebrities on his chaotic Ghost Planet. Although the episodes are short (merely 10 minutes) in length, they still provide some high-quality humor for those that enjoy the odd cookie every once in a while. Confusingly unfunny a lot of the time, “Space Ghost” didn’t really find its comedic niche until the end of the first season when it had sanded down its humor and gave the loveable Brak more airtime.
The first season of the show has finally been released on DVD with all 18 episodes in a two-disc box set and enough bonus material to make fans smile, featuring such guest stars as Bobcat Goldthwait, Weird Al Yankovic, Hulk Hogan, Bob Denver, Donny Osmond and Adam West. The audio and video transfer of the show isn’t anything to wet your pants over, plainly transferring the exact television format onto disc, but don’t get agitated with the overall appearance. This DVD set is really for fans too, because without an understanding of the show’s later concepts and modifications it made, “Space Ghost: Volume One” would seem a lot like the animation travesty in the first season of “The Simpsons.”
The extra features on the two-disc set are scarce and weak when compared to most other television DVDs, but considering its small cult following and short runtime, the extras provided will seem significant to any real fan. Containing audio commentary on only five of the 18 episodes (“Elevator,” “Batmantis,” “Story Book House,” “Girlie Show” and “Fire Drill”) each audio track features hilarious banter between various writers and voice talents from the show, information regarding cuts due to censorship, and discussion surrounding the origin and evolution of the show. Also featured on the two-disc set are a three-minute musical montage of original artwork on disc one and a music video of Zorak singing “Jingle Bells” on disc two.
“Space Ghost” came to be Adult Swim’s big-gun show of the night before its massive shift to popularity over the past two years, especially by the end of the first season when a majority of the show’s jokes became more relevant and comedic. While this first season collection isn’t for everyone (a more suitable choice may be “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons”), it definitely is a must-have for hardcore fans of the show who will greatly appreciate the inside info on the audio commentary and the simple fact that it’s now available to own on DVD.
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