Current mood:	pleased
Entry tags:	whose line dvd

A(nother) nauseatingly extensive Whose Line DVD review (Volume 2)
Whose Line is it Anyway? Season 1, Volume 2 has been released. This completes the first season, as there were only twenty episodes in the first season and the second volume contains the remaining ten. If you had to choose between volume 1 and 2, I would recommend 2, because I think the latter half of the season is more memorable and fun to watch. Highlight include the Emmy-submitted episode 119 with the Going Bald Hoedown, appearances by Ian Gomez and Stephen Colbert, Brad's Songs of the Ant Farmer, Wayne's first song to a man, and the episode with Greg and Denny.

So, for this release, improvements have been made. Bleeped stuff is actually unbleeped (though it wouldn't bother me a whole lot otherwise, I admit it is interested to hear the dialog uncovered). In the second half of the first season, there were three bleeps, and two of those are uncensored on this release: Ryan's "They're-never-going-to-allow-that" comment in Narrate at a pizza place, and Wayne's use of an L-word in the Birth Hoedown. This does make me look forward to future releases, to hopefully hear things that we couldn't figure out on our own.

Both DVDs in this release include bonus material. The first has four previously unaired games (well, one is a chunk of a game) and the second five games (one also kind of being a chunk).

I still wish the set came with an episode guide. It's not too much to ask for, is it? I mean, shows on DVD that don't need episode guides get episode guides. Not only do I have to consult an outside source or memorize the episode numbers to find the episode I want, but I have to figure out on which disc it would be! And I have to memorize which cut games are on which DVD as well. Nothing fancy, a black-and-white plain text sheet of paper would have sufficed.

The menu graphics are still a bit lame, but whatever.

The previous release had closed-captioning but no English subtitles; this one has English subtitles but no closed-captioning. The subtitles use the performers' surnames instead of their first names for some reason. Also, a trivial observation: In one playing of Telethon, the subtitles label an impression Brad does as "Willie Nelson," but in another playing Brad does the same impression but the subtitles say "Neil Young." Scott's website has it down as Garth Brooks. For the record, I'm convinced it's supposed to be Willie Nelson.

The French and Spanish subtitles are gone this time around, though. As I mentioned in my previous review, I actually found it interesting to see how certain things were translated, and I'm a bit disappointed that I can't do that for these episodes.



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A while back I had read a few season 1 taping reports because I had assumed that, well, I wouldn't see anything that didn't go to air in the future. It turns out I was wrong, because a lot of the funniest moments that I read about turned up on this DVD (not so much the case for volume 1, oddly). So even though I enjoyed the extra features on the discs, I bet I would've enjoyed them even more if I hadn't spoiled them for myself.

General observation: Most of volume 1's extra games were "naughty, couldn't-be-aired-on-TV games. I don't think any of the extra games on volume 2 are noticeably raunchy.

DISC 1!

Greatest Hits #1: The Colin/Ryan banter is funny, and Wayne's songs could've been better.

Whose Line: A short but not-bad playing. My favorite part was the audience reaction to Ryan's farmer line. Note that no playings of Whose Line actually aired on ABC until the second season.

Let's Make a Date: Stephen Colbert definitely does Shakespeare better than Ryan Stiles, but I guess that's not saying much. I wonder if this game was included just because Stephen is more popular now. Anyway, this game gets two ticks on the "Kissing on Whose Line" list.

Sound Effects: I really like how the DVD version shows the little window with Ryan throughout. I kind of wish it was done that way on the show itself. This playing is a good example of a game being excluded due to it just not working as well.

Gag Reels: I like the gag reels, I really do, BUT I hope that they're a bit shorter if in future sets. How many times do we have to see someone screw up a Hoedown? How many times do we have to see a clip that shows one of the performers swearing and nothing else? These gag reels even repeat some of the jokes already seen in volume 1's, too! I like pretty much everything else, though. Just trim the fat, please.
Greg's Puberty Hoedown was great.
Did you notice how Drew announced the winners for one of the games (Dating Service Video), but he wasn't playing it?

DISC 2!

Superheroes: Greg portrays Trout Man as no one else could. In one of the episodes on this DVD, Greg as a crazed James Bond villain threatens to fondue the world. I always thought it was a weird thing Greg had thought up on his own, but it turns out that he was referencing this game (from the same taping)!

Stand, Sit, Lie: As funny as any other playing. Note that this game wasn't played in any of the season 1 episodes.

Questions Only: I'm glad at least one Drew game was included.

Moving People: A funnier-than-average playing, mostly because of the scene. It seems the game is funnier in concept when the scene requires the performers to do things quickly, and this is a good example of that.

Greatest Hits #2: I wish there were more musical games included as extra games because they have, for me at least, more replay value. So it's a bit disappointing that there weren't many songs in this one, and that the few weren't outstanding. Oh, well.

Gag reel #2: Did you notice that Drew says that Brad has a five-second memory, though in the actual episode Colin had that quirk? Was it changed or did Drew mess up?
The Bergman/Biiiirdman bit is better appreciate when it's connected to the scene given in that playing of Film & Theatre Styles.
Apparently a Daytime Talk Show about Hey Diddle Diddle was done...even though the same was done on the British version! With three of the same people playing in the same positions! And it was only like a couple of years prior!
Apparently there was a playing of Weird Newcasters with Ryan as the co-anchor and Colin as the weather guy! And apparently there was a Drew game for which Ryan sat at the desk!
Happy Waldo and the Salty Monkey. Indeed.
Why couldn't we see the context of the Dan Patterson pie incident?


So yeah, even if I may have seemed negative, it is quite neat, and I would recommend it.