4 out of 5

Director: Michael Jann, David Wain, year right, I’m just trying to be cool and name people it could’ve been anyone

As others note – this is as funny as you recall.  We had one VHS tape to match to our memories up to this point (the originally unaired sketches from which – at least the ones I remember – are on the bonus disc of this collection), and then years of “they can’t get the music rights” as prevention from a full collection, as MTV originally had the group pepper the soundtrack with tons of then-current songs.  Well, however Shudder to Think frontman Craig Wedren (who wrote the awesome theme) was wrangled to redo the score with sounds-like ditties to allow this to finally get rereleased, this 5-disc set is ideal, getting commentary on the whole caboodle, plus enough legit extras to fill a fifth disc.  If we were just rating the first season, this would be five stars.  There was a burst of energy and nonsense to every sketch from that season that, yes, is due to the group’s learning the ropes of balancing their live act with a filmed one, but works in an original fashion whereas season 2 and 3 – while still funny and irreverent – are closer to a polished act and become a bit more predictable in terms of when the gags are coming.  The 11 members are aware of their Python influence, but this is a modernized, American take on that style of humor, and the robustness of 11 writers plus some MTV censorship keeps it from the excess which would make the similarly humored Mr. Show tip into ‘too much’ sometimes.  The commentary isn’t particularly insightful, true, but it’s still a joy to hear them laughing at their own work and bubbling up random memories – it solidifies that this group worked so well because they’re actually friends, cracking each other up.  New viewers will perhaps focus on the roots shown of Viva Variety, or Reno, or AWHS, but those of us revisiting will have constant tears of joy, wishing sketch comedy was always this funny.