Stella – Season One

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Episodes: C-

 

 

There is a new school of unfunny comedy that is supposed to be funny and is not.  Michael Ian Black, Michael Showwater and David Wain play themselves in a situation where they live together and do stupid thing in Stella – Season One.  Feeling like Kids In The Hall with expanded skits and no point, they get involved as sort of the anti-Monkees in situations (like running for elected office and opening a coffee shop) that go on and on like the show itself.

 

Black is the familiar face, but just showing up and acting goofy or saying stupid things is not sufficient for a show that has the feel of making things up as they go along in then worst ways.  Except for the somewhat free form feel, the show is a dud and it is more like watching unfunny people getting together and thinking they are funny.  One person suggested you need to take drugs to get it.  I doubt a year’s supply of anything from a Columbia Drug Lord could improve this, so find another DVD comedy set to OD on.  We’ve reviewed enough of them.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image was shot on professional NTSC analog video and looks clean, but is limited and nothing to write home about.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is simple stereo and that is all.  Extras include commentaries on all ten shows that are as unfunny as the actual shows, a blooper reel that are almost funny, deleted scenes, history of featurette, “Quickies” skits from The Comedy Central Network the show appears on (which are more humorous) and previews for other shows from that network on DVD.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo