Keenan Ivory Wayans' comedy show features a variety of original sketches, dance numbers, and a talented group of
comedians.
CRITIQUE
Perhaps not as crude
as MadTV, but certainly ingenious and original for its
time, In Living Color offers laughs for almost everyone.
Granted, I didn't understand some of the jokes or missed the punch
lines, and a few of the sketches just didn't work for me, but the
entertainment of the material and the performances of the
comedians makes the show's first thirteen episodes valuable and
fun to watch.
Most importantly,
the writing here is genuine. Among the writers are the Wayans
brothers (Damon and Keenan Ivory), Mr. Paul Mooney (guest on
Chappelle's Show), Colin Quinn (Saturday Night Live),
Steve Oedekerk (the hilarious and cult-like Nothing to Lose),
and others. The comedy is not always consistent, but the sketches
are never trite or uninspired. I didn't really laugh out loud for
most of the time, but I enjoyed the comedy from Keenan Ivory
Wayans and all the other cool cats, including a very funny David
Alan Grier, Damon Wayans, and Jim Carrey, plus consistent
performances by
Kelly Coffield, Kim
Coles, and Tommy Davidson.
Some material relies
on the dialogue, while other sketches work as well as they do
because the physical humor is done right. One sketch worth
pointing out is the one featured in the screenshot above, called
"Vortex of Fear," that puts an unconvincing man (Jim Carrey) on
the stage to be hypnotized by an artist (David Alan Grier). There
are more memorable sketches, and they're evenly spaced in-between
the thirteen episodes. Transitions between each sketch are brief
dance numbers by the Fly Girls, but they become a bit too much
after a while (and so I forwarded to the next sketch).
Certain characters
created in sketches make return appearances, especially Homey the
Clown (Damon Wayans), a clown who will insult anyone the "Men on
___" series with Grier and Damon Wayans as a gay couple reviewing
films, books, etc., and the two brothers who sell high-end, stolen
appliances out of the back of their truck in "Homeboy Shopping
Network," among other characters that make appearances in later
seasons.
THE VIDEO
Fox presents In Living
Color
in 1.33:1 fullscreen format. Some of the video looks a bit
soft, but most colors look good. There is no problem with edge
enhancement or compression artifacts. In short, the overall
quality of the video is quite satisfactory. It's somewhat
remarkable how well the look of the show holds up after fourteen
years.
THE AUDIO
Fox presents In Living
Color
in English Stereo Surround. Dialogue is clear and easy to
understand. The musical/dance numbers sound pretty decent.
Overall, a very fair transfer. You can
select to view the shows with optional
English and
Spanish subtitles.
THE EXTRAS
The commentary
by Tommy Davidson on two episodes serves up some good
information on how it was making the sketches work, working
hard, and contributing to the show.
Looking
Back in Living Color: The First Season is a nice 33-minte
featurette
full of clips and interviews. The only cast members
participating here are David Alan Grier and Tommy Davidson, plus
various directors, writers, and producers. There's some good
information here, but the absence of other cast members,
especially Keenan Ivory Wayans, is quite disappointing.
Back in Step with the Fly Girls
is a brief 5-minute
featurette about the show's dancers. Appearing in interviews are
two former dancers and choreographer
Rosie Perez discussing the dancing and various routines.
The average
episode length is 23 minutes and is divided into five chapters.
The three discs arrive in thin Amaray cases inside a slipcover
box.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In Living Color
presents original and well-written sketches, plus the performances of
the comedians are quite good. Comedy varies from funny to mediocre,
but the overall consensus is a show that provides entertainment. Fox's
DVD of the first season is pretty nice, but the absence of the Wayans
brothers from this set is disappointing.
