Shylock-6

This is one of the funniest shows of the 1990s. Its a travesty ABC canceled it after six episodes. I can't think of a comedy program better suited for release on DVD. This was the first TV showcase for the brilliant talents like Stephen Colbert (The Daily Show), Steve Carell (Bruce Almighty), Robert Smigel (Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog) and Heather Morgan. Along with "The Ben Stiller Show" and "Freaks and Geeks," its the funniest '90s show canceled during its first season. We want it on DVD!

Seemingly no one remembers HBO's "The High Life," but I think it was one of the boldest, most impeccably produced television shows of the 1990s. Directed by (the now justly appreciated) Peyton Reed, every show was positively beautiful to look at, (sort of like "The Man Who Wasn't There" as a sitcom.) The scripts dealt with problems of the 1950s, (the Ku Klux Klan, McCarthyism), which are often overlooked in a haze of nostalgia. This is to say nothing of the fact that the show was very funny. The cast was excellent, picking up the mannerisms and cadences of the 1950s perfectly. I guess viewers couldn't handle a period sitcom, so HBO cancelled it after a few episodes. Still, I'd love to see these shows turn up on DVD some day, as they are uncommonly lush and good-hearted in nature.

I was lucky enough to catch "What Happened to Pete?" when it aired on Bravo a few years back. It remains one of my favorite short films to this day. If you've seen "Tree's Lounge," you know Steve Buscemi is a phenomenal director. "What Happened to Pete?" plays like a sketch version of the bar scenes in "Tree's Lounge." Its a deceivingly simple little film, with a brilliant comedic performance by Buscemi. (Mark Boone Junior and Seymour Cassel are wonderfully understated.) I adore Buscemi's choice of music- Brenda Lee's "Emotion" and George Jones's "When the Grass Grows Over Me" underscore the movie's tone perfectly. The film culminates with a truly surprising twist, (a rarity for shorts.) What I admire most about "What Happened to Pete?" is the way it manages to capture, (in a few short minutes), the dank grain and subdued despair of life in your average bar.