Son of the Beach

If you were a fan of the "Police Squad" tv series and movies and of the 1960s tv show "Get Smart" and enjoy seeing gorgeous bikini-clad women then this is the show for you. The first product from Howard Stern Productions is downright hilarious. Even the character names are significant: "BJ" (received her nickname from her high school football team), Mayor "Massingale", (as in douche), the mayor's oh-so-gay adolescent son "Cody" (in honor of Cody Lee Gifford), and muscular German-exchange lifeguard "Chip Rommel" (I guess they couldn't call him Chip Hitler or Chip Goerring or Chip Eichmann).

As Stern himself describes it, this show is "cleverly stupid". This show is one that must be taped and watched with remote control in hand, because the dialogue's humor is often very subtle.

This show is very, very funny. And real easy on the eyes too.

I just bought Volume 1 of the "Son of the Beach" DVDs, which contains the first 21 episodes, and I was quite impressed. I pretty much got what I expected: gorgeous women gratuitously roaming around in skimpy bathing suits and a nonstop barrage of cheap sex jokes. But since the show doesn't aspire to be any more than what it is, it works. I can't doubt that the double entendres get repetitive at times, but most of the time I can't help but laugh. Both Jaime Bergman and Leila Arcieri are extremely hot. Timothy Stack, who I've been a fan of since his talk show parody "Night Shift," is great at playing a dim-witted takeoff on David Hasselhoff's character in "Baywatch." His name is Notch, which is somewhat similar to Hasselhoff's character "Mitch." And since his last name's Johnson, that purposely opens up many opportunities for cheap sex jokes. I don't usually like dumb blonde characters, since they're way overused in movies and TV shows, but most of Bergman's airhead one-liners are quite funny. There are gratuitous montages which feature the beautiful female characters strutting their stuff wearing next to nothing, but in a show like this it's pretty much appropriate. Plus, it also works as a sendup of "Baywatch," a show that uses those montages very often, but still tries to pass itself off is tasteful. "Son of the Beach" is in the poorest of taste, and isn't afraid to show it. But if you buy the DVD set, don't watch all the shows consecutively, because like video games this stuff could rot your brain.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

This is one of the funniest shows on tv today. There have actually been few shows as funny in a long time. Most of the time, the stories are really cheesy, but that's purposeful, so you really can't complain about that. Stack is a comic genius if you ask me, and I have thought so ever since Nightstand. He shines throughout the series, and the others do as well. The show is PACKED full of laughs, it's the kind of series that has a joke in every line, and it works perfectly here. Great actors who are genuinely funny, and a comedic undertone that is just plain outstanding, this show is a 10.

Timothy Stack (of the late lamented "Night Stand with Dick Dietrick") stars as Notch Johnson in the sexual double-entadre charged Baywatch parody. Dick and his small, yet powerful unit of lifeguards seek to suck the evil out of every nook and cranny in which the find it. Sure it'll be long and hard, but if they penetrate deep enough and perhaps go undercover on occasion, they're sure to tap the vein of corruption and taste the warm salty aftertaste of a job well done. They've been in these type of sticky situations before and aren't above getting their hands wet. Shame this show got canceled prematurely though.

My Grade: B

DVD Extras: Introduction for each of the 3 discs by Timothy Stack in character as Notch Johnson; Commentary by various cast and crew on 3 ; 5 & a half minutes of Outtakes with introduction; 1 TV spots; a paltry 3 minute Behind the scenes Featurette; 6 & a half minute Son of the beach piece; 1 minute on the crew; 3 montages (Psychedelic, Baby oil, & Sexy Higlights); 2 and a half minute makeup artist montage (billed as 'too hot for TV', but don't believe it, it's ultra tame)

Son of the Beach follows the misadventures of the world's greatest lifeguard Notch Johnson and his unit, Shore Patrol Force 30. Notch's unit is made up of Arkansas beauty BJ Cummings; Kimberlee Clark, the "smart, flat-chested one"; lifeguard from the 'hood, Jamaica St. Croix; and Chip Rommel, descendant of the German general Erwin Rommel. After the first three seasons, Porcelein Bidet joined the team. With his SPF 30 team, Notch set out to do things every lifeguard has to do, like stop illegal importers, drug dealers, mad scientists, almost graduate from Southern University College at Malibu Adjacent (SUCMA), and found a school for Retards and Orphans.

Just from this description, how can you not want to watch this show? With show titles like "BJ Blue Hawaii" and "Witness for the Prostitution," every show is full of innuendoes and double entendres. Many people may be put off by the fact that Howard Stern produced this show, but that is a lame reason to not watch. If you don't watch this show, it should be for two reasons: 1)You don't get cable or 2)you don't like insanely funny shows. Seriously, how can you not laugh when Notch is talking about his Hawaiian friend King Kumonnha and his nut farm? Plus, just about every episode has a scene where Leila Arcieri and Jaime Bergman get to show off their, uh, attributes more artistically than normal. How can you not like that?

In summation, there's comedy, high comedy, and then there's Son of the Beach.