Reviews

If you were ever a fan of MTV"s "The State," then these three guys will be familiar to you. But even if you only stumbled upon them via the internet like I did, you will soon come to appreciate their unique brand of comedy.

Born out of their stand up comedy trio, 'Stella', Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter and David Wain produced these brilliant vignettes of surreal comedy to display at their shows, and now after being available only to download from two websites, they appear in pristine glory on one DVD.

Think comedy sketch show sans censorship, and you'd be halfway there. No stone of decency is left unturned. But for those who like their comedy rude, self-indulgent and bordering on puerile, (and I mean that in the most flattering way) this is the DVD for you!

I think it's worth the money for the commentary from the two Michaels and David alone, you can't help but take a liking to them as they explain their actions, cringe at their own antics with sex toys and by turn pat each other on the back and hurl abuse.

Fantastic.

It must say something for the appeal of Stella that the likes of Julie Bowen and Paul Rudd are willing to throw themselves into the action so fearlessly. And you should follow their fine example, throw preconceptions to the wind, and prepare to laugh yourself sick.

Strange was a much welcome relief amongst the dross of Saturday night game shows and lame reality TV. It was thought provoking, different and highly entertaining. It's sudden disappearance from our screens remains a mystery in itself, and even an email to the BBC failed to deliver an answer.

Hunting down supernatural beasties is not a new concept, but it was done in a fresh and unique way. The characters had back stories that were slowly drip fed into the series without distracting from the heart of the ghost chasing, unlike the X Files which let subplot complexities ruin the excitement of finding a paranormal explanation.

Seeing the delightful Richard Coyle in a role other than the freakish and sexually disturbed Jeff from Coupling was also refreshing, he certainly proved his talents in Strange. And Samantha Janus in a role that didn't make use of her as just eye candy also gave value for money. Tom Baker made some inspired cameos that harked back to him in his most camp yet genius years on Doctor Who.

If you wanted something that didn't rot your IQ from the moment the opening credits rolled because of its sheer banality, then Strange was the show to watch. I hope it returns. And I also hope it makes it onto DVD.