COLUMBIA TRISTAR has released the "Entire First Season" of "THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW" and we beg them to continue!  This comedy series spoofing late-night tv was originally aired on HBO, and so far it's the best satiric comedy to do so!  The writing is simply "outstanding"!  Gary Shandling has comedic talent, evidenced in the overlooked but terrific comedy "WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM" and his earlier comedy series, "THE GARY SHANDLING SHOW", but it's "THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW" which really allowed him to perform at his best!  Taking a satiric look at a "Tonight" show-like program, and producing witty jokes, episode after episode, season after season, had to be a daunting task, but this series achieved it, without failure during its entire run!  Shandling plays a late-night talk show host with a side-kick(Jeffrey Tambor) and a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, producer(Rip Torn).  Shandling's character is Woody Allenish in that he is full of self-doubt, but still doesn't mind screwing over any and everyone necessary to make his show work.  His side-kick is annoying to the "nth" degree, but his lack of realizing the joke's always on him, makes him somewhat likeable.  The relationships between the main characters and their relations to guest stars appearing on the show, as well as with network idiots and the writing crew, make the show appear realistic as well as brilliant.

The show is so rare in the way it consistently maintained its wit and even got funnier as it progressed, made practically every hollywood name want to appear as themselves on the fictional program.  The brilliant writing even made actors like David Duchovny, playing himself, not mind recurring appearances where his sexuality is called into question.  Anyone and "everyone" seems to have wanted to take part in mocking themselves for this show. 

The "entire" first season, with its 13 episodes, is offered here.

COLUMBIA TRISTAR has presented the series in its correct full-frame 4:3 aspect ratio.  While the image is suitable, it's not nearly as sharp as we'd hoped for. There's just not the depth and clarity we're used to in most COLUMBIA TRISTAR releases. There are even some scenes wherein the image is so soft, it's almost blurry.  There's also excessive grain in other instances!  Contrast is adequate, but nothing spectacular, with only moderate discernment between blacks and grays. 

The soundmix presented is Dolby Digital 2.0 surround.  It's actually more aggressive than one would expect from a "late-night" program spoof would seem to dictate.  But, there are a fair share of surround effects and the stereo separation on the front speakers boosts the musical score.

An extra feature is offered as well. Long time fan, Pulitzer Prize-winning, Washington Post television critic Tom Shales appears with Shandling in a half-hour conversation, filmed after the show finally ended. 

While we're annoyed the image isn't sharper than what's been achieved here, the overall presentation and remarkable content make this a worthwhile addition to any and every dvd collection.  We just hope COLUMBIA TRISTAR continues to release the entire series, with all of its seasons. We also hope that they pay more attention to the quality of the image on future releases. The show deserves it.