The Chappelle Show

Before getting his own show, Dave Chappelle played minor parts in many Hollywood blockbusters as the token black comedian. It was in 2003 that Comedy Central decided to bank on the young star's comedic talents by giving him his very own stand up show — the aptly named Chapelle’s Show — and the results are hilarious to say the least.

Co-created by Neal Brennan, each episode of Chapelle’s Show is also co-written by him and Chappelle. Between the two of them, they have written most of the first season’s skits. The format of the show is very traditional as Dave begins with a stand up routine in front of a live audience. The rest of the skits are then shown to the audience and instead of a traditional laugh track, the show supports the laughter of the audience present. This gives an authentic and realistic feel to the act.

Popular skits include Frontline and Charlie Murphy’sTrue Hollywood Stories (a parody of many television newsmagazine programes like 60 Minutes). There is one where Eddie Murphy’s real-life younger brother takes a not-so-conventional look at Hollywood’s other side and another that includes crazy character sketches such as Clayton Bigsby (a black man who is a white supremacist).

This first season box set comes with commentary tracks on some episodes by Brennan and Chappelle, who offer insight into the show’s insane sketches. The show is a treat for all those who like Chappelle’s style of comedy, which is a blend of Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy

Arrested Development.

Image via Wikipedia

Jason Bateman (Teen Wolf Too!) portrays Michael Bluth, who has just taken over his family’s business after his father got arrested, and the only thing that stands in his way is his family.

Arrested Development is a documentary style comedy narrated by the show's co-creator Ron Howard, which looks at the life of a dysfunctional family, the Bluths.

The show takes comedy to a new level as we see the Bluth family struggle to come to terms with one another, society and life. Take Michael’s younger brother for instance, George Michael (Will Arnett). He is a failed magician and tries hard to undermine Michael at every opportunity he gets. Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter), Michael’s mother is extremely conniving and uses every opportunity to try and get Michael on her side.

Michael’s twin sister, Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) only cares about shopping, which he hates. The performance that steals the show every time belongs to Michael’s brother-in-law, Tobias Funke (David Cross). An out of job psychologist, Funke (along with everyone else) slowly begins to question his own sanity which ends up creating some of the show’s most memorable moments.

The first season of Arrested Development is loaded with special features which include bloopers, behind-the-scenes and cast commentaries on episodes. Packed with special features, this box set is not to be missed as you will find yourself quite amused with the antics of the Bluth family.

Based on the play by the same name by American playwright Tony Kushner (Pulitzer winning author), this HBO mini series is directed by famed director Mike Nichols (Closer and The Graduate).

The mini series is broken into two parts, as per the play, Millennium Approaches and Perestroika. Winning the Golden Globe and Emmy for best mini series in 2003, Angels in America is about inner turmoil where characters struggle with their beliefs, the norms and their self-identities. This conflict is examined through dark humour and tragedy.

The play is set against the Reagan-era of the ‘80s, and has currents of philosophy and politics. Accompanying these are some amazing dialogues by Kushner, raw, philosophical and compelling and delivered by a spectacular cast comprising Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, James Cromwell and Mary-Louise Parker to name a few.

Each actor has multiple roles which add certain dynamisms to the play. Pacino and Streep both won Golden Globes and Emmys for their prospective roles. Play adaptations hardly rely on their set locations but with Angels in America, the locations play a significant role, ranging from the San Francisco valley and Central Park, New York to Antartica.

Angels in America is a close examination of an era when perceptions were changing amid dark times looming on the horizon. The DVDs contains behind-the-scenes features and interviews with the cast, writer and director. Nothing spectacular, but you'll hardly miss special features with such an amazing main feature