For all the savvy moves HBO has made in regards to their original programming over the years, one of their few missteps had to be their inability (or perhaps, unwillingness) to properly market and support the Mr. Show series. Only four seasons and 30 total episodes in length, Mr. Show will go down as one of the most under-appreciated television shows of all time. No disrespect intended towards the other great sketch comedy shows throughout television history, but Mr. Show is undoubtedly the most inventive, creative and intelligent show of its kind ever created. Co-creators/stars Bob Odenkirk and David Cross made genius advancements in sketch comedy and always offered something totally out of the ordinary for the genre. The most identifiable mark of the series was the seamless transitions from one skit to the next. Also contrary to norms for the sketch comedy genre, Mr. Show rarely used recurring characters, giving each episode a unique feel. Innovations like these caused the series to develop a small but loyal cult following. Now, fans of the show are in for a real treat as the series’ fourth and final season comes to DVD.

The two-disc set offers all 10 episodes of the show’s last hurrah, clocking in at about 30 minutes of hilarity each. The episodes are as follows:

1. Life Is Precious and God and the Bible
2. Show Me Your Weenis!
3. Rudy Will Await Your Foundation
4. The Story of Everest
5. It’s Perfectly Understandishable
6. It’s Insane, This Guy’s Taint
7. Eat Rotten Fruit from a Shitty Tree
8. Like Chickens… Delicious Chickens
9. Sad Songs Are Nature’s Onions
10. Patriotism, Pepper, Professionalism

For avid followers of the show, some of these episode titles will evoke memories of some of your favorite sketches. For the uninitiated, however, I’ll outline some of the highlights. Possibly my favorite concept ever in a Mr. Show episode is the last portion of episode five, where Indiana resident and high school senior Dougie Bendle is discovered as the 18th incarnation of the Dalai Lama. The skit takes an unexpected turn when the Tibetan monks take on the “Fat Kids Camp” in the 501st Summer Olympican, an 80’s-movie style competition between the two factions, complete with cameo appearances from Brian Doyle-Murray and Jon Cryer as his Pretty In Pink character, Duckie. If this all sounds incredibly strange and surreal, that’s because it is, but it’s also as hysterical and original as television gets. Bizarre plot lines like these are a staple in the series’ brilliant sketch writing. Every episode is packed with memorable moments. With characters like “Wyckyd Sceptre,” a Metallica-like metal band with homosexual tendencies, and “Maple Syrup,” a two-time Philadelphia Regional Grammy-winning singer with a penchant for inventing new adjectives, Mr. Show packs more unique characters and sketch concepts into one season than most shows of its kind can manage in their entire existence.

The list of bonus material for Mr. Show – The Complete Fourth Season is a fairly short one, but each special feature is executed impressively, and the result is a few extra hours of really funny stuff that any fan of the show cannot be without. The disc includes:

-Commentary for all 10 episodes - Cast and crew come together to goof around, reminisce, and inform viewers about the filming of the show. These commentaries are hit and miss, but at their best are almost as funny as the episodes themselves.
-Crack Me Ups-Blooper Reel: First, Second and Third Season Outtakes – A collection of outtakes from the series’ entire 4-season run. Most of it is the cast improving and laughing uncontrollably. Also contains clips highlighting the abundance of foul language used on the show. At the end of this 10-minute featurette is an “Unseen Ronnie Dobbs Arrest,” a clip cut from the original airing of an episode from season one.
-“The Naked Improv:” 1998 Comic Relief Appearance – A 5-minute clip of Bob and David’s appearance at Comic Relief 8 in 1998, in which (as the title suggests) David talks Bob into playing an improv game that requires he appear nude in front of the entire audience.
-“The Grand Reunion” Featurette by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross – This one is really funny and unexpected. When the cast and crew get together to record their commentaries for season four, some of the members hold old grudges regarding the unauthorized use of private parking spots, and look to settle them through fisticuffs. It’s essentially an extra Mr. Show skit that runs about five minutes in length.
-Mr. Show Jukebox: Songs From the Series – This is a really cool extra feature highlighting the original music produced for all the episodes. There are 24 hilarious songs in total covering all four seasons.

This was one of those shows that got funnier and better as the seasons progressed, so for Mr. Show newcomers there’s no time like now to get into it. It’s not the kind of series that requires you watch it in sequence thanks to its consistently original characters and concepts. If you’re already a fan of the series, then you really don’t need me to tell you to pick this one up. From the biggest fan of the show to somebody who has never heard of it before, I can wholeheartedly recommend that you plunk down the cash for this one, as Mr. Show – The Complete Fourth Season is a sidesplitting collection of one of television’s most underrated shows ever.

Episodes Score: A+
Special Features Score: B+
Overall DVD Score: A