For Immediate Release
GARRY SHANDLING'S GROUNDBREAKING
FIRST TELEVISION SERIES DEBUTS ON DVD
It's Garry Shandling's Show:
The Complete Series
OCTOBER 20, 2009
DVD Box Set from Shout! Factory Set for
Worldwide Home Entertainment Release
Shout! Factory has announced the October 20, 2009 debut of a spectacular new DVD collector's set of Garry Shandling's groundbreaking first TV series.
It's Garry Shandling's Show: The Complete Series will contain 16-DVDs featuring all 72 episodes from the series' four seasons, as well as a wide range of in-depth bonus content including extensive featurettes, commentaries, outtakes and much more (see below for details). This breakthrough series, anxiously awaited by both audiences and journalists, is lavishly packaged and priced at $159.99.
In 1986 Shandling was brand new and on the rise. He was being seen frequently on
The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, where he was a guest host poised to become the permanent guest host; and NBC would step up to offer him his own sitcom. But it was not the sitcom Shandling wanted to do. Not the rule-breaking, non-formula, off-beat brand of sitcom that had never been seen on any network. Not the one he envisioned. So, here for the first time was evidence that when it came to his television work, Shandling was not going to go commercial. There were already indications of that when he gave up sitcom writing (
Sanford and Son and
Welcome Back Kotter, among others) to pursue his stand-up career. So, now, instead of staying with a network that put restrictions on his vision, Shandling turned to the fledgling cable network Showtime, where Peter Chernin promised to give him carte blanche.
It's Garry Shandling's Show immediately erupted to become an instant critical hit. His dedication to the show prevented him from taking the regular guest-hosting position - a decision he had to tell Johnny Carson personally.
Shandling teamed with
Saturday Night Live's Alan Zweibel and a crew of talented young writers including Tom Gammill & Max Pross, Al Jean & Michael Reiss, David Mirkin (
Seinfeld and
The Simpsons) and Ed Solomon (
Men in Black); and Jeff Franklin.
With the September 1986 premiere of
It's Garry Shandling's Show, television history was made. The show put cable TV on critics' maps; it captured their respect and praise and won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy for the 1986-87 television season - winning over nominees
The Cosby Show, Golden Girls, Late Night with David Letterman and
Newhart.). Showtime then ordered an unheard-of 54 episodes (one more than for
Cosby). It became the first cable sitcom to be nominated for an Emmy.
A surreal look at the daily life of a young single man who is a comedian,
It's Garry Shandling's Show was not a typical sitcom. Shandling did anything and everything to break the "fourth wall" between performer and audience in an incredibly bold show of respect for his viewers. From playing with the passage of time to including the studio audience and those watching at home in on the actual making of the show - sometimes even using them as performers - Shandling "exploded the genre and made art of the debris," said writer Larry Gelbart in his
TV Guide article about the show.
Over the years, guest stars played themselves and were uniquely woven into the fabric of the show. They included Tom Petty, Rob Reiner, Vanna White, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Mull, Gilda Radner (in her last TV performance), Carl Reiner, Chevy Chase, Red Buttons, Jeff Goldblum, The Turtles, and Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, among others.
From its unforgettable theme song to its closing credits,
It's Garry Shandling's Show epitomizes award-winning, mind-bending television. Its influence is clearly seen in the best film and TV comedies in the decades that followed (not the least of which is the evolution of Shandling's own work, including his next ground breaker,
The Larry Sanders Show). But, it is ultimately this show where his path of creativity and authenticity began.
Bonus Features
- Getting There - The Road To The Show: Garry Shandling takes us from the Engineering Department at the University of Arizona to It's Garry Shandling's Show. Featuring Alan Zweibel and Garry Shandling.
- Being There - The Cast Remembers: An insider's look at the making of It's Garry Shandling's Show featuring Garry Shandling, Alan Zweibel, Molly Cheek, Michael Tucci, Scott Nemes, Bernadette Birkette, Paul Willson, Ian Buchanan and more.
- Still There - The Writers and Crew Remember: Featuring Garry Shandling, Alan Zweibel, Al Jean, Michael Reiss, Max Pross, Tom Gammill and more. The Harvard/Simpsons guys try to gang-up.
- Try To Remember - A conversation with Garry and Alan.
- Show & Tell - Writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross share their goodies from the show.
- EPISODE OUTTAKES - Pulled from the line-cuts of select episodes, these are rare glimpses into the production process of the groundbreaking show from 17 episodes; 45 clips. These are not the regular outtakes, but some where the camera is left running for minutes, allowing us to see the process of the show, as well as its improvisational qualities.
- "TELEVISION PARTS" SKETCHES - The two segments of Shandling in Michael Nesmith's groundbreaking television series that contributed to the inspiration of the show:
- Garry Dates Miss Maryland
- Garry's Car
- "THE SHANDLINES" - A click-thru of the original backstage newsletters of It's Garry Shandling's Show.
- ORIGINAL PROMOS - When the show moved to Fox, they had some fun with promoting it on-air.
- 18 COMMENTARIES FEATURING:
- The Day Garry Moved In Garry Shandling, Alan Zweibel
- The Graduate Garry Shandling, Alan Zweibel
- Grant's Date Garry Shandling, Ed Solomon
- Fate Ed Solomon
- Dial L for Laundry Tom Gammill, Max Pross
- Who's Poppa? 201 Garry Shandling, Alan Zweibel
- The Schumakers Go to Hollywood Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Ed Solomon
- Mr. Sparks Tom Gammill, Max Pross
- Mr. Smith Goes to Nam Alan Zweibel
- Goin' Places Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Garry Shandling, Ed Solomon
- What's Happening to Me? Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Garry Shandling, Alan Zweibel
- The Natural Al Jean, Michael Reiss, Garry Shandling
- Garry Acts Like a Moron Al Jean, Michael Reiss
- Garry Goes Golfing Al Jean, Michael Reiss, Garry Shandling
- Worry Wart Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Garry Shandling, Alan Zweibel
- Firehose Al Jean, Michael Reiss
- Family Man Alan Zweibel
- Driving Miss Garry Al Jean, Michael Reiss
About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory's DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company's audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY®-nominated box sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable "best of" compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com.
