Back in the ’90s, I used to watch the network TV show “In Living Color” fairly frequently, and in fact, I loved the line “Homey don’t play that!” so much that it became one my set phrases. But recently I watched episodes from the sketch comedy show’s first season on DVD, and it seems to me I laughed harder and more often than I used to when it was on the air.
For me, the most memorable actors on the show are the Wayans (Keenen Ivory, Damon, and Kim) and Jim Carrey (then billed as James Carrey). Still, sketch comedy requires several different performers, and Kelly Coffield, Kim Coles, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier, and T’Keyah “Crystal” Keymáh all contribute to the fun.
Some of the show’s recurring sketch situations appear in the first season, including “Great Moments in Black History,” “Homeboy Shopping Network,” and “Homey the Clown.” But one of my favorite sketches from that year is “The Wrath of Farrakhan,” where Louis Farrakhan bumbles into the Star Trek world. Another is “I Love Laquita,” an “I Love Lucy” spoof where Jim Carrey does a hilarious Desi Arnaz impression.
I suppose I should warn you that the “In Living Color” humor is not always politically correct, and sometimes it’s even a little cruel. Still, Season One had lots of extremely funny moments, and I highly recommend this DVD set to anyone who enjoys sketch comedy.
DVD Details:
- DVD release date: April 6, 2004
- 13 Episodes of network TV show “In Living Color - Season One”
- All episodes originally aired between 04/15/90 and 06/24/90
- Each episode is 23 minutes long, for a total of 299 minutes
- Number of discs: 3
- Full-screen (1.33:1)
- English stereo
- English subtitles
- Spanish subtitles
- Featurette: “Looking Back in Living Color - The First Season” (33 min.)
- Featurette: “Back in Step With the Fly Girls” (5 min.)
- Audio commentary for episodes 7 and 13 by actor Tommy Davidson
