The Ernie Kovacs Collection

Released: April 19, 2011 • Available in US & Canada

Product SKU: 826663123593

$54.99

List Price: $69.97 USD

Information
Cast & Credits

Synopsis

Over 13 hours of the comic artist on 6 DVDs!

In the infancy of any medium, there will be some who realize its potential well before anyone else. Ernie Kovacs was such a visionary, and between 1951 and 1962 he broke rules that hadn't even been made yet and created a "language" that is now taken for granted.

Includes six DVDs and over 13 hours of programs that span the all-too-brief but brilliant television career of this hugely influential comic artist, from his earliest local morning shows in Philadelphia through his NBC prime-time shows and the ABC specials that represented the peak of his offbeat humor and creative experimentation with the medium. The Ernie Kovacs Collection is a treasure trove of comedy from television's original genius, most of it unseen for over 50 years.

Why We Love It

“A full history of TV-comedy styles before that history had really begun, this stunning six-disc set The Ernie Kovacs Collection reveals Kovacs as the first ironic talk-show host, a surrealist sketch comic, and a master satirist.” — Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly

“The Ernie Kovacs Collection is a mandatory purchase for anyone who loves television and wants to experience some of its richest comedy roots. But it's more than that. As I see it, it's almost a public service.” — David Bianculli, NPR Fresh Air

“Kovacs' art -- which is collected in a marvelous new DVD set titled 'The Ernie Kovacs Collection' -- was more original, personal and bizarre than anything else being done in the early days of television.” — Matt Zoller Seitz, Salon.com

“a very comprehensive collection of the late Kovacs' trailblazing TV work” — Michael Starr, New York Post

“He is truly television's first genius, and Shout! Factory has done him proud with this amazing boxed set of over thirteen hours of his little-seen work. It is must-have viewing for anyone interested in the evolution of television, comedy and American pop culture during the mid-20th century. The Ernie Kovacs Collection receives our highest award here at DVDTalk: the DVD Talk Collectors Series.” Paul Mavis, DVD Talk

Trailer

Product Information

Discs 6	Run-time 13 hrs	Aspect Ratio ? 1.33:1	Color Black & White	Language English
Region 1	Rating Not Rated	Production Date Various	Closed-Captioned ? No	Subtitles

Episodes

Episode	Episode Title
1	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: It's Time For Ernie (March 7, 1951)
2	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: It's Time For Ernie (June 1951)
3	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Ernie In Kovacsland (July 6, 1951)
4	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Ernie In Kovacsland (August 23, 1951)
5	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Kovacs On The Corner
6	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Kovacs Unlimited (May 28, 1952)
7	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The Ernie Kovacs Show (December 19, 1955)
8	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The Ernie Kovacs Show (February 20, 1956)
9	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The Ernie Kovacs Show (March 15, 1956)
10	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The Ernie Kovacs Show (April 12, 1956)
11	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The Ernie Kovacs Show (June 12, 1956)
12	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The Ernie Kovacs Show (July 2, 1956)
13	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The Ernie Kovacs Show (July 30, 1956)
14	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The Ernie Kovacs Show (September 3, 1956)
15	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Saturday Color Carnival: "The Ernie Kovacs Show"
16	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Kovacs On Music
17	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Take A Good Look (July 21, 1960)
18	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Kovacs Special #4 (September 21, 1961)
19	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Kovacs Special #5 (October 28, 1961)
20	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Kovacs Special #6 (November 24, 1961)
21	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Kovacs Special #7 (December 12, 1961)
22	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Kovacs Special #8 (January 23, 1962)
23	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The NBC Morning Show
24	The Ernie Kovacs Collection: The NBC Evening Show
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