What is it? Key & Peele, complete series, 53 episodes on 10 discs from Paramount Home Entertainment
When? Now
How much? $55.98
Who are Key and Peele? Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele are actors who had their own sketch comedy series on Comedy Central.
Primarily, the series serves as a satirical commentary on race relations, politics and other social issues, making liberal use of stereotypes and cliches.
While that may sound pretentious, rest assured that it's extremely funny.
There are multiple sketches in every episode so this is just a sampling:
• President Obama (Peele) uses an "anger translator" named Luther (Key) to connect better with his constituents and to inject more emotion into his addresses and speeches.
• Key and Peele make things very uncomfortable when they step into a Confederate camp at a Civil War re-enactment.
• A documentary exposes problems (like the high rate of girls pregnant with demon babies) at an inner-city high school for wizards.
• An overweight, comic-loving nerd (Peele) has uncomfortable, lie-filled phone conversations with customer service reps (Key).
• Peele as Mr. T gives life lessons (while completely missing the point) in 1980s-style public service announcements.
• Key plays a substitute teacher whose inner-city training makes him ill-equipped to deal with the mild-mannered ways (and names) of suburban kids.
• Terrorists get sidetracked by the profits in the food truck business.
For the first three seasons, Key and Peele do a joint stand-up routine in front of a studio audience to introduce sketches. In Seasons 4-5, that format changes to the actors talking about a topic while driving in a car.
How is it? Irreverent, brilliant (the series did win a Peabody Award) and hilarious. At least, if you approach it with the right attitude. They tackle some fairly controversial and uncomfortable topics, so not everyone would be amused. But like all good satire, they're able to draw attention to some complex issues in a way that's entertaining but also thought-provoking.
Of course, people with very thin skin or a lack of appreciation for satire may not be so amused.
And be aware that the language and situations are frequently R-rated.
Are there extras? Only on the first three seasons. There are a few short "interviews" (which are basically more comedy bits) with Key and Peele and, for Season 2, a series of "episode reviews" with Vandaveon (Key) and Mike (Peele). For fans of the Luther character, all his sketches are bunched together in the Seasons 1 and 2 bonus features. There are also commentary tracks, outtakes and a Best of Seasons 1 and 2 episode.
New this week: 2 Broke Girls, Season 5; Blue Bloods, Season 6; Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Season 1; Doctor Who, Season 8, Part 1; Family Matters, Season 8; The Good Wife, Season 7; Gunsmoke, Season 12; Longmire, Season 4 (Blu-ray); Midsomer Murders, Season 18; Modern Family, Season 7; The Originals, Season 3; Rookie Blue, complete series; Twin Peaks, complete set; Veep, Season 5.
Next week: The Catch, Season 1; Courage the Cowardly Dog, Season 4; Grimm, Season 5; Indian Summers, Season 2; Jericho, Season 1; Mystery Science Theater 3000, Volume 3; Reign, Season 3; Ripper Street, Season 4; The Wonder Years, Season 6.
Style on 09/18/2016