The Red Green Show: The Infantile Years – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

The Red Green Show has long been a favorite of mine, mainly because it was on one of the five channels we got until I graduated high school, but still. It was one of the shows I’d always stop to watch if it was on. This box set is the first three years of the show, 1991-1993. At that point the show was still in its developmental stages. Keyword “mental.”

Season 1 has the worst production values of the three, but hey, it was 1991. And it was Canada. Which let’s be honest, Canadian 1991 was like USA 1974. So you can’t really give them much flack for that. One thing I noticed from this season that is different from the way I remember the show was the interaction between Red and Harold. They are each very negative towards each other, which Red is always negative towards Harold, while Harold usually didn’t always have a snappy comeback for Red. Show set up wise this season basically like every other season.

Season 2 however is very different from the rest of the series. In the rest of the series, Red starts out telling a story about what has happened up at the lodge and then throughout the story he talks about how the story is progressing. In season 2, Red starts out telling the story, but throughout the show the story is actually played out in a skit which cuts into the time for the rest of the skits in the show. Handyman Corner and Adventures with Bill still make it into each show and are better than most years.

Season 3 is kind of a merger between the first two seasons, now with a live audience. Red starts out telling the story and the story is more or less advanced simply by Red continuing the story, but they’ll mix in a few little skits to tell a fraction of the story instead of the whole thing. It’s also got some hilarious Handyman’s Corner and Adventures with Bill. And it’s also got some of the best stories they’ve done. Season 3 is definitely when the show began to hit its stride and make a dent in the TV industry.

And for being made in the early ’90s, it’s surprising how well some of the stories and skits have aged. There are a few that you would swear were made in the last few years. There is talk about housing and people borrowing more than they should. One guy goes and lives in a cage because he thinks society is about to break down. There is a lot of stuff that is still spot on almost 20 years later.

The Red Green Show: The Infantile Years is presented in 4:3 Fullscreen format and Stereo Sound.
It looks like a show from the early ’90s. Some of it has aged pretty well and some of it looks pretty bad when compared to anything on TV nowadays. The effects are cheesy as can be, but it adds to the show’s charm.

Scarce pickings on the extra’s front. There is a quick intro to the DVD set and character profiles and Biographies.

Essential is a word that comes to mind. The three seasons give you a variety of shows. None of the three seasons are like the others so if you don’t like one season, you’ve got two more chances. You might want to check out one of the later seasons that has already been released just to see if the humor is up your alley or not, but if you’re a fan of this show, these are some of the better seasons they’ve done.


Acorn Media Presents The Red Green Show: The Infantile Years. Directed by Rick Green. Starring Steve Smith, Rick Green, and Patrick McKenna. Written by Rick Green and Steve Smith. Running time: 29 Hours. Not Rated. Released on DVD: January 26th, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.