Ernie Kovacs was a video magician decades before Criss Angel. Instead of merely fooling TV viewers with digital effects, Ernie tricked people into laughing at the strangest of jokes and most bizarre of images. In the early days of television, Ernie and his team figured out ways to bring the most freakish scenes to the small screen. Ernie Kovacs: The ABC Specials contains the last five half hour TV specials he made before he died in 1962. They’ve had a seminal impact on anyone who wanted to push the limits of TV. Kovacs paved the way for cutting edge humor on TV for Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Saturday Night Live, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Portlandia and even the freakier moments of Benny Hill. He brought the weirdness trapped on the pages of Mad Magazine to life.
Ernie dealt in absurdity. His best schtick came during a series of blackout gags that had “Mack the Knife” and an oscilloscope tying them together. A man gets frustrated at a kiddie host on TV so he shoots the set and takes out the kiddie host. A woman bathes in a short tub that makes her feet stick out of the side. There’s a tempting ad for men seeking the perfect mistress to hide from their wives. What’s her secret? She’s invisible. A vampire has an issue biting his victim’s neck. Ernie enjoyed making fun of the elements of television whether it’s spoofing network offerings or the visual soundtrack. He was able to explore this weirdness thanks to his Dutch Masters Cigars sponsorship. They seemed happy to fund his projects since Kovacs knew how to look good working a cigar. He’s in the Top 5 cigar smokers right next to Winston Churchill and Red Auerbach. He was the perfect spokesperson for the cigar company and they were the perfect sponsors for him. They had the greatest of showbiz marriages. Only Kovacs; death tore them apart.
The final episode featured the announcer explaining that Ernie wanted this to be seen. It would have been a shame if the network had merely erased the tape thinking nobody could laugh at a dead comic. Ernie went all out even though he didn’t know he’d die soon in a car accident. The end credits are the most creative list of names ever done. You’ll wish it had taken more people to get this show ready for broadcast. His regular cast understood how to work the comedy in the quick sketches. Bobby Lauher, Jolene Brand, Maggi Brown and Joe Mikolas were a better supporting cast than a majority of sketch comedy shows that have aired in the last 50 years.
Fans might wonder where are the first three specials he made for ABC. Turns out those are controlled by another part of Ernie’s family. It is a shame they’re missing, but their absence won’t affect your viewing pleasure. There’s a joyful and revolutionary quality to these five episodes. This is a manifesto of the comedy of Kovacs.
Ernie Kovacs: The ABC Specials is a disc from last year’s
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are fine for black and white videotape that’s over fifty years . The genius shines through the minor glitches. The audio is mono. A lot of Ernie’s humor used music more than dialogue so the mix is more for notes than chatting.
Dutch Masters Cigars Commercials (11:51) are so creative that they’d work today for any product that isn’t currently banned from advertising on TV.
Ernie Kovacs: The ABC Specials is the perfect introduction to the TV comedy legend. Ernie pushed the limits of technology to push his humor to the next level. The final five specials he made for ABC refined his comedy. This is essential viewing for anyone who wants to know where revolutionary TV comedy got its start.
Shout! Factory presents Ernie Kovacs: The ABC Specials. Starring: Ernie Kovacs, Bobby Lauher, Jolene Brand, Maggi Brown and Joe Mikolas. DVD Content: 5 episodes on 1 DVD. Released: April 17, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
