I just finished watching Season 3 of SCTV, and have to say that show was truly inspired. Just goes to show the power of giving creative control to the actors themselves, and allowing them to develop their characters and ideas as a group. That, and I'm amazed by how ambitious this show was. The time-slot was actually very long for a comedy show, and it's remarkable that they could come up with so much great material. If you remember the era this was created in and the pop-culture that goes along with it, this is a real treat. And, for film buffs that weren't yet born when the show first aired, you're sure to catch the references to the landmark films and TV shows of the time that you may have seen or collected. As a fan of pop-culture and satirical comedy, this series is a real gem. Highly recommended.

Packed with bonus features and lots of great comedy, the five-disc DVD is amazing, albeit over-priced at a retail value of $89.99. Who can afford THAT? Luckily I got a discount through Wal-Mart's website.SCTV remains as poignant and funny as it was when it first aired during the '70s on local Canadian television stations. It was in 1981 when the show moved to NBC, featuring extended 90-minute episodes. These are largely considered to be the best by the fans and members of the cast.To say that the show relied solely on John Candy for success is unfair, although partly true. First billed, arguably the greatest actor on the show, Candy's legacy remains a stirring picture of loneliness -- he turned down roles on SNL, citing devotion to fellow SCTV pals. Incidentally a few of them, most notably Martin Short, did indeed make the move to SNL where their careers hit a rock in the road. I never enjoyed Short on SNL although he is hilarious here. Dave Thomas, who recently turned up in the horrendous BEETHOVEN'S 5TH (please, Universal, no more!) is funny as are Flaherty, Levy and Moranis. If you're not familiar with these actors, you'll probably notice their faces as you watch - Flaherty was in BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II, Levy was Jim's Dad in AMERICAN PIE, and Moranis was in HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS.Overall this DVD set, which Conan O'Brien claims very well may be the funniest you will ever own, and Ben Stiller raves about in a dedication pamphlet included in the DVD, is a good place to start if you're new to the world of SCTV and have only heard of it recently - or if, like me, you've been waiting forever for them to (finally) release it on DVD!P.S. If you're a fan of John Candy, you probably know that he didn't have a "great" film career, although under the supervision of John Hughes (his De Niro/Scorsese-esque collaborator) he made what is arguably the funniest comedy of the '80s, and my favorite of all time, PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES, widely considered to be one of the best comedies ever made, adored by many, featured on Roger Ebert's great movies list, boasting 100% positive reviews on RottenTomatoes.com with over 20 reviews (average rating of 8.2/10 - extraordinary!) and which was yet again featured on AFI's list of 100 great comedies. I've never met a single person who dislikes SCTV or PLANES...Check them both out if you want a good laugh and a good time.

Manic comedy series that continued in the same hilarious vein as the original SCTV comedy show. Stars Candy, Martin, O'Hara and Levy continued their string of off the wall antics and constant characterizations of what is truly comedy.

Thanks in large part to Comedy Central, sketch comedy is all over the place now. SCTV's influence can be seen in many of these new shows. Look at the cast -- just about all these talented actors have become household names and legends in the world of comedy. Their second to last season was their best; at that point, the writing was simply amazing and the ensemble work of the cast was at its best. Every character the many-faced actors came up with was hilarious and strangely believable.