It's Garry Shandling's DVD Bonus Features
A Sneak Peak at the Extras
The people at Shout! Factory have gone all out to make sure that there is plenty of bonus material, including plenty of outtakes, behind-the-scenes documentaries that include interviews with the stars, a 36-page companion booklet, even the original promos for the show’s Fox Debut. And of course, what would a DVD box set be without background commentary available on 18 of the episodes, including the pilot?
Fred Savage as Grant Schumacher?
In one of the special features entitled "Being There," the cast members reminisce and share their fond memories of being on It’s Garry Shandling’s Show. The actors also share a lot of interesting behind the scenes facts. For example, did you know that when Scott Nemes auditioned for the role of Grant Schumacher, he had to compete against Fred Savage?
Nobody knew who Savage was back then, but they must have known he would go on to bigger and better things because apparently they had a tough time making that casting decision. Can you imagine a parallel universe out there with Savage doing It’s Garry Shandling Show instead of The Wonder Years? In the end, they made the right decision. It was just meant to be.
Behind the Scenes Commentary
Thanks to the background commentary, you watch the episodes again while listening to the creators and producers of the show, including Garry Shandling himself, make remarks like “Why did we do this again?” The commentary is interesting because they aren’t afraid to point out the problems and flaws which occurred during the show's four season run.
“This is where I’m not good as an actor because I really don’t look like a guy who’s lost his furniture,” Shandling shares with us following a scene where his house was broken into. “So rather than play it, I’m just saying it.”
“Now she said she was going to go grade some papers which means she’s a teacher, right?” Alan Zweibel, one of the show’s creators, reveals to us following a comment made by Nancy in another scene. “I didn’t know that. I didn’t remember.”
Apparently, they accidentally changed her profession in later episodes of the show because they forgot.
The Original Fox Network Promos Included
But perhaps one of most unique bonus features of all is that they included promos that are very funny in the classic Garry Shandling silly sort of way. There’s one in particular where there’s a technician in Shandling’s house installing a coat hanger onto the living room TV set. He then announces that Garry is set to watch his shows now that all the TVs in the house have been wired with coat hangers.
The 1988 promo is funny, not only because Fox, being the predominately UHF network that it was, sometimes found itself the butt of jokes regarding the reception of its signal, but also because it’s silly enough to suggest that someone who can’t afford cable, or a proper antenna, can blow money by hiring someone just to install a coat hanger.
Coming soon
Just think, now that the entire series will be available on DVD, many viewers will be able to throw away all of their crappy VHS cassettes that were recorded with coat-hanger-like reception. The episodes can soon be viewed again and again with digital-like quality, and the bonus features mean the DVD could be a must-buy product for some fans. It’s Garry Shandling’s Show: The Complete Series is coming out October 20th.
Sources:
It’s Garry Shandling’s Show: The Complete Series DVD and Shout! Factory.
More Info:
Not familiar with It’s Garry Shandling’s Show? Read It’s Garry Shandling’s Show to Come Out On DVD for background info on both Garry Shandling and the show.
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