Customer Reviews

The State: The Complete Series

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It has been years since I've seen The State, and the moment I saw the commercial for it on TV, I immediately ordered it. It's a great DVD set with some really worthwhile bonus features, particularly the cast commentaries.

That being said, yes, the music replacement is quite noticeable, as is the frequent and sometimes scene devastating blurring of any and all images that might require MTV to pay something for their display. The insert that comes with the DVD set claims that to include these images and songs would have cost millions and forbade the production of the DVD. I find that hard to believe.

How much is it going to cost to have a picture of Andrew Shue on a goofy homemade collage? Or some obscure album cover from 15 years ago? I can't imagine those would cost all that much. And how much can the inclusion of a handful of songs cost? Even just for those few that were played over the live performances in studio, which is where the dubbing is most noticeable (any skit performed in the studio that contains licensed music, does not have a single piece of original sound, whatsoever. It's all dubbed over with new music, generic audience laughter, and re-recorded performances by the original cast members). Pretty much every licensed song used in the show is background music with dialogue recorded over it. How, in that kind of context, is some Marvin Gaye song from 30 years ago or goofy grunge song from 1993 is going to cost "millions" to license? And how did songs such as "The Power" by Snap!, which is played over the guidance counselor sketch, make it in and all these others didn't?

I'm sure the real explanation is that MTV didn't give this DVD production any kind of budget at all, which is why we get all these alterations. I guess we should be thankful that the cast members and producers were so dedicated to the show that they took the time to find ways to get around all these inconveniences forced upon them by their stingy bosses.

It's great to see the show again and so many of my favorite skits, particularly from the first season. It's just a shame so many great parts are ruined by all the editing and audio dubbing. I consider it's 4-star rating entirely MTV's fault for being so cheap with one of its greatest shows.

Disc 1 (Season One)
All five episodes from Season One
Commentary on every episode by various cast members
Interviews
Origins
Feedback
Outtakes

Disc 2 (Season Two)
All six episodes from Season Two
Commentary on every episode by various cast members
Interviews
Roles
Catchphrases
Outtakes

Disc 3 (Season Three)
All six episodes from Season Three
Commentary on every episode by various cast members
Interviews
Outtakes

Disc 4 (Season Four)
All seven episodes from Season Four
Commentary on every episode by various cast members
Interviews
Outtakes

Disc 5 (Bonus Disc)
Pilot
Over 90 minutes of unaired sketches with commentary from the cast
Outtakes
Special Appearances:
-"The State" on "The Jon Stewart Show"
-The cast's performance on MTV's "Shut Up & Laugh, Panama City" (1996)
-Spring Break Safety Tips
-MTV Christmas Party Video
Promos

I don't know how much of the music has been replaced (I've only checked Pants and $240 Worth of Pudding) but it's definitely jarring to not have Cannonball playing while Kerri is high-kicking or to hear Barry sound like a giant pudding clot is stuck in his throat. It's a sad commentary that such an incredible pop culture high-water mark can be scarred by the pop culture copyright tsunami. The dubbing probably won't bother somebody who has never seen the show but it may make even an infrequent 90s viewer feel that something is a little off. Surely somebody out there will compile a list of music substitutions and dialog re-recordings, but MTV already has our money and at the end of the day this is better than the tape that got eaten by my VCR.

(Edit: There's an episode I've never had on tape, that I caught maybe two or three times on MTV, and that contains the one line I've blurted out who knows how many times any time I see a bottle of rosemary - "Ahhhh! Rosemary!" - and the substituted muzak track prevented a moment of utter joy. The State is one of the few objects of nostalgia I've clung to and it feels like that link to the past is getting weaker while watching some of these episodes. Sigh. In all fairness, I didn't notice any dialog re-recording in the TV Watching skit like I noticed the absence of Beck. )

(Another Edit: Yes, the replaced music can be distracting at times - it can also be barely noticeable at other times. There are only a handful of sketches which are tough to separate from their of-the-time accompaniment and a much larger percentage of pure goodness. And ,yes, the blurring can be annoying, especially when they try to block out most of a moving character's background, but that only happens once or twice. Finally, yes, the reports of dubbed lines are disturbing, but I've only noticed it in one particular character's scenes. I don't regret buying this set at all.)

we've all been waiting years for this to come out.. but the fact that none of the music will be the same is so hard to get over. generic songs take away from the sketches. and to make matters even worse, audio had to be re-dubbed if there was music playing in the background??? it's so noticeable in season 1 with the $240 worth of pudding. if i could pay the same price for the entire original series on bootlegged VHS i would have more enjoyment :\

i'm glad there are at least some extras and commentary and such.

A lot of formerly die-hard fans are suddenly waffling because some of the music was replaced. Why? Is it because The State is any less funny? Or do you only find it funny because of a misplaced sense of nostalgia?

I just want to say that the music thing is jarring; however, I'd rather have the show in this format than be kept in limbo like we have for the past decade. To those that don't know, music licensing is a HUGE expense for home video, often requiring extensive renegotiation and exorbitant fees for seconds of footage. This is due to the original license only being set up for television broadcast as TV on DVD was almost unheard of in 1993. You should also know that The State tried very hard to get the original music and it would have cost a fortune. If you want to yell at somebody, yell at the lawyers in charge of licensing music for the Breeders and Marvin Gaye.

That said, The State is still hilarious. It has moments that rival both Monty Python and Kids In The Hall. It puts the vast majority of other US based sketch comedy to shame. To ignore its brilliance is to deny your sense of humor. Please... don't deny your sense of humor.

I shut the DVD off after watching 3 1/2 episodes. Even during the episodes I watched, something didn't seem right. After about 30 seconds of the first Barry and Levon bit, I realized what was wrong; the bits have been changed to remove the original soundtrack. I think the audio to Barry and Levon sketch was re-recorded. Whatever they did to the audio ruined the sketch. I went to youtube and found the original. What a huge difference. Now I know why they didn't want to release the DVD.

The State was as formative an influence on my sense of humor as Douglas Adams. One thing I loved about this show is that it always swung for the fences, resulting in sketches that vary wildly between pure brilliance and utter bewilderment. Of course, different people find different sketches funny. For instance, I think the Barry Lutz show sketch is the funniest 3 minutes of television in history (from the audio commentary we learn that this sketch was a last minute addition). I still scream "Chicken sandwich Carl!" every once in a while to some of my puzzled interns when I'm about to ask them to do something that's beneath even an unpaid college student. But I'm thankful for the fast forward when Porcupine Raceway comes on.

In any case, when I heard about this DVD set's upcoming release, I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to watch the sketches on an actual television again with good sound quality and image instead of blurry YouTube videos. When it arrived in the mail, I popped in the DVDs expecting a trip down memory lane. I wanted everything exactly how I remembered it.

Unfortunately, in many cases, these DVDs do not deliver. Every sketch that had licensed music has had the entire audio redone. (I suppose the original unmixed audio tracks no longer exist.) It is most noticeable in the "pants" sketch (no Cannonball!) and the Barry and Levon "pudding" sketch, where the comic timing is just not there anymore.

This seems like a petty complaint, but a product like this is supposed to let us "relive the magic" and instead, in too many of the famous sketches, the magic is just no longer there.

Thankfully, some sketches emerge unscathed. The Barry Lutz show is untouched and still brilliant. But it is dissapointing that given the fierce loyalty fans of The State have toward the show, that MTV couldn't shell out some extra money to purchase the proper licensing. I would have happily paid more for this product if it meant keeping everything as it was.

The State was one of my favorite shows growing up, and one of the only shows I ever enjoyed on MTV. I've been waiting years to get this show on DVD and it was well worth the wait. They found a work-around for all the licensed music and they did a great job with it. If you like sketch comedies, especially Reno 911, you will love The State!

After living off memories & bootlegs for so many years, it is awesome to finally have the complete series on DVD. The real star of the show was the comedy, not the background music, so I don't know why people are so worked up about it being replaced it doesn't make me laugh any less.

The DVD presentation is very slick, with great menu screens and of course great transfers of some of my favorite sketches including:
-Blueberry Johnson
-Taco Man
-The Audition
-Monkeys Doin' It II
-USMBTRBT

The commentaries featured on all the episodes are a fun (but not essential) listen with the members appearing in different groupings of 3-5 throughout. Due to this there is a lot of repetition of stories or conjecture as to who wrote what, etc. Surprisingly, Michael Patrick Jann ends up being the most enthusiastic and entertaining of the contributing members on the commentaries.

Each disc has a series of 5-10 minute MTV backstage interviews that appear to be from the final season period of the show with Micheal Patrick Jann providing most of the group's history, while Micheal Ian Black provides goofy tours of the day to day goings on.

Also featured are 5 minute reels of outtakes from various sketches, that usually end up being more extended footage than bloopers. I found the most entertaining to be uncut footage from "The Prom" segment, that really shows what the whole hilarious night was like.

The un-aired sketches are many, but mostly forgettable (although they all have commentaries). Highlights include: "Muskrats", "Disco Girl" and "Swamp Creature". The special appearances are neat, especially seeing a young Jon Stewart stand patiently by as The State destroys his set.

There are only 2 things that could have made the set better: A then & now type documentary featuring interviews with all 11 members (including footage of their recent live reunion shows) and clips of "You Wrote It, You Watch It" an MTV show featuring performances by The State that the group mentions over and over again during the commentaries but provides little detail on.

Overall this is a fantastic set that took its time getting to us, but I'm glad it finally made it.

The State is, without a doubt, my favorite sketch comedy show of all time. I've been waiting a looooong time for this DVD set, and it was worth the wait. They put together a really nice collection. In addition to every episode aired on MTV (the one episode aired on CBS is not included), it has some excellent commentary, interviews, and extras.

I really wish I could give this 5 stars, but I have to knock a star off for the music changes. This only affects a handful of sketches, and if you never saw the original you probably won't care. But "$240 Worth of Pudding" just isn't the same without "Sexual Healing" in the background.

If you watched this show in the 90's, you already know it's hilarious. Otherwise, I recommend this DVD set to anyone who likes sketch comedy shows like Mr. Show, or Kids in the Hall. And if you're a fan of shows like Reno 911 or Stella, this is where those guys got their start, so you may want to check it out.