The volume 1 TVD is a 2 disc release.

 

Video:

1.33: This is the TV standard ratio and is a very clean image. It's sharp and vibrant.

 

Audio:

2.0 Dolby: OK it's not surround sound, but a show like this doesn't really need it. The stereo is solid and clear. There's a little bit of fill coming in on the rear channels.

 

Packaging:

I love this DVD design! Quite possibly one of my favorites of all time. We’ll start from the outside because the packaging is unusual. It’s your standard cardboard folder in a box with a couple of DVD trays and an episode list, but the art scheme is a paint by numbers picture. The outer box is a partially painted scene. The back of the folder is a completely blank and funny image. The episode list is made up to look like the colors you would use (paintbrush not included!) Just out of curiosity I scanned the picture and the colors into the computer and painted part of the scene. It comes out looking pretty goofy, colorful, though. So that’s all fun.

 

The inside flap has a listing of the episodes but no other data.

 

I kind of wish the painting theme had carried over to the interface. Maybe they were afraid it would wear too thin, and I really can't complain. The visual presentation of the menus is laid out like a mini-tour of Brak's house. The main menu is the front yard, episode selection is pictures on the walls of the house, the extras menu is Brak’s corkboard, and the languages menu is the back yard. What makes the menus great, though, is that Brak sings the contents of each page! I kid you not, he names off all the episodes on the page, calls out the Easter eggs, even announces Zorak and Thundercleese’s presence on the main menu. Not since Futurama and UHF has character hosting of a DVD been done so well. I found myself going to each menu specifically hear the song. And when I say every menu I mean even the subtitles selection. I don’t believe Futurama or UHF went to those lengths!

 

There is very little mess to put up with before the episodes, no disclaimer about how the comments expressed by Brak aren’t necessarily the views of the company, its owners, their dogs, or the store clerk that rang up your purchase. And did anybody care that we weren’t expressly told Brak didn’t speak for the rest of the world in his commentary? NO!!

 

Extras:

I have 2 disappointments with this set when it comes to the bonus features: 1 is major, the other one is slight. Read on....

 

-Brak Presents The Brak Show Starring Brak Clips: This is the major disappointment.. I expected at least one full episode (there were 2 total to the best of my knowledge). I rather thought they would have one of them on this set and one on the next set. While both of them are included here it is only a few clips from each (4 to be exact, of varying lengths), and not even the parts I was most excited to get to see. The only guest appearance included is Freddie Prinze Jr. While it’s a funny clip I would much rather have had Jo Dee Messina (“I’m not like you/ And you’re not like me”) or Diamond Dallas Page (“Evil is only skin deep”).

 

-Cartoon Planet clips: This is the minor disappointment. Cartoon Planet was made up of short segments that were only used to introduce and fill in between other cartoons meaning that there will likely never be a DVD set because there aren’t any episodes per say. If you don’t know what I meant by the stiff animation I mentioned in the review, here is your chance to get a taste. This is not the first, or even the second incarnation of Brak, but it is the one that most of us really fell in love with. It boosted him up to be a fan favorite. So it is fitting to have them on a set devoted to Brak.

 

As far as content, they did a much better job than Brak Presents… These clips cover virtually every one of the best moments I can recall. It totals close to half an hour of nothing but Cartoon Planet craziness including one of the opening sequences and the best closing they ever did. That much is nothing but awesome! However, there are two 15-minute segments, 1 chapter apiece. I would love to have had each clip divided and put in an index like the Brak Presents… clips are. Instead you have to search for any favorite bits you may have by scanning through the compiled groups. Still, it’s a minor complaint since I’m happy to have such a collection at all.

 

I’ve seen several questions posted around the net pertaining to which Cartoon Planet segments are included so here’s a quick list.

Group 1: Brak is Hot, Minky Boodle, Don’t Touch Me, Zorak’s Pet, Brak’s Poem, Scat Sandwich, Fluffy, Toe Spread, Puppy Poem, Pants, Brak Rocks.

Group 2: Cartoon Planet Story, What, Scorpio Horror Scope, What Day Is It, Never Trust A Monkey, Mashed Potatoes, Brak’s Story, Lunchtime, Italian Lesson #4, Coffee, I Love Beans, Bad Jokes.

 

-Adult Swim News segments: There are 5 about a minute apiece. I had never seen these and am not terribly impressed. They aren’t as funny as the show or the other segments. Brak cusses more in these segments than anything else I’ve heard him do.

 

-Radio Play: I think this was supposed to be the pilot episode but never made it past the audio stages. I really don’t know what the story is behind it. A look at the history of the show would have been an excellent additional feature to have. To find the play start the episode “Bawkbagawk” and activate the commentary. The episode will play through but with the different audio. This is a strange way to have it play because the audio has nothing whatsoever to do with the video.

 

-Commentaries: There are 2 commentaries which I'll detail more below.

 

Easter Eggs:

These Easter Eggs are very obvious when you access the proper menus. Brak himself usually tells you to look for them as he's singing the menu contents.

 

-Recording Session: A short clip of Andy Merrill in a recording session is hidden on the disc 1 Languages menu. He’s reading a lunch menu in his usual funny way. It’s poorly lit and the camera angle is bad, but it’s still enjoyable.

 

-Alternate Scenes:

-Bawkbagawk is “hidden” on disc 1 Episode Selection Menu 1.

-Psychoklahoma is on disc 1 on the Episode Selection menu page 2.