Space Ghost Coast to Coast was one of the shows I had most hoped to see on DVD when I first started getting them. I never have been able to catch all of the episodes on TV so I'd been chomping at the bit to see some of the older episodes with the likes of Wierd Al and Alice Cooper. I have to admit that I found some of these early episodes lacking, particularly disappointing since the interviews I looked forward to the most turned out to be among the weakest. More on that momentarily.

Do you remember the old Space Ghost cartoons? He’s a superhero that can fly, survive the vacuum of space, turn invisible, and use power bands on his wrists to generate everything from death rays to strength-enhancing shields. He’s pretty much unbeatable and has the stereotypical deep, commanding voice delivering corny lines. In the original series he was joined by two teens who got into trouble more than they helped and a chimp that was smarter than all of them. In Space Ghost Coast to Coast he is a talk show host joined and visited by villains he has captured. Like any good talk show host he has guests, and the people he interviews are real, not cartoon recreations or impressions.

The questions asked of the interviewees are generally not what Space Ghost asks them; interviews are re-edited and put into a new context in the episode. It makes for crazy interview sessions even to the point of becoming nonsensically random. Space Ghost makes fun of the interviewees and often treats them badly. Sometimes that’s great fun, but other times, particularly earlier on, the results are choppy and stiff.

Add to that the antics of Zorak the giant mantis that serves as the band leader and Moltar the helmeted director, and you never know when Space Ghost will whip out his “spank ray.” Bizarre side-stories get mixed in sometimes enhancing the interviews and sometimes taking over to completely overshadow the guests. The conflicts between them can be better than the interviews, though occasionally they get annoying. It definitely makes for an atypical show in every way.

While the episodes can be hit or miss, particularly with these early ones, the concept is highly amusing. Just don't go into it thinking you're going to get a legitimate interview or anything that makes sense.