On DVD: Comedy Central’s Roast of William Shatner: Extended and Uncensored

Directed by Joel Gallen Featuring Appearances by William Shatner, Artie Lange, Farrah Fawcett, George Takai

Comedy Central continues to offer a variety of actors and comedians to be “roasted” or insulted by their friends and associates. This time, it's legendary actor William Shatner.
The DVD of this event was recently released by Comedy Central and Paramount Home Video.

The Show

If you're not familiar with the concept of a roast, I'll give you the lowdown. In this case, William Shatner is the focus. They invite people who know Shatner such as actors and comedians to insult him. However, the insults don’t just get hurled at Shatner, anyone present at the roast is fair game.

Present at the Shatner roast is fellow Star Trek stars Nichelle Nichols and George Takai, Kevin Pollack, Jason Alexander, Bettie White, Farrah Fawcett, Andy Dick, Greg Giraldo, Lisa Lampanelli and Artie Lange.

While it is obvious that some of the actors and comedians present know Shatner well, it seems as though others aren’t personally acquainted with him, rather, they were invited merely for their ability to insult people well.

Everyone does a fine job of taking Shatner down a few pegs, as well as some nice shots at others just participating in the roast. Farrah Fawcett surprises the crowd by first coming out and seeming drunk or spaced out and then just turning that persona off and firing some nifty insults.

Nichelle Nichols and George Takai get to exact some revenge from their Star Trek days and Bettie White will shock you by some of her bawdy material.

I enjoyed the Shatner roast; in fact, roasts to me are funny regardless if you are a fan of the person being roasted. However, when I discussed this with a colleague, he finds “roasts” too mean spirited and too filled with toilet humor. I told him that no one is truly insulted and if you notice, after delivering a pile of insults to the “roastee”, everyone always ends their bit by saying something kind. But, he refuses to watch any roasts and thinks it is ridiculous that anyone else would either.

So, if you are fan of Shatner or roasts in general, you are going to enjoy this one. If you aren’t a fan, then skip it.

7/10

The Video

Comedy Central’s Roast of William Shatner: Extended and Uncensored is presented in the original full frame aspect ratio. The image is clear and the colors are vibrant. It is a TV transfer so there is the typical grain and lack of depth to the image. Overall it's a solid transfer for a television special.

7/10

The Audio

The show is presented in Dolby Digital stereo. The dialogue is crystal clear throughout and well mixed. There's not really a point to doing a surround mix unless you want crowd and ambient noise coming through the surrounds. Admittedly had they done this the show would have felt more immersive but I just don't think it's necessary for this particular kind of show.

7/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features

The single disc is presented in a standard amaray case with artwork that's pretty basic but it does a good job of representing the show.

There are a few bonus features offered on this release. There are some short behind the scenes interviews with some of the participants. There is also a look at the production of the show. Unfortunately, that’s all. What we do get feels way to brief and not very in depth. There's a lot of opportunity for featurettes and docs here but it just doesn't happen.

3/10

These roasts have been going on for years and they jsut aren't as edgy as they started out to be when they weren't so public. That said, it's still a lot of fun to see these icons lampooned by their peers and some top notch comedians. The best thing about Shatner is that he knows who he is, he knows what's made him popular, and he's been making fun of himself for years, so he takes the ribbing in stride. Fans of his should definitely see this.

Overall ( Not an Average) 7/10

The Review
The Show 7/10
The Video 7/10
The Audio 7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 3/10
Overall ( Not an Average) 7/10

-Suzie Lackey