America’s Funniest Home Videos, first aired in 1990. It is currently in its 16th season, making it one of TV’s longest-running series. The show’s title is its premise. A collection of video clips, some funny, some just plain odd, is culled from people all across the country. The producers select a few that are eligible to win $10,000, decided by the studio audience, at the end of the program. The creators of the tapes are always in attendance, which must be mandatory, and there has to be other criteria not explained to the viewer because the producers never pick the funniest clips. The winners become eligible for the season finale’s prize of $100,000 also selected by the studio audience.
This three-DVD set contains episodes featuring the show’s first host, Bob Saget, who put in a seven-year stint, and its current host since 2001, Tom Bergeron. The citizens of America must not have been recording themselves falling down at weddings or getting hit in the package during the years 1997 to 2000 because hosts Daisy Fuentes and John Fugelsang are unmentioned, relegated to the George Lazenby file of useless trivia.
Disc 1 is AFV Looks At Kids & Animals, a themed episode from 1996 with clips of the aforementioned in the usual videotaped shenanigans involving silly activities, precious moments and embarrassing events. There are the usual, horrendously unfunny Saget voiceovers that detract from the humor of the videos as well groan-inducing comedy bits with him and two children dressed like centaurs. The comedy is so bad that I wonder if it might have been intentional, arising out of Saget’s self-loathing for agreeing to be on the show. The $100,000 1996 Season Finale is included as a bonus.
Disc 2 is All Animal Extravaganza, an episode from 2004 where the animals take the center stage, but kids stay a part of the mix. There are themed segments like “You’ve Got A Bad Dog When…”, “When Birds Attack”, and “Cats Running Into Walls”, a personal favorite. Not surprisingly, most of the animals are pets, but there are plenty of wild animals caught on tape, including sea creatures and insects. The 2004 $100,000 Season Finale is included as a bonus.
Bergeron comments during the videos, but doesn’t do annoying voices like Saget; however, he is just as prone to bad, out-of-date puns, illustrated by his referencing Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard” during the segment with Julio the Owl. There is an amusing bit where Bergeron’s face is inserted onto bodies in clips and reacts to the situation. For some reason there are animals from the San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park in the studio: a cheetah, an anteater, and an owl. They hoped for the same magic moments a la Carson, but nothing happens.
Article comments
1 - elmsap
I saw AFV last night on wgn and (1-12-96) saw an animal clip that just floored me, I could not stop laughing. I would like to know how to get a copy of the show that had it. It was of a white parrot that did not have any body feathers. It was standing on the backrest of a couch or chair and a bald headed man with glasses was sitting in it. The bird was side steping back and forth and squacking and laughing. It was one of the finalist for the one hundred thousand dollar shows but didn't win, it was called the "cockatoo step". In this segment the one who won was "oh glory". Can anyone tell me how to get a copy of that show? Thank you. elmsap[Deleted]
2 - El Bicho
I would suggest contacting the producers through ABC
3 - MONSTER
there is a man french kissing a dod people.whats wrong with the editors or whoever because i thought BEASTIALITY or ANIMAL SEX was illegal and i was HIGHLY offended with the program.i would also like to speak to a lawyer to see just who if anyone could lose there job. CHEERS ENJOY THE DISTGUSTING SHOW PEOPLE.