Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job The Complete Season One   Starring: Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim Revolver Entertainment RRP: £15.99 REVD2228 Certificate: 15 Available 27 April 2009

Tim Feidecker and Eric Wareheim write and star in this surreal comedy which mixes songs, spoof ads and sketches based around character from a home grown cable TV show. Using a combination of real-life acting and green-screen technology the comic duo conjure up an incredulous array of characters including the Anchorman-esque 'Channel 5 Married News Team', a dad-obsessed dance instructor, tone-deaf singers whose faces drip with eczema and would-be swingers who gorge on shrimp and white wine...

When I started watching Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job, I couldn't help but feel I'd been here before - but years ago. Tim and Eric are a less funny version of The Adam and Joe Show.

In fact 'borrowing' other peoples material seems to be something that Tim and Eric do quite a bit. There are a couple of prank phone call segments that are almost identically in visual style to those in Fonejacker, and the spoofing of advertisements and cable access programming (which makes up the majority of the show) is not the most original idea on the planet.

A lot of the material also doesn't work particularly well either. The dad obsessed kid's dance instructor is just odd, as is the ventriloquist with the scary puppets. And the mentally ill guy with eczema who tries to sing is just a little too messed up.

Every now and then some good material emerges - Beaver Boys and the fat woman's office fantasies were quite amusing. Also worth looking out for are Tim's amazing cat trick, the Cinco automated banking system, the mini man dance off to settle disputes and the 50th Anniversary Spectacular. The majority of the famous guest star spots are also usually amusing - if a little off the wall.

Extras include How'd Dey Do Dat? (13 min 45 sec behind the scenes featurette that looks at the show's guest stars); Lost Gems and Deleted Scenes (a collection of material that has to be played individually. Highlight include 'Two Men in Jail', 'Head Crusherz' and 'Beaver Boys Alternate Version'); Awesomcon (3 min spoof Tim and Eric themed convention); Oops and Ding Dongs (5 min, 16 sec worth of bloopers); Promos (5 min, 41 sec of trailers for the show); and Great! (But Not Great Enough): Extended Scenes and Missing Moments (24 min, 46 sec).

While the series has its moments, I couldn't help thinking that Adam and Joe had done it all before but with much, much better material.

5

Darren Rea