DVD Review: Flight of the Conchords - Season One

As you all may know, I'm a huge Flight of the Conchords fan. Huge. I thought it was the best new show this year, I constantly get songs like "Bowie in Space" stuck in my head, and I can't wait for the second season. So, obviously, I was really looking forward to getting the first season on DVD. I mean, yeah, I was worried when I saw that it was being released just a few months after the season finale, and that it was only two discs, but I was still pretty pumped.

Since I had all the episodes saved on my DVR, I felt comfortable waiting until Christmas to get the DVDs. Thus, I've only recently re-watched the first season on DVD. Ummm...okay. First off, obviously, the show is genius. And even better the second (or third or fourth, in my case) time around. If you missed it when it first aired, the DVDs are a must-buy (yes, buy, not rent--you'll want to watch them over and over). And at less than $25, it's not like they'll break the bank. Hell, they're still a must-buy if you did see it when it first aired. Who doesn't need a permanent copy of the first season of Flight of the Conchords? That said, speaking as a huge fan of the show, they're rather disappointing.

I mean, I guess I'm glad HBO was able to release them so quickly, but the only thing these DVDs gave me was the ability to free up some space on my DVR, and to watch the episodes in Spanish. Um...score? No episode commentaries, no deleted scenes, no bonus copy of the Conchords' appearance on One Night Stand, no cast interviews or insights into the creative process--nothing. Which, okay, I guess I was expecting that. I suppose it makes for a cheaper DVD set, which allows more potential fans to get into the show. I'm bummed, and would've prefered to wait a few more months and pay a few more dollars for a better set, but it wasn't a huge surprise.

However, and this is pretty damn annoying, how hard would it have been to separate out clips of all the songs? As it stands, if you only want to see the hysterical Lord of the Rings music video, you have to fast-forward through the entire episode to get to it. Way to be crappier than YouTube, HBO. Sigh.

That said, of course I'll treasure the DVD set forever, and watch it over and over. What's important is the quality of the show--not the bonus materials that come with it. It just would've been nice, as a fan, to get a little something besides what actually aired. Or at least not to have the feeling that I'm going to have to shell out an additional $35 to buy the Extra-Awesome Edition when they finally decide to do a real DVD release of the first season. Ah, well. The show's still amazing, and you should still buy the DVD. Just...don't expect too much (or anything) beyond the actual episodes.