Among the many fine gifts I received for my birthday was this boxed DVD set of 90-minute SCTV episodes. I watched 2 last night, and the sheer comedic brilliance of these shows still burns brightly after almost 25 years.

SCTV's primary strength was always in its pantheon of memorable characters: Johnny LaRue, Lola Heatherton, Edith Prickley, the Mackenzie Brothers, Bobby Bittman, Jackie Rogers Jr., and Count Floyd, to name but a few.

The first two episodes contained so many wonderful sketches that it's hard for me to pick a favorite, but Johnny LaRue's movie of the week, Polynesiantown (a Tiki-themed parody of the film Chinatown), wins by a nose thanks to a great performance by Dr. John, and Catherine O'Hara's sublimely goofy turn as a Faye Dunaway-esque groupie. Don't eat the ribs!

In other news, I'm leaving on a brief business trip to California tomorrow. I've got an action-packed weekend planned, so stay tuned.