Animation fans rejoice, for Duckman, the irreverent animated show that aired on USA in the ’90s has finally arrived on DVD. CBS/Paramount has released all four seasons of the groundbreaking television series on two excellent box sets that are available now. Anyone who is a fan of Family Guy or Adult Swim should rush out and purchase these beautifully made DVDs — they include all 70 episodes of the cult show that starred Jason Alexander as Duckman, a lazy, sarcastic, obnoxious private eye who lives with his dead wife’s sister, his two kids, and his flatulent, mute mother-in-law.
Duckman premiered in March of 1994, and although it was never able to achieve the type of fame The Simpsons did (due in part to having its time slot changed several times), it did last for four seasons and was nominated for three Emmys. Controversial at the time for its dark, adult themes and overt sexual references, Duckman was a show that broke new ground in television animation. Never intended for children, it instead was an attempt to capture the twisted and funny going on’s that took place in the head of creator Everett Peck and the show’s producers/head writers, Jeff Reno and Ron Osborn. In addition, the show was co-produced and animated by Klasky Csupo, the eccentric company responsible for the original Simpsons shorts (and the first three seasons), as well as Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys and several other Nickelodeon shows. The heavily European influence that was the Klasky Csupo trademark look fused well with Peck’s illustration style creating an imaginative, offbeat and colorful world.
As the DVDs reveal, Duckman was a fast-paced, biting comedy that took on the sacred cows of the establishment and made pointed social commentary about society, the media in particular. Alexander was perfectly cast to take on the rat-a-tat-tat pace of dialogue which required him to go from manic, over-the-top screaming to quiet, reflective monologues at a moment’s notice. Playing against Alexander’s brilliance are veteran voiceover actor Gregg Berger as Cornfed, Duckman’s no nonsense partner (he’s a pig) and Nancy Travis as Bernice, the identical twin sister of Duckman’s dead wife. The show was also significant for attracting numerous big-name guest stars, including Ben Stiller, David Duchovny, Carl Reiner and Brendan Fraser.
The first set compiles seasons 1 & 2 and includes running commentary over the first episode by Peck and Alexander, as well as “What the Hell Are You Starin’ At,” a great documentary short about the Duckman featuring interviews with all of the main players. The second box collects all of seasons 3 & 4 (48 episodes in all). Extras include footage of the original pitch pilot that Gabor Csupo funded to get Duckman up and running. (more…)
