Classic Rant #549 (July 20, 2011): Car 54, We've Found You

One of the absolutely funniest TV shows ever is finally out on DVD.

"Car 54, Where Are You?" finally came out a few months back.

Starring Fred Gwynne as Officer Francis Muldoon and Joe E. Ross as Officer Gunther Toody, the show was probably the first of its kind, showing the comical exploits of police officers.

In an era when shows like "Dragnet" got down to the nitty and gritty of police work, "Car 54" was a revelation, poking fun at our men in blue.

Gwynne and Ross are terrific as the bumbling police sidekicks, and look at all the other faces you see in this show: Nipsey Russell, Shari Lewis, the future "Grandpa," Al Lewis (who would go on with Gwynne to star in "The Munsters"), and lots more.

What is also interesting is that the show was filmed in 1961-era New York City, so you see sites from that time.

In fact. legend has it that filming around the city, people took the fake patrol cars as real, and would hail them down for help. They changed the colors of the cars to make them less mix-upable.

And the theme song sets the tone for the show. It is one of the most memorable theme songs in TV history. Once you hear it, you start laughing.

So if you want to laugh, this is the set for you. I think current TV comedy writers should be required to watch this show, and see what actually is funny compared to the tripe they write today that they have the nerve to call "funny."

The second season comes out later this summer, and it is a can't miss!

And please, please, do not mix up this show with the wretched movie with the same title that came out some years ago. That piece of garbage didn't understand what the show was about, and was probably the worst classic TV show to feature film transfer of all time.

If you purchase this set, and the one I told you some time ago, "The Mothers In Law," you will be laughing for months to come.

Get both, and have a hoot!