Search - Soupy Sales Collection: The Whole Gang Is Here! on DVD

Buyer beware!....but with that being said...

coachtim | Indiana, United States | 05/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"...let me start by saying that "The New Soupy Sales Show" (which is what almost all of this collection is based on) is an extremely funny set of skits, riffs, and humorous repartee' from one of the giants of children's shows from the '70s and early '80s.

The only major complaint that I have with this set is that there is borderline false advertising regarding the inclusion of ORIGINAL material from this comic genius. If the buyer doesn't read the description on the back of the DVD carefully, he or she might believe that this DVD set contains material from Soupy's late '50s and '60s children's show. It actually contains very little (with the exception of a great skit from the original show that includes Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Trini Lopez). Tragically, most of the original show has been erased and will never be available for viewing again.

Another concern deals with the inclusion of what is one of the funniest outtakes in TV history....Soupy's visit by a backstage stripper. If the viewer has seen footage of this on some of the Dick Clark "Bloopers" shows on television over the years, they would know that the viewer only sees what's in front of the set and how it unnerves Soupy. This DVD contains the actual "stripper footage" from the BACK of the set that exposes the well-endowed dancer in all of her glory. Not for viewing by children! (Soupy's reaction to the prank is PRICELESS, though!)

With all of this being said, let me close by saying that this DVD set is certainly worth the price I paid for it. Soupy Sales was a comic genius and his good-natured puns and humor never tire. He appeared to love his work and often times "cut himself up" with what he was saying or what was going on around him. One can't watch these 3 disks without laughing out loud!

RECOMMENDED for fans of the old show!"

Soupy Sez... Less is... LESS!

Stephen W. Worth | Hollywood USA | 02/12/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I grew up watching The Soupy Sales Show on ABC in Los Angeles. I had the record, and I have the guitar songbook. If you ask me, I can play and sing "I'm A Singer Without A Song" and "Hippy's Cha Cha Hips". I've been on the hunt for tapes of the 60s shows since VHS was in its infancy. I know my Soupy.

Back in the late 80s, Rhino came out with three tapes of the Soupy Sales show. They were kind of skimpy on the running time- each one had two episodes... one original 60s B&W show and one of the lukewarm late 70s remakes. But considering how long it had been since I had seen the show, I was satisfied with them.

I was thrilled when I heard that Soupy was finally being given a DVD release, especially since Ernie Kovacs and Sid Caesar have had such great DVD retrospectives. I hoped that this would be just as good, with a higher ratio of B&W to 70s remake. The cover really excited me... there was Soupy singing The Mouse!

Unfortunately, this three DVD set has LESS than the three Rhino tapes did in every way possible... Soupy doesn't sing The Mouse anywhere on this set, the original theme song isn't here either. There's only a measley ten minutes of footage from the classic 60s Soupy Sales Show, and the DVDs have shorter running times than the VHSs did. In fact, the running time is so short, they could have easily fit everything here on a single DVD.

This set was produced by Marino Amoruso. In the liner notes, he goes on and on about how he viewed hours and hours of material to select the absolute best of Soupy Sales. Amoruso should be pelted with pies for cheating Soupy Sales fans shamelessly. Soupy Sales deserves a REAL DVD release with the REAL Soupy Sales Show. I don't care if they are only in fuzzy kinescopes or glitchy two inch videotape. The footage exists. Give me the real deal, and put two hours on each disk fer cryin' out loud.

By the way, The Whole Gang is NOT here. Hippy does not appear anywhere on these disks. I'm writing the company that made this set and requesting that they do it right next time."

As good as it's gonna get...

K. Doyle | Los Angeles | 11/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The only thing really, that's wrong with this set is that there isn't enough of it. Sure, it's three disks, yet there's only one episode on each disk (plus an extra). But-- it's not expensive (though they probably could have saved some money in its production if they'd put it all on one disk). -- UPDATE: it wasn't expensive, until it went out of print, sorry...

The real problem is, there just *isn't* as much of the best Soupy in existance as most of us fans would like-- it's now only in the ether-- left for aliens to enjoy on their TVs millions of years from now when our first TV signals finally reach them.

It's a crime that much of the early '60s shows were erased, but there's nothing that can be done about that. This collection, though all from the "new soupy sales show" from the '70s/'80s-- is still a pretty darn good representation of even the early shows-- all the signature elements are here-- fang, pookie, listening to the weather, words of wisdom, an endless stream of characters that you never actually see showing up at the door, conversations with the offscreen staff, and of course the PIES. And I found this set every bit as funny as I remembered. If you love Soupy Sales, this is as good as it's gonna get-- unless you get reincarnated as one of those aliens I was referring to. Frankly, I didn't want to wait for that, so I bought this set and am happy with what little I can get of a true genius in the early TV medium. Kovacs was a TV genius too, and I have his shows which are also very funny, but I wouldn't trade them for this set. There's just something about the way Soupy made it work with such a minimal set of elements-- and how totally loose the whole thing was-- Soupy cracking up and his off-the-cuff remarks were a really big part of what made it work (that and fang's dialog-- I never get tired of that and there's plenty on this set).

With regards to the commercials-- I don't mind them at all-- in fact, it appears they may not be the original ones but picked because the are unique too-- Andy Warhol for Braniff, bad boy Matt Dillon for Milk, etc... but I'm a fan of old commercial collections as well and have an antique TV that I like to watch this stuff on so it's perfect IMHO...

So, I can find no fault with this set and give it fully 5 stars. It's about the best that will ever be available of Soupy and I'll take what I can get. I've got the B&W set too, and cherish that as well...

Soupy, if you read this-- I love you and give you a big kiss..."

Miss the older stuff, but this is worth buying!

RJ | PA USA | 05/13/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I, too, would give my eye-teeth to see the older Soupy Sales shows of my youth - I don't really remember watching the "New" show. Back when Pookie whistled rather than spoke, the less polished version of Soupy's genius, etc. It breaks my heart to hear so much of that was erased. That being said, I'll take anything I can find of Soupy's shows and be content. This DVD collection has many priceless moments and even if the humor is not 21st century, Soupy Sales was a part of my youth, a part of my teaching about humor. DVDs like these are more likely released for the folks who grew up in the 50's, 60's and 70's, and gives them back some of their memories. The fact that networks did not think shows like this worth saving makes it all the more important that what is left be released. Baby-boomers, buy this and enjoy!"