Rating: 
Summary: There's better Edna, but this works well on its own
Review: On its own merits, "Neighbourhood Watch" is good fun. Certainly more creative than the average American game show, the basic gist is that studio audience members' houses might be paid a surprise visit by Dame Edna's caustic wit. That wit is, as ever, powered by a profound sense of moral superiority, especially on issues of "propriety". If you're still trying to envision where the humor is, imagine Dana Carvey's Church Lady hosting the Dating Game and you'll basically be there. But at the same time, the show worked in Britain because people already knew much of the backstory of Dame Edna's fictional life. Edna has appeared on and off British and Australian TV for decades. If you're new to her, this show won't do much to amplify your understanding of why the audience sometimes laughs a little too hard at things Edna says. The Edna character has a long, rich history which isn't really explored here. Indeed, it would even be fair to say that this is a caricature of Edna, and doesn't do much to add to the persona. It's not meant to, of course, but first time viewers may well find themselves scratching their heads over why the audience thinks Edna, and in particular Edna's relationship with her Vanna-esque sidekick Madge, is soooooo funny. It's a shame Amazon isn't able to stock more Edna products, because this is the most derivitve Edna out there. Edna's stuff from the 1980s is entirely more satisfying. Still, this thing works so well purely on its own merits as a game show that you can't help but laugh as you watch it--even if you don't quite know why you're laughing.
Rating:
Summary: There's better Edna, but this works well on its own
Review: On its own merits, "Neighbourhood Watch" is good fun. Certainly more creative than the average American game show, the basic gist is that studio audience members' houses might be paid a surprise visit by Dame Edna's caustic wit. That wit is, as ever, powered by a profound sense of moral superiority, especially on issues of "propriety". If you're still trying to envision where the humor is, imagine Dana Carvey's Church Lady hosting the Dating Game and you'll basically be there. But at the same time, the show worked in Britain because people already knew much of the backstory of Dame Edna's fictional life. Edna has appeared on and off British and Australian TV for decades. If you're new to her, this show won't do much to amplify your understanding of why the audience sometimes laughs a little too hard at things Edna says. The Edna character has a long, rich history which isn't really explored here. Indeed, it would even be fair to say that this is a caricature of Edna, and doesn't do much to add to the persona. It's not meant to, of course, but first time viewers may well find themselves scratching their heads over why the audience thinks Edna, and in particular Edna's relationship with her Vanna-esque sidekick Madge, is soooooo funny. It's a shame Amazon isn't able to stock more Edna products, because this is the most derivitve Edna out there. Edna's stuff from the 1980s is entirely more satisfying. Still, this thing works so well purely on its own merits as a game show that you can't help but laugh as you watch it--even if you don't quite know why you're laughing.
Rating:
Summary: More lunacy from the Mistress of Mayhem
Review: Possibly the first "reality" television, Dame Edna re-invents the game show to do what no one else has previously dared do: reveal women's most closely-guarded secrets. No, not whether they are faithful wives, have a "checkered" past, or are stealing from their employers. This is small stuff compared to what Dame Edna uncovers. She goes straight for the most terror-inspiring act anyone can threaten your average middle-class housewife with: the revelation of how she REALLY keeps her house when no one's expected to visit! Is there a laundry pile larger than a small automobile? A toaster filled with enough crumbs to feed an entire Petting Zoo? A hidden stash of booze, or worse, chocolates and cookies? As the poor, unprepared "contestant" discovers, Trevor and his live camera are there at her house, ready to ring the bell. When they do, Madge, Dame Edna's brilliantly funny "bride's maid and travelling companion," answers the door and lets him in, and together they roam about the house uncovering bins, opening drawers, checking out what's under the bed, while the all-female, by-invitation-only audience howls with laughter and the horrified contestant watches in anguish. I, for one, have never understood this common fear amongst women, but it is real, and Dame Edna sends it up with glee, revelling in the absurdity of being upset at being discovered to be less than perfect. It's refreshing when the occasional contestant is actually amused herself (one of these has a house filled with erotic art from around the world, and has a great time watching Edna and Madge and the audience deal with that!) Madge is the real treat in this series, which does become a bit repetitive--it was a weekly game-show, after all. Her behaviour becomes increasingly lunatic (imagine her in head-to-toe leather--on second thought, don't), and it is her facial expressions that provide the greatest humour as she silently censures the contestant's state of affairs. Emily Perry's Madge alternates between a quietly seething unexpressed rage and a tolerant, profound fatigue after 30+ years of living with Edna, her lovingly brutal mistress, and in this series she really shines. Just as in her live shows, Dame Edna fulfills her mandate to treat ordinary people as stars, and vice versa. Her stars-for-a-night may be briefly horrified, but they get to fly off to Paris for a weekend with the "traitorous, treacherous, back-stabbing Rat" who let Dame Edna and her crew in. This person, by the way, is also known as the constestant's husband. I found the first series to be consistently funnier than the second, though both Edna and Madge are in top form in both. If you have trouble enjoying them back-to-back, make the show a weekly treat, as though it were still on TV.
Rating:
Summary: More lunacy from the Mistress of Mayhem
Review: Possibly the first "reality" television, Dame Edna re-invents the game show to do what no one else has previously dared do: reveal women's most closely-guarded secrets. No, not whether they are faithful wives, have a "checkered" past, or are stealing from their employers. This is small stuff compared to what Dame Edna uncovers. She goes straight for the most terror-inspiring act anyone can threaten your average middle-class housewife with: the revelation of how she REALLY keeps her house when no one's expected to visit! Is there a laundry pile larger than a small automobile? A toaster filled with enough crumbs to feed an entire Petting Zoo? A hidden stash of booze, or worse, chocolates and cookies? As the poor, unprepared "contestant" discovers, Trevor and his live camera are there at her house, ready to ring the bell. When they do, Madge, Dame Edna's brilliantly funny "bride's maid and travelling companion," answers the door and lets him in, and together they roam about the house uncovering bins, opening drawers, checking out what's under the bed, while the all-female, by-invitation-only audience howls with laughter and the horrified contestant watches in anguish. I, for one, have never understood this common fear amongst women, but it is real, and Dame Edna sends it up with glee, revelling in the absurdity of being upset at being discovered to be less than perfect. It's refreshing when the occasional contestant is actually amused herself (one of these has a house filled with erotic art from around the world, and has a great time watching Edna and Madge and the audience deal with that!) Madge is the real treat in this series, which does become a bit repetitive--it was a weekly game-show, after all. Her behaviour becomes increasingly lunatic (imagine her in head-to-toe leather--on second thought, don't), and it is her facial expressions that provide the greatest humour as she silently censures the contestant's state of affairs. Emily Perry's Madge alternates between a quietly seething unexpressed rage and a tolerant, profound fatigue after 30+ years of living with Edna, her lovingly brutal mistress, and in this series she really shines. Just as in her live shows, Dame Edna fulfills her mandate to treat ordinary people as stars, and vice versa. Her stars-for-a-night may be briefly horrified, but they get to fly off to Paris for a weekend with the "traitorous, treacherous, back-stabbing Rat" who let Dame Edna and her crew in. This person, by the way, is also known as the constestant's husband. I found the first series to be consistently funnier than the second, though both Edna and Madge are in top form in both. If you have trouble enjoying them back-to-back, make the show a weekly treat, as though it were still on TV.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyment improved by ownership
Review: The first episode you see of this show is so entirely absorbing that you wonder why in the world it's never been thought of before. But as you get into the final episodes, you realize it's because it's a "gimmick" format entirely dependent on its host for success. It couldn't easily be done by anyone BUT Dame Edna. It therefore takes on the qualities of a Saturday Night Live sketch rather than a game show. And just like the Church Lady or Buckwheat or Craig and Ariana, the sparkle of the Dame Edna character is dulled by overexposure. After all, as a show delivered once a week, "Neighbourhood Watch" gave the audience time to 'forget' about the show and then 'rediscover' it the next week. But when you can watch all the episodes back-to-back on DVD, they all kind of blur together. Interestingly, this quality makes "Neighbourhood Watch" one of the only video products to be actually improved by ownership. If you have to return the DVD to the video store, you'll be tempted to watch it all, quickly. But if you own it, you can watch one episode at a time, eating the chocolate bon bons that are Dame Edna's performances with all the luxury of royalty. And, let's face it, possums: Dame Edna wouldn't have it any other way.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyment improved by ownership
Review: The first episode you see of this show is so entirely absorbing that you wonder why in the world it's never been thought of before. But as you get into the final episodes, you realize it's because it's a "gimmick" format entirely dependent on its host for success. It couldn't easily be done by anyone BUT Dame Edna. It therefore takes on the qualities of a Saturday Night Live sketch rather than a game show. And just like the Church Lady or Buckwheat or Craig and Ariana, the sparkle of the Dame Edna character is dulled by overexposure. After all, as a show delivered once a week, "Neighbourhood Watch" gave the audience time to 'forget' about the show and then 'rediscover' it the next week. But when you can watch all the episodes back-to-back on DVD, they all kind of blur together. Interestingly, this quality makes "Neighbourhood Watch" one of the only video products to be actually improved by ownership. If you have to return the DVD to the video store, you'll be tempted to watch it all, quickly. But if you own it, you can watch one episode at a time, eating the chocolate bon bons that are Dame Edna's performances with all the luxury of royalty. And, let's face it, possums: Dame Edna wouldn't have it any other way.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining British game show starring Edna
Review: This is an hilarious concept that carries through pretty well. Barry Humphries (Edna) has some great put downs and one liners. There are six episodes on each DVD so you get close to three hours, enough for a real Dame Edna experience. Enjoyable!
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