Review: 'The Best of Oblivious,' the funniest game show you didn't know was on
Posted Tuesday, June 7, 2005 at 5:25 PM Central
by Tim Briscoe
I've always been a fan of hidden camera TV shows. Call it my guilty pleasure. That's why it came as no surprise when I became a regular watcher of Spike TV's "Oblivious." The show concisely describes itself as "the game show you don't even know you're on". It's the basis for a Best of Oblivious DVD recently released by Eagle Rock Entertainment.
Hidden camera shows like the pioneer "Candid Camera" are genuine reality TV. Stuff like "Survivor" sure as heck ain't. If the participants know they're being filmed, reality immediately goes out the window. A hidden camera show is as real as reality TV gets.
"Oblivious" is a subtle, yet incredibly creative, spin on the hidden camera genre. Comedian Regan Burns is the show's host and facilitator. The well-disguised Burns catches his unsuspecting prey in seemingly normal situations that suddenly turn outrageous. All the while, Burns poses random trivia questions to his flabbergasted victim.
Burns may be a Taco Bell mariachi singer in one segment and a florist literally in love with his creations in the next.
And this is the beauty of show: the participant is so caught up in the situation they don't realize they're being asked the occasional, odd question. They just answer and continue to observe in bewilderment. Finally (and mercifully) Burns lets the cat out of the bag by identifying the hidden camera and forking over the dough. Every correct answer earns the "contestant" 20 bucks.
But wait, that's not all. For a few contestants, Burns offers them a chance to turn the tables on someone else. They can enter into his position to catch another unsuspecting player. The new player earns $20 for every correct answer while the original person collects $100 for each question the new guy gets right. Regan feeds lines to the new prankster via an earpiece.
The result of the switch is often more hilarious than the original. And just when you think the contestant could never fill Regan's shoes, he or she rises to the challenge showing off some untapped acting skill. Case in point is the disc's first contestant, Ray. The street-talking playa quickly morphs into Reverend Ray, the supervisor at a church fundraiser -- a car wash featuring scantily-clad women in bikinis.
While most of the show's beauty and subsequent DVD is the unique concept, a big share of the credit must go to Regan Burns. He is never shy at making an ass of himself by going to wacky extremes. Burns conducting the bizarre sexual harassment seminar is not to be missed.
What the 100-minute disc is lacking is some bonus features. This is a pure bare-bones release. A few outtakes or background from the show's creators or Regan Burns himself would be nice. It's obvious that this was a quickly thrown-together greatest hits collection. I'd love to see more of the between segment interstitials where Burns poses a quick question to a dumbfounded individual walking down the street.
And while the DVD features some of the funniest scenes I've ever seen on TV (or didn't until viewing this disc) it lacks little replay value. That is, unless you want to show off a favorite segment to your friends -- and undoubtedly you will. It's just that funny.
