Clone High takes place in a high school made up of teenaged clones of historical figures. How could this show, with its off-the-wall humor, challenging teen issues (including sleep deprivation, catching ADD from toilet seats, women playing sports, being upstaged by John Stamos, and getting drunk off alcohol-free beer) and bizarre concept, possibly fail? Simple. It aired on American MTV.
The network’s glut of reality shows crushed the little cartoon, and it was soon dismissed from the network. But in Canada, the series, which was co-produced by Teletoon, thrived through reruns, becoming one of the network’s top programs. After a groundswell of fan support, the show’s entire thirteen-episode run was granted a two-disc DVD release in September 2005.
Clone High focuses on the clones of five historical figures and the resulting comedic chaos of throwing them into the same high school. The series draws upon hilarious stereotypes and a wealth of historical facts to form its unique brand of humor, and even crosses the line of good taste a couple times. Thankfully you don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this show, just as long as you know the basic set-up to each character.
Will Abe get together with Cleo, or be thwarted by the handsome litterer JFK? Will Joan finally get Abe to notice her? Will the viewer notice that the same dolphin and Teen Wolf appear in every episode? Watch the thirteen episodes on these DVDs and you’ll get some of the answers. But don’t expect an answer to the pesky cliffhanger, because MTV apparantly cannot count to fourteen.
The DVD collection itself is pretty solid and, like the show, a little offbeat. The thirteen episodes are split between two discs, with five episodes on the first disc and eight on the second. Oddly, all the extras are crushed onto the second disc.
The video quality is near-perfect with no signs of edge enhancement whatsoever on both discs. The colors are solid, and although there is some very slight compression, it’s barely noticeable if you’re not looking for it. The audio tracks are just as solid as the video. The voices are clear and easily distinguishable, and the sound effects are loud when they have to be.
That said, the set is not the definitive release it was supposed to be. The extras add up to barely five minutes and include only a brief look behind the scenes, at the writing process and the voice work, but hardly anything of substance. It’s a few quick clips, including a bizarre look at the live-action cat featured in the operatic “Raisin the Stakes: A Rock Opera In Three Acts” episode. But it really adds up to nothing.
Another irritant is the trailer at the beginning of both discs for Teletoon’s “The Detour” adult animation block. You can’t skip it, fast forward through it or anything. Granted it’s only about a minute long, but it’s still annoying.
This series’ oddball humor is truly unique, with one of the funniest premises to come down the pipe in some time. With instantly likeable characters, insane situations, excellent guest stars and hilarious jabs at the standard teen soap opera, this is one show destined for posthumous cult classic status. Despite the weak extras, this collection is highly recommended for Clone High fans and novices alike.
The DVD release of the entire series is available only in Canada through kaBOOM Entertainment. However, American fans looking to obtain this DVD collection can easily import it through Amazon.ca.
