Fridays, the first and strongest challenger to Saturday Night Live’s weekend sketch comedy dominance, finally comes out on DVD this week. The show (which ran from 1980 to 1982) has taken on cult, if not legendary status, because it launched the careers of Michael Richards, Melanie Chartoff (Parker Lewis Can’t Lose), and Larry David — who was allegedly the one cast holdout who prevented a proper DVD release much earlier. It’s better than early-’80s SNL for sure, and certainly more experimental, what with appearances from Andy Kaufman and even semi-dramatic bits. A four-disc best-of set is definitely a good way to check out this long-lost piece of comedy history.
