TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL GENIUS In the infancy of any medium, there will be some who realize its potential well before anyone else. Ernie Kovacs was such a visionary, and between 1951 and 1962 he broke rules that hadn't even been made yet, creating a television "language" that is now taken for granted. THE ERNIE KOVACS COLLECTION includes six DVDs and over 13 hours of programs that span the all-too-brief but brilliant television career of this hugely influential comic artist, from his earliest local morning shows in Philadelphia through his NBC prime-time shows and the ABC specials that represented the peak of his offbeat humor and creative experimentation with the medium. The Ernie Kovacs Collection is a treasure trove of comedy from television's original genius, most of it unseen for over 50 years. Featuring: * Episodes From His Local And National Morning Shows * Episodes From His NBC Prime-Time Show * Kovacs On Music * Five ABC TV Specials * The Color Version Of His Legendary Silent Show, Eugene * His Award-Winning Commercials For Dutch Masters Cigars * Short Films, Tributes , Rarities * 44-Page Booklet Featuring Rare Photos, Program Notes And An Essay By Jonathan Lethem (Author Of Motherless Brooklyn) Why We Love It “A full history of TV-comedy styles before that history had really begun, this stunning six-disc set The Ernie Kovacs Collection reveals Kovacs as the first ironic talk-show host, a surrealist sketch comic, and a master satirist.” — Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly “The Ernie Kovacs Collection is a mandatory purchase for anyone who loves television and wants to experience some of its richest comedy roots. But it's more than that. As I see it, it's almost a public service.” — David Bianculli, NPR Fresh Air “Kovacs' art -- which is collected in a marvelous new DVD set titled 'The Ernie Kovacs Collection' -- was more original, personal and bizarre than anything else being done in the early days of television.” — Matt Zoller Seitz, Salon.com “a very comprehensive collection of the late Kovacs' trailblazing TV work” — Michael Starr, New York Post “He is truly television's first genius, and Shout! Factory has done him proud with this amazing boxed set of over thirteen hours of his little-seen work. It is must-have viewing for anyone interested in the evolution of television, comedy and American pop culture during the mid-20th century. The Ernie Kovacs Collection receives our highest award here at DVDTalk: the DVD Talk Collectors Series.” Paul Mavis, DVD Talk