Plot: What’s it about?
George Walker Bush (Timothy Bottoms) has just been elected President of the United States. His election was controversial, thanks to some voting mishaps in Florida, but he edged out the insane Al Gore and soon took office. As he gets used to being the leader of the free world, Bush finds himself looking to those around him for help and support. He has his lovely and intelligent wife Laura (Carrie Quinn Dolin), his trusted advisor Karl Rove (Kurt Fuller), and an assortment of others to lend him a hand. Whenever he gets into trouble, his wife seems to have all the answers, but that isn’t a trait George adores. In addition, a parade of politicians, businessmen, and citizens interact with the president, not to mention a wacky neighbor. The office comes with a lot of responsibility, so Bush has to confront a number of controversial social issues, from gun control to abortion to death penalty and beyond. As he builds his legacy as president, Bush will face many challenges, but can he overcome or will he be a mere footnote in history books?
As President George W. Bush was settling in after a few months in the Oval Office, Comedy Central began to run this show, That’s My Bush. The concept was unique to be sure, a show based on the current president that relied on real life hot button issues. So while at its core, That’s My Bush was a satire on Bush’s persona, the show also took aim on network television and numerous political issues. The show plays like a standard sitcom, with all the cliches and rehashes you’d expect. Even though the series is centered on the president, it still has those sitcom touches that plague network television. In truth, Trey Parker and Matt Stone seem to want to make the worst sitcom ever created, or at least shoot to include all the usual trappings. As such, That’s My Bush turns out to be so bad, that it works and at times, is quite hilarious. As far as how the show handles Bush, he is made to look foolish, but is never buried, at least not with ill will. He is made fun of and put in some unflattering situations, but this isn’t as brutal as you might think. As I said before, the show is much more a satire on the state of network sitcoms, so politics and Bush take a backseat. I really enjoyed these eight episodes and if you can put your politics aside, then you should give this release a chance.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame, as intended. I’ve caught some reruns after I started this set and without question, the episodes in this collection put the televised versions to shame. The prints have no debris or grain to mention, which allows for a very crisp, razor sharp visual presence, so fans will be quite pleased. The show’s bright colors stand out and look terrific here, with no evidence of smears or other problems. The contrast balance is smooth and well executed also, which means black levels look excellent and no detail loss is to be seen. Very good from Paramount, as usual.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a situation comedy, so the audio has no real duties outside of the show’s main element, dialogue. So the theme music sounds good and the basic sound effects come through, but the sole spotlight here shines down on the vocals. So all of Bush’s unique words and strange dialect come across just fine. The whispers even sound clear as a bell in this release, so you won’t miss a single one-liner. No other language or subtitle options however, which is a disappointment.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You can listen to audio comments from creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who as always, provide a talkative and enjoyable session. The two discuss how the concept came about, as well as the production of and the reaction to the series.
