'THE SECOND CITY: FIRST FAMILY OF COMEDY'

An article years ago in the New Yorker demeaned Chicago as "the second city" -- meaning second tier, second place, second-rate. It gave the founders of the continent's improvisational holy grail -- Second City, sire of dozens of comedic and acting legends -- both a name and, fittingly, the last laugh.

There is nothing second-rate about Second City. And a just-released DVD ($24.99, Acorn Media) makes that abundantly clear, taking you inside the various permutations of the comedy troupe, from club to theater to television to film, and from Chicago to Toronto to Edmonton and beyond.

"The Second City: First Family of Comedy" is a grand tour, narrated in three installments by Dave Thomas, Scott Thompson and Pittsburgh native Joe Flaherty, who made Count Floyd and Guy Caballero indelible characters. There is rare footage of the troupe's earliest performances, with the incredible Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Alan Arkin and others. But some of the best moments are reminiscences from Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short.

We're reminded of the genius of the late John Belushi, Gilda Radner and most particularly John Candy, whose mere presence makes you yearn for Johnny LaRue and the Mellonville gang that made "SCTV" the funniest sketch comedy in the history of television. And yes, that includes "Your Show of Shows" and "SNL."

The extras are sparse -- just some extended interviews with Tina Fey, Aykroyd, Short and Thomas -- but unnecessary. This is, simply put, your chance to enroll in what Second City alums call the college of comedy. The art of improv, the four decades of talent, the inside stories, the belly laughs ... it's all first-rate.

-- Allan Walton, Post-Gazette features editor

'THE JOHNNY CARSON SHOW'

If your doctoral dissertation in communications happens to be on how Johnny Carson developed his incomparable skills as a stand-up comic and late-night talk show host, this $24.99, two-disc DVD featuring "10 Classic Episodes of 'The Johnny Carson Show' " may be of archival interest.

Otherwise, these digital restorations of recently discovered kinescopes are really not worth much to the average viewer. Even the extras disappoint -- just more of the same very, very early Johnny, from an episode of his top-rated quiz show "Who Do You Trust?" to glimpses of him as a substitute host on Jack Paar's show.

"The Johnny Carson Show" debuted in the fall of 1955 and ran for 39 weeks before being canceled. He is personable and pleasant, but hardly the witty, wisecracking host of "The Tonight Show," which he began hosting in 1962. It was an immediate hit and became a national institution. Save your money for those reruns on DVD, if you want some real belly laughs.

-- Mackenzie Carpenter, Post-Gazette staff writer