Cartoon Network's Adult Swim has been attracting a huge audience with both Original and Syndicated Programming. Shows such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Family Guy and Space Ghost Coast to Coast have been responsible for it's continued success. One of their best Original Series, collected on this DVD set, is Sealab 2021, which takes animation from the extremely un-hip 1972 Hanna-Barbara environmental cartoon Sealab 2020, and flips it on it's head in nothing short of a cartoon remix.

This concept is nothing new in the world of entertainment and cartoons especially. From the countless re-edited, dubbed versions of foreign cartoons seen on these shores (Robotech, anyone?), to Cartoon Network's own Space Ghost Coast to Coast, the cartoon remix can be the perfect device to create humor from which there once was none. I have fond memories of watching Space Ghost when I was growing up, but even as a kid I always thought he was a little silly, so the transition to a Late Night Talk Show Host isn't too far fetched. The premise for the hi-jinks on Sealab 2021 is that it takes place one year after a veritable rainbow coalition of scientists began their stay in a research lab far below the Ocean. During this year, the crew has slowly gone insane and has become more interested in crazy schemes and nonsense than in the mundane tasks of keeping Sealab running.

Like the rest of Adult Swim's 15 minute (11 ½ minutes, without commercials) shows, Sealab 2021 obliterates the boundaries of good taste and pushes into very, very bizarre comic territory. The animation is actually taken from the original TV series, with several stock animation poses and backgrounds (especially the Sealab compound itself, which tends to blow up quite often), combined with some new animations when costs permit. The show isn't for everyone, with the humor being derived from some lewd situation, obscure reference or non-sequiturs. The pacing of the show varies from episode to episode, with some episodes just a rapid fire sequence of jokes and others all a set up for the big joke pay off at the end. It must be said that the show's writing and voice talent is by far the strongest in the Adult Swim line-up, with even former "ChiPs" heartthrob Erik Estrada voicing the Lab's macho Engineer, Marco Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar Garcia. If that last sentence didn't pique your interest in this series, than check your pulse.

The episodes included on this two disc set are:

Disc One
I, Robot: The crew debates whether or not they would allow their brains to be put into robot-bodies. Meanwhile, Sealab is in imminent danger of imploding. Again.

HappyCake: Captain Murphy's beloved HappyCake Oven is missing! He orders the crew to search for it as Sparks continues his quest for world domination.

Radio Free Sealab: "Howling Mad" Murphy's obnoxious humor (and soundtrack by The Knaves) catapults him to stardom. But the FCC is closing in on his signal. And this time, it's personal.

Chickmate: Debbie decides that she wants to have a baby (like, now) as Stormy learns a valuable lesson in race relations… but doesn't quite.

Lost in Time: An explosion destroys Sealab and blows Stormy and Quinn into the past, where they can save Sealab from being destroyed. This goes on for a good long while.

Predator: A bloodthirsty, killer alien has boarded Sealab! Once again, it's up to Quinn (this time with a little help from Old Gus and Dolphin Boy) to save the day.

Little Orphan Angry: Griffin, a terminally ill orphan from the Final Request Foundation, pays a visit to Sealab. Murphy, fearing an outbreak of Bubonic Plague, basically freaks out.

Waking Quinn: Quinn (electrocuted through an act of profound stupidity by Stormy) has a series of random and bizarre hallucinations all set to the groovy sounds of blackcowboy.

Disc Two
All That Jazz: Murphy finds himself trapped under a drink machine. For a year. During that time, he battles a tooth-stealing robot and becomes addicted to scorpion venom.

Murphy Murph and the Feng Shui Bunch: Wanting to spice up the dreary confines of Sealab, Murphy hires renowned feng shui designer Master Loo to redecorate the joint. Mild hilarity promptly ensues.

In the Closet: Tempers flare and fists (lots of fists) fly when Murphy traps the crew in a small storage closet. Making her small-screen debut in this episode is Buckethead Wendy.

Stimutacs: In his quest for domination, Sparks invents a new drug. Will Marduk wreak vengeance on these mortals? Can we get us some of that Stimutac goodness?

Swimming in Oblivion: Well, a summary of this episode would, in it's essence, be a spoiler. But get ready to see some of your old Sealab favorites, including Debbie's boobies.

The DVD:

Picture: The episodes are presented in their original 4:3 aspect ratio. The images are very sharp and clear, the colors are very good and the image is quite stable, showing no overt flaws or edge-enhancement.

Audio: This DVD set features a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track, which sounds great. There are no problems with the audio levels, the dialogue is easy to follow, and the sound effects and music are mixed well.

Conclusion: Warner Home Entertainment has done a great job bringing Sealab 2021 to DVD. It has consistently been one of the best shows on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, and is one of the funniest and most inventive shows currently on TV. Hopefully, now that it is on DVD, it will be able to reach an even wider audience in search of off the wall and cutting edge humor.