Comedian Christopher Titus comes from a background that, to put it gently, is profoundly troubled. Others might go so far as to call it what it is: deeply fucked up. Upon discovering a statistic that over 60 percent of American homes are dysfunctional and realizing that meant that he and his family were in the majority, Titus set out to share his pain with the world. As a young comedian, Titus would riff on, among other things, his mother's mental illness and eventual suicide, his father's incessant drinking, tough-love parenting and numerous wives, fights with his father and getting into trouble with his step-brother. All of this angst was eventually turned into the stand-up work "Norman Rockwell Is Bleeding," (serving as the basis for his TV show lasting three seasons and 54 episodes) which is every bit as caustic, revealing and poignant as moments in the aforementioned short-lived series. This is a program for which "brutally honest" doesn't begin to describe the depths of emotional violence displayed.

The fact that Titus was able to find it within himself to overcome the dysfunction and achieve success is a miracle. You get the feeling while watching Titus that demons are being exorcised, that what is unfolding onscreen is amusing, but only to the audience. For Titus, it must feel something like therapy played out on a large scale. Unfortunately, said therapy tends be a little grating when accompanied by an obnoxious laugh track and unnecessarily arty black and white "confessional" asides - I can only imagine how this show might've played out on HBO, rather than Fox - Titus can be emotionally brutal at times, no doubt, but it still feels like some punches are pulled (although I was surprised to learn that members of Titus's family had to sign release forms since the show hewed so closely to reality).

That said, Titus is still so far afield from what many have to come expect from a sitcom that it felt years ahead of its time (and frankly, it's still tough to sit through some episodes). The jarring blend of a psyche ripped open and straight-ahead sitcom plots with all of their attendant cliches makes for some interesting viewing but occasionally turns into a chore to sit through multiple episodes back to back. However, this is due more to the jet-black material mined for laughs (heart attacks, schizophrenia, dysfunction, murder, broken homes, etc.) than it is the cast; Titus surrounded himself with several lesser known but quite talented faces, save for one: Stacy Keach. Keach anchors the show with his irascible, remorseless portrayal of the patriarch Ken Titus - the vicious interplay between father and son is a large part of what keeps you watching episode after episode. Co-starring as Titus's brother Dave is Scut Farkus himself, Zach Ward; "Drew Carey Show" veteran Cynthia Watros appears as Titus' girlfriend, Erin Fitzpatrick and David Shatraw co-stars as overly fastidious friend/co-worker Tommy Shafter.

The first (nine episodes) and second (24 episodes) seasons of Titus are spread across six single-sided discs housed in a slipcase with three slimline cases.

Disc One:
(Spoilers may pop up - you've been warned!)
Dad's Dead, dir. Michael Lessac
Dave and Titus panic when they realize Ken hasn't come out of his room in four days - not even for a fresh beer. Gathering their loved ones around, Dave and Titus mourn their father's passing by looking back at his life.

Sex With Pudding, dir. Jeffrey Melman
Titus suspects Erin of "boning another guy" and sets out to prove his theory with a little help from his friends.

Dave Moves Out, dir. Jack Kenny
Titus posits the theory that dysfunctional people need "translators" to communicate with normal people, since dysfunctional people express themselves differently.

The Breakup, dir. Howard Murray
Written by Titus himself, this episode finds Erin and Titus breaking up, cheating on one another and popping the question.

Titus Integritous, dir. Lee Shallat-Chemel
When Titus turns down a lucrative job offer to customize a hot rod from a cutting edge Web designer, Dave and Tommy decide they have bigger plans for the designer.

Disc Two:
Red Asphalt, dir. Jack Kenny
During a trip to Napa for Ken's birthday, Titus gets himself into trouble when he tries to show off the custom car he built as a present for his father.

Mom's Not Nuts, dir. Jeffrey Melman
Titus' mom surprises both he and Erin by showing up unannounced and uninvited - Titus is on edge despite her attempts to ease his mind and let him know that she's perfectly OK.

Intervention, dir. David Lee
When Ken decides to stop drinking and slides into a depression, Titus and his friends must stage an intervention to get Ken drinking again, so that their lives can again seem normal.

Episode Eleven, dir. Brian Hargrove
Ken, a veteran of three heart attacks, has another one, which lands him in the hospital - shocked, Titus rushes to his side and is greatly concerned until he finds out just how his dad came to have the attack.

Disc Three:
Titus Is Dead, dir. Jack Kenny
Being helpful backfires for Titus when the nurse he hires ends up falling for his father, leading to the announcement of their impending nuptials.

The Test, dir. Brian Hargrove
To replenish the hospital's blood supply, Erin, Dave and Titus all donate blood and submit to HIV tests - which leads one of the characters to a startling revelation.

The Surprise Party, dir. Robert Berlinger
Ken returns home from the hospital and throws a surprise party - moving his nurse and wife-to-be into the house and throwing Dave out.

What's Up Hollywood?, dir. Kevin Charles Sullivan
To make amends for partially causing his father's latest heart attack, Titus customizes Ken's truck, which leads to unexpected warmth and affection from Ken - Titus is unnerved and with good reason.

Locking Up Mom, dir. Jeffrey Melman
Titus is caught between a rock and a hard place as he attempts to calm both his mother and his father as his mother's competency hearing approaches.

The Perfect Thanksgiving, dir. Jeffrey Melman
Erin wants to announce her and Titus' engagement during Thanksgiving - unfortunately, the two families engage in a Turkey Day brawl that lands everyone in the emergency room.

Tommy's Girlfriend, dir. Robert Berlinger
Tommy crashes into an ex-girlfriend's car, which gives him the opportunity for closure a decade on.

Disc Four:
The Reconciliation, dir. Robert Berlinger
After an evening of remembering "the good old days," Titus remains convinced that his parents will never get back together. Featuring guest star Richard Benjamin as Bill.

The Last Noelle, dir. Robert Berlinger
Titus celebrates Christmas by attending the funeral of his psychotic ex, Noelle. Erin becomes suspicious when she learns of a girlfriend she previously knew nothing about, thanks to some help from Dave.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!, dir. Robert Berlinger
Titus and Dave take their best car to compete in a car show but run into problems when Erin won't agree to pose as a "car model."

When I Say Jump, dir. Brian Hargrove
When Titus, Tommy and Dave decide to leap off a 1,500-foot high bridge to spice up their lives, Erin first disagrees about the decision but then decides to make the jump herself.

Episode 27, dir. Joe Regalbuto
As Ken and his latest conquest prepare to marry, Titus plans revenge on the bride whose bragged about being a good influence on Ken.

The Smell of Success, dir. Jack Kenny
When the car shop goes under and Ken refuses to help out, Titus throws Erin out and begins drinking heavily.

Deprogramming Erin, dir. Gary Shimokawa
When Titus has trouble convincing Erin to return after having thrown her out, Dave and Titus kidnap Erin to force her to take Titus back.

Disc Five:
NASCAR, dir. Jeffrey Melman
Erin tricks Ken and Titus into taking a road trip to deliver a stock car for a NASCAR event in South Carolina - the truck runs out of gas and Titus is forced to drive the stock car to the gas station.

Life Forward, dir. Robert Berlinger
Featuring guest star David Hyde Pierce as Jerry, a self-help guru who helps Tommy, Erin and Titus experience "adventures in personal growth" - that is until the Titus clan invades his seminar.

The Gift of the Car Guy, dir. Robert Berlinger
Titus sells Erin's car to buy a drag racing car, which results in some surprises as Erin is forced to rely upon Titus for transportation.

Tommy's Girlfriend II, dir. Jeffrey Melman
Despite Titus' warning about dating old flames, Tommy nevertheless invites his old girlfriend out for an evening with Titus and Erin.

Hard Ass, dir. Bill Shea
Erin's rebellious niece comes to visit and pushes the Titus clan's parenting skills to the limit.

Private Dave, dir. Gary Shimokawa
After Dave receives what he thinks is a breakup letter from his girlfriend, he decides to enlist in the Army. After deciding he's not Army material, Titus must save him from a brutal Army recruiter.

Three Strikes, dir. Joe Regalbuto
Erin tangles with a burglar and suffers a broken leg; Titus is convinced that Erin's brother, who has a criminal past, is responsible.

Disc Six:
The Pit, dir. John Amodeo
Featuring guest star Jay Leno as himself and the sponsor of a rival team, Titus gives his dad a job sweeping up the pit during a race, only to have his dad help out the opposing team to victory.

The Pendulum, dir. Jack Kenny
As Titus lays in a coma following his crash at the drag races, Ken must decide whether or not to pull the plug and seeks advice from Erin, Tommy and Dave.

The Wedding, dir. Kevin Sullivan
Featuring guest star Ed Begley Jr. as Bill, Titus and Erin spontaneously decide to get married until Tommy opens his mouth and some unexpected guests arrive for the big event.

The DVD

Presented in its original 1.33:1 ratio as broadcast**, Titus appears grainy in the first season but smoothes out considerably after the first nine episodes - due to the show being shot in hi-def beginning with the second season. Colors and contrast are sharp and don't smear, while video noise is kept to a minimum. Overall, a very clean image, particularly since the source material is a mere five years old.

**It's been brought to my attention that Titus was filmed in anamorphic hi-def and allegedly broadcast in widescreen while on Fox - my research thus far (as of 7/26/05) has been able to confirm that the show was indeed filmed with 24p cameras beginning with the second season but it's unclear if it was ever broadcast in either hi-def or widescreen. I'll amend my review accordingly should that be the case.

Dolby 2.0 stereo - again, as broadcast originally on Fox - is the only audio option here. Titus unfortunately is saddled with an annoying laugh track that tends to occasionally overpower the dialogue. However, every joke comes through loud and clear with no distortion or dropout.

Considering the burgeoning cult status of Titus, it's a little surprising that Anchor Bay didn't see fit to include more extras than what's here. At least what's offered in the way of supplemental material hits most of the points fans would want to know about - Titus himself, along with series co-creators Brian Hargrove and Jack Kenny, contribute commentary tracks to the following episodes: "Dad's Dead," "The Breakup" and "The Last Noelle." The sixth disc, which houses the bulk of the bonuses, features a brand new 30-minute interview with Titus titled "Hard Laughs," a 30-second Fox promo for the show and nine minutes of raw rehearsal footage. A six page booklet containing episode synopses and the fictional Dr. Sylvia Schultheiss's "Notes on Titus Family" is included as are trailers for Doogie Howser, M.D. and Profit.

Titus is painfully raw and pretty damn funny - as Titus points out in "Hard Laughs," those raised in relatively normal homes won't find much to identify with, although those who struggled with dysfunction will relate on a number of levels. This is partly true - there's enough humor present to give everyone a chuckle, but the bulk of the show definitely traffics in topics that aren't necessarily hilarious on the surface. Recommended.