Greg the Bunny: The Complete Series (2002)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Fabricated Americans

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Slugged on the front of the DVD box: "TV wasn't ready for him. Are you?"

"Greg the Bunny" is just one of dozens of TV series that was too smart, edgy, controversial or odd to remain in the lowest common denominator of the public consciousness.

People who like these shows tend to be a little smarter and a little clingier when it comes to their little treasures. So now they can add the "Greg the Bunny" DVD to their collection of "The Tick," "Freaks and Geeks" and "My So-Called Life." Hopefully, we won't have long to wait before the "It's Like, You Know," "Karen Sisco" and "Wonderfalls" DVDs come out. Sure, it might be great to have ten or eleven brick-sized DVD box sets of "Star Trek" or "Frasier" lined up on your shelf, but to me it's the misfit outcasts from TV land that really deserve the DVD treatment.

"Greg the Bunny" exists in a Roger Rabbit-like world in which puppets live among humans. They prefer to be called "Fabricated Americans" and cringe at foul racial slurs like "sock." Jimmy (Seth Green) lands a part on a kids show for his best friend Greg (voiced by Dan Milano). Jimmy's cranky father (Eugene Levy) runs the show and is hounded by a gorgeous and stern network executive (Sarah Silverman). The show constantly finds new ways to test the grounds of diplomacy, grinding all other previous puppet shows into so much fluff. At the same time, it doesn't go too far into gross-out territory and always winds its way back down into sweet, happy endings.

At first "Greg the Bunny" shocks with its raucous behind-the-scenes romps, but before long we come to know the puppets and their little personalities, and "Greg the Bunny" begins to carry its own weight.

"Greg the Bunny" lasted long enough for 13 episodes, only 11 of which made it on the air. This two-disc set collects all of them, plus interviews, featurettes, deleted scenes and more.