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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Paramount
EAN: 0097361393049
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Paramount
Languages: EnglishOriginal Language
Manufacturer: Paramount
MPN: 139304
Number Of Items: 3
Publisher: Paramount
Region Code: 1
Release Date: March 24, 2009
Running Time: 417 minutes
Studio: Paramount
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 03/24/2009
Amazon.com:
The DVD universe is now a far brighter and happier place with the long-awaited release of this absurdly funny workplace comedy. Andy Richter Controls the Universe was sadly short-lived, but it has amassed a cult following arguably as devoted as the Arrested Development crowd. Andy Richter stars as Andy, a Walter Mitty-esque writer who lives the surreal life as a writer of technical manuals for a Chicago conglomerate. Andy is prone to fantasies, daydreams, flashbacks and inspired non-sequitor bits of nonsense, such as wearing a coat stuffed with puppies in a bid for audience acceptance, putting "King of the Penguins" on his list of career goals, or conjuring up the "Broadway version" of a boring office conversation. The lightning in a bottle ensemble puts a fresh spin on stock office characters. Paget Brewster manages to be wonderfully funny while not sacrificing authority as Jessica, Andy's tightly-wound, career-oriented boss ("Coffee should be drinking me"). John Patrick Stewart is Keith, whose Jude Law-like handsomeness affords him all of life's little perks (in one of Andy's reveries, Keith is presented with an envelope full of money from admiring co-workers). Jonathan Slavin is Byron, a socially awkward illustrator who shares Andy's office. Irene Molloy is Wendy, the sweet and lovely new receptionist, whom Andy adores, but who is dating Keith. They are exceedingly likable company. Andy Richter Controls the Universe deftly skewers corporate culture, as in the episode, "We're All the Same, Only Different," in which Andy must take sensitivity training after making remarks about the Irish that offend a black Irish-American co-worker. But the show really takes flight with its sillier plots, as when cash-strapped Wendy participates in a drug-testing program that lowers her voice to intimidating Demi Moore levels, or when Andy is blackmailed by Jessica's bratty nephew over a Marilu Henner sex tape. "Crazy in Rio" boasts an hilarious guest turn by Conan O'Brien as a deranged executive given to gloves made of cotton candy and duct-tape weddings. A boon for this series' devoted fans are four very funny unaired episodes as well as a retrospective featuring new interviews with all of the core cast members. Andy Richter Controls the Universe is thrillingly off-center. The original series title was "Anything Can Happen," and in this series, it's true. There is perhaps no better series epitaph than words spoken by Jessica in the Conan episode: "I feel truly privileged to have witnessed whatever that was." --Donald Liebenson
Average Rating: 
Rating: -
I've been waiting a long time for this to come out on DVD (so much so that I didn't realize that it had come out until the date of this review). ARCtU had been my favorite show for quite a while, I even paid $60 for a bootleg a couple of years ago. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves odd/bizarre comedy shows (like Arrested Development), it has a great cast and brilliant writing. I will re-buy this show again if they release it on Blu-ray since there are HD versions of the episodes (hopefully with some additional content).
Rating: -
If you want people to like you, wear a puppy suit: meaning either a costume which makes you look like a puppy or one which contains many pockets in which you can put your pupppies.
These and other gems are contained on this DVD which features all the episodes from short lived FOX show (why they cancelled it but left some of their other programming going I'll never know).
For those who haven't seen this show, it features the day to day activities and day dreams of Andy Richter, a technical writer at some defense contracting firm. (Interestingly enough the establishing shots for his office say "Duke and Duke" and were actually borrowed from the Eddie Murphy movie Trading Places.)
Owing to his low standing in the firm, Andy is early on saddled with a zany office mate/illustrator and along with other friends from their office they spend more time on silliness than any serious defense contracting. In fact, in one episode, they actually make it so that a missile guidance system malfunctions.
Just as unlucky in love as he's unproductive at work, viewers are also treated to the many misadventures of Andy's love life including an episode where he starts dating an anti semite and wrestles with the question of just how prejudice he's willing to tolerate in a romantic partner. Hint: according to the show, you can allow more prejudice in your partner if you counter balance it with good deeds towards the community against whom your partner is prejudiced.
And speaking of prejudices there's an especially funny episode which guest stars Jon Cryer as a boss from Hell. Andy and Co decide to make his life miserable by putting cow dung on his desk when Andy learns that Cryer actually suffers from an incurable disease. By dint of lucky plot timing Andy says the immortal line: "Oh we did not know that you didn't like cow dung on your desk."
This is a seriously funny show and just like when I first watched it I lauged out loud during the episodes.
Take it from me: Andy Richter rules!
Rating: -
I discovered this show about 2 weeks before it got canceled. It's no mystery why --- it's one of those tv shows that you actually have to pay attention to, and apparently that's asking too much of an audience. But thank god for DVD, because hidden treasures like this get to find the audience that they deserve. This show is brilliantly written, and it's never safe. The characters are lovable, but they can be selfish and mean, just like real people. And the jokes take aim at everybody - racists, and the supposedly liberal-minded people who are just as patronizing of the people they're "protecting," for example. This show was fearless - I wish more were like it.
Rating:  -
The best news recently for the over-crowded late-night talk show world is that Andy Richter is rejoining Conan O'Brien when Conan takes over The Tonight Show this summer. Both have done well on their own but their chemistry together is undeniable. Conan, of course, chugged along in late night. Richter has appeared in many films and sitcoms, but his best work was on two shows he starred in: Andy Barker PI (which he says will be coming out on DVD shortly) and Andy Richter Controls The Universe: The Complete Series ($39.98; Paramount). This workplace comedy had a great cast (including Jonathan Slavin as a nebbishy buddy and James Patrick Stuart as a Ken doll-handsome guy for whom everything came easy), a playful sensibility (episodes about Andy dating a racist girl who was hot, etc) and fantasy sequences that were genuinely clever and fun. This set contains all 19 shows -- including the last five episodes, which never aired. They prove the show was just really hitting its stride. Very cult-worthy.
Rating: -
This is a wonderful, clever, and well written show. Every time you watch it you find something new.
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