JulianBarratt

Watching the first three seasons of The Mighty Boosh on DVD, a long list of comparisons to other shows come to mind, none of which quite capture the wild inventiveness and humor of the Boosh.

The format of the first season, where hosts Vince Noir (Noel Fielding) and Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) introduce the action, is a bit like Mr. Show. But Noir and Moon are characters, nothing like David Cross and Bob Odenkirk. The ever-smiling Noir and Moon, who is never as in control as he thinks he is, are more like Laurel and Hardy. If Laurel and Hardy were King of the Mods and a Jazz Maverick, respectively. And the intro segment only applies to season one.

The meat of the show revolves around the same characters in the same setting, although it's different for each season (a zoo the first season, an apartment the second, and a shop the third). It's not a sketch show, not really a sitcom. The characters also burst into song, as in Flight of the Conchords, but the songs are even more random and trippy. Which makes it more like The Monkees, but infinitely more original and cool. There is also a collection of weird costumed creatures, which are reminiscent of HR Puffnstuff painted by Peter Max and constructed from materials left over from the Laugh-In set.

Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, better known to BBC and Adult Swim viewers as Howard Moon and Vince Noir of The Mighty Boosh, hit New York's Bowery Ballroom Tuesday to celebrate the release of the first three seasons of the show on DVD.

The pair will be doing shows in the states until July 29, including Friday at the "Mighty Boosh Bash" at 4th and B in San Diego (they'll also be at Comic Con 2009), a guest spot on Chelsea Lately Monday, and a MySpace Secret Show at the Roxy in L.A. on Tuesday.

The show is fairly new to Adult Swim, having debuted there in March, but judging from a couple of YouTube videos from the New York show, they seem to have developed a fanbase to fill the Bowery without much notice. We have some catching up to do Stateside, and the DVDs should help (stay tuned for my review of the three discs here). And since the Boosh was a stages show before it was a series, any of you lucky enough to be around for one of their stops will get to see a bit of the show's history.