When I started telling someone I didn't think "My Name is Earl" was all that funny I was asked, "What show is funnier?" Oddly enough this question stumped me for a second and after thinking about it I was only left with "Scrubs" and "Desperate Housewives," one of which is probably not going to be on television much longer and the other isn't even supposed to be entirely comical. Does this mean "My Name is Earl" is the funniest show on television and I don't even really like it?

Unfortunately I think that is exactly what it means as the face of television has switched from the long ago journey for NBC's "Must See TV" to the day and age of "C.S.I." and "Grey's Anatomy." Perhaps television networks are finally realizing that people aren't as stupid as they originally thought, or perhaps there is no more funny to be had. Perhaps censorship has killed primetime sitcoms. Or maybe the original programming on cable television has hurt it more than it may seem. Lord knows if I said "My Name is Earl" was the funniest show on television back when "Sex in the City" was looming over everyone's head I may have been tarred and feathered. However, since I don't watch much television and I am guided by public perception I only watch what I hear is good, which led me to "My Name is Earl."

Here we have a show centered on a hillbilly redneck named Earl (Jason Lee) that has led to ma life of sin. He's a thief, a bad husband, a bad father, etc. but things are about to change. One day, while robbing a convenience store he scores a winning scratch ticket worth $100,000. In his excitement he runs into the middle of the road only to be run down by an old lady, he loses his ticket and winds up in the hospital. Little did he know this turn of events would change his life as he catches an episode of Carson Daly's late night television show where he learns about karma - do good things and good things will happen, do bad things and bad things will happen - and so goes the mantra of the show.

Earl goes about creating a list of all the bad things he has ever done and once he gets started guess what blows in... That's right, that winning scratch ticket and now his mission is funded as he goes about setting things right with all those that he wronged.

While Jason Lee is funny in the show he isn't as great as he is in the roles he played in all those Kevin Smith movies, give me Brodie Bruce any day, but Earl will do once a year on TV DVD. In my opinion the real comic relief comes from Earl's ex-wife Joy played by Jamie Pressly and her new husband Darnell "Crab Man" Turner played by Eddie Steeples. Now these two are perfect casting. Pressly deserved that Emmy nomination, but without Steeples as "Crab Man" this show would really suffer.

The two other major characters are Earl’s brother Randy who is so cliché it isn’t even funny and then there is the red hot Nadine Velazquez who belongs more in Victoria’s Secret catalogs than on a redneck comedy, but I will take it since I don’t find myself thumbing through Vicki’s catalogs anymore, at least not regularly

As for this DVD set’s special features they are pretty much standard for a first season release with a series of audio commentaries, some deleted scenes, a really long blooper reel and a making-of featurette that runs far too long.

Where the features go on a tangent from the norm is in a special episode called "Bad Karma" in which everything you saw in the pilot episode is flipped. Instead of Earl looking at his life and thinking of all the bad things he has done and correcting them, instead he writes up a list of everyone that has wronged him and sets out for vengeance. It is sort of funny, but not ground-breaking comedy.

My overall reaction to the show was a bit wishy-washy. Earl is such a cliché character and I am not a huge fan of redneck behavior, Jeff Foxworthy's comedy got old for a reason, it is a case of "heard it before". However, when done in the over the top manner of Joy or in that subtle silly manner such as Darnell there is comedy gold. "My Name is Earl" is a toss-up, luckily you can catch a couple of episodes on NBC before deciding if this is for you, but if you ask me I would recommend you save your money.