I’ve been subjected to a lot of bad teevee of late, evidenced in yesterday’s tirade about the dearth of American talent, paired with last weekend’s lamentation of how much Beverly Hills 9021-blows. Thus, I’ve armed myself with a box of Shiraz and my personal TV on DVD collection to cleanse my palette of the stale aftertaste of “Baywatch” wash-outs and the world’s oldest teenagers.

To wit, I’m looking forward to firing up the “DVD machine,” as my Aunt Louise called it, and perhaps enjoying some “Clerks: The Animated Series,” to start.

The “Clerks” TV series aired on ABC back in 2000, and Kevin Smith was chillingly accurate in his pre-premiere prediction that ABC would blow the marketing and scheduling, and the show would be canceled within 6 episodes. Smith was so right, in fact, that while six episodes were produced, only half as many ever made it to air. Being the animation fan that I am, and Kevin Smith fan that I used to be, you can imagine my delight when I purchased the DVD and unearthed the three treasures that were the “lost episodes.”

If you have any lingering skepticism, you should be aware that Alec Baldwin voices Leonardo Leonardo in the show, a Mr. Burns type of character, who is hilariously treacherous. As always, you can count on Baldwin’s comedic brilliance in his effortless delivery to make this unsung gem of a series really shine. If only it had come along during the [adult swim] age, then perhaps it would have had a fighting chance of survival. Sigh.

So go buy it on DVD. Or rent it, even. Trust me, it’s worth it. Despite it’s failure on ABC, “Clerks: The Animated Series” is one of the last bastions of Kevin Smith’s pre-suckfest era.

[Picture source: www.dvdtimes.co.uk]