DVD Review: Blue Collar Comedy: The Next Generation

On Blue Collar Comedy: The Next Generation, host Bill Engvall, one of the fathers of America’s favorite comedy franchise, passes the torch to four fast-rising comedians: Reno Collier, who opens on tour for Larry The Cable Guy, Juston McKinney who is “Destined for stardom,” according to the New York Times, Jamie Kaler who stars as “Mike Callahan” on the TBS series My Boys, and John Caparulo, whose credits include The Tonight Show, Comedy Central and Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Tour.

Back in 2000, when Grammy Award-winning comic Jeff Foxworthy, fresh from his unprecedented “you-might-be-a-redneck” success, took his pals Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White out on the road for the inaugural Blue Collar Comedy Tour, no one – least of all the performers themselves – could have guessed that they were living chapter one of what would become one of the most successful franchises in entertainment history – having sold out shows in more than 90 cities, spawned a feature film, TV series and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel, and sold more than 7 million DVDs and 1 million albums.

With all the laughs, all the sold out concerts and those kinds of CD/DVD sales, it was bound to happen… and here it comes! Warner Bros./Jack Records presents Blue Collar Comedy: The Next Generation. Originally filmed for a 2007 TBS comedy special and hosted by Blue Collar Comedy veteran and standup comedy superstar Bill Engvall, the CD/DVD release spotlights four new members of the Blue Collar Comedy family – John Caparulo, Reno Collier, Jamie Kaler and Juston McKinney – captured live in a knock-’em-dead performance from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The next phase of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour has arrived, as the most successful comedy franchise in history spawns… Blue Collar Comedy: The Next Generation.

Review:
The next phase of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour has arrived, and the four new comedians are certainly different from the old guys. This time around, it’s much more R rated.

Jamie Kaler is a single fellow and while many of his jokes are amusing, his DUI jokes seem like a poor choice of humor. He also enjoys making fun of his girlfriend’s black eye, and this probably isn’t something that a lot of people will find entertaining. Juston McKinney has adult comedy down to a “T”, but with that being said, his routine is not something that is remotely ready for TV, unless it’s Showtime or HBO. John Caparulo and Reno Collier are much more in the mold of the old Blue Collar guys. Their routines will definitely be the favorites among the Blue Collar fans.

The old shows were shot in Athens Georgia; the new ones are in Vegas. This location change is certainly appropriate with the style and content of the show. Overall, I felt like I was in a comedy club or watching a pay-per-view cable show. The jokes were all good adult humor, and this is fine if that is what you are expecting. It’s just not the comedy that most of the fans of this franchise are used to watching.

Review by Ben Loggins

Grade: B-
Official site: http://www.bluecollarcomedy.net/
Buy on Amazon: Blue Collar Comedy: The Next Generation