It's no secret that I'm a fan of MTV's old sketch comedy show The State. The name of my website should be proof enough; just watch this skit (you'll have to watch it all the way to the end to get the reference). I've signed petitions numerous times to get the show released on DVD because the compilation VHS tape, Skits and Stickers, is not cutting the mustard. I want every single skit, from every single episode, from every single season and all of their specials as well, including the Spring Break Shakespeare that I haven't seen since StateMedia.net went offline. I have almost two whole seasons recorded on VHS, but the quality is so poor that I might as well be watching streaming windows media files on a CRT screen. Yeah, there were some lame skits. Maybe some that were of SNL quality, or even worse, Mad TV. But overall, their shit didn't stink. The brand of humor wasn't for everyone, but if you got it, it was hilarious. There are fans everywhere that continue to support the show 11 years after being cancelled.
It has also been 11 years since all of the members of The State performed together as a group, but this streak should soon end since the troupe will reunite in the upcoming feature Reno 911: Miami. So why no DVD? I've always guessed it had something to do with the music rights since their skits were always edited with music, and maybe it's different licensing when it comes to selling a product rather than broadcasting it on their station. But what it really comes down to is that it's probably not cost effective for MTV to release the content as it is otherwise they would have already done it. Big companies rarely turn down extra revenue.
However, according to this semi-recent article on MTV.com, there are chances that the skits might see the light of day in the form of an iTunes download. It's not exactly the quality that I would prefer, but I suppose anything is better than the crappy .asf files I downloaded off acquisition. The mere fact that MTV.com is hosting this article gives me hope that there is some truth to the iTunes rumor. MTV, please hear our cries. Fans of The State want to relive the comedy. Release The State back into the wild from whence it came.
