Besides the first and last episodes, each show lasts 10 - 15 minutes and was originally aired in pairs. The bookend episodes ("The Thing That Wouldn't Stop It" and "The Final Episode") are full, half-hour long shows. The series follows the Columbo-esque dog Sam, and his rabbit partner, Max as they are called on to do the jobs that most people just can't do.
Sam and Max are joined by their teenage girl genius named The Geek and fight various crazy foes like Lactose the Intolerant, the Molemen, an alien race known as The Uglions and many more. Each episode is packed with an Animaniacs style slapstick and demented brand of comedy that is the staple of Sam & Max's style.
Before the series' 23 episodes are done, the duo will travel through time, to the moon and forgotten sections of Central Park. They will take on a member of the government who is trying to ban their favorite dessert treat as well as take part in a James Bond spoof. It really is a shame that this series only lasts about 5 hours, but then again, in such a highly concentrated form, Sam & Max could be very dangerous, so any more might very well be too much.
The shows span the first two discs of this set and include a few shorts that feature having fun with Dad's vice, discussing the details of the pancreas (and its many uses) as well as a bit about making a paper-bag puppet Max. The other disc has an interview with the characters' creator Steve Purcell, a featurette about the episodic games, as well as a playable demo of Sam & Max: Ice Station Santa, the first episode in the game's second season.
Long-term fans of these characters should jump at the chance to see this series. As for newer fans that are only now being exposed to these freelance police because of the Telltale games series, this DVD set is just another chance to see some of the backstory that the current games came from.
