Some like to imagine that Monty Python's Flying Circus emerged, hydra-like, comically raging against the empire.

In fact, there were a number of antecedents for such comedy troupes as Monty Python, the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players of "Saturday Night Live" and the Canadian company of Second City.

This can be seen with the stateside DVD release of "At Last: The 1948 Show" (Tango), broadcast on the BBC in 1967, and the following year's "Do Not Adjust Your Set" (Tango).

The former featured a pre-Python Graham Chapman and John Cleese in slightly surreal and absurd skits and in "A Hard Day's Night" rendition of The Beatles as a rock 'n' roll Marx Brothers. Featured performers also included comedy writer Marty Feldman, getting his bug-eyed bit on camera.

The follow-up was more like a warm-up for Python, ostensibly a children's show in which Cleese was joined by Eric Idle, who guested on "1948," Terry Jones and Michael Palin, in skits even more satirical and topical than the "1948" material. Watch for musical interludes from the Bonzo Dog Band, a sort of vaudeville-meets-dada review.

Anyone who has memorized the Python repertoire will want to get these on the shelf.

IT'S YOU, GIRL

It's been three years since the first season of "The Mary Tyler Moore" show was issued on DVD, and not a week goes by that someone doesn't write the DVD desk to ask why Season 2 never appeared. The answer was economics: the DVD box of one of the most popular sitcoms in history did not meet commercial expectations.

An Internet mail campaign can be credited for the appearance. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Complete Second Season" (Fox), a three-disc set of all 24 episodes from 1971 to 1972.

Gavin McLeod, who played news writer Murray, provides commentary for this episode, and unlike the first box, this one not only features a few commentaries (none from Moore, alas) but also a really entertaining documentary about the show's creation and evolution.

ON THE 'UPSIDE'

If you missed "The Upside of Anger" (New Line) on the big screen, you missed two great performances: Joan Allen as a suburban Detroit wife whose husband has flown the coop, leaving her with four teen girls and a very bad attitude; and Kevin Costner as a former Tigers star who shares her newfound interest in daytime drinking.