http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,16681,00.html?rsstv
New "Chappelle" DVD a Hit, Bitch!
by Josh Grossberg
Jun 2, 2005, 2:45 PM PT
The people love the Dave Chappelle.
With the third season of Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show indefinitely postponed amid its star's unscripted odyssey, fans jonesing for his comic antics have tried to satisfy their fix by snapping up his new DVD in record numbers.
Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored sold 500,000 units in its first day in stores May 24 and an astonishing 1.2 million copies its first week, according to figures released Thursday by the cable network and distributor Paramount Home Video.
The numbers shatter the records set by the first-season DVD and make Season 2: Uncensored the fastest-selling DVD of a TV series ever.
Still, the three-disc Season 2 set, which retails for $37 and contains 13 episodes, still has a ways to go before topping the 3 million DVDs sold for Chappelle's Show's first season. That set came out in February 2004 and remains the all-time best-selling TV DVD package and helped secure Chappelle a record $50 million contract that included a percentage of DVD sales.
At its current pace, Season 2 is likely to reach the 2 million mark within a month. The set has proven so popular, it blew away the DVD releases of the Oscar-winning Warner Bros. film The Aviator and Sony's Ice Cube family comedy, Are We There Yet?.
The blitzkrieg buying has no doubt been stoked by the behind-the-scenes drama, including Chappelle's unscheduled trip to South Africa and the subsequent halting of production on the show's third season.
Chappelle told Time magazine that, contrary to reports, he wasn't crazy or on crack, just stressed out. He also acknowledged that he wasn't happy with his show's creative direction.
Chappelle has since re-emerged from the so-called "spiritual retreat" in his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio. However there's still no word from the comedian's rep on when, if ever, Chappelle will return to his namesake show.
In its place, Comedy Central has been airing Chappelle's Show reruns as well as fresh episodes of Reno 911! and a new variety show from D.L. Hughley, Weekends at the D.L.
New "Chappelle" DVD a Hit, Bitch!
by Josh Grossberg
Jun 2, 2005, 2:45 PM PT
The people love the Dave Chappelle.
With the third season of Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show indefinitely postponed amid its star's unscripted odyssey, fans jonesing for his comic antics have tried to satisfy their fix by snapping up his new DVD in record numbers.
Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored sold 500,000 units in its first day in stores May 24 and an astonishing 1.2 million copies its first week, according to figures released Thursday by the cable network and distributor Paramount Home Video.
The numbers shatter the records set by the first-season DVD and make Season 2: Uncensored the fastest-selling DVD of a TV series ever.
Still, the three-disc Season 2 set, which retails for $37 and contains 13 episodes, still has a ways to go before topping the 3 million DVDs sold for Chappelle's Show's first season. That set came out in February 2004 and remains the all-time best-selling TV DVD package and helped secure Chappelle a record $50 million contract that included a percentage of DVD sales.
At its current pace, Season 2 is likely to reach the 2 million mark within a month. The set has proven so popular, it blew away the DVD releases of the Oscar-winning Warner Bros. film The Aviator and Sony's Ice Cube family comedy, Are We There Yet?.
The blitzkrieg buying has no doubt been stoked by the behind-the-scenes drama, including Chappelle's unscheduled trip to South Africa and the subsequent halting of production on the show's third season.
Chappelle told Time magazine that, contrary to reports, he wasn't crazy or on crack, just stressed out. He also acknowledged that he wasn't happy with his show's creative direction.
Chappelle has since re-emerged from the so-called "spiritual retreat" in his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio. However there's still no word from the comedian's rep on when, if ever, Chappelle will return to his namesake show.
In its place, Comedy Central has been airing Chappelle's Show reruns as well as fresh episodes of Reno 911! and a new variety show from D.L. Hughley, Weekends at the D.L.
