One of the most influential comedies in television history, Season 1 of The Abbott and Costello Show makes its Blu-ray debut from ClassicFlix with all 26 stunningly sharp episodes this December.

Newly restored from original 35mm master elements by the 3-D Film Archive, in cooperation with the Library of Congress, it will be the first opportunity for fans to see the show from the original 35mm camera negatives. All previous transfers have been taken from second generation composite fine grains. 

Also highlighting the release are 10 commentaries (including one from Gilbert Gottfried) and a Saving the Negatives featurette with Bob Furmanek.

In addition to the above bonus features, there will be options to hear episodes with non-audience tracks (2 full, 6 partial) that will be heard for the first time anywhere.

NOTE: It's remarkable that any non-audience tracks survive as they were part of the post-production process and the show has never been heard without audience laughter. Also, it's important to note that the laugh tracks were not "canned," they actually showed the finished program to a live audience and recorded the response. That response was then mixed with the film audio in post production and that's how the shows have always been heard.

One of the most influential comedies in television history, The Abbott and Costello Show - Season 1 makes its Blu-ray debut from ClassicFlix with all 26 stunningly sharp episodes in this 3 disc set.

When Bud Abbott and Lou Costello became part of the permanent rotating group of weekly hosts on TV's The Colgate Comedy Hour, it revitalized their careers and led to the birth of The Abbott and Costello Show, a syndicated half-hour program that premiered in 1952. The premise of the show was disarmingly simple: Bud and Lou played themselves, a pair of unemployed actors living in a rooming house run by the apoplectic Sid Fields, also playing himself.

Easing their way through life in a neighborhood where crooks and sharpies lay in wait around every corner, and women walk right up to Costello for no other reason than to slap his face ("How dare you look like someone I hate!”), Bud and Lou keep the show fresh with new routines, but also perform many of their classics, including "Who's on First?", "Dice", "7 x 13 = 28" and so many, many more.

Newly restored from original 35mm master elements by the 3-D Film Archive, in cooperation with the Library of Congress, The Abbott and Costello Show features Hillary Brooke (as Lou's cultured girlfriend), Gordon Jones (as stupefyingly dumb "Mike the Cop"), Joe Besser (as "Stinky"), Joe Kirk (as "Mr. Bacciagalupe"), Bingo the Chimp, as well as many other well-known TV and film entertainers.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Commentaries on 10 episodes featuring Gilbert Gottfried, Lou Antonicello, Paul Castiglia, Ray Faiola, Stu Fink, Shane Fleming, Bob Greenberg, Jim Mulholland, Gerry Orlando, Ron Palumbo, Toby Roan, Lou Sabini, Frank Santopadre, Jack Theakston and Michael Townsend Wright.
• Saving the Negatives - Featurette with Bob Furmanek
• Two complete episodes with original non-audience tracks and six partial episodes

NOTE: Season 1 will also be released on DVD.