Norman Gunston, the neurotic nerd, his face perpetually marked by bits of toilet-paper soaking up the cuts from his electric shaver, was the inspired creation of actor Garry McDonald. And if you didn't know that, then stop reading. This DVD isn't for you.

For the converted, you already know that Norman Gunston entered a nation's collective psyche like almost no other television character before him. There was Edna Everage, of course, forever the leader of the pack. But she was a theatrical creation, who only occasionally graced the little screen. There was the wonderful Aunty Jack. And I suppose the sublime genius of Australian television, Graham Kennedy, must be ranked here too - he wasn't fictitious, but he did keep reinventing himself with ever more remarkable results.

This 104-minute compilation brings us highlights from all the original run of Gunston shows - and they are a mixed bunch, focusing in the main on his extraordinary interviews with such people as Telly Savalas, Muhammad Ali, Sir John Gorton, Keith 'the loon' Moon, Hugh Hefner and a score more.

Some of the sketches have dated badly - but these were not created with any thought for posterity, and I'd imagine Garry McDonald himself is amazed that people are still interested in Gunston. But there's enough here of the original anarchy and carefully contrived lunacy to make it serve as a delicious reminder of one of television's golden creations.

There's lots of choice plums here. My favourite is perhaps Gunston telling British writer and commentator Malcolm Muggeridge a very ethnically improper Lebanese joke. Some of the people he fronted up to interview were real prats - Rudolf Nureyev is revealed as a self-centred, humourless jerk. Others cotton on quickly and share the joke; English actor Edward Woodward shows real class as he spars with Gunston.

Yes, a lot here has dated. But more than enough has stayed fresh, to serve as a delicious reminder of Garry McDonald's wondrous creation. McDonald did tire of Gunston long ago - I never will.

This is taken from what seems to be fairly indifferently archived video material. The quality isn't abysmal, but the colour is often bleached, and the image a bit more grainy than we're used to. But it's good enough to serve its purpose. The stereo soundtrack is free of any irritating defects; it also serves its purpose well enough.