Merv Griffin’s ratings weren’t Johnny Carson level, but this 12-DVD collection reveals the show’s unscripted spontaneity, whether joshing with the stars (Lucille Ball) or getting serious (Martin Luther King Jr.). Buried amidst the jazz orchestra and live audience razzmatazz are such gems as Griffin’s foray to the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, where he interviewed Ingrid Bergman in her hotel room, Rex Reed at a café and Richard Pryor doing comedy on the street corner.
