Posted on
April 10, 2008 by
jeremyazevedo
The best skits ever to appear on television.
Nerve and IFC have joined forces to take on the daunting task of reviewing and compiling the 50 greatest comedy sketches to ever air on television. Ranging from the obvious
Saturday Night Live and
Monty Python skits to the mostly forgotten earlier shows from the 50s and 60s, some of the best stuff ever is collected here, with video evidence to back it up. Fans of “The State” (a show that is notoriously late to arrive on DVD and often commands retarded amounts of money for VHS copies on ebay) will be happy to see that their favorite show is well represented here! And there’s no Mad TV, which is great, because that show sucks. But no “Laugh In”? What the hell is that?
I personally would have like to see a little bit more Upright Citizens Brigade, maybe some Stankervision or Wondershowzen, more Kids in the Hall… This list eschews a lot of the new, really far out stuff in order to make 20 (!) spaces for SNL and SCTV skits (which are pretty much the same thing) that we’ve seen a bajillion times already. I’m also not a fan of how The Chappelle Show has a 3 to 1 ratio vs. In Living Color, which did the “racial humor” thing not only better, but at a time that it was quite a bit more relevant and edgy. Whether or not you agree, you should have a look at this list, it’s a great time waster and there’s a lot of funny stuff here for virtually anyone’s taste.
Check out the 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches of all time.
Tags: best comedy sketches of all timeifckids in the hallsaturday night livesctvsketch comedyskitsthe state
Category
Film/TV
Posted on
November 13, 2007 by
jeremyazevedo
New comedy CD from cult comedy icon.
Actor/writer/director and now stand up comedian Michael Showalter has a new CD out, entitled Sandwiches and Cats. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, Showalter is a former cast member of legendary sketch comedy troupe “The State”, which also included such well-known comics as Thomas Lennon and Kerri Kennney (Reno 911), Michael Ian Black and David Wain. He co-wrote and starred in cult classic Wet Hot American Summer and wrote, directed and starred in The Baxter as well as episodes of Stella on Comedy Central.
Showalter enjoying a delicious sandwich.
Still not ringing a bell? Shame on you then. Michael Showalter really nails the awkward, off the radar comedy that most top tier comedians consistently try and fail to capture. On “Sandwiches and Cats”, Showalter discusses such widely varied topics as washing your hands after pissing, erotica fiction, high school news journals, sandwiches and cats (duh) and restless leg syndrome. And not in that lame “what’s the deal with that” Jerry Seinfeld way either, but in a way that constantly surprises the listener with the sheer absurdity of it all.
Showalter with fellow “State” alumni Michael Ian Black and David Wain in “Stella”.
This is not to say that Michael Showalter’s particularly strange brand of comedy will work for everyone. Sadly, dick and fart jokes generally beat out sophisticated humor with the general population 9 times out of 10. This is also not to say that there are no dick and fart jokes on this album. What I’m trying to get at is that if Dane Cook is your idea of a funny comedian, then Michael Showalter might not be for you. But if you’re any kind of fan of irreverent, offbeat comedy that focuses on the illogical, then you will definitely enjoy “Sandwiches and Cats”.
Tags: michael showalterreviewsandwiches and catsstand up comedystellathe state
Category
Humor, Music
