"Yeah I watched the shit out of it."

March 21, 2008 10:31 AM

Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are back on HBO with a new comedy, with Cross playing himself and Odenkirk directing. The pilot's being filmed in May in Los Angeles, and apparently they'll be needing "150 audiencers" (and here's Cracked's Five of the Funniest Mr. Show sketches to masterfully pad out the post).
posted by Kibbutz (63 comments total)

I am warily¹ excited.


¹ "He leaves Hollywood to move into a suburban, gated community where he has two roommates, a right-wing conservative and a liberal hippie."
posted by DU at 10:36 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]

I'm down. They are funny.
posted by MNDZ at 10:41 AM on March 21

I demand the return of the East Coast/West Coast ventriloquist wars.
posted by scody at 10:53 AM on March 21

"The Story of Everest" and "Bush is a Pussy" are my favorite two Mr. Shows of all time. I watch them over and over again. Now, I won't have to! Best news all day!
posted by jstef at 10:54 AM on March 21

5 item lists spread across three pages for the lose.

Also, as funny as Mr Show was, those guys were experts at spreading a joke too thin. That Coupon the Movie sketch has approximately 3 jokes in it, but it takes minutes to tell one of them. that sketch should have been 20 seconds long.
posted by shmegegge at 11:06 AM on March 21

I hate David Cross. And Pepsi Blue.
posted by nasreddin at 11:18 AM on March 21

Awesome. Reminds me of The Tale of the Traveling Salesman.
posted by sswiller at 11:20 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]

The Cracked staff is apparently unaware that Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe from 24) was a cast member of Mr. Show for the first two seasons and wasn't doing a cameo as they thought. They're big fans.
posted by unsupervised at 11:22 AM on March 21

The Cracked staff is also apparently unaware of the existence of Jack Black, who DID have a cameo in that episode.
posted by DU at 11:23 AM on March 21

I thought this post would be a little more punkininny.
posted by LionIndex at 11:30 AM on March 21

Cracked, as usual, is dead wrong. Everyone knows Wicked Scepter is the funniest sketch from Bob and David.
posted by bunnytricks at 11:36 AM on March 21 [1 favorite]

As mayor of the altered state of Druggachusettes, I declare this news to be...awesome!
posted by porn in the woods at 11:38 AM on March 21 [4 favorites]

Live fan reaction
posted by Senor Cardgage at 11:40 AM on March 21

Wot, no Burgundy Loaf?
posted by Armitage Shanks at 11:47 AM on March 21

I thought this post would be a little more punkininny.

That comment will net you ten of thousands of hundreds of dollars.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 12:06 PM on March 21

Also, as funny as Mr Show was, those guys were experts at spreading a joke too thin.

Actually I disagree vehemently. They were experts at making something out of nothing. Very rarely did they have to stretch a premise (I do agree on 'Coupon' though) unlike the talentless turds being squeezed out of New York every Saturday Night.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 12:12 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]

The notion of Cracked compiling a list of the "five funniest" anything has got to be the funniest thing they've ever conceived of.

Oh, also the Kids in the Hall are going on tour again.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:13 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]

What, no love for the Pre-Taped Call In Show?
Also: I'm quite happy with the prospect of another show from Bob and Dave.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 12:29 PM on March 21

Linked to in the post, Big Mulp.
posted by Bookhouse at 12:32 PM on March 21

What, no love for the Pre-Taped Call In Show?

Funny you should mention that sketch. When I first watched it, I hated it. After so many people raved about it I finally focused my attention on it and lo and behold, what a genius sketch. David Cross plays it to perfection.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 12:35 PM on March 21

Ooops ... ha! That's what I get for not going through all the links.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 12:36 PM on March 21

Excellent. I wish I could find some Mr. Show torrents (that worked).
posted by purephase at 12:38 PM on March 21

I reiterate my desire that Tim & Eric be nowhere near this venture. Not out of any particular enmity; I just don't need more of them than I already have from the Cartoon Network.
posted by Eideteker at 12:47 PM on March 21

Gibbon's Markets / Fairsley Foods reminds me a lot of Pre-Taped. It's one you miss the first time. Same with the Teardrop Awards. And this skit happens in life so much that I now say "it's been a blast" the third time I say goodbye to anyone.

And you're thinking, a Mr. Show movie has to be funny, right? Wrong. It was ruined in editing.
posted by ALongDecember at 12:48 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]

It's perfectly understandishable that some people wouldn't like Mr. Show; it's just that they're wrong.
posted by ORthey at 1:21 PM on March 21

I mean come on: "You guys are not going to believe this tape I just got! It's a guy, who falls out of an airplane, and lands on two elephants WHO ARE FUCKING!"
posted by ORthey at 1:22 PM on March 21

Kiss the pan...
posted by The Power Nap at 1:31 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]

Uh, yeah? No. Wait, I mean, this is all I have. I don't know, sh-should I have more? I mean, you, what's goin' on here? You're askin' me a lot of questions here, you know. I mean, what is this? Some sort of shampoo court? I mean, I don't know. I don't know if you're watchin' this but everybody's seeing this guy's shampooing me. I mean, you know, last time I checked it was okay to travel around Europe and get as much shampoo as you wanted! You know, *what* happened to my shampoo rights?!
posted by porn in the woods at 1:33 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]

Cock rings, cock rings, cock rings!
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 1:55 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]

They weren't really fucking, ORthey.
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:57 PM on March 21

Also, as funny as Mr Show was, those guys were experts at spreading a joke too thin.

I agree with this, they did have a habit of beating a joke into the ground.

IMO, the best Mr Show sketch was "Dr. X's Doomsday Telethon"
posted by stifford at 2:03 PM on March 21

It's like I'm sayin', no love for Three Times One Minus One? Although that one is a little dated now and anyone who doesn't remember Color Me Badd, etc. wouldn't get it. The one where the guy asks for change and a series of calls with increasingly ridiculous gesticulations all the way up to the President are made is another favorite. And the one where Sarah Silverman rehabilitates a Marilyn Manson-esque band through trust excercises and the like. Although Pre-Taped Call In Show is probably my all-time favorite. It's the little touches, like the series of previous clips showing Cross' increasing hair loss.
posted by DecemberBoy at 2:07 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]

"You guys are not going to believe this tape I just got! It's a guy, who falls out of an airplane, and lands on two elephants WHO ARE FUCKING!"

They're not really fucking.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 2:14 PM on March 21

I agree with this, they did have a habit of beating a joke into the ground.

IMO, the best Mr Show sketch was "Dr. X's Doomsday Telethon"

In which they beat a joke all the way to China. Although, nice callback to the swear jar at the end of the skit.

As a classic piece of sketch comedy, lie-detector is really hard to beat.
posted by Bookhouse at 2:14 PM on March 21

So, as a "professional" organization, Cracked can't keep the penis pill spam off their blog, or is that like the ultimate ironic joke?
posted by maxwelton at 2:18 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]

I'm I the only one who thinks little Josh Fenderman looks a little too much like Dennis Kucinich?

Also, I can't WAIT for this new series.

And, hey, The Power Nap??? "Pan kisses you!"
posted by symbioid at 2:24 PM on March 21

Van Hammersly and the "Monsters of Megaphone" Kid Jersey and Dickie Crickets are probably two of my favorite sketches...Coupon the movie? not so much.

Mayosturd and Mustardayonaise were brilliant as well.
posted by crashlanding at 2:32 PM on March 21

hey, it's a banana!

best callback ever.
posted by ianaces at 2:39 PM on March 21

Electric sports bra, electric sports bra, baby loves her electric sportsbra! thank you!
posted by scody at 2:43 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]

This is probably my favorite Bob Odenkirk character. Its just downright creepy but perfect. And Mary Lynn Rajskub's contempt is palpable. David Cross as the Vine-Yel enthusiast is so over the top but dead-on.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 2:51 PM on March 21 [4 favorites]

I think "Coupon the Movie" is worth it for the sock-cam shot. Also, I like the whole sketch a lot better than lots of stuff they did. Coupon: The Movie is great. But not as good as another piece in that episode: Droopy and Dylan in the donut shop. "I will have a single donut... made...out...of.........jam!"
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:52 PM on March 21

My shoes hurt.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:55 PM on March 21

WOW, seriously? "Chloe from 24"?

I'm gonna go down to where the Cracked "staff" "works" and slap the dick out of their mouth. I'm gonna do it 24 times. Not because of "Chloe", mind you...just because that's the biggest number.
posted by unregistered_animagus at 4:33 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]

Great news. Thanks!

And while I can't disagree that Mr. Show dragged out some of their jokes too long, at least they were dragging out fairly funny and original jokes. Meanwhile MadTV and Saturday Night Live were also dragging out jokes, but theirs were just stupid celebrity impersonation bits.
(goes to dust off the old Mr. Show DVDs...).
posted by p3t3 at 4:52 PM on March 21

Is there a Mary Lynn Rajskub fan club I can join? Please?
posted by Sys Rq at 4:56 PM on March 21

My favorite Mr. Show moment:

DOC

I'm sorry, Principal Doctor Hayward, but, I've got some bad news.

HAYWARD

I don't care if his head is in a fucking fishbowl! Just tell me he's alive!

DOC

Oh... well, then... it's good news.

Camera switches to interior hospital room. GARY'S head is in a fishbowl.

DOC

Cool. We got no problem. I mean, uh... first I thought you were gonna really freak out when you saw this. Defies all medical logic, really. First time it happened, I was like... "Huh?"

posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:42 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]

I didn't "miss" Pre-Taped or the grocery one the first time around. But you are right about the little things. It isn't just his hair. He also gets more and more optimistic as you go backwards. Also, he is so clearly trying to keep it together in the last one. "Can we just....think...a little bit."
posted by DU at 6:36 PM on March 21

One thing I notice in common amongst the great sketch shows like Mr Show, Python, Kids, etc: the wouldnt do direct parody (or at least not often. See: Pallies)

Instead they would spoof a KIND of movie/star/band etc.

Its a simple thing but makes such a difference.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 6:41 PM on March 21

Van Hammersly and the "Monsters of Megaphone" Kid Jersey and Dickie Crickets are probably two of my favorite sketches...Coupon the movie? not so much.


If you get a chance, listen to the MOM with the commentary on.
The story they tell about the Al Jolson documentary made me cry from laughing.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 6:45 PM on March 21

my favorite Mr. Show bit is the one with the family-owned porn shop.

Mr. Applesway: Jimmy! What the hell is this young man?
Jimmy: I know...
Mr. Applesway: I'll tell ya what it is! It's a box of big black dildos. You and your sister were supposed to put these out last night!
Jimmy: I'll do it later.
Mr. Applesway: You'll do it now! (hits him on the head with dildo)
Jimmy: Ow!
Mr. Applesway: And next time you'll get more than a dildo to the head!
Jimmy: Stupid dildos!
Mr. Applesway: Don't blame the dildos!
posted by porn in the woods at 7:01 PM on March 21 [2 favorites]

Metafilter: Don't blame the dildos!
posted by Sys Rq at 7:06 PM on March 21

I don't believe that laugh track = not funny is an immutable law, but I always seem to have trouble finding counterexamples.
posted by BrotherCaine at 7:19 PM on March 21

The story they tell about the Al Jolson documentary made me cry from laughing.

Seconding this. Bob Odenkirk is so funny talking about this sketch that it makes the actual sketch seem like a failure -- I mean, he fucking kills talking about Al Jolson. Mostly, though, the Mr. Show commentaries are "too many cooks" to be interesting.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:19 PM on March 21

Eww Girl, Eww
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:26 PM on March 21

David Cross as the Vine-Yel enthusiast is so over the top but dead-on.

That guy comments a lot on Metafilter.
posted by MegoSteve at 7:40 PM on March 21 [5 favorites]

Can a man not control his bitch with violence? Y'all are brutalizing me!
posted by scody at 7:46 PM on March 21

Eww Girl, Eww

Damn. Damn. The cops came down on him so hard. Now he's facing 10, 20, dollar fine.
posted by ALongDecember at 7:15 AM on March 22

This is good news, and I am keeping my fingers crossed because life is precious.

And God. And the bible.
posted by dhammond at 5:30 PM on March 22

Talk show host stranded w/ guests on lifeboat is perhaps some of the best comedy I've ever seen.
posted by damn dirty ape at 6:04 PM on March 22

Before damn dirty ape dies, he's gonna fuck him a fish.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 6:22 PM on March 22

Youtube video here.
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:02 PM on March 22 [1 favorite]

We have a saying around here, "Get used to it hitler."
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:04 PM on March 22

Hello? My wife was just diagnosed with inoperable cancer... y'all got fake poo?
posted by porn in the woods at 12:24 PM on March 23