Mr. Show
Encyclopedia
Mr. Show with Bob and David is an American sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...

 series featuring former Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...

writer/actor Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk
Robert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

 and stand up comedian/actor David Cross. It aired on HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...

 from November 3, 1995 to December 28, 1998.

The show generally opened with Cross and Odenkirk introducing the episode as heightened versions of themselves, before transitioning to a mixture of live sketches and pre-taped segments. Unlike many other sketch programs, Mr. Show typically opted for absurdist
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...

 comedy over current pop culture jokes or recurring characters. Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...

noted that the series had mocked "satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...

, teenage suicide
Youth suicide
Youth suicide is when a young person deliberately ends his or her own life. Rates of attempted and completed youth suicide in Western societies are high...

, cock ring
Cock ring
A cock ring, or cockring, is a ring that is placed around a man's penis, usually at the base, primarily to slow the flow of blood from the erect penile tissue, thus maintaining erection for a much longer period of time....

s, hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...

s, after-school specials about mentally challenged parents, and the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...

."

The show featured a number of notable alternative comedian
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...

s as both cast members and writers — many in the early stages of their careers — including Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....

, Paul F. Tompkins
Paul F. Tompkins
Paul Francis Tompkins , best known as Paul F. Tompkins, is an American actor and comedian.-Life and career:Tompkins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a receptionist mother and railway worker father. He started out in stand-up comedy in 1986 at The Comedy Works, Philadelphia, PA, where he...

, Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...

, Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny
Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...

, Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Early life:...

, Brian Posehn
Brian Posehn
Brian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...

, Jerry Minor
Jerry Minor
Jerry C. Minor is an American actor, comedian and writer known for his comedic roles in numerous television programs such as Mr. Show, Saturday Night Live, Delocated, Crossballs, Carpoolers and Lucky Louie....

, Scott Aukerman
Scott Aukerman
Scottrick "Scott" Aukerman is an American writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host. In the mid-1990s, Aukerman was a writer and performer on Mr. Show with Bob and David. He currently hosts the weekly comedy podcast Comedy Bang Bang...

, and Dino Stamatopoulos
Dino Stamatopoulos
Dino Stamatopoulos is an American television comedy writer, actor and producer who has worked on Mr. Show, TV Funhouse, Mad TV, The Dana Carvey Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien...

. It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as a Golden Satellite Award.

Description

Each episode of Mr. Show essentially consists of a series of sketches, each one transitioning to the next by way of a tangential—or sometimes direct—segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...

, called a link. For example, a minor character in one sketch might return as the major character in the next. Often, common themes or storylines are returned to at different times throughout an episode. It is regarded by sketch comedy aficionados as perhaps the best of its era , though as a premium cable show its audience was necessarily limited. DVD editions, however, have sold briskly, opening the show to a broad new audience..

Format

The show contains a strong, confident contrarian viewpoint little respect for traditionalism
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...

, at times mocking or satirizing organized religion or global capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...

. Additionally, many of the show's sketches were constructed with a strong critique of modern television in mind, whether it be infomercials or sitcoms.

Conventions

Every episode begins with an individual introducing the hosts, Bob and David (on one occasion Bob is replaced by the up and coming college comic, Kedzie Matthews, whom everybody but Bob finds hilarious). This role was filled by Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Early life:...

 in the first two seasons, while in the later two seasons Bob eventually cut her from the debut episode. The title of the seventh episode in season three, "Bush is a Pussy", comes from a t-shirt worn by one of the characters. The seventh episode of season four, "Eat Rotten Fruit from a Shitty Tree", is from a song within the episode that originally had lyrics.

Certain lines of dialogue are often repeated by different characters during the course of a single show (e.g., "I was on the eighteenth hole!" in "The Biggest Failure in Broadway History" and "Who let you in?" in the episode of the same name).

At the end of each episode's credits, there is a random niche celebrity in the "Special Thanks" section, typically as a joke. For example, the first episode's random special niche thanks credit celebrity was Rick Dees
Rick Dees
Rigdon Osmond "Rick" Dees III is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated...

, and the third episode's was Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...

.

Contributors

During the ending credits, the actors appearing on the show were credited as "Main Cast" or "Featured Cast", though some "Featured" cast members (like Brian Posehn
Brian Posehn
Brian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...

 or Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Early life:...

) appeared regularly. Mr. Show's main cast for the entire run consisted of David Cross
David Cross
David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...

, John Ennis
John Ennis (actor)
John Ennis is an American actor and comic. He has been a regular cast member of Mr. Show with Bob and David, has played roles in Malcolm in the Middle and played a writer for the fictitious comedy show at the center of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip...

, Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny
Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...

, Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk
Robert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

, and Jill Talley
Jill Talley
Jill Talley is an American comedic actress, best known as a regular cast member of Mr. Show and for her long-running-role as Karen on SpongeBob SquarePants.-Career:...

. Cross, Ennis, and Odenkirk appeared in each season. Kenny left the show after the third season to pursue other projects, and he returned for one episode of season four. Talley appeared in all episodes but four towards the end of the third season, which she missed because she was pregnant. Jay Johnston
Jay Johnston
Jay Johnston is an American actor and comedian best known for his work as a writer and cast member on the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

, who was a featured performer throughout the series, was credited as a member of the main cast for the final episode of the show.

Main cast

  • David Cross
    David Cross
    David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...

     (all seasons)
  • Bob Odenkirk
    Bob Odenkirk
    Robert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

     (all seasons)
  • John Ennis
    John Ennis (actor)
    John Ennis is an American actor and comic. He has been a regular cast member of Mr. Show with Bob and David, has played roles in Malcolm in the Middle and played a writer for the fictitious comedy show at the center of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip...

     (all seasons)
  • Tom Kenny
    Tom Kenny
    Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...

     (seasons 1 through 3, plus episode #402)
  • Jill Talley
    Jill Talley
    Jill Talley is an American comedic actress, best known as a regular cast member of Mr. Show and for her long-running-role as Karen on SpongeBob SquarePants.-Career:...

      (all seasons, except for episodes #306, #307, #309, #310)
  • Jay Johnston
    Jay Johnston
    Jay Johnston is an American actor and comedian best known for his work as a writer and cast member on the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

     (credited as main castmember in season 4, previously featured cast)

Featured cast and frequent collaborators

  • Scott Adsit
    Scott Adsit
    Scott Adsit is an American actor, writer and improvisational comedian. He is currently co-starring as Pete Hornberger in the hit NBC comedy 30 Rock and worked in the Adult Swim stop-motion animation programs Moral Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.-1990s:After attending Columbia College Chicago,...

     (season 4)
  • Scott Aukerman
    Scott Aukerman
    Scottrick "Scott" Aukerman is an American writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host. In the mid-1990s, Aukerman was a writer and performer on Mr. Show with Bob and David. He currently hosts the weekly comedy podcast Comedy Bang Bang...

     (season 2-4)
  • Jack Black
    Jack Black
    Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...

     (seasons 1-2)
  • Jay Johnston
    Jay Johnston
    Jay Johnston is an American actor and comedian best known for his work as a writer and cast member on the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

     (seasons 1-4)
  • Karen Kilgariff
    Karen Kilgariff
    Karen Kilgariff is an actress and writer best known for her work on the late 1990s sketch comedy television program Mr. Show and the Glasgow-set situation comedy The Book Group. She was the head writer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show and occasionally appears on screen in sketches and other segments...

     (seasons 3-4)
  • Jerry Minor
    Jerry Minor
    Jerry C. Minor is an American actor, comedian and writer known for his comedic roles in numerous television programs such as Mr. Show, Saturday Night Live, Delocated, Crossballs, Carpoolers and Lucky Louie....

     (episode #205, season 4)
  • Theresa Mulligan
    Theresa Mulligan
    Theresa Mulligan is an American comedy writer and actress best known for appearing on the late 1990s sketch comedy television program, Mr. Show. Her career began in Chicago, where she performed at various improvisational theaters, including the Improv Institute and The Second City.She is also an...

     (episode #204, season 3)
  • Bill Odenkirk
    Bill Odenkirk
    Bill Odenkirk is an American comedy writer.Odenkirk was born in Naperville, Illinois. He is the brother of American comedian Bob Odenkirk, and worked as a writer, producer and actor on sketch comedy TV show Mr. Show with Bob and David, which featured his brother as co-star. Odenkirk went on to...

     (seasons 1-4)
  • Brett Paesel
    Brett Paesel
    Brett Paesel is an American actress and author. She is married with two children. She played in Top Girls. Her 2006 book Mommies Who Drink: Sex, Drugs, and Other Distant Memories of an Ordinary Mom, is a polemic against modern mothering; reportedly, the book was banned in Oregon...

     (seasons 2-4)
  • BJ Porter (episodes #205 and #307, season 4)
  • Brian Posehn
    Brian Posehn
    Brian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...

     (seasons 1-4)
  • Mary Lynn Rajskub
    Mary Lynn Rajskub
    Mary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Early life:...

     (seasons 1-2)
  • Mark Rivers (season 4)
  • Sarah Silverman
    Sarah Silverman
    Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....

     (episode #103, season 3)
  • Dino Stamatopoulos
    Dino Stamatopoulos
    Dino Stamatopoulos is an American television comedy writer, actor and producer who has worked on Mr. Show, TV Funhouse, Mad TV, The Dana Carvey Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien...

     (seasons 2-4)
  • Becky Thyre (season 4)
  • Patton Oswalt
    Patton Oswalt
    Patton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...

  • Paul F. Tompkins
    Paul F. Tompkins
    Paul Francis Tompkins , best known as Paul F. Tompkins, is an American actor and comedian.-Life and career:Tompkins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a receptionist mother and railway worker father. He started out in stand-up comedy in 1986 at The Comedy Works, Philadelphia, PA, where he...

     (seasons 1-4)

Writing staff

  • Bob Odenkirk
    Bob Odenkirk
    Robert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

     (episode #101-#410)
  • David Cross
    David Cross
    David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...

     (episode #101-#410)
  • Jay Johnston
    Jay Johnston
    Jay Johnston is an American actor and comedian best known for his work as a writer and cast member on the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

     (episode #203-#410)
  • Bill Odenkirk
    Bill Odenkirk
    Bill Odenkirk is an American comedy writer.Odenkirk was born in Naperville, Illinois. He is the brother of American comedian Bob Odenkirk, and worked as a writer, producer and actor on sketch comedy TV show Mr. Show with Bob and David, which featured his brother as co-star. Odenkirk went on to...

     (episode #203-#410)
  • Dino Stamatopoulos
    Dino Stamatopoulos
    Dino Stamatopoulos is an American television comedy writer, actor and producer who has worked on Mr. Show, TV Funhouse, Mad TV, The Dana Carvey Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien...

     (episode #203, #206-#401, #403-#410)
  • Paul F. Tompkins
    Paul F. Tompkins
    Paul Francis Tompkins , best known as Paul F. Tompkins, is an American actor and comedian.-Life and career:Tompkins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a receptionist mother and railway worker father. He started out in stand-up comedy in 1986 at The Comedy Works, Philadelphia, PA, where he...

     (episode #203-#310)
  • Brian Posehn
    Brian Posehn
    Brian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...

     (episode #204-#205, #301-#408)
  • Mike Stoyanov (episode #301-#305)
  • Mike Upchurch (episode #301-#310)
  • Scott Aukerman
    Scott Aukerman
    Scottrick "Scott" Aukerman is an American writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host. In the mid-1990s, Aukerman was a writer and performer on Mr. Show with Bob and David. He currently hosts the weekly comedy podcast Comedy Bang Bang...

     (episode #401-#410)
  • Jerry Collins (episode #401-#407)
  • B.J. Porter
    B.J. Porter
    B. J. Porter is an actor, writer and comedian best known for appearing on the HBO sketch comedy program, Mr. Show.Porter, along with comedy partner Scott Aukerman, perform as the comedy duo "The Fun Bunch"...

     (episode #401-#410)
  • Eric Hoffman (episode #406-#410)

Contributing writers

  • Tom Kenny
    Tom Kenny
    Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...

     (episode #308)
  • Brent Forrester
    Brent Forrester
    Brent Forrester is an American writer, who wrote several episodes of the animated television sitcom The Simpsons between 1993 and 1997. He has also worked as an executive producer on King of the Hill, and a writer on The Ben Stiller Show, Mr. Show with Bob and David, Undeclared, and The Office...

     (episode #308, #404)
  • Brian Posehn
    Brian Posehn
    Brian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...

     (episode #410)

Run Ronnie Run

Mr. Show also spawned a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...

 movie, Run Ronnie Run
Run Ronnie Run
Run Ronnie Run is an American direct-to-video comedy film produced in 2001 and released in 2003, a spin-off from the HBO sketch comedy show Mr. Show. The recurring character Ronnie Dobbs is the focal point of the movie...

, which went straight-to-DVD. Cross and Odenkirk were disappointed with the film, feeling that the narrative structure didn't remain true to that of the Mr. Show series. They approached New Line Cinema for extra money so they could extensively rewrite and reshoot the film, but were denied. Without their consent, New Line Cinema went to the film's director, Troy Miller
Troy Miller
Troy Miller is an American film producer, director and screenwriter.  Miller is best known for his work in directing.- Stand-up comedy :Miller has produced and/or directed comedy shows and specials for a variety of comics including Robin Williams, Martin Short, Katt Williams, Jim Gaffigan, Brian...

, and persuaded him to hand in an unfinished cut of the film for release; ultimately, Cross and Odenkirk disowned the final version.

Mr. Show Live: Hooray for America!

In September 2002, original cast members Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, John Ennis, Brian Posehn and Stephanie Courtney
Stephanie Courtney
Stephanie Courtney is an American actress and comedienne, best known for playing the advertising character Flo in television commercials for Progressive Insurance and is noted for her recurring roles on several television shows, including the voices of Renee the Receptionist and Joy Peters on the...

 toured with a show called Mr. Show: Hooray for America!!!. The two month stint featured distillation of some of Mr. Show's best sketches, such as "The Burgundy Loaf", and also added new material. In the stage show, the large fictitious mega-corporation Globo-Chem ("We own everything, so you don't have to!") sponsors David's stage persona to run for the presidency of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.
The performance venues varied from the elegant Warner Theatre
Warner Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
The Warner Theatre is a theater located at 513 13th Street, N.W. in Downtown Washington, D.C.. The basement level is at 1299 Pennsylvania Avenue.-History:...

 in Washington, DC to the converted warehouse of the Electric Factory
Electric Factory
The Electric Factory is a concert venue in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe original "Electric Factory" venue was a converted tire warehouse at 22nd and Arch Streets, which opened in 1968. The first performers, on February 2, 1968, were the Chambers Brothers...

 in Philadelphia, PA
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

.
Some elements of the live show were ad libbed, and changed from night to night. David Cross sometimes broke scene, to directly address disorderly or drunken crowd members.

Reception

Mr. Show has been called one of "TV’s greatest cult comedy series" by The Onion AV Club.

Legacy

While the show was never viewed by a mass audience, due to its premium cable broadcast, it remains a highly influential piece of American sketch comedy. Many involved with the show have gone on to become staples of the American comedy landscape.

The Sarah Silverman Program
The Sarah Silverman Program
The Sarah Silverman Program is an American television series that starred comedian and actress Sarah Silverman, who created the series with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab...

that was written by and stars Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....

, features Jay Johnston
Jay Johnston
Jay Johnston is an American actor and comedian best known for his work as a writer and cast member on the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

 and Brian Posehn
Brian Posehn
Brian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...

. Arrested Development features David Cross as regular character Tobias Fünke; the series also had guest spots filled by Mr. Show alumni, such as Bob Odenkirk as a marriage counselor, and Jerry Minor
Jerry Minor
Jerry C. Minor is an American actor, comedian and writer known for his comedic roles in numerous television programs such as Mr. Show, Saturday Night Live, Delocated, Crossballs, Carpoolers and Lucky Louie....

 and Jay Johnston as gay cops. Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...

 had supporting roles in Mr. Show. Cross and Odenkirk would go on to work with Black on producing a show
Tenacious D (TV series)
Tenacious D, is a TV series that ran on HBO in 1997, 1999, and 2000. It featured the fictional accounts of the real band Tenacious D, which is composed of members Jack Black and Kyle Gass...

 for HBO for the comedy band Tenacious D
Tenacious D
Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...

 which would also feature Mr. Show alumnus Paul F. Tompkins
Paul F. Tompkins
Paul Francis Tompkins , best known as Paul F. Tompkins, is an American actor and comedian.-Life and career:Tompkins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a receptionist mother and railway worker father. He started out in stand-up comedy in 1986 at The Comedy Works, Philadelphia, PA, where he...

. Additionally, Mr. Show cast member Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny
Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...

 went on to achieve huge success voicing the title character of SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...

.

In January 2011, IFC
Independent Film Channel
The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...

 plans to begin airing 90-minute blocks of Mr. Show, The Ben Stiller Show, Action
Action (TV series)
Action is a comedy series about a Hollywood producer named Peter Dragon, who is trying to recover from his last box-office failure. It aired on FOX during the 1999-2000 season. The series was critically praised for its irreverent, and sometimes hostile look at Hollywood culture. Thirteen episodes...

and The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that aired from August 1992 to May 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the United States. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders, and centered on the running of his TV show, and the...

three times per week. The programming block will be hosted by Mr. Show writer and actor Scott Aukerman, who will also conduct new interviews with the shows' contributors and younger comedians who have been influenced by the shows.

David's Situation

Odenkirk and Cross reunited in 2008 to create the HBO pilot David's Situation, which was shot but never aired or picked up. The network gave the pair $400,000 to shoot a pilot (which was shot on the Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...

soundstage), which appeared to go well during the taping; however, while Cross and Odenkirk were editing the episode, they felt it failed to "capture that same energy on screen." In an interview with Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...

, Cross said, "We told them that we didn’t want to do this show, we’d rather do Mr. Show 2.0. And they were like, 'Yeah, O.K., that’s great, but the thing is, we don’t have any more money for this year. But we’ll figure out something next year.' And we never heard from them again."

Comedians and shows inspired by Mr. Show

Comedy duo Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim have said their program Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is an American sketch comedy television series, created by and starring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, which premiered February 11, 2007 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim comedy block and ran until May 2010...

was highly inspired by Mr. Show. Odenkirk would go on to produce Awesome Show as well as Tom Goes to the Mayor
Tom Goes to the Mayor
Tom Goes to the Mayor is an American animated television series created by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim for Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. It premiered on November 14, 2004 and ended on September 25, 2006, with a total of thirty episodes.-History:Tom Goes to the...

. The blink 182 serious track Adam's Song
Adam's Song
"Adam's Song" is a song by American pop punk band Blink-182, from their third album Enema of the State, the album largely credited for the band's success. It was released as the third and final CD single from the album behind "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things" on September 5, 2000...

 was inspired by one of the skits.

Characters

Odenkirk and Cross tried to avoid using recurring characters a la Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...

, but a small number of characters still appeared on the show several times throughout its run. They are:
  • Ronnie Dobbs (David Cross
    David Cross
    David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...

    ) is a white trash
    White trash
    White trash is an American English pejorative term referring to poor white people in the United States, suggesting lower social class and degraded living standards...

     habitual petty criminal, regularly caught in the act on Fuzz, a COPS
    COPS (TV series)
    Cops is an American documentary/reality television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities...

    -like program.
  • Terry Twillstein (Bob Odenkirk
    Bob Odenkirk
    Robert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...

    ) is a British television producer who discovers Ronnie Dobbs and tries to utilize him in a West End
    West End theatre
    West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...

    -like fashion.
  • Senator Howell Tankerbell (Bob Odenkirk) is an ultra-conservative
    Conservatism
    Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...

     Georgia
    Georgia (U.S. state)
    Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

     Dixiecrat
    Dixiecrat
    The States' Rights Democratic Party was a short-lived segregationist political party in the United States in 1948...

     Senator
    United States Senate
    The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

    .
  • Three Times One Minus One (T.T.O.M.O) is an R&B
    Contemporary R&B
    Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

     duo made up of Pootie T. (Cross) and Wolfgang Amadeus Thelonius Van Funkenmeister The 19th and 3 Quarters (Odenkirk). Their repertoire includes the almost-wordless song "Ewww, Girl, Ewww", its exact replica "Eww, Girl, Eww, Girl", and the song "Goodbye 2 Every 1 Ever", written in memory of "everyone that's ever died". They are sponsored by the White People Co-opting Black Culture Network.
  • Droopy (Bob Odenkirk) is a dirty and chronically congested take on the "lazy twenty-something slacker" stereotype. He loves to messily eat chocolate and, for an unknown reason, wants to work at the front desk of his local museum, though he has few qualifications.
  • Dylan (David Cross) is an incredibly pretentious man clad in glasses and a long scarf, even in hot weather. He shuns popular American culture and modern technology, but is surprisingly friends with Droopy. In audio commentary, castmates describe Cross's first impression on them being reminiscent of Dylan.
  • Kedzie Matthews (Tom Kenny
    Tom Kenny
    Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...

    ) is a hyperactive comedian. Despite his overblown, unfunny humor, everyone on the show finds him hilarious.
  • Fancy Pants (Bill Odenkirk
    Bill Odenkirk
    Bill Odenkirk is an American comedy writer.Odenkirk was born in Naperville, Illinois. He is the brother of American comedian Bob Odenkirk, and worked as a writer, producer and actor on sketch comedy TV show Mr. Show with Bob and David, which featured his brother as co-star. Odenkirk went on to...

    ) is a dandy who makes occasional silent, yet noted walk-ons. First seen clad in Edwardian garb he makes his second appearance in a more Elizabethan style.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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