Mr. Show

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Mr. Show
Image:Mrshow logo.gif
Genre Sketch comedy
Creator(s) Bob Odenkirk
David Cross
Starring Bob Odenkirk
David Cross
John Ennis
Tom Kenny
Jill Talley
Jay Johnston
Country of origin USA
No. of episodes 30 episodes, 2 specials
(List of episodes)
Production
Running time 30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel HBO
Original run November 3, 1995 – December 28, 1998
Links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Mr. Show (also known as Mr. Show with Bob and David) was a sketch comedy series featuring former Saturday Night Live writer/comedy actor Bob Odenkirk and stand up comedian/actor David Cross. It aired on HBO from November 3, 1995 to December 28, 1998. Reruns can currently be seen on Comedy Central and TBS in an edited form.

Contents

[edit] Description

Each episode of Mr. Show essentially consists of a series of skits, each one transitioning into the next by way of a tangential, or sometimes direct, segue, called a link. For example, sometimes a minor character in one skit appears as the major character in the next. Often common storylines or themes are returned to at different times throughout a given episode. The show is highly unpredictable and often quite absurd. It is regarded by sketch comedy aficionados as containing some of the best work of its era, though as a premium cable show its audience was limited. The DVDs, however, have sold well, and have opened the show up to a new audience.

[edit] Format

The format of Mr. Show is heavily influenced by the British sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus, particularly in the linking of one skit to the next, a strong point for both shows, as it negates the tendency to expect each sketch to end on a punch line or similar high note (a common feature of more traditional sketch comedy shows such as Saturday Night Live). The interweaving of taped bits and stage-performed skits found in Flying Circus is prevalent in Mr. Show. Both shows depend greatly on absurdist humor and both avoid satirizing current events that would have quickly dated the comedy.

In later seasons, the show would satirize celebrities in an indirect fashion, by changing the name and some of the aesthetic idiosyncrasies of the celebrity, while maintaining a transparently obvious parody. For instance, "Willips Brighton" was a character spoofing Brian Wilson, Marilyn Manson became "Norma Jean Monster" and later "Marilyn Monster," Carrot Top became "Blueberry Head," and Dr. Demento became "Dr. Retarded," along with dozens of other examples.

Similarly indirect were some of the show's socio-political messages. (Cross had always been very candid and forthcoming about his liberal views in his stand-up act, but far more subtle about them on this show.) In one sketch, news stories of violence around the world were stated in secondary importance to the top story about the president farting. In another, a topless woman (one of the few instances of nudity during the entire series' span) reads a book to a group of children on television. Despite the clearly non-sexual content, the next sketch shows politicians watching it and talking about it being "trash."

The show contains a strong, confident contrarian viewpoint that at times mocks or satirizes organized religion, global capitalism, and America. Cynicism plays a heavy role in the show and there is little respect for traditionalism. Hence, the show tends to polarize people between those who love or hate it.

[edit] Conventions

Every episode begins with an individual introducing the hosts, Bob and David. During the first and second seasons, Mary Lynn Rajskub did this, while in the last two seasons Bob and David would be introduced by a character from a sketch in that given episode. In the opening dialogue, Bob is often dressed in a suit, while David is dressed down.

Every episode's title is taken from a line of dialogue heard during the episode, with three exceptions. The title of the first episode in season one, "The Cry of a Hungry Baby", does not appear anywhere in the episode but in fact came from a skit that was eventually cut from the debut episode. The title of the eighth episode in season three, "Bush is a Pussy", comes from a t-shirt worn by one of the characters. And the title of the sixth episode in season four, "Eat Rotten Fruit from a Shitty Tree", is a lyric from a song that only appears in instrumental form.

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).

[edit] Fake Special Thanks

In addition, at the end of each episode's credits, there is a random niche celebrity in the "Special Thanks" section placed there for fans to hunt out and not for the purpose of thanking. For example, the first episode's random special niche thanks credit celebrity was Rick Dees, and the third episode's was Greg Maddux. This is referred to as a "Fake Special Thanks".

[edit] Spin-Off Movie

Mr. Show also spawned a spinoff movie, Run Ronnie Run, that went straight-to-DVD, though both Bob and David pulled out their proverbial Alan Smithees once seeing it after the editing process.

[edit] Cast

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 or Mary Lynn Rajskub) appeared quite regularly. Mr. Show's main cast for the entire run consisted of David Cross, John Ennis, Tom Kenny, Bob Odenkirk, and Jill Talley. 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, who was a featured performer throughout the series, was credited as a member of the main cast for the final episode of the show.

[edit] Main Cast

[edit] Featured Cast and Frequent Collaborators

[edit] Writing staff

[edit] Contributing writers

[edit] Episode list

Main article: List of Mr. Show episodes

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of characters from Mr. Show

[edit] Relations to other shows

  • The Ben Stiller Show (1992 - 1993) - Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Dino Stamatopoulos, and Brent Forrester all wrote for the series, and went on to write for Mr. Show. Odenkirk was also a cast member on the show, and Cross had bit roles in two episodes. Director Troy Miller directed parts of both series. Many of the stars of the show appeared in episodes of Mr. Show, including Ben Stiller (in "If You're Going to Write a Comedy Scene, You're Going to Have Some Rat Feces in There") and Janeane Garofalo ("What to Think"). Cast member Andy Dick filmed a role as Eleanor Roosevelt in the episode "If You're Going to Write a Comedy Scene, You're Going to Have Some Rat Feces in There", but it was cut for being too over-the-top.
  • NewsRadio (1995 - 1999) - Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, and Brian Posehn all guest starred in the episode "Chock". They had each appeared on the show previously, in different episodes. Andy Dick was a cast member on the show, with whom they worked on The Ben Stiller Show. Dave Foley appeared on Mr. Show in a Season 2 sitcom parody sketch called "Second Wind".
  • Just Shoot Me! (1997 - 2003) - Brian Posehn was a regular guest star on the show for more than 20 episodes, and he is probably best known for his work on this show. David Cross and Tom Kenny both had recurring roles on the show; while Bob Odenkirk, B.J. Porter and John Ennis all guest starred, at one point.
  • Tenacious D (1999) - Bob Odenkirk and David Cross both were co-creators and executive producers on the series. The show was co-created by and starred Jack Black, who appeared on four episodes of Mr. Show. David Cross also guest starred in the episode Angel in Disguise. Mr. Show writer and cast member Paul F. Tompkins has a recurring role on the show. Scott Adsit, Laura Kightlinger, Laura Milligan, Karen Kilgariff, Dave Allen, and Jay Johnston all appeared in both shows. Mr. Show writer Bill Odenkirk wrote for both shows, and director Troy Miller directed for both.
  • Next! (2002) - This unaired sketch comedy show pilot was created by Bob Odenkirk. Odenkirk, Jay Johnston, Jerry Minor, Brian Posehn, and Jill Talley were all cast members. Scott Aukerman & B.J. Porter were writers and co-executive producers.
  • Arrested Development (2003 - 2006) - David Cross went on to star as Tobias Fünke on this series. Mr. Show regulars Bob Odenkirk, Jay Johnston, John Ennis, Jerry Minor, and Becky Thyre all appeared on the show at one point.
  • Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004 - 2006) - Bob Odenkirk produced, wrote, and appeared regularly in this 15-minute program that blended animation with live action on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block. Several other Mr. Show alumni have been featured on the show, including David Cross, John Ennis, Brian Posehn, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, Jack Black, Tom Kenny, Stephanie Courtney, and many other prolific comedians.
  • The Sarah Silverman Program (2007-) - Series regular Sarah Silverman starred in this show, which also featured appearances form Mr. Show regulars Brian Posehn, Jay Johnston, Jill Talley, Scott Aukerman, Becky Thyre, and Paul F. Tompkins.

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Mr. Show
v • d • e
Hosts: David Cross | Bob Odenkirk
Characters: Ronnie Dobbs | Other characters
Seasons: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Other: Episodes | Run Ronnie Run
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