Brent L

I recently bought the Kids In the Hall Season One and the Comeplete Monty Python's Flying Cirucs DVD sets, and I figured I'd start a thread up on the topic of sketch comedy.

How would you rank the various different shows like SNL (I suppse you could break that one down by cast), MadTV, Kids In the Hall, SCTV, In Living Color, and Monty Python? There are plenty of other sketch comedy shows as well, and I'm sure we have plenty of fans of them all.

I personally hate MadTV. I don't know what it is about that show, but I've never enjoyed it at all. Sure, I might catch a bit here and there that makes me smile or whatever, but I can't stand the show as a whole. I hate the characters, the writing, and just the overall style of the show. As far as SNL goes, I haven't really cared for it either for the past couple of years. I've liked a few entire shows here and there, but overall it's really been lacking.

My favorite sketch ever just might be the Census sketch on SNL with Christopher Walken and Tim Medows. It may not be my #1 favorite, but it's very close.

Eh, just trying to get something started on this topic since I love it so much.

Bandoman

One that sticks out in my mind is Tim Meadows and Terri Hatcher on SNL doing a sitcom sketch "The Princess and the Homeboy" about an inner city rapper who goes to live with white suburbanites. Tim just kept throwing out the expletives, which would get bleeped. I literally fell off my chair laughing. (I think that bleeped swearing can be much funnier than actually hearing the swears.)

das Monkey

"The Princess and the Homeboy ... coming this Monday on NB ****in' C."

das

taa455

In Living Color: David Allen Grier doing the masterpiece theater bit where he quoted rap lyrics.

"It's like this and like that and like this and UHHH."

Brain Stew

The SNL sketch with Charlie Sheen and Will Ferrell where Charlie delivers, "What we in the medical community like to call a dude."

"That's Catman."
"Rrrr..Catman."
"Well, boys let's hit Vegas!"
"Wait, you're going to Vegas to gamble?"
"Well yeah, I'm a baby. I don't know any better."
"Take it sleazy. I'm Audi 5000."



I also really enjoy the Mr. Show sketch where the teacher is choosing a place to take the Apathy Club on a field trip. A kid sarcastically suggests the teacher's mother's ass. They veto all the other ideas, and so go inside his mother's ass on a field trip .

djbrown

"He slept on his arms last night" bit on The Vacant Lot.

Rypro 525

the now famous "word association" skit with Richard Pryor and Chevy chase

Arcade

If you guys like sketch comedy then there is nothing funnier than National Lampoons "Class of 86". This is true sketch comedy at its best. I defy any of you to sit through the "Tasty Fresh" skit with a straight face.
It is very hard to find but if your local video rental place has a copy pick it up today. I purchased a copy years ago and will never part with it.

djbrown

I can't find it anywhere. Perhaps you'll sell your copy?

Charlie Goose

I guess my favorite sketch show is SNL. It's had ups and downs and way downs throughout its run, but it's been on for almost 30 years.

Some great skits, just off the top of my head:
John Travolta in a "Welcome Back, Kotter" spoof as directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The classic Shatner sketch where he berates Trekkies.
The aforementioned Pryor-Chase word association.
Mr. Bill.
Of course, Celebrity Jeopardy.
Jesse Jackson doing his monologue, and when he left the stage to walk into the control room, everyone ran out of the room and were replaced with black people.
Eddie Murphy as a home attendant for elderly, abusing them into submission. "Where's my jelly donut?" "Tell me, old man, how are you going to eat a jelly donut...with no damn teeth in your mouth?!?"
New show "Kate & Ali" with Billy Crystal as Muhammad Ali and a female cast member as Kate Hepburn.

Fridays was a decent show, if a little heavy on the drug humor. It was here that Andy Kaufman did his gag about breaking character in the middle of a sketch. Michael Richards claims today that he was in on the joke, but that's b.s.

Hate Kids in the Hall
Hate Monty Python
Hate MadTV

Roto

The Will Sasso era of MadTV was great. It's gone downhill since he and Alex Borstein left. I think I liked those years of MadTV better than any SNL cast. One of my favorites was when Lance Bass was interviewed by Lance Bass. I wish I could find a picture of Will doing his Lance Bass impression!

I guess Steven Seagal will have to do.

In Living Color was definitely one of the best before Marlon and SW-1 started performing. I wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it goes...

Roto

Check out Jimmy Kimmel's show on Fridays. They do an unecessary censorship bit where they show all these clips from the news and other shows, bleeping words making it sounded like they were swearing when they didn't. It kills me everytime

tonyc3742

That Pryor/Chase skit was hilarious, in a Blazing-Saddles, They'll never do it again-type way.
I liked Mad TV with Will Sasso, Alex Bortstein, Pat Kilbane, Phil lamarr. Hate Michael McDonald, and Debra Wilson, Aries Spears is off and on, and I'm growing more attached to Mo Collins [I like *her*, I don't like many of her characters*].
I haven't enjoyed SNL in about the last 12 years, except from some of satirical ads/commercials, I always like those.

Monty Python's Flying Circus, of course, although watching the entire series makes me realize that for every sketch that is quoted thirty years later, there are a couple that are forgettable, though sometimes they do elicit a chuckle.

Just finished watching S1 of Upright Citizens' Brigade, which I enjoyed a lot, except, ironically, for the Little Donny episode, which apparently is a cult favorite. I'm not very PC, but that one seemed both too cruel, and too juvenile compared to the rest of the season.

das Monkey

How can you hate Michael McDonald and Debra Wilson? That's crazy talk.

Sasso's best bit is "Kenny Rogers' Jackass."

das

RMSpuhler

"Citizen Kane! It's Citizen Kane!"

Roto

*Slaps forehead* How soon I forget! I better start watching the reruns on comedy central again. Though I never did understand where his impression of Kenny came from.

I agree, Michael McDonald and Debra Wilson are great. MadTV does a better job of finding funny women than any other show I can remember. They've had several.

seymouru

"I gotta have more cowbell!!"

pezboy

Still love the "Eradicator" sketch from KITH. Also any Hecubus and Sir Simon Milligan sketch.

Brent L

Martin Short was Hepburn in those sketches.

das Monkey

I don't either, but it had me rolling on the floor every time he'd do it.

das

MrX

Debra Wilson is hit or miss with me, but McDonald is one of my favorites.

I don't think I've ever laughed as hard as I did the first time I saw "Kenny Rogers' Jackass" That still kills me

Brent L

Ah yes, Will Sasso. He was almost always a part of what I actually did laugh at on MadTV. I always thought he was above that show, as he was without a doubt the best guy on there.

Charlie Goose

D'oh! You're right. Short always did a great Hepburn.

Arcade

Well since that will never happen I found a few for sale on Ebay for some of you. You won't be sorry. My friends and I have worn this tape to death and it is just as funny on its 50th viewing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW