Thank God You're Here

[Dina]

anyone watch it? Thoughts?
I tivo'd but haven't had a chance yet...

[Chip]

I had a split personality on this one.

As a viewer, I enjoyed it. I laughed. Nobody does a believable spaced-out beauty queen like Jennifer Coolidge. Wayne Knight was pretty funny as well, as was Brian Cranston. And it was nice seeing what kind of chops the celebrities had. I liked the little warm-up bits they did and aired throughout the show (the cop thing and the airport customs thing).

As an improviser, there was stuff that irked me, of course. Like when the celeb would get off course and the other actors would steer the conversation back to the pre-planned stuff. It wasn't "scriptless" so much as everyone but the celeb knowing the script. So, no divergence and genuine creation of scene.

Is Dave Foley really necessary? I like the guy, but do we really need a recap of the scene right after we saw it? What does that do except stall for time? I'm skeptical on David Alan Grier as the host, too.

It did look like fun to play, though. I'd probably fuck it up, though, and move the scene away from their script rather than wait for their setup lines.

-Chip

[Natalina]

I'll pretty much second Chip's assessment.

I think the show is fun, but could be really good. I don't get why the scenes have to be so scripted...or why they pimp the actors into declaring things only to deny them. The fun should be in making the actors name things and leave them at that. I was just as confused as Monique looked when the gameshow host said, "Please introduce the contestants" and then when she did he said she was wrong. I guess it was a "game" that she was always wrong, but it made the scene very awkward. Also I doubt the big surprise entrance when they're costumed so obviously. Nothing was out of place.

All in all, I guess it's good whenever improv can be a mainstream televised hit. But there's always the risk of making it look ridiculous too. I would hope they would continue to get guest stars on the show that have backgrounds in improv to add some credibility.

[Run]

Is Dave Foley really necessary? I like the guy, but do we really need a recap of the scene right after we saw it? What does that do except stall for time? I'm skeptical on David Alan Grier as the host, too.

Whoa, I wasn't aware of these two factors. I'm not watching it for these reasons alone. Give me a shout if any Chicago peeps make an appearance or something

[Natalina]

Mary Beth Monroe is one of the ensemble members.

[Chip]

To clarify, Dave Foley is the "judge". He takes notes during the scenes, he chooses when to end the scene (with a loud klaxon horn) and he picks a "winner" at the end of the show and gives them an award.

And at the end of the scene, he recaps, noting what he thought was funny. I'm sure this addition was shown in focus groups to retain 1.3% more audience, so I must be wrong that it's unnecessary.


-Chip

[ritty]

yeah, the whole "judging" thing seems pointless to me, too. i like dave foley. i'd be all for having him host and losing david alan grier who is horrrrrrrible. just forced and ridiculous and uncomfortably unfunny. anyway, back to the judging thing, if you HAVE to have judges, then do a panel or something and award a cash prize that is donated to the "winner's" charity of choice.

also, if you ever needed a lesson in why simple, abject denial just kills the flow of improv, the Mo'nique gameshow scene is your fucking textbook. i'm not a Mo'nique fan (ironic, huh?), but I have to give her props for hanging in there on that one while the show just screwed her over at every turn.

[Scol]

To be fair, it's not really an improv. show. I don't recall them ever using the word 'improvise.' It seems to be a game-show hybrid, an extended pimping exercise.

I missed the first half, with Jennifer Coolidge, who is usually very funny. And I like Bryan Cranston. So maybe that one was all right. But the one I saw ranged from blah to excrutiating. David Alan Grier nauseated me with his smarmy mugging. I was grateful for Dave Foley's presence, since it meant less Grier.

Yeah, in full agreement about the Mo'nique section. The constant denial was the game of the scene, but what a load of crap pattern it was. And I didn't buy Richard Kind claiming to be nervous in his little post-scene interview. Yeah, I suppose even a veteran improviser like him could get the jitters if he's been away from it for a while, but I thought it was a phony attempt to help sell the premise of the show.

Again, it's not really an improv show, and they don't even seem to claim that. But they're still dumbing it down. It'll be interesting to see if it sticks around as long as Whose Line Is It Anyway.

[Dina]

so I was just talking to a dear friend and colleague about the show-- she saw a little last night. And based on her comments and everything I'm reading here, I'm going to put this out there: Watch this show be on forever. My friend said "We're in the age of anti-comedy right now." And I believe her. Shows like ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT are pulled off; meanwhile, hackfests like RULES OF ENGAGEMENT are making a ratings killing. I feel like if SEINFELD or CHEERS premiered now, they'd be cancelled after four episodes. It's breaking my heart wide open.
Are we as improvisers-- those who seek comedy that has integrity, subtlety, and originality-- in the minority in terms of comedic taste? It's scaring the hell out of me.

[rachelblewis]

Yes, I saw bits and pieces of this show last night. Big congrats to Chicago people! I love to see Chicago people gaining success so in that sense, I am very happy about this show. All the Chicago peeps did awesome!

However, I agree with the comments above. YOu have an amazing cast of people, but then you don't let them do what they do best...IMPROVISE! It was very annoying to see them denying or going back to the "script" which I know is the whole gig, but I bet they could have done an amazing show if they were just free to do so.

Dina--I am with you. It is very sad what is going on with comedy. I see so many people who are so talented who could be making amazing shows but then do not have the opportunity to do so. Is this what "mainstream America" wants? Or is this what the networks believe "mainstream America" wants? Either way, it is sad.

I am excited to see the new movie "TV Set," I think it is called with David Duchovny and Sigourney Weaver. It is all about this subject.

[DeWalt]

so I was just talking to a dear friend and colleague about the show-- she saw a little last night. And based on her comments and everything I'm reading here, I'm going to put this out there: Watch this show be on forever. My friend said "We're in the age of anti-comedy right now." And I believe her. Shows like ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT are pulled off; meanwhile, hackfests like RULES OF ENGAGEMENT are making a ratings killing. I feel like if SEINFELD or CHEERS premiered now, they'd be cancelled after four episodes. It's breaking my heart wide open.
Are we as improvisers-- those who seek comedy that has integrity, subtlety, and originality-- in the minority in terms of comedic taste? It's scaring the hell out of me.

Bingo. Yes. Cheers is my favorite show, EVER - I own all the DVDs, and I could stump you all in trivia. While all the cool kids (who now go to community college in the suburbs and have no passion or hunger) were drinking and doing drugs in the forest I was at home watching Cheers and Three's Company on TV Land and Nick @ Nite - Bring it.

I agree that the show would get cancelled after a month or so, because it is based on human relationships and how characters interact in a familiar enviornment, instead of being based off premise or on a super power or one wierd/retarted comic character and a bunch of straight men. TV is dying in general, not just in comedy. More and more people look to the web for original content that is better and also more relevant and cunning. The next few years will be very interesting in that reguard to see what happens.

I have not seen the show in question but Maribeth is killing in all the commercials, I am super happy for her and will set my TiVo for it next week.

[Monahan]

Are we as improvisers-- those who seek comedy that has integrity, subtlety, and originality-- in the minority in terms of comedic taste? It's scaring the hell out of me.

I think a big part of it is that the TV industry is in flux right now, as they struggle to create desirable content at lower production costs. It's the burden of the success of Reality TV and most producers look to improv as a means of defraying some of that cost (i.e. much smaller writing rooms, cheap sets, more affordable talent, etc.). And that's good for improvisors, but not the best for improv.

However, keep in mind that 15 years ago, improv was a dirty word in TV circles. It's a constant uphill battle, but eventually we will hopefully see improv friendly producers not having to acquiesce to the big wig who thinks patient and subtle won't play.

And I don't think the anti-comedy trend is more alive now than it was when it was represented by low-brow shows during the lifespans of Cheers or Seinfeld. I just think it takes MUCH more trust on the part of a network that they'll see a return on carefully crafted shows, because for every Seinfeld that gets a chance despite initial poor ratings, there's a handful of SportsNights that get yanked. The cost of those shows just represents more of an obvious risk now because of the landscape.

[Scol]

Crap reigns supreme, but I don't think we're any worse off (culturally, tee vee-y) than any other point in recent years. We tend to see the past through rose-colored glasses, but that's largely due to the handful of classics that have survived the test of time.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (more of an improv show than Thank God You're Here), The Office, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and 30 Rock are successful, each in their own ways. Former Chicago improvisers are working in all of those shows. I don't have cable, so I'm probably missing a few other gems. From what little I've seen, I sorta like Aqua Teen Hunger Squad (or is it Force?). Cartoons count, even if they are rarely improvised.

And if you wanna spread out beyond comedy, some great television shows are still running: Deadwood, The Sopranoes, Veronica Mars, The Wire, The Shield...and the ones I'm missing due to my lack of cable.

It's mostly shit. It always is. One of the current monkeys on our quality- backs is that whole fucking reality t.v. bullshit. That's part of the cycle of excretment. In ten years it'll be a whole new load of dung for all the M.B.A's with zero artistic or entertainment backgrounds who run the industry to peddle to a public they underestimate and disrespect.

But good stuff gets through too. The situation is desperate but not hopless.

By the way, if enough of you donated only a few dollars a month, I could get cable.

[Dina]

I guess the best path right now is to have hope and keep working and wanting.
And I hope that the Chicago talent on that show finds a way to show off what they do best-- as mentioned earlier. I want to see more and more improvisers succeed; then, maybe, we'll find ourselves escaping this depressing cycle of unoriginal and uninspired content.

[Monahan]

Amen, sister.

[Stacey]

Yikes.

Just watching this show now.

With Tom Green, Mr. Sulu, and a bunch of women I don't know.

So great to see MB Monroe on NBC so soon after her move to LA. She will keep being successful no matter how this show goes. She's talented, multi-talented even, super nice, gorgeous, and tiny. There will be no stopping her and I am so happy for her success.

As for this show...

Yikes.

[LoLo]

Yeah, I agree w/ Stacey's post...
Tom Green was horrifying... one of those ladies is Chelsea Handler, has a show on Oxygen and, I believe, E!. She is not funny and super annoying.
I think the show is way too structured and planned and forced. Shannon Elizabeth thinks comedy=kissing everyone on stage.
Very cool to see SC people on there-- my friend tells me the other woman in the cast is from here, too. That is awesome. But the celebrities are awful and the set-up of this show is just frustrating.

[zartan]

It should be daytime television, not prime time.

Nyima Funk is much better in this than the MTV thing, but it's like watching world class chess players competing with children in a game of Operation. Everyone's entitled to lead their own path in life, but I would think that being on Second City's mainstage would inspire you to greatness. Not this.

[pinoy3D]

I thought Jane Lynch was really good on Monday. I like the idea of celebrities trying their hand at improv. It shows the difficulties of improv. But, as somebody here has sad already, "Thank God Your Here" however isn't improv. Its frustrating to watch knowing that there is a certain direction that each scene has to go. The celebrities don't really have a chance to improvise.

The warm up scenes that they have are better than the "real" show. If that was the show, then it would be better,

[ladym]

Yeah but I think it's getting better when they have "experienced" improvisers on the show instead of just guests... cuase then they can derail the script and that's when I like it more...
like when the bride was just making thes absurd statements and her groom had to YES it cause there was no other choice.
it would be so much better if they actually just let their guests improvise...

and really run for 5 minutes.

not a good show...
but again, I'm happy for any time the word "improv" is mentioned on major networks... it's slowly seeping into the subconcious of human beings everywhere... within the major 50 states... who have televisions... and watch this show.

[Biddle]

I really didn't like it. I TIVO'd the first two episodes and I sat through both the Monique segment and the Kevin Nealon segment. And I was really bothered by how little the regular actors were allowed to actually interract. Instead, they constantly pimped the celebs into making guesses and then denied everything that they chose to do. And the celebs weren't discomforted enough to enjoy a whole "Pranks on you" angle either!

I tried to play the whole, "Well, if I was ON the show, what would I do?" game. And since nothing I said or did as a guest would matter to the other automatons in the scene that I was in, I think I'd focus all of my time and energy on releasing my inner psychotic and destroy every prop on that set. If I could bring down some of the set, too, I would. Since I can't create anything, I think I'd like to try destroying everything.

I cancelled my schedule for the program and haven't thought about it since then.

They should've called that show "Want to see what happens when a celebrity ends up at an Incubator audition?"

[EdO]

I really didn't like it. I TIVO'd the first two episodes and I sat through both the Monique segment and the Kevin Nealon segment. And I was really bothered by how little the regular actors were allowed to actually interract. Instead, they constantly pimped the celebs into making guesses and then denied everything that they chose to do. And the celebs weren't discomforted enough to enjoy a whole "Pranks on you" angle either!

I tried to play the whole, "Well, if I was ON the show, what would I do?" game. And since nothing I said or did as a guest would matter to the other automatons in the scene that I was in, I think I'd focus all of my time and energy on releasing my inner psychotic and destroy every prop on that set. If I could bring down some of the set, too, I would. Since I can't create anything, I think I'd like to try destroying everything.

I cancelled my schedule for the program and haven't thought about it since then.

They should've called that show "Want to see what happens when a celebrity ends up at an Incubator audition?"

http://www.harvardpilgrim.mimrx.com/harvard/SiteImages/PrdImages/200x200/01910000039.JPG

Kidding.



COME ON!!!! I'm joking!!!



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/yesanded/z_news_19_EMP_headbanger_170_Pixel.jpg

YEEEEEAAHHHH!!!!!!!

[Stacey]

Biddle! Bob told me that you said that when I told him that that's exactly what Tom Green did. He just smashed everything.

I don't know what else he could have done.

Unfortunately, still boring.

[Biddle]

Really?

Tom Green and I had the same idea?

Jesus.

I need to go think about that. That's really taken the wind out of my sails.

Damn.

COB

[EdO]

A Tom Green smashing and a Biddle smashing are in completely different families of smashing.

[Biddle]

It's sweet of you to say that, Ed. Really, it is.

But, I think the only difference is that I would be out of breath before he would. Shoving over tv cameras can wear a guy out. I would need more breaks than he did.

COB

[sammy]

Slate article. (http://www.slate.com/id/2164647/pagenum/all/#page_start)

[Telfer]

Slate article. (http://www.slate.com/id/2164647/pagenum/all/#page_start)

Nice. I'm not sure who Dan Kois is, but he's been on the IRC boards for years. Nice that he got a Slate gig and can write an article like that about improv that people will actually read.

[Del Close's Skull]

This show is absolutely goddawful. It makes Whose Line is it Anyway look like an Altman film.