Yawp Mag ISSUE 16: SKETCH COMEDY | Page 22

FAMOUS SKETCH SHOWS - ROSS PURDY Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995-1998) Performers: David Cross, John Ennis, Jay Johnston, Tom Kenny, Bob Odenkirk and Jill Talley Comedians Bob Odenkirk and David Cross starred together in this dark, absurdist sketch series, which featured a pedigree of performers and writers that have gone on to become mainstays in the comedy scene. Growing initially from live performances done at small alt-comedy clubs, the show had a small cult following during its initial run but has been since cited as an influence on new generations of comedians and was critically acclaimed for its smart satire and its combination of the cerebral and the profane, as well as its stream-of-consciousness structure that saw sketches link together seamlessly. The State (1993-1995) Performers: Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Ben Garant, Todd Holoubek, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter & David Wain "The State” was a comedy troupe consisting of eleven twenty-something comedians who came together in university and performed live shows for a few years before they were recruited to make material for an MTV show called “You Wrote It, You Watch It”. This lead to them getting their own show on the network. The show was characterised by absurd and surreal humour punctuated by high-energy performances by its young cast. A television special for CBS was made to test the waters for the show to come to the network but ]?Z[Y[?H?][???[?H???Y????[?YK?H??B??\?]?H??[?YY???[???]Y[X?\????[?????8?&?[??LLHx?'H[??[?Y\?Z?H8?'?]?[Y\?X?[??[[Y\??'K????Y?[?H[ NN LNNM B?\???Y\??]?H??^K?]?[?X??[ ??X?HX??[?? ?X\??X??[??^H[?????\????'H?Y?[?H[8?'H?\?H??YYH??\H???H]?H?????]Y?H][?[??8?'?]\?^H?Y?]?x?'H??X?\???B?ZX?Y[???[Y?]?[?H??????[K?\?]HB?????X?[?^H?^YY]?^H???H? X?[\?H\??Y\?[???[X??]H[\\???][??[?[??XY???H[?H]?\?]YB?\??X??]?[H[?X??\???]?\?H??\XYHB??X]\?H?[H?[Y8?'??Z[??[?x?'H]\??[??H?X??YHH?[??\??X?[?]?H?[??H?][?]Y??HZ[?\?\?Y\??[Y8?'X]???Y\?????'K???X?HX??[??[?X\??X??[??^H?\?B??]\???8?'?]\?^H?Y?]?x?'H?Y??HH???[?X??[??^B??[????HH\???Y\??? ???