I think this is something that’ll I’ll keep watching, mainly because there’s the potential for some pretty funny situations. But it depends on who they get and how “on” they are. The preview clips for Jason Alexander look great (which is probably why they’re getting the most play).
Cranston was the funniest in the two eps last night overall. But Joel McHale did give the most intense “LOL” moment for me (paraphrased):
“I shot an antelope…and a lion…and a giraffe…and a zebra…and an Oompa Loompa.”
Just the way he inflected the words “Oompa Loompa” (plus its “out there” inclusion in a list of big game) forced me to pause the DVR until I could get myself under control. His bit went downhill pretty quick after that.
It was definitely hit-or-miss. I thought Joel McHale was great in the clips they showed of their warmup skits, and in the superhero thing, but he was weak in his own skit. It was very funny to take the costume with the big ears, and make him hard of hearing, but with vision powers.
Kevin Nealon totally wimped out on the two-girl CPR thing. It looked like he was going for the big funny, but he got shy.
Why is one of the world’s great improv performers, Dave Foley, just sitting there? They let David Alan Grier insert himself into a skit, why not Dave? And why bother asking him what he thought of each performance if he’s always going to say it was good? These people are tough, they’ve been through the Hollywood mill–Go ahead and make fun of their bad bits. It would improve the show.
As expected, a whole gamut of reactions to the show. Of course, only the numbers really mean anything.
I have to agree that I was disappointed in Kevin Nealon – but I wonder if maybe all of 'em (except Bryan Cranston) weren’t reining it in just a bit. I really think Monique finally relaxed enough in the final sketch to deliver some good lines (yeah, “That bitch!” was funny, but “Queen of Sheba” was hilarious just because she had the gall to actually deliver it, and with such panache.)
I hope it comes back often enough that it finds an audience, and people learn to let their hair down a little. Nealon was onto something with the chick-on-chick CPR, but he backed off rather than reach for a punchline.
It was a big deal in the media over here about the sale of the show, as it is the first Australian devised comedy TV series that has been sold to a major US network.
One of the things reported was that part of the deal was that the US version was not allowed to be broadcast in Australia. Probably for the reason of protecting the home grown version.
I think I’ve put my finger on why I didn’t like the show(s) last night: Compared to “Whose Line is it Anyway?” (which frequenly makes me wet myself laughing) the setups in “Thank God You’re Here” are too elaborate and too linear. There’s so much framework in the set, the costume, the supporting cast’s expected “plot” that the actor-on-the-spot is too boxed in.
The best example of this was Mo’nique’s game show. Every time she answered a question put to her, she was told it was incorrect - mainly because it would require to supporting cast to deviate from what they intended to do next.
It would help if Dave Foley had a co-judge or two to spark some dialog and/or controversy in the “judging.” It would be better yet to drop the American Idol-esque tack-on and let the performances stand uncritiqued.
The show did a great job of causing me to empathize with what it must feel like to open that door, and had a couple moments that made me laugh… I’ll give it another shot with Jason Alexander next week. But if the first two shows are an indication, I’ll likely not watch regularly.
Great article. This excerpt echoed my own views most:
Quit blocking and denying offers because some writer wants to get their hilarious joke on the air. If it’s an improv show, let them improv. The denying in the game show scene with Mo’nique was absolutely painful to watch, and I thought she was a champ for committing to it anyway.
ETA: Wow. I just realized that was Wil Wheaton as in Wil Wheaton. I’m impressed.
I heartily recommend all you nay-sayers order yourself a copy of the Oz version somehow (i know there’s a lot of clips on youtube) and see the original at its best.
Finally saw this last night, now that they’ve moved it to Wednesday (a night when I don’t currently have any shows). It was the one with George Takei (who was game but in over his head), Tom Green (who I’ve never found funny), and two women whose names I can’t recall (though one of them – the blonde, and funnier one – I know I’ve heard of). Thought it was okay but not great – there were a few things that totally made me laugh, and other bits that I was completely stony-faced for.
I actually have taken a couple of Improv classes at the Groundlings and watching this was painful. It is Improv at it’s worst, IMHO. It fails several of the rules that they taught us, such as never override what someone says, (i.e. if your imporv partner says, “My God, it’s snowing” you don’t reply, “No it isn’t, it’s volcanic ash”) and you don’t punt your role (if someone says, “Oh no, the weather looks really bad!” you don’t reply, “How bad is it?”). Basicallly, the main rule, as has been mentioned, is to let the comedy and scene grow on it’s own. You don’t try to “direct” the scene from within. So, long story short, Will Wheaton is exactly right.