"Mr. Show with Bob and David" (1995)TV series 1995-1998

Writer:

Brent Forrester (writer) (1996-1998)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

3 November 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The first late-night comedy show with an attention span shorter than yours.

Plot:

This is a sketch-comedy show. The twist here is that all of the sketches (Even the monolouge) are connected in some strange way.

Plot Keywords:

Shrinking | Miniaturization | Sketch Comedy | Actor Playing Multiple Roles | Breaking The Fourth Wall

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

David Cross	...	Various / ... (30 episodes, 1995-1998)
Bob Odenkirk	...	Various / ... (30 episodes, 1995-1998)
John Ennis	...	Various (30 episodes, 1995-1998)
Jay Johnston	...	Various (28 episodes, 1995-1998)
Jill Talley	...	Various (27 episodes, 1995-1998)
Paul F. Tompkins	...	Various (27 episodes, 1995-1998)
Brett Paesel	...	Various (22 episodes, 1996-1998)
Tom Kenny	...	Various (21 episodes, 1995-1998)
Brian Posehn	...	Various (20 episodes, 1995-1998)
Bill Odenkirk	...	Various (19 episodes, 1995-1998)
Dino Stamatopoulos	...	Various / ... (19 episodes, 1996-1998)
Karen Kilgariff	...	Various (15 episodes, 1997-1998)
BJ Porter	...	Various / ... (14 episodes, 1996-1998)
Theresa Mulligan	...	Various / ... (13 episodes, 1995-1997)

Also Known As:

Mr. Show (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

USA:27 min (30 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Brillstein-Grey Entertainment

Goofs:

Factual errors: Towards the end of one episode in the fourth season, the show offers the math problem "If he drives 15 MPH for fifteen minutes, how far has he travelled? Answer at the end of the show." When the end credits roll, they say that the answer is 3.5 The correct answer is 3.75

Quotes:

Jill Talley: Sad songs are nature's onions.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Mr. Show with Bob and David: Fantastic Newness (1996) (TV)

Comedy has never been so funny

The comparison to Monty Python is inevitable (both Bob Odenkirk and David Cross have acknowledged their debt to their predecessor in interviews), but make no mistake: "Mr. Show with Bob & David" is refreshingly original and brilliantly funny. There have been so many hilarious moments on the show that it would be impossible for me to name a particular favorite. The sketches are so finely crafted that even when the jokes fall flat (which is extremely rare), they're still quite engrossing ("Coupon: The Movie" is an example). I've been watching the show faithfully since its second season and each new episode only leaves me wanting more. The show's strong ensemble cast featuring John Ennis, Jill Talley, Tom Kenny and especially Jay Johnston are part of what makes the show work so well.

Being on HBO, they're pretty much able to do what they please, but while there is plenty of profanity (not an issue for me at all), they are in no way reliant upon cussing for laughs. In fact, one of the more memorable sketches involved a take-off of "Goodfellas" being edited for television in which the cuss words were replaced with such phrases as "mother-father" and "Chinese dentist".

HBO deserves to be praised for recognizing the talent of Bob & David and keeping the show on the air in spite of its small - albeit fiercely loyal - number of viewers.

The next time HBO airs a "Mr. Show" marathon, don't just watch it, tape it!