Having enjoyed their performance as skit players for Conan's Late Night show back in the day I finally decided to track down and watch some of Upright Citizens Brigade comedy. After watching the first season, I can certainly understand why they the two groups gelled so well as much of their humor is quite absurd and surreal like the earlier sketches of Late Night.
The season had been a little uneven with some great sketches and some so-so sketches. That's the benefit of the sketch format, if a premise doesn't work, you are on to the next skit in a few minutes, and maybe that will be a winner. But what happens when your season finale is all one long skit telling the same unfunny joke over and over 100+ times? ****.
Perhaps they thought they could rely on the phenomenon where telling the same joke is funny at first, then becomes tiring, then becomes more tiring, until it eventually loops back around and becomes even funnier. The problem is, the original joke is not really that funny or clever so the episode just becomes repetitive and dull.
It's seems like a very poor choice to swing very hard at such a wild pitch for a season finale. If I had been watching the show back in 1998 I very much doubt I would have turned back in for S2 which aired eight months later.
The season had been a little uneven with some great sketches and some so-so sketches. That's the benefit of the sketch format, if a premise doesn't work, you are on to the next skit in a few minutes, and maybe that will be a winner. But what happens when your season finale is all one long skit telling the same unfunny joke over and over 100+ times? ****.
Perhaps they thought they could rely on the phenomenon where telling the same joke is funny at first, then becomes tiring, then becomes more tiring, until it eventually loops back around and becomes even funnier. The problem is, the original joke is not really that funny or clever so the episode just becomes repetitive and dull.
It's seems like a very poor choice to swing very hard at such a wild pitch for a season finale. If I had been watching the show back in 1998 I very much doubt I would have turned back in for S2 which aired eight months later.