The State-related stories
Posted Jul 21st 2009 3:00PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, Video, Reality-Free
The Kevin Bacon Game used to be the ultimate litmus test to gauge your level of connectedness in Hollywood. You just tried to link up your name to King Bacon and if you were three links or more, you couldn't even get a Melrose Avenue street bum to spit on you for a quarter.
That game has officially been replaced by something much narrower and definitely much cooler. It also puts me a link away to the Hollywood machine, which bumps me up to not having to pay that bum to spit on me.
I recently got an advance copy of
MTV's long awaited DVD box set of all four seasons of The State and found this personal connection in a sketch from the third season called "Fan Names."
Continue reading TV Squad's connection to MTV's The State
Posted Jul 15th 2009 8:35PM by Nick Zaino
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Reality-Free
When
Michael and Michael Have Issues premieres tonight at 10:30 PM on Comedy Central, it'll be a return to sketch comedy of sorts for Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter. The pair started out with
The State on MTV, as
this week's boxed set release reminded us. Their most recent TV project,
Stella, the show, with former
State member David Wain, wasn't really sketch as much as it was an exercise in absurdist slapstick.
Comedy Central has been showing episodes from the single season the show lasted in the run up to
Michael and Michael Have Issues, and it has been a pleasant reminder of Stella's brief experiment with a half-hour TV comedy. It's hard to imagine keeping that premise going - Wain, Black, and Showalter free associating with different guest stars season after season. But it's been fun to watch it again.
Continue reading Hoping for a healthy dose of sketch comedy from Michael and Michael Have Issues
Posted Jul 14th 2009 3:05PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, Reality-Free
TV bloggers get a lot of free DVDs to review. They range from the dull and drab to titles that some people would run over someone on the way to the movie store to get.
It's very rare, however, for anyone to get their grubby little hands on a title powerful enough to reverse the polarity of the universe and restore order to chaos. I managed to score that very thing a week before anyone could and I didn't have to sell my soul, my first-born child or any of my bodily objects to get it.
Continue reading The new State DVD: You'll wanna dip your balls in it!
Posted Jul 13th 2009 6:03PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: TV on DVD, Reality-Free
Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.Now
this is a DVD release week. Lots of stuff for every type of TV fan. I'm definitely getting
Mad Men (and I'm going to watch all of the episodes again immediately to get ready for next month's launch of season 3), and I'm tempted to get the season 8 set of
Bewitched, though I'll probably wait for the inevitable complete series set. I've never seen
The Guns of Will Sonnett, but friends tell me it was good. Hopefully that's on Hulu or AOL Video or Retro TV so I don't have to actually buy it yet.
- American Gladiators - Season 1
- Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations - Collection 4
- Bewitched - Season 8
- Bleach - Uncut Box Set Vol. 3: The Rescue
- ER - Season 11
Continue reading New TV on DVD releases this week
Posted Apr 20th 2009 6:07PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, Music and Variety, Interviews, Reality-Free
Get ready to utter the biggest "At last!" since NBC put the
Knight Rider remake out of its long and winding misery.
TV Shows on DVD reported
MTV's official announcement earlier this morning that the entire sketch comedy series will hit store shelves on July 14th. That was followed by a trailer release of the DVD on
The State's official site. It's going to have full commentary from the cast, four interview features on the troupe's origins and the show's many catchphrases, some unaired sketches and outtakes. It sounds like this five disc set will be chocked full of
Stately goodness. You'll want to do a lot more than just dip your balls in it. Please keep those things to yourself.
Founding
State member, writer and
Role Models director
David Wain was nice enough to give us his first interview (via IM, no less). He talked about the work that went in to getting things to this stage, why the announcement first appeared on cast member
Joe Lo Truglio's site and what he and the rest of his crew hope to accomplish with their DVD.
Continue reading David Wain tells us: The State DVD is on!
Posted Apr 20th 2009 10:05AM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, Reality-Free
There seems to be some mixed messages on the status of
The State DVD. Those of you who are sitting on the edge of your computer chair, chewing your fingernails down to the marrow know this isn't really new news.
This time, however, there seems to be disagreement within the ranks of the comedy troupe.
We reported earlier this month about
State member and recent
Reno 911! addition
Joe Lo Truglio announcing a release date for the long beleaguered DVD of the complete series. The following week,
the group's official site, run by writer, director and cast member
David Wain according to their
FAQ, denied that any date for the DVD's release has been set.
Continue reading Another colossal exclusive! The State restates the state of The State DVD
Posted Apr 5th 2009 10:01AM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, Cable/Satellite, Reality-Free
Nothing has frustrated TV fans more than the never-ending release of
The State DVD from MTV. It has become the
Duke Nukem Forever of the television universe.
One minute,
it's on and the next minute,
it's off. Then
it's back on again, then the whole thing
gets called off. Then
it rises from the ashes like a flaming phoenix into the never-ending sky only
to get doused with a fire extinguisher by an MTV Home Entertainment executive.
Now it appears that ill-fated collection of magic discs is coming soon to a DVD store near you until MTV decides it's time to destroy your dreams and tell your children there is no Santa Claus again.
Continue reading Super-mega-uber-exclusive! The State DVD set for release this summer! Maybe...
Posted Feb 5th 2009 5:02PM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, Reality-Free
If you grew up watching MTV in the '90s, then you probably remember
The State. If you don't – and you're an American between the age of 30 and 35 – do a YouTube search for "I wanna dip my balls in it" and let the memories flood right on back.
I credit the irreverent MTV sketch comedy show with keeping me from slipping into a full-blown depression during my teenage years, aka the angsty, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains-drenched years.
The State ran from 1993 to 1995 and helped launch the careers of some of my favorite comic actors, writers and filmmakers, including David Wain (
Wet Hot American Summer,
Role Models), Thomas Lennon (
Reno 911,
Balls of Fury) and Michael Ian Black (
Stella,
Ed). All 11 members of the comedy troupe reunited recently to perform new material at SF Sketchfest in January. The
A.V. Club talked to State alums Wain, Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver this week about the reunion and about their future plans. Among the things that came up in the interview was the status of that promised complete-series DVD.
Continue reading Hey MTV, I want The State on DVD already
Posted Dec 3rd 2008 10:34AM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Music and Variety, Short-Lived Shows, Cancellations, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free
Mad TV came along at a time in American television history when America had an excuse to get out of the house and live healthy and productive lives on Saturday night.
But eventually, the show evolved into a 60-minute scream fest of recurring characters spouting catchphrases over and over and celebrity satire that taught lessons about the proliferation of pop culture and ignorance. Important lessons, such as "Boy is Anna Nicole Smith dumb and fat!" and "Hey, is that Paris Hilton a whore or what?" Every episode felt like a hand was reaching out of the TV and rubbing a cheese grater across my face. Now 14 years after its inception, Fox has finally decided to
pull the plug on Mad TV and let it die a slow horrible death instead of taking it out
Old Yeller-style, the way God intended.
Continue reading Seven sketch comedies that deserved more chances than Mad TV got - VIDEOS
Posted Aug 14th 2008 12:15PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Programming, Pickups and Renewals, Casting, Reality-Free
Comedy Central is giving some alumni of
Stella and
The State another crack at a show. Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter
will be the co-stars of the half-hour pilot Michael and Michael Have issues.
The premise is a show-within-a-show, with segments from the stars addressing issues that the Michaels have with "themselves, each other and the world at large."
I missed
The State, but I did catch episodes of
Stella (also starring David Wain), which was another attempt by the same comedians to create a show that blurred the line between reality and fantasy (such as having character with their actual names. You know, the old Jerry Seinfeld trick).
I liked
Stella, but didn't think it would last more than a season (and it didn't) because the humor is very abstract and cerebral (sort of the anti-
According To Jim). My gut instinct is the same for this show even though I want it to succeed. Is it better to have a good show that lasts one season or a mediocre-at-best show that lasts eight? I vote for the former.
Posted Jul 2nd 2008 6:28PM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Other Reality Shows, Programming, OpEd, Celebrities, Casting
Comedy Central is presenting it's first unscripted series this summer called
Reality Bites Back. Ten comedians will compete by making parodies of the most infamous reality shows. Whoever makes it to the end will win $50,000 in cash and the title "Lord of All Reality." And guess who's hosting? Michael. Ian. Black. The former
State cast member will get to explain the absurd challenges and kick someone off the show each week.
Comedian contestants include Kyle Cease, Chris Fairbanks, Jeff Garcia, Red Grant, Tiffany Haddish, Bert Kreischer, Mo Mandel, Donnell Rawlings, Amy Schumer, and Theo Von. The series will satirize shows like
American Idol,
Survivor,
The Amazing Race,
The Biggest Loser,
American Gladiators,
Dancing with the Stars, and
So You Think You Can Dance.
Continue reading Comedy Central gets real
Posted May 22nd 2008 7:58PM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Video, Interviews, Celebrities, Reality-Free
"Don't get high on your own supply." --Thomas Lennon on how he doesn't have basic cable.
Thomas Lennon, the star and co-creator of Comedy Central's
Reno 911!, got to together with
Mahalo's Lon Harris to talk about basic cable, the how it's not gay to love Sting in
Dune, Christopher Walken's answering machine, and
Falcon Crest. He also dishes about the finale of
Reno 911! (currently in its fifth season), the
Upright Citizens Brigade, and
Balls of Fury. Oh, and he might mention something about
The State reunion.
Fans of Thomas Lennon and all things
Reno 911! will enjoy this interview. Lennon is genius! The video is after the jump.
Continue reading Thomas Lennon talks about the fifth season of Reno 911! - VIDEO
Posted May 24th 2007 12:01PM by Adam Finley
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Music and Variety, Celebrities
Thomas Lennon, currently of the Comedy Central series Reno 911! and formerly of MTV's cult sketch series The State, was on the podcast Guys with Feelings recently to discuss all things Thomas Lennon. The podcast is a lot of fun, but to just hear the Tom Lennon portion, skip ahead to about 1 hour and 19 minutes.
Lennon talked about the upcoming ping-pong movie he wrote with Ben Garrant called Balls of Fury (trailer below), and about the fifth season of Reno 911! that just wrapped taping (also, he wishes his character, Jim Dangle, didn't have to wear those tiny shorts).
Continue reading Will The State reunite? Quite possibly - VIDEO
Posted Jan 23rd 2007 12:30PM by Julia Ward
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Web, Celebrities, Comedy Central
Former
Stella and
State alum Michael Showalter and David Wain have been making entertainment news these past couple of weeks. Showalter debuted his online series
The Michael Showalter Showalter on College Humor with
Comedian of Comedy Zach Galifianakis as his guest. (If you live in LA, you can catch Zach
free tonight at the Upright Citizen's Brigade theater with VH1 talking head Doug Benson.)
David Wain debuted his latest directorial outing
The Ten at Sundance. The feature, which sounds like Kieslowski's
Decalogue gone zany, puts together ten shorts - each musing on one of the ten commandments. The screening has been getting
positive reviews. Those of us without Park City press passes will hopefully be enjoying that film later this year. Keep your eye on
The Ten's website for more info.
Posted Jan 4th 2007 8:35AM by Adam Finley
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Web, Celebrities, MTV
Kittenpants over at CC Insider found a video on YouTube of one of my favorite sketches from MTV's The State, a gritty drama edited for television that kind of loses something without all the cursing. There's just nothing especially menacing about the word "poop," no matter how much anger and passion you put into it.
Continue reading The State vs. Mr. Show - VIDEO
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