Television Pick: Comedy Bang! Bang! (2012 – ?)
Hello there readers, let me ask you a question. Are you a fan of talk shows, but wish they were a little more absurd? Well, have I got the show for you! Based off the podcast of the same name, Comedy Bang! Bang! is a gleefully insane and very funny spin on a classic formula.
Hosted by Scott Aukerman, and featuring the musical styling of Reggie Watts, Comedy Bang! Bang! seems like your typical late night talk show at first. There’s banter between the host and bandleader, and your usual assortment of famous celebrity guests are paraded out each episode – then the normalcy fades, and insanity takes over.
For starters, the show is consistently funny, which is more than I can say about the talk shows I actually enjoy. The interactions between Aukerman and Watts would make a good enough show on their own, as the two have wonderful comedic rhythm between them. This is not too surprising, though, as Aukerman honed his skills on both the cult comedy series Mr. Show With Bob And David and his podcast – while Watts is both musically talented and uniquely funny.
The various celebrity guests Comedy Bang! Bang! brings on are unfortunately more of a mixed bag. Noted funny people such as Zach Galifianakis and Aziz Ansari are, of course, hilarious in their appearances, but equally talented guests such as Andy Richter and Elizabeth Banks were either underutilized or their rapport with our two hosts never really clicked.
Luckily, every episode is usually saved by the appearance of a second or third guest that is typically odd, but always humorous. Usually portrayed by talented performers such as Nick Kroll or Andy Daly, these guests are the type of oddballs you would expect to normally see on one of the many demented shows on Adult Swim. Whether it be craft services coordinator Fabrice Fabrice, who thinks that all of the players on the Baltimore Ravens are actually just clones of Raven-Symone, or Buddy “Cake Boss” Valastro, who is not actually the real Cake Boss, but rather one of the many characters of Paul F. Tompkins, the extra guests brought on always add another level of enjoyable silliness.
The surreal and oddball nature of Aukerman’s comedy is not for everyone. Heck, there were certain skits that I thought completely whiffed. But the beauty of the show is that it’s not afraid to try some of these outlandish skits and ideas. If a joke fails, it’s okay, because another five will be just around the corner. Over its first two seasons, Comedy Bang! Bang! has proven itself to be one of the more hilarious and original comedies in recent years, and it’s still going strong today.