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Looking for some quality comedy entertainment to check out?
Who better to turn to for under-the-radar comedy recommendations than comedians?
That was in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and UNC Chapel Hill.
AndThe Ben Stiller Showwas, I guess, part of the …
It was alternative comedy, basically, which was not really what was happening in the clubs.
It was more narrative and sketch-based.
This was before they put them all on DVD, of course.
But I got them so that I could watch them over and over again.
He definitely seemed to pick more timeless people who would be around.
It wasnt necessarily the characters and the jokes, but it was Ben Stillers directing.
The sketches like Die Hard 12 orthe the thing with the sexy hose… You know, that hose commercial didnt really even have any characters or jokes or even dialogue.
It was just the music and the way it was directed that was really cool.
Its also interesting seeing all of the people he had working behind the scenes.Thats right, yeah!
So two really influential styles of comedy started in that show.
AndDino Stamatopouloswas a writer on the show, too.Yeah, thats right, and he was huge onConan.
He also was part of that cool alternative-comedy movement, and he went on toMr.
ShowandCommunityand some really weird Cartoon web connection stuff.
So their writing staff was small, but almost all of them went on to big influential things.
Maybe not their first job in TV, but their firstrealjob in TV.
But the shows that were at their peaks wereThe Ben Stiller Show,SNL, andIn Living Color.
Do you remember being brokenhearted when you heard thatThe Ben Stiller Showhad been canceled?Yeah.
But the networks kept trying, which I was glad of.
But I dont think sketch really had its heyday until cable opened up the doors.
I guess it was the forerunner, at least to some extent, ofMr.
Show,since I get the impression thats where Bob and David first worked together.Yeah, totally.
Im not 100 percent sure, but I think they met there.
And I think at least a few of thoseMr.
And you’ve got the option to see some of theirMr.
Showinfluences in Stiller with sketches like Manson.
And then Bob Odenkirk comes aroundSNLa bunch, but he hasnt hosted.
That would be really interesting.
And back when I was doing stand-up, Id do stand-up here and there with David Cross.
I remember it was hosted by Marc Maron, and Janeane Garofalo was on the bill.
But at least next door to it!
If you look at sketches like Manson, and the guy who says, Do it!
with people likeHerve VillechaizeandCasey Kasem.
You know, some things feel dated, but not as much youd think.
And its also just great to see how interesting and well-directed it is.
TheHusband and Wivesparody Woody Allens Bride of Frankenstein is just really well done.
It looks like a Woody Allen movie.
And Die Hard 12 looks like aDie Hardmovie.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
