newcritics

Writers of sketch comedy were the focus of two events at The Paley Center for Media this week, which by happenstance became the week television writers went on strike. Irony strikes again. Luckily talking about what they do crossed no picket lines.

The first event featured the the huge talents of Upright Citizens Brigade, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Amy Poehler, and “Matt Walsh” (who was unusually quiet*), and the second brought the whole writing staff of Late Night with David Letterman Show to the stage, in conjunction with the New York Comedy Festival. They were two fabulous evenings of connecting with the very root of some of the great sketch comedy on television.

I did not know UCB firsthand. I hadn’t watched their show on Comedy Central nor seen their live improv act. But since clips were shown throughout the evening, that wasn’t a problem.

And what clips. Mogomra vs. the Fart Monster, Jesus Camp, Psychotonomy, Hot Chicks Room, Flight Simulation—

Watching UCB’s television is to enter a bright world of inanity. As Ross Ruediger of The Rued Morgue writes in his review of the second season DVD, “Sketch comedy is rarely this meticulously plotted or strung together, and this material becomes funnier on repeated viewings, hence it is ideal for the DVD format.”

In person, the trio was every bit as sharp and witty as you would want them to be, something that always sets off seeing writers in person as opposed to actors. They spoke of their mentor, Del Chase, and his innovative improv framework “the Harold,” which they brought to tv to structure their 22 minutes (a little shorter than an average Harold).

Todd Hanson, of The Onion, was the moderator and obvious serious fan. (And what a fabulous voice—he should be on the radio.) Part of the discussion centered on the anger and rage at the base of this comedy. It’s a reaction to the status quo at large, and to personal issues, such as Besser’s grandmother sending him to a Christian sports camp.

“From the dawn of civilization, they have existed in order to undermine it. Our only enemy is the status quo. Our only friend is chaos. They have no government ties and unlimited resources. If something goes wrong, we are the cause.”

The show also used filmed real-life pranks, as the Brigade worked their magic on unsuspecting city dwellers. There’s an appealing energy to their work, and a slick yearning to skew anything that smacks of hypocrisy while goosing anything that just seems too pedestrian. (*Matt Walsh couldn’t make the evening, but sent an impersonator so that the quartet would not become a trio.)

The usual daily dose of silliness comes via the Late Night with David Letterman Show. What was cool about seeing the whole team onstage was that it made me think of the writing teams of the greats—Bob Hope, Jack Benny, George Burns. This is the modern-day incarnation of those legendary guys. They craft the character of “Dave” as surely as their predecessors created the greats.

And “guy” is the operative word. I had to leave the evening early, and don’t know if anyone asked about the lack of women on the team. That’s a debate for another day.

Led by brothers/head writers Eric and Justin Stangel, each writer showed clips of specific things he had written. Bill Scheft, a longtime writer, was a funny moderator, and again, as witty and fast on his feet as you want your Late Show writer to be.

Whether you think it’s sophomoric or cutting-edge, the comedy on the Late Show is dependable. You have a horrible day, and you know you can turn on the tv as the day is finally ending and Dave is going to be there doing his thing for you. It’s a sure thing in an uncertain world. And like the great comic personas of the past, he needs a team to put him there.

Long live the writers’room—and may they be given what they deserve to get back into it soon.