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SWEEPS DAY ONE!! Herc Declares Comedy Central’s SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM The Funniest Live-Action Sitcom On TV!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
Comedy Central's new “The Sarah Silverman Program” is easily the funniest live-action sitcom on television.
When this fast-moving comedy connects with a gag – which is shockingly often – it connects deftly and with might. It may have been years since I laughed aloud as much at two half-hours of television.
“Program” is agreeably odd, similar in premise to “Seinfeld,” perhaps, but far closer in its profane anarchistic sensibility to “South Park.”
Sarah Silverman plays “Sarah Silverman,” an absurdly selfish and cheerfully jobless narcissist who lives with her waitress sister (“Comeback” co-star Laura Silverman) next door to a pair of mountainous homosexuals (mammothly entertaining heterosexuals Brian Posehn and Steve Agee).
The episode airing tonight apparently is not the pilot with Masi Oka. It’s about Silverman getting hammered on flavorful nighttime cold medicine and driving into a crowded schoolyard. We get to glimpse her slim and alluring bare hinder as she takes a musical pee.
The other Oka-free episode we saw – which I gather will air next Thursday - is even funnier, with Silverman lending shelter to a grateful if dangerously disturbed homeless man (Zach Galifianakis). A hideous “American Werewolf”-style ghost and a queefing malady manifest elements both pivotal and riotously engaging.
The show also boasts surprisingly high production values, with musical numbers, animated sequences and elaborate special effects in the mix. More importantly, whoever directed these episodes (it may have been “Monster House” writer Rob Schrab?) demonstrates extraordinary care with the material, missing no opportunity to maximize the mirth with, to my eyes and ears, expertly framed visuals and superb pacing.
I tell you, “The Sarah Silverman Program” is hilarious and it is art.
But what matters Herc’s opinion?
Time Magazine says:
… I love it … it's got your poo humor. It's got your pushing-PC-boundaries humor. If you don't like that, you're not going to like this show (which is essentially an expansion of the staged bits from Jesus Is Magic). You may not have liked South Park or Borat either …
Entertainment Weekly gives it an “A-minus” and says:
… more or less just a miniaturized version of her 2005 movie Jesus Is Magic — featuring wan plots that serve as carriers for savage cultural observations, tiresome musical numbers, random sketches, and smart-bomb one-liners. (The first episode, for example, concerns a quest for batteries.) But where her movie overstayed its welcome, the quick-shot format of TV works beautifully. The result is haphazard, amoral, ridiculous, wildly offensive...and, you know, totally hilarious. …
TV Guide says:
… Silverman reminds us how quickly the novelty can wear offwhile watching a pixie with a potty mouth. If there's such a thing as feminist frat-boy humor, Silverman has mastered it. Big deal. …
The New Yorker says:
… the meanest sitcom in years — and one of the funniest … The brilliance of the show — the force of its argument that sitcoms turn us into loserish loners — is also its abiding flaw. We admire the purity of Silverman’s scornfulness, but we don’t want to hang out with her the way we did with Mary and Rhoda. Not that she’d let us get that close anyway. …
The San Franciso Chronicle says:
… It's not very often that a TV show bursting with imagination, audacity, rude charm and a relentlessly funny worldview gets on the air, much less appears fully formed. But Sarah Silverman … has delivered an offbeat gem … a brilliantly realized reinvigoration of the sitcom as only Silverman could dream it. …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… Silverman's insensitive slacker character and her supporting cast milk big laughs out of mundane situations. … All series need time to discover their strengths and weaknesses, and this is no exception. But the show starts with a foundation of solid character comedy, which bodes well for the future.
Variety says:
… may be the brightest addition to Comedy Central's primetime roster since "South Park." … if the program itself isn't complete magic, then, excluding Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, it's certainly as close as Comedy Central has come to it in a good long time. …
10:30 p.m. Thursday. Comedy Central.
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PLEASE MARRY ME...AND STOP SWEARING!!!
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...a U.S. "Mighty Boosh" perhaps? -
That was easily the best comedy show to come out in the last decade. It seems like it's somewhat similar to the style of Silverman's show only more extreme (comedically I mean, not necessarily about what PC boundaries it pushed.) Although I am looking forward to Sarah Silverman's show, because anything that's not Carlos Mencia or Blue Collar automatically earns one comedy point in my book.
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but i doubt it will be as good as the late great wonder showzen or stella.
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what Stu Unger was to poker...
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to figure out if it was an insult or not.
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I found the men to be obnoxious as human beings. If K Fed spouted Seinfeld material I still wouldnt watch because, well, *barf*.
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You mean dead and bloated? To each his own, but sock puppets and kids dressed like Hitler aren't funny to me. They're just stupid.
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Which really was incredible comedy. I remember the first time I watched it and I was just blown away by the sheer insanity of what was going on. This sounds just like that, but with Silverman, who in my opinion is pretty wonderful. Hopefully this will get more than one season, and Kimmel won't appear.
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the size of a large groundhog down there. Drop those pants, Sarah, and let us know if we're getting another 6 weeks of winter or not.
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I just watched the DVD of Jesus Is Magic this weekend. The skits were definately the weakest part of the movie, I hope they've gotten better since then.
Now that I've heard that Zach Galifawhathisface will be in this, I'll be there regardless. Anybody remember his talk show (on VH1 I think) a few years back? That show was so underrated it was criminal. -
I've been in love with her for about a decade. I'm glad she's finally doing something, even if it's late night Comedy Central. She's certainly paid her dues. Taking Jimmy Kimmel's minuscule cock in her mouth shows dedication.
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About time she started putting in a couple of dollars for rent and pizza delivery.
Marry me Sarah. -
Feb 01, 2007 8:25:26 AM CST
Everyone who wants to boink Sarah thinks shes hilarious
by carmillavondoom
When really she is stunningly average as a comedian. I'll watch this though...looks like a 'cute'
dirtier Seinfeld -
Is that the guy who did the "SCUD, The Disposable Assassin" comic about ten years back?
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last week. They've got a link to some You/Goo/PooTube sketch/song from the show. I would TinyUrl the mother, but, really, who the fuck ever bothers with that here?
They can do anythings, that's who... -
Feb 01, 2007 9:04:33 AM CST
Ripped off The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
by evilwizardglick
Laura Kightlinger show is amazingly funny. And first.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815847/
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I saw the unfinished pilot for this months ago (close to a year) and I loved it. Specially the "I pooped song" and her love for Bugles snacks. Sadly, the other people in the discussion group were not to enamoured with it. Good to see it made it past that and that the jackasses I watched it didn't stop the show from coming out.
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RenoNevada2000:
Indeed, the very same Rob Schrab who did Scud. And he's finally writing the last issue now! http://www.robschrab.com/ -
Sure she's hot, but with almost every joke she makes, I cry.
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Sarah Silverman is so fuckin funny, I just about wet myself watching "jesus is magic" I cant waite for this show to air tonight!!
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Yes, she's very fuckable but also genuinely clever and fucking funny...I will check out the show.
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make lemonAIDS...funny
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If history is any guide, we Canadians are going to have to wait a year to see this show. There's an article about it linked off The Comedy Network's main page, but I don't see it anywhere else on there. I never watched STELLA because nothing caught my interest in the ads, and TCN has a bad track record with original programming IMHO. I watch TCN a lot, but it's all Comedy Central and HBO programming--and THE SIMPSONS.
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What happened?
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toss in Patton Oswald by episode 3 and you'e got a trifecta. Remember how wasted she was on SNL? God that show can suck the talent out of those that can mold themselves to Lorne's ways.
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Why is it that people like Chris Rock and Sarah Silverman became MORE successful after leaving SNL? The sooner NBC tells Lorne to fuck off the better the show will be. Anyone read that Live From Saturday Night book?
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Charlie? Charlie?
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Because the episode of the show called Stella that I saw was spectacularly unfunny. We're talking Emeril-sit-com unfunny. Sure it was weird, but weird is not a synonym for funny. Weird things are often funny, but not necessarily. While I like Silverman, every time I see her I can't help but think, "Ewww, she has sex with Jimmie Kimmel."
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Prime example of what's bad about cable TV. Marginally famous? Let's make a pilot with dick and fart jokes that come across more funny than they really are because it's on cable! What could follow up Silverman's show... a stupid redneck character that wasn't funny on SNL with a naked dude and a guitar? It's gold! Bring back the puppets making crank phone calls. -
Best comedian out there. I will watch this not just for him, but mostly.
Is it true that Crank Yankers is going to MTV2? I think that's kinda sad in a way. Is it still going to be produced by Adam and Jimmy? -
Sarah: "I don't take a cumshot on the face, it clogs the pores. Robin, you should try it though. You'd wear it well"
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... cancelled!
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...is either the Office or 30 Rock! Tina Fey is equally talented and Alec Baldwin and the rest of the cast kill me every week. I f*cking hate sitcoms so much it hurts my brain but damn if there aren't some good ones on right now.
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"Easily the best live-action comedy on TV"??? It was good, but the above comedies just outclass it.
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so... this show sucks
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but getting there was a long and laborious 10 minutes.
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Silverman's "if a girl says Jimmy Kimmel's old-timey racist jokes, its okay" humor is so old. She does seem to have a great cast around her though. Silverman's humor changes depending on which comic she is dating/having her comedy being written by.
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Quite possibly the worst thing that comedy central has put out since that weekend when they showed Sorority Girls over and over again. Silverman is lucky that she's a babe. I kept watching just HOPING that it would provide humor. Not even gay neighbors could have saved this one. I'll stick to my 9:30 PM scheduled masturbation session, thank you very much.
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so is she fucking Michael Richards?
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I love Sarah Silverman to death...But...with only 5 main characters...this show is gonna live and die on the "guest stars" that inhabit each episode...like the wise, old black lady tonight. (Stella had the same problem...with only 3 main characters)...Also think her real life sis is miscast as her TV sis...Even though she's playing the straight guy to Sarah's wacky persona...she just doesn't "pop" off the screen at all. Perhaps it was her character's writing this eppy...but she was kinda wall flowerish. And...not sure how many times we're gonna swallow the musical numbers that start of sweet & virginal...then segue to Sarah inserting POOP, VAGINA, MAN CHOWDER...or some other "shocking" pay off word in the chorus. We got plenty of that in Jesus Is Magic...by now...the "shock" just isn't there...for me anyways. This show might be better served to go the Chapelle route...and not try to tell a full 1/2 hour story, but rather, do several "sketches" that payoff in 5 or 10 minutes. Laughed a few times out loud...but not nearly as often or as loud as Earl, Office, Scrubs & 30 Rock over on NBC. (Btw, coincidence...Randy on Earl...and the gay guy Steve on Silverman both had great scenes fighting back vomiting)...But hands down...the Emmy for comedy tonight has to go to Paul Reubens as the mutant in-bred birthday prince on 30 Rock. That's the kinda "guest star" performance Sarah's gonna have to pull off to keep her show on the air longer than a season.
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why are all the tv critics raving about this? It sucked. There were a couple of funny moments but I laugh more at reruns of King of Queens and Raymond.
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but I bet if she looked like Kathy Griffin, she wouldn't be half as popular as she is.
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Then God help us all. I don't even think I'll watch the Masi Oka episode.
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Same type of humor, but not nearly as funny. Without AD, Always Sunny is the new best sitcom on TV.
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Ive never been a big fan of Sarah's humor but I thought the show was a pretty arch parody of your typical single girl and her whacky friends sitcom. The animation and songs were great, as were the man mountain homos. The show is definitely wierd enough that it will likely only last one season, if that. I don't see how they can sustain something like this, but while it is on, I'll definitely watch it. Reminds me a little of Mr. Show.
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She can be funny at times. However, the problem is that her shtick gets tiring fast.
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This is the worst show of the 21st century. I mean, it was worse than your typical high school skit. She must have an amazing publicist to have bought off each of those reviewers AND Herc ;). I mean...wow!
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It's ridiculous, but ridiculous can be good. As for "ALWAYS SUNNY"... I saw it once and wasn't really impressed. The characters kind of annoyed me.
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Signing away your soul to the devil. Sarah Silverman is the Ann Coulter of comedy. Watching a women say all these extreme things is the spectacle itself and their only gimmick. Because if any guy did the same material, it wouldn't get the kind of press they do because they're a dime a dozen.
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Sure I wanna bang Sarah so I may be biased but some parts were pretty funny. I agree it probably shouldn't be a full 30 min story though , doing it like the chappelle show would work for me.
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http://www.videomax.ro/Images/actors/1520_a_normal.jpg
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...drinking the bottle of Orange magic.
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it was way better than anything else on tv (except arrested) and all they got for it was 10 episodes ... one of the only shows i didnt bittorrent and actually bothered to pay money
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I really look forward to more of this show. I was literally crying with laughter during the cough syrup hallucination sequence. Definitely has the potential to become another "Strangers With Candy", "Upright Citizens", "Dr. Katz" or "Stella" for Comedy Central (screw "South Park"!)
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I guess I can find Sarah Silverman's loony, bathroom-mouthed shtick a bit tiresome if I watch it long enough, but I laughed really hard watching that pilot. Seeing a woman that hot doing and saying such stupid, insane things cracks me up.
I wonder if she's like that in real life... -
Oh man, I loved it, and I wasn't even stoned. Her pop-locking bit at the beginning was so random. Even her picking out the cough syrup was great "ooh, this one has a duck on it.... nighttime only, pssh, like my body knows what time it is"I guess I'm just tuned into her wavelength, but I loved it.
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"Stop flirting Laura, like he's really gonna be interested in some sex addict with a tiny vagina"Come on people, this is gold!
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