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Herc Says Jon Stewart’s IMPORTANT THINGS WITH DEMETRI MARTIN May Be Comedy Central’s Funniest Sketch Series Ever!!

Published at: Feb. 11, 2009, 4:57 p.m. CST

I am – Hercules!!
“Important Things” star and creator Demitri Martin – a alumnus of Yale, NYU law school, Conan O’Brien’s writers room and “The Daily Show” (Jon Stewart produces “Important Things”) – creates brainy, clever, enormously original and, above all, hilarious comedy. He deftly employs musicianship and copious visual aids, and appears to have little use for current events or politics. He reminds me a lot of Steve Martin (no relation), and also comedians like Steven Wright and Rich Hall. The new show teams Martin with the also-hilarious actor-writer Jon Benjamin (who contributed heavily to “Dr. Katz,” “Home Movies” and “Lucy, Daughter of the Devil”). Based on its first two episodes, I’m ready to judge “Things” one of Comedy Central’s best shows, and likely the channel’s funniest original sketch show to date. The first minute of one of the premiere’s sketches:

That's not the entire sketch; it gets better as it builds. Another longish sketch in the premiere, about an actor having difficulty conveying anger on a movie set, is a little too long and simplistic for its own good. (The sketch also stars famous actress Amanda Peet, which I’m guessing is why it wasn’t cut.) If you don’t find tonight’s episode at least a little funny, I implore you to make a point to catch next week’s installment. Episode two boasts among its many virtues a brilliantly rendered piece about a new rat-extermination system. There’s also a great sketch about a superhero called The Revenger, a Batman-like figure who learns his father’s death – the event which drives him to exact brutal justice – may have been the result of natural causes. If you’re not hooked by the second installment of this 6-episode series, I gratefully release you back into the arms of “Tim & Eric,” “Chocolate News,” or whatever other sketch show you deem superior. Just know I laughed a lot. The Los Angeles Times says:
… the sketches are on the whole less funny than the stand-up, but they have their moments, and the show is on the whole worthwhile. What it is not -- unlike much comedy -- is chummy. …
The Chicago Tribune says:
… feather-light, funny … shares a sensibility with HBO’s similarly dry yet silly “Flight of the Conchords,” on which Martin has appeared … some comedians attempt to hold on to their audiences by bellowing loudly or otherwise shocking them. Martin's subversive approach is to implant his witty concepts deep in your brain, so that you're still thinking about them hours later.
The Washington Post says:
… Think the deadpan Steven Wright, only cheerier and more versatile. A stand-up comic and sometime cartoonist, Martin seems cursed with endless postgraduate cleverness. His is a comic mind that needs room to roam. Fortunately, that's precisely what this new project -- a studio-stand-up/taped-skits/animated-bits/musical-ditty hybrid -- offers. …
The Newark Star Ledger says:
… very funny …
The Boston Globe says:
… If you follow in Martin's tracks, and I recommend that you do, you'll find yourself standing in some mind-bending and even erudite places. He'll have you playing little games with the universe. … Does it all sound too clever, too meta? Martin's low-key ease protects "Important Things" from getting mired in preciousness. His deadpan is warm, and sometimes he actually smiles. He's 35, but he comes across like a kid who's reached that age when he challenges his parents' instructions like a little lawyer, taking apart their words to point out the loopholes. But he seems like a happy kid, too, and one that can make you smile.
Entertainment Weekly says:
… Things just makes you realize how much Martin owes to one-liner, conceptual forebears like Steven Wright and the late Mitch Hedberg. And not in a good way — Martin isn't as sharp as those guys. Too bad, because he is a droll, disarming fellow. …
USA Today says:
… a haphazard collection of jokes, skits and his trademark sketches that feels amateurish and unformed. It's unclear whether he's not ready or the format isn't right, but either way, he's being ill-served by the show. …
Variety says:
… Both his delivery and the show improve in installment No. 2, and one could make a case that by the time the season wraps up, he may have found his comedic groove ... if only he would blink occasionally. …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… even at its worst, "Important Things" carries a smart sensibility and a swagger that prove consistently endearing. …
10:30 p.m. Wednesday. Comedy Central.

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