Mr. Show came around in 1995 seemingly out of nowhere and turned the sketch show upside down. Insanely intricate and well put together, the show flows seamlessly back and forth between filmed skits and bits performed live in front of an audience. Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are both incredible on the show, which was at once offbeat, weird, dark and always hilarious. Cross has obviously gone on to more fame since the show has gone off the air (though I find his stand-up to be a little preachy and annoying) and might be most notable as Doctor Tobias Funke on Arrested Development... and aside from that role, Mr. Show is easily the greatest thing he's done.
There are only four seasons of the show, and I think probably because it must be incredibly hard to keep up the complex way it was put together while keeping it consistently funny for the duration. I was also lucky enough to catch them live in 2002 when they did the Mr. Show: Hooray for America! tour, and it did not disappoint. (that short review means that while I remember laughing, I don't even remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, let alone any details from a performance over five years ago)
In honor of this Thursday's Beej, here are some of my favorite Mr. Show sketches:
The Audition
Phone Sex
Intervention
Shoe Store
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