After a disappointing start the first two weeks, “Michael and Michael Have Issues” finally hit its stride last night. The skit above, in which Michael Ian Black goes shopping for sweatpants after a bad break-up, damn near killed me.
The meta “behind the scenes” half of the show is coming along, too, as the Michaels are growing into their vain, petty alter egos. I still don’t like it as much as the skits, but that’s because the “Curb Your Enthusiasm”/”Arrested Development” style of humor-through-awkwardness is hit and miss with me.
Whoa, whoa! Put down your pitchforks! I didn’t say anything bad about “Arrested Development”! I was merely talking generally about a style of humor! Hey, that’s real fire on your torch! IT BURNS! I take it back! I’m sorry! Michael Cera is a genius!
Yesterday in Brooklyn, television stars gambled for charity. David Cross (left), Michael Ian Black (right), and “This American Life” host Ira Glass (standing at table) all participated in the Honest Elimination Poker Tournament at 826NYC, a non-profit organization that provides free tutoring and various creative writing workshops for children. Impressively, out of about forty players, Cross and Black finished third and fourth, respectively, while Glass busted out early but stuck around to deal to the final table.
I was called into service for the event because apparently, people who run non-profits in Brooklyn aren’t degenerate gamblers — but if they’re lucky, their volunteers are! So I ended up dealing for a couple hours before turning to glorified tasks like changing out chip stacks and shuffling the second deck for Glass.
All three were friendly, engaging, and funny (as well as adroit poker players). Cross downed beers and cheerfully interacted with his table, while Black’s familiar mannerisms came through in everything he did. And both of the comedians made fart sounds, which is something I can always appreciate. Black also took his loss with good humor: he was big-stacked until his pocket aces lost to pocket fives (four spades on the board gave the underdog a flush), and he reacted with a shrug and merely said, “It’s okay, I sucked out earlier today.” (Though he later tweeted, “Poker literally ate my dick today. Literally.”)
Since the event was for charity, no cash prizes were given, but the three celebs did sign the trophies for the top two finishers (Cross: “F-ck you.” Black: “JEWS!”). More pictures of the event are here, and you can see me sweating out the previous night’s booze here. And remember, it was all for the children. I’m such a selfless functioning alcoholic!
Michael and Michael Have Issues (Comedy Central) — As I wrote before this site went public, I am massively excited about this Black/Showalter collaboration. If it’s not funny, I will eat my hat. Or at the very least, I shall eat a bowl of macaroni and cheese that symbolizes a hat. Watch it or we can’t be friends. (Read more: the M&MHI blog; their interview with the Onion’s A.V. Club; this glowing review from the Boston Globe.)
Dark Blue (TNT) — Dylan McDermott stars in the series premiere of this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced police drama about super-secret way-undercover cops. Too bad, I read the name of the show and was hoping it was about sharks.
Leverage (TNT) — Timothy Hutton’s back as the lead for Season 2 (I think it’s Season 2 — I didn’t feel like double-checking) of this series about con artists who target evil corporate bigwig types. Thanks, guys. Way to not stop the economy from collapsing.
The Philanthropist (NBC) — Are you watching this? Stop it. The only people who like this show are Madonna, Bono, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
America Has Talent (NBC) — It’s slightly more high-brow than “America Done Got Talent.”
Extreme Loggers: Ice Loggers (Discovery) — Season 2 premiere. From Yahoo TV: “After an ice bridge is built, the race is on to haul valuable timber to the mill, but warming temperatures and equipment failures threaten to shut down operations.” Oh no! I sure hope their efforts to cut down arctic forests are successful! **commutes 90 miles in SUV**
Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter (of “The State” and “Stella” awesomeness) will be reuniting on Comedy Central, which has signed up for seven episodes of “Michael and Michael Have Issues.”
“Michael and Michael Have Issues” stars Black and Showalter in a new twist on narrative and sketch comedies that features the long-time comedic partners as the hosts of their own fictitious sketch show. Sketches will be interspersed throughout the narrative thread of each episode. Behind-the-scenes of the show-within-a-show, viewers will get a first hand look at issues, both big (in an attempt to broaden their appeal, the guys turn their show into a frat house spectacle) and small (the two Michaels fight over the approval of a teenage intern writing an article about them for his high school newspaper.) that the two misguided stars wrestle with as they confront their own issues of insecurity and jealousy as each attempts to undermine the other.
Whoa, that’s a whole lotta meta. Charlie Kaufman approves. Maybe one of the sketches on their show-within-a-show should be about them playing actors who have a show-within-show!!! Then they could have a sketch-within-a-sketch! And they could hold a picture of themselves holding a picture of themselves! AHHHH I just shit my pants from having my mind blown!
