TV Funhouse

I was skeptical at first--the weekly intro with the host in various positions while people walk around him isn't great--but this show is hilarious and gets better each week. Lots of shows try to be sick, but very few are sick AND funny in a new enough way to make them watchable each week (South Park being the obvious king of the genre). The show consists of both live action, with the kiddie-style host "Doug" and his puppets, and short clip segments (many of which are cartoons). Happily, Smigel doesn't just fall back on the Ambiguously Gay Duo or Triumph; his new creations, like the Joe Camel Pokemon take-off, are very funny if a little over the top. I do wish he wouldn't use real kids in his skits, as most of them are clearly adult-oriented. Comedy Central has had more than enough bombs lately, but "TV Funhouse" is definitely worth watching.

From his days on Saturday Night Live to his success on Conan, Robert Smigel has shown his amazing ability to create memorable characters. This show was very witty and low brow at the same time. My favorite episodes involved Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (a Robert Smigel creation) and a lizard who doesn't want to mate. Robert Goulet does a great job playing himself (as a pal of Triumph) and I would recommend this for everyone except young kids. There are great cartoons in this show but they aren't for children.

Network: Comedy Central; Genre: Sketch Comedy; Content Rating: TV-14; Classification: Contemporary (Star range: 1 - 4);

Season Reviewed: Complete Series (1 season)

Robert Smigel, the voice of Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, spins off his shining diamond in the rough 'TV Funhouse' animated shorts from Saturday Night Live into his own sketch comedy show for Comedy Central. The title couldn't be more appropriate, as the show is a brightly colored carnival ride through the absurd, the sick and the twisted in Smigel's mind now given free reign for a full 22 minutes. It is delivered to us like a full-length children's television show. Doug (Doug Dale) is our gosh darn, sweet as sugar host, always coming to us in ridiculous get-up of whatever theme day today's show is about - Astronaut Day, Hawaiian Day, Western Day, etc. His puppet pals are the AniPals and include a turtle, a chicken and his chicks, a dog who does nothing but chase his tail with malicious intent and Triumph himself. We follow the AniPals into their world and out of the studio as they discuss all manner of foul things and get into all kinds of wacky situations.

It's pretty well known at this point that what Comedy Central finds funnier than anything in the world is not a well timed comedy of errors or witty naturalistic dialogue, but nothing more than scatological vulgarity - especially when it is juxtaposed against a backdrop as wholesome as a kid's show. Swearing puppets? Comedy gold to them. Despite this autopilot programming, they actually stumbled onto something with this show. 'TV Funhouse' is actually funny. It works because the show doesn't tip it's hand and ironically snicker at itself, but plays it's cornball set-up with a poker face. Smigel doesn't spare us from anything crude here, making ample use of projective vomit, novelty poop, hair balls and - in a particularly disgusting segment - Terrance the snake hacking up a mystery item that he ate that day. But Smigel does it all with a giddy smile. He splatters the walls with that wit, edge and feverish enthusiasm that make his 'Ambiguously Gay Duo' or 'Fun with Real Audio' segments on 'SNL' such a hoot. His dead-pan animated segments were the best, featuring such things as 'Wonderman' whose soul goal was to save only beautiful women and get his alias some action and 'Sted-Man' in which Oprah's live-in boyfriend Stedman haplessly pretends to be a CIA agent to avoid commitment.

Most amazingly, 'Funhouse' is able to keep it's pace up at a funny pitch almost the entire 22 minutes. There are dud skits here and there, but any attempt at sketch comedy series in primetime is wrought with dead spots and minefields. The disaster that was 'The Dana Carvey Show' proved that even the most talented comic can't keep every sketch in each episode hysterical. So Smigel hits more than he misses, particularly compared to most shows. That is quite an achievement in this genre. Disgusting, fitfully funny and lined with pointed commentary. I can imagine that if this type of offbeat crude comedy is ever going to get appreciated as a kind of post-modern art it would have to be from Robert Smigel leading the charge. I'd follow him.

* * *

This show is what Comedy Central needs. Good stuff. Its obvious the creator is ballsy enough to snub his nose at censors and for that I applaud him. Who out there wish there was a show with puppets that was as nasty as the puppet shows we made as kids? C'mon now! This makes up for the other shows which just plain sucked, like Strip Mall and the League of Gentlemen (Which they thankfully canceled).

There is no doubt that comedy central has gone down hill... but this show is awesome. I don't think there's been a time I haven't laughing during this show. It has great writing and I think corrupting children is the funniest. "Places to find Christmas presents", "Jokamel", "Stedman"... this show is genius.