Norm Macdonald Has a Show

This show is better than most interview shows out there right now. It's kind of like a choose your own adventure interview for the guests. Norm allows them to be as serious and/or as silly as they want by asking good questions and injecting comedy throughout. It also has great production value. My only complaint is that the jokes segment at the end could be a tad bit longer. (To be honest, I wish each episode were longer.) Norm is a very knowledgeable guy and adds a lot of depth to each interview.

3 episodes in and I'm so glad they captured the same feeling that Norm Macdonald Live had. I really hope a second season is ordered because I'll keep Netflix with commercials if it means more Norm.

I have always been a fan of Norm - stand-up, SNL, sitcoms, David Letterman and Howard Stern appearances, sports show host... But I think this is the best. He is good at adjusting his style to the guest. The first episode with David Spade seemed pretty loose, like just a group of guys laughing it up in his basement. He was great with Drew Barrymore, who I also love, and then I was surprised to see Judge Judy and Jane Fonda as guests. He was so respectful to them, and seemed to know exactly how far he could go with his jokes. I also like how his sidekick Adam Egret does not jump in and interrupt, like some talk show sidekicks. He doesn't have a studio audience to tell you when you should be laughing, so when they are funny, they are actually funny. But, the interviews are actually pretty interesting, too. They talk about things that I think people actually want to know about, that the guests dare not talk about on a regular network talk show. Keep it up, Norm. You're doing just fine.

Norm is so authentic and natural that he brings out the humanity of his guests better than any other talk show host. Although the show is heavy with irony, irreverence, and hilarious non sequiturs, there remains a genuine warmth between Norm and his guests (and to a lesser extent his sidekick Adam Egret, who masterfully plays the role of the good-natured inflatable clown punching bag). You can tell Norm's guests truly like him and some even revere him for his incomprehensible comedic genius.

Unfortunately, like all geniuses, Norm is often misunderstood. Many can't make sense of him because, like a force of nature, he is unpredictable, and is often indifferent to politically correct pieties. This is refreshing to most honest souls, but is anathema to the puritanical ideologues who currently dominate the media. For this reason, Norm will likely never have mass appeal. For the same reason, he is a true artist with integrity whose legacy will outlive most of his peers.

For those not familiar with Norm's humor and personality, the show may be somewhat puzzling at first. I urge you to stick with it. He grows on you, and you feel yourself and your own humor growing along the way.

Norm is at his best. Before you judge Adam Eget, please watch his old Norm MacDonald Live spots...Adam is doing exactly what Norm wants him to do.

Norm interrupts and has horrible (or genius?) segues between topics which is his trademark. That's what makes it different and funny. Even when he interrupts, the guests love him.

I only hope he gets Gilbert Gotfried on ASAP.