Key and Peele

Key and Peele is a highly clever and hilarious sketch comedy series. It feels like a descendent of Chappelle's Show. Some of the skits are legitimately the funniest things I've ever seen in my laugh. Many of them having me crying from laughter. I love this show.

The show does dip in the later seasons. In the future I will only rewatch the first three seasons.

Season 1: 9 stars (about 4 viewings, 7/12/2023)

This show is amazing. There are multiple times per episode where I have to pause it because I'm laughing too hard. So creative. And they're both so awesome and naturally funny.

Season 2: 8 stars (about 4 viewings, 7/15/2023)

The misses are more common but the hits are just as strong. I love when they show crowd reactions when someone is dying from laughter.

Season 3: 8 stars (about 4 viewings, 7/24/2023)

Season 4: 6 stars (about 3 viewings, 7/31/2023)

This season has a few hilarious sketches, including my favorite KP sketch, Consequences! But more than half are either misses or just mildly amusing without laughter. And I miss the crowd. The car conversations rarely make me laugh.

Super Bowl Special: 6 stars (about 2 viewings, 8/1/2023)

Season 5: 4 stars (about 2 viewings, 8/11/2023)

More misses and very few hits. It's difficult to get through.

Key and Peele are the most acerbic, gutsy, and funny duo on American television today. In fact, comedy duos seem to be a lost art form in the United States (gone are the days of Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, and Martin and Lewis). Perhaps, that's why Key and Peele seems fresh, while at the same time, hearkening back to pre-war era comedy. The writing is heavy on satire, but the performances are rife with pratfalls. In an era of snark and ironic distance, it's invigorating to watch a comedy in love with the execution of a sketch, not just the target of a joke. The cinematography also elevates the show above the usual crop, with its filmic look and splendid editing. Noting about this show is slapdash (Judd Apatow improv, this ain't). The show's writing and performing is deliberate and the dividends are many! Highly recommended.

I saw their "I Said Bitch" skit a few months ago when one of my friends shared it on Facebook. It caught me off guard with how clever, perfectly-timed, well-acted, multi-dimensional, and downright funny it was. I told myself that I would definitely start watching this show…but my hectic schedule caught up with me, and it faded from my memory before I was able to set aside time to watch one episode.

But the videos kept going viral on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and after clicking on "McFerrin vs. Winslow," "Ultimate Fighting Match Preview," "Yo Mama Has Health Problems," and "Gay Marriage Legalized," I was hooked! Next thing I know, I was ripping through episodes on Hulu, and posting and emailing episodes to my friends…I was even pulling co- workers into my office and telling them, "You HAVE to watch this sketch RIGHT NOW…it's only 4 minutes long."

This is the closest production I've found to Chappelle's Show, although the comparison isn't exactly fair. Chappelle's Show was outrageous and far beyond the bounds of anything anyone had seen on TV before (not taking away from the fact that it was extremely creative, witty, and funny), leading to ROTFLMAOs. Key and Peele is a bit more subdued, and much of its humor lies in its subtext. You'll still get a few ROTFLMAOs, but a lot of the laughs may just be LOLs, or smirks. Not every skit is a hit, but the producers manage to cut the less-funny skits before they get annoying, unlike Saturday Night Live (again, an unfair comparison because that show is live, while Key and Peele is pre- taped and edited).

Key and Peele are both extremely witty, charismatic, and talented comedians and actors. I enjoy their two-man stand up (I think it's a successful formula, when you have the right team), and watching the entire episodes actually allows you to enjoy the episodes more than simply watching them on YouTube because the setups often give you additional insight. Dave Chappelle used to do the same thing successfully. Peele's imitation of President Obama is impressive, and the "Anger Translator" skits are hilarious. I can't wait until Season 3.

For more reviews and a kickass podcast, check out: www.livemancave.com

This is and always will be one of the greatest sketch comedy shows ever. It's brilliant and practically perfect. The writing is smart, insightful and hilarious. But best of all, actors Key and Peele are chameleons who vanish into an infinite number of characters with a wide range of different personalities, and that's what makes this show work. Even the best writing can fall flat if the actors aren't up to the challenge. Those two are pitch perfect in every single sketch.

There was a void in Comedy Central after "Chappelle's Show" ended and, while I don't want to say that "Key and Peele" completely filled it, they sure helped me not notice the absence as much. "Key and Peele" were gut-busting hilarious and YouTube users have enjoyed them by the millions. It sucks they only gave us four years, but like they say: "Leave them wanting more."