Stella

In many ways, Stella reminds me a refined late-night long-form improv set out of Chicago. There are numerous winks at the audience and stylized imitations of clichéd genres. Yes, it's alternative comedy but if you really let the premise flow with you, there is some very witty writing. The consequences of everyone's actions are very minimal but at the same time it's a show that tries to exist in a world of satire. Ultimately, it's about the three friends as they explore the world. (Albeit, a world filled with wacky antics.) Still, the basic tenets of improv are always being reinforced: the "Yes and.." nature combined with a concentration on the relationship between the characters.

While I can completely understand the polarizing nature of this show, I found it to absolutely hilarious. While the comedy (like all comedy quite frankly) isn't for everybody, if you are a fan of absurd and esoteric humor this is definitely for you. There's little jokes buried beyond the action that gives way to repeat viewing. Even banal things such as walking seems humorous when done by the men of Stella. I cannot wait for further episodes, and while I assume the show will probably burn out after 2/3 seasons, it will be a great ride while it lasts.It is a show you should definitely check out. You may not like it, but it's worth a shot.

In the post-Friends era where the "sitcom is dead," the new Comedy Central series Stella proves that great comedy is about innovation, not repetition. It's a difficult task to describe what makes the Stella trio of Michael Ian Black, David Wain, and Michael Showalter so side-splittingly funny. Perhaps it's that one never knows what they will do next. The three ne'er-do-wells find themselves propelled from one exceedingly far-fetched situation to the next (being caught "in tableau", enjoying various dipping sauces for food they've found in the dumpster). This series will appeal to drama geeks, fans of 80s pop culture, dark humorists, and anyone sick of the rote, by-the-numbers that constitutes typical sitcom material. It finds a welcome home at Comedy Central, and will soon stand alongside other eccentric hits such as South Park, Chapelle Show, and Reno 911.

after a string of filler and hyped failures and like the-prank-show-whose-name-i-don't-remember and hollow men, finally something for a shorter attention span. i've seen stella doing stand up on comedy central and didn't like them, so imagine my surprise and delight when the pilot turned out to be brilliant.

each scene features random clichés (mostly Hollywood conventions) that are fully developed within 10 seconds to 5 minutes. another joke starts before you realize the last one's over, and they are stringed together like this to form scenes within the show. the characters are completely nonchalant about the rules of their world. while all three actors are men, they switch between masculine, feminine, even animal clichés. the show's distinguishing schtick is that random sketches combine to form a storyline.

the show is relentlessly committed to its absurdity and satire. the underlying idea is not unlike traditional spoof comedies ranging from monty python to mel brookes films to the more recent scary movie series, but this is more shamelessly random and faster. the 3 guys are really good. i had a great time with the pilot. my only concern is as the show progresses, how they will be able to come up with as much material for every episode in order to not resort to running jokes.

best show introduced on the network since chappelle. but not for everyone.

This show really took me by surprise. It's just so off-the-wall and different that most people don't know how to react to it at first. David Wain is by far the funniest of the trio. It's like they took all the expected cliché sections of movies and sitcoms, then replaced them with craziness and absurdity.

It's really a lot to take in the first time. I don't think this is for everyone, but give it a chance, you may find yourself coming back for more. And anyone who only watched it for 5 minutes and decided to write a review deserves to have their review taken off this site. The jokes are clever and in some cases subtle.