Embrasse le poney

Whippee!

"Smack The Pony" was true twisted television. BRAVO kept it hidden in a late-night weekend time-slot, but this comedy-craving insomniac was not to be denied. "SMP" had me peeing my Calvins. I loved it, I never missed an episode, and my couch still has the urine-stains to prove it.

I don't think this show was anything like "Saturday Night Live". SNL has always been content in it's role as a mostly political/pop culture parody. SMP mostly avoided those themes-- eschewing celebrity impressions and giving us quirky, delightfully-bizarre, slice-o-life comedy. The 90 minute SNL moves with all the momentum of a drunk moth in a bowl of cold punch. SMP scoots right along, thanks to it's ultra-quick sketches and 30 minute running time. When the half hour is up, you're left wanting more.

Perhaps the most significant difference is that Smack The Pony featured a primarily all-female cast. Gifted comediannes all. The divine ladies of SNL have nothing on them.

Two of my favorite sketches are the ice-skaters in the kiss-n-cry (think: tongues) and the dental hygienist from hell (think: she's not very hygienic). Time to coat the sofa in plastic!

One of the funniest shows ever. Honestly.

I like the shot-on-film look, especially for many of their sketches which are "realistic." They seem to shoot in a variety of locations, and the actors are quite versatile. Also note that this is not "British humor", which I don't always get. I just caught this on Bravo (9/29/00).

Short sketches, very silly and bizarre - a little like Kids in the Hall. I love the "video interviews" for the Dating Service. It's sometimes difficult to understand because of the quick- and soft-spoken dialogue. It's becoming my favorite show.

Thank goodness for Bravo, which is airing Smack the Pony in the U.S., otherwise I would never have gotten to see this hilarious show. The actors of Smack the Pony's cast are somehow able to act each part with deadpan perfection, and the writing is always unpredictable and hilarious. One particularly nice feature that Smack the Pony has taken advantage of is that each sketch is short and to the point, UNLIKE other sketch comedy shows (one in particular with the initials S.N.L.) that just drag on and on, wallowing in their own stupidity. It's no comparison, really.. P.S. Americans might need to watch the show with closed captioning turned on occasionally.

If you like Britcoms,this show is for you. Its kind of like a British SNL when SNL was good. Hilarious and unpredictable. If you miss Absolutely Fabulous, check this one out, you will surely love this just as much as AbFab. I wouldn't be surprised to see this marvelous show on comedy central in the near future. But then again, it is a hard show to find on TV. The only place I've been lucky enough to catch it was on bravo, and some states don't even get bravo. but, If you have the chance to watch this terrific show, don't hesitate.