Cheap Seats: Without Ron Parker

The Sklar brothers are enormously, uproariously funny and usually show it unequivocally several times an episode. Their spelling-bee-bell montage is hysterical, I've recounted it several times to people who blink at me, uncomprehending of the humor. I discovered the show in a dinghy hotel room on a dull business trip; laughing that hard saved my sanity. It's testament to their acumen and humor when people as funny as Jon Benjamin or Ed Helms will work with them. Those guys crack me up.

They have a good thing going, but there are a few big obstacles. ESPN Classic isn't exactly a ratings draw, so they won't get a lot of new viewers unless people stumble across it. It's too irreverent for a Disney network... The source material, too, can be so dull that they can't primp it enough to keep me interested. Steve Garvey made me a bit ill. I also think the genre of running-commentary-over-video is of limited appeal, which is too bad -- I love it. MST3K never really took off, although it stands its ground as a comedy great. Beavis and Butthead, while also enormously funny, had a lot of marketing weight and, let's face it, a bunch of schtick that struck a chord at the time it was out. Far be it from me to question Mike Judge's genius.

This has a sweet spot for viewership that's thirties, educated, geeky sports fans. For those of us in the demo, it's (probably short-lived) heaven. It may have a broader appeal, but I certainly don't hear people talking. I'm interested to see what Randy & Jason do with it, but I think they'll do their best work after it. There is certainly room for the slapdash comedy repartee they get going in mainstream television comedy.

The Sklaar brothers, Randy and Jason, do an excellent job bringing MST3k to ESPN Classic. There is a lot of random, useless stuff that's been shown on ESPN, and it's great to see them put on a show like this, which is what I always think of when I see things like "American Jump-Rope Championship." I find the Sklaar brothers to be quite humorous. I've seen some of their stand-up, which was also funny. They are geeky, but lovable geeks. They give the show a guys-in-their-basement-on-cable-access feel to the show that works well with their sense of humor and the format of the show. Here's hoping there's more seasons.

I am a huge fan of "Cheaps Seats" and just want to put in my two cents about this show. Yes, it is derivative of MST3K. But the Sklar brothers have a unique brand of "back and forth" that serves them well. I actually watched some of the events that they riff on back when they were first broadcast. Their comments make me wish I had said some of those things.

Randy and Jason rank on each other and the show itself. They included the MST3K gang in one episode! I think they are taking a much-needed fresh stab at the "sacred cow" of sports. Comedy is subjective, but my kids love the show and it was the hit of a family reunion last summer.

So, put your tongue in your cheek and enjoy some "Superdogs! Superjocks!" for the absurd exercise it is!

It's like "Beavis and Butthead" or MST3K, but with sports: Two geeks watch some old game while making snide jokes about it. It could be great, but the writing seriously sucks and the twin co-hosts are not at all likeable.

Take the infamous final moments of the 1982 Cal/Stanford football game. The hosts fixate on a guy in the crowd leaving before the big upset. Some fine mocking could have been had, but what do the hosts do? They bring in that fan (not really him) for a studio interview to ask him why he left before the end. His response? He wanted to beat traffic. Wow, guys, that's brilliant - I peed my pants, it was so funny. Since that probably was the real reason the fan left early, why not concoct some elaborate lie for him to tell before he succumbed to the humiliation and buried his face in his hands, weeping?

The other show I caught part of was a wrestling clip from 1980. One wrestler was playing an Iranian Sheik, so one of the hosts dressed liked him in front of a blue screen while blabbering in the same dodgy Arab accent. FYI, guys: Acting funny is not funny.

After the clip the writers thought it'd be funny to see this Sheik wrestler's resumé, which showed to include a stint as a playground bully. Hardee har har. Is there anything deadlier than comedy that isn't funny?

But the mediocrity of "Cheap Seats" can't be solely pinned on the writers. Jason and Randy may be superficially attractive, but neither show any ability in comedy, and their combined lack of screen presence makes the show that much unbearable. Earlier this week I saw them on an episode of "Action," where they were almost but not quite as annoying. (It didn't really bother me then since a) they were in only one scene, and b) that show had kickass writing.) They lack the timing and delivery necessary to make a joke work even if it were funny. They're not as cretinous as B&B or as erudite at Joel/Mike and the 'bots; they fall somewhere in between, which, as seen here, is deathly boring.

Shame, since the show has potential. It's got a good premise, and, being on ESPN Classic, a bottomless archive of sports clips. I'd love to see what could be done with, say, the '62 Mets or a shot of Pete Rose on the dugout phone. Get better writers and truly funny sports geeks/pop-culture savants to host (how about Bill Simmons? His column on ESPN.com's Page 2 is always good for a laugh), and I'll give "Cheap Seats" another shot.

If there's any reason to watch ESPN classic, it's this show. Randy and Jason Sklar host this show, and they fit perfectly. Their natural ability to compliment each other's actions make this show one of my favorites on television, maybe even my favorite. Picture Mystery Science Theater 3000, but with horrible "sporting" events. Unlike MST3K, they have to fit in a 30 minute time slot, so it's concentrated comedy instead of a long movie that gets boring... and these "sports" are just as funny, if not funnier, than any B movie from the 60's. Give the show a chance, and I'm sure you'll love it right off the bat... and if you don't, I pity your lack of a sense of humor.