Do you know Abbott & Costello?

Yesterday, while at an event at the Chameleon Café in Endicott (which I will review later) I was speaking with a group of friends. As the conversation was going along, the subject of comedy came up. Initially we were speaking about Eddie Izzard, who I think is fantastic.



But as we went along the discussion turned to some of the funniest comedy skits ever. Obviously the discussion ran into Monty Python. And thus we talked about the Dead Parrot skit. Which I believe is one of the greatest comedy skits ever.



But not everyone in the group agreed. Why not I don’t know. Probably because this is a very British skit. But I love it.

So as we continued we came on what is the greatest comedy skit ever. I believe there is nothing ever done that beats this. It’s family friendly, before such a term existed. It’s about sports, but done in a way where even non-sports fan can enjoy it. It has a fast pace, yet anyone can follow it. It’s simple in the set-up, and delivers multiple times in the execution.

Abbott & Costello’s Who’s On First.



In over 60 years of comedy and films, no one and nothing tops this. I found it amazing that the younger people in my group had no idea what this skit was. I felt really bad that they did not know the joy of true pure comedy at its best.

Now that I have presented this to you my readers, I’m wondering. Do my younger readers agree? If you don’t can you offer a better skit than this? Of all comedy teams, who is better than what I just presented?

The Riches - gone but not forgotten

Sometimes you watch television because you need background noise. In fact I think most of the programs on television these days are design just to provide that, unless you know of a deep social commentary being provided by American Idol or Dancing with the Stars. But occasionally there is the rare standout. A program that entertains and stimulates you mind in some manner.

FX Network has gone a long way to provide some of that standout television fare. They have strived to create original programming that is realistic, and intelligent, and above all else watchable. The Shield is one of their most noteworthy original programs, but they also have Dennis Leary’s Rescue Me and the short run Thief to their claim. And they had The Riches. Notice I said had.

In a move that boggles the mind and seems like a bit of a flim-flam FX has decided to cancel The Riches. And I just don’t get it. The program was unique, well acted, and well written. There are only a handful of television shows across all 500 channels that you can say the same things for. I have to imagine that some of the uber-brilliant minds for the SciFi channel recently jumped ship to FX.

Now FX Network has said the ratings were poor. Which might be true. Except when you think of reality. Back in the 1970’s a hit show like Happy Days or M.A.S.H. easily could gather 20 or 30% or more of the national television viewers. Of course there were only 3 television stations providing shows then (yes in the world before cable there were just 3 national channels). Up until the 1980 when FOX created it’s upstart channel it was a 3 way race.

But once FOX became number 4, and then cable networks decided to grab a slice of the pie, everything changed. A hit program went from dominating the nation, to just being lucky to have double digit viewers. The combination of viewers watching Seinfeld and Friends (on a good night) might just match those that watched the Brady Bunch (on average during it’s original run).

Suffice to say that ratings are not what they used to be. And FX is good, but it’s hardly the only or main go to channel in a sea of channels competing for a sliver of attention. So the fact that The Riches did not hit the bleachers in 2 years means nothing to me. Most programs these days don’t gather a following until year 3 or so. Look at Cheers, or Farscape, or House or anything that has become a hit since 1995.

I think FX has made a horrible mistake. Minnie Driver has been solid and believable in her role as Dahlia, the mother of the show. Eddie Izzard has made a remarkable standout performance. His work in standup, and bit roles in movies like Ocean’s 12 and 13, gave no hint that he was capable of the performance he has made as the father, Wayne. I would put their performances against every other program on television today, and guarantee it will catch eyeballs and isn’t that what the networks really care about?

The Riches did not fail, I think the FX Network executives have. And if FX replaces this program with some sappy sitcom, or ill-conceived remake, or a poorly written lawyer drama I’ll be pissed. If they touch on any kind of ‘reality’ television programming I’ll never watch the station again. FX Network has set the bar high for themselves, and if they can’t match the caliber The Riches, Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard hit they just shot themselves in the foot. Because bait-and-switch doesn’t work in television programming.

Mind of Mencia season 2, The Riches - 4.1.2007.1

Well if you missed it, tonight was the return of the Mind of Mencia. Mr. Carlos Mencia didn’t miss a beat in jumping back where he left off. Right at the start he ran through the major celebrity meltdowns that happened while he was away. And did them well. Then he really took on a few things.

There aren’t many shows that can jump from jokes about the death of Mr. Steve Irwin, to a white guy getting eaten by a cheetah in Africa, to expressing admiration for MILF’s in song and make it all funny. Along the way there was a bit on how the “DEE DEE DEE’s” understand news broadcasts, which was right on the mark, and a great take on sports movies starring dwarfs, or little people I’m not sure which is appropriate.

The fact is that if this is how his season will go he is going to be on fire. He holds back nothing, and it’s a great thing. I’m sure his fame will grow. Expect to hear a lot about this guy soon. And hopefully the execs at Comedy Central have learned a thing or 2 from their experience pushing Mr. Dave Chappelle. Given they have then Mr. Mencia will grow exponentially.

In other cable network television shows, I finally got to see The Riches. It’s a very well done program. The story is involving and has a lot of potential. Like many of the cable shows these days it’s head and shoulders above broadcast network programs. I suppose if you like ‘reality’ programs or stuff like American Idol [I personally find that to be mindless drivel] you may not enjoy it, but if you like shows like Rescue Me, The Shield, Thief, Dexter and their ilk then you will love this.

I find Mr. Eddie Izzard to be a strong presence as the father of this uniquely unconventional family. Most probably are unaware of the comedy routine of Mr. Izzard. If you watch BBC America you may have seen it. Yes he is a Briton. And a funny one at that. He is also a very well dressed transvestite. Surprise, he wears women’s clothing. It has nothing to do with his ability as an actor, or a comedian. Watching him portray the con-man pretending to be a lawyer, and a frisky loving father, you believe him. His charisma is immediate.

No less believable and just as enjoyable is the performance of Ms. Minnie Driver. The mother and strong believer in her clan, she hits the right note between loving devious and determined. She is definitely not the woman to cross. She also has fantastic chemistry with Mr. Izzard. Of course her personal demons (the character) are no minor problem, though so far they have not really cropped up yet. But the potential for confusion and drama is clear.

The fact that the entire family is adept at long and short cons, pick pocketing, picking locks, stealing cars, and an assortment of other criminal activities makes them all formidable and interesting. An interesting twist, which existed before the hiring of Mr. Izzard, is the fact that one of the children is a cross dresser. The youngest son in fact, which is a unique thing for any program.

I keep mentioning that this is a unique program, and it is. Groundbreaking in a few of the issues that it addresses. And there is quality in every aspect of it. If you haven’t seen it, you really should.

This is what I think, what do you think?