The Ben Stiller Show
From Free net encyclopedia
The Ben Stiller Show was a sketch comedy television show that aired on Fox from September 1992 to January 1993. It was a spin-off from the successful MTV series of the same name. The show starred Ben Stiller, Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo, Bob Odenkirk, and John F. O'Donohue. It featured numerous filmed comedy segments, many of which parodied early-'90s pop-culture. Despite excellent reviews, Fox cancelled the series after only 12 episodes due to low ratings.
After cancellation, the series took home the 1993 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety Series. Despite its short prime-time run, many consider the show to contain some of the best satire of its era. It continues to have a cult following, and the complete series DVD was released in 2003.
Many of the writers and performers used the series as a springboard to greater success in comedy and entertainment. Series creator, writer, director, producer, and host Ben Stiller, went on to star in multiple box office hits, starting with There's Something About Mary in 1998. Co-creator and writer Judd Apatow went on to produce numerous popular comedy series and films, and directed the hit 40 Year Old Virgin in 2005. Performer Andy Dick had a co-starring role on the NBC comedy Newsradio, and later had his own MTV series (The Andy Dick Show), which borrowed the format of The Ben Stiller Show. Dick remains a presence in comedy to this day. Janeane Garofalo spent a year at Saturday Night Live, an Emmy Nominated role in The Larry Sanders Show, and has had a successful career in stand-up comedy. Bob Odenkirk subsequently starred with fellow series writer David Cross on HBO's absurdist sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David.
Popular sketches and characters
- Melrose Heights 90210-2402: Parody of the teen driven dramas of the Fox network.
- Skank: A wildly successful domestic sitcom starring a rude sock puppet named Skank (played by Andy Dick) whose catch phrase is "Shut Your Stinkin' Trap!"
- The No, No, No Guy: Ben Stiller plays a pushy fan who talks celebrities into embarrassing situations.
- Ask Manson: Bob Odenkirk plays lunatic Charles Manson answering personal query letters.
- Cops: Ben Stiller and John O'Donohue play policemen in various historical settings a la Fox's Cops program.
- Grady's Oats: Contributor Dana Gould portrays a Wilford Brimley-esque character giving rustic monologues praising, among other things, his love of putting on a pink taffeta gown and filling his panties with Grady's Oats.
- Michael Pheret, Agent: Ben Stiller plays a fast talking agent with horrible ideas.
- Stiller's Wheel of Filler: Sketch wherein the premise of a short piece is determined by the random turning of a big wheel.
- The Grungies: Over-the-top Monkee's style sitcom set in the super-serious Seattle grunge scene. Actual Monkee Mickey Dolenz played a talent scout in one instance.
- U2: Various sketches use Stiller's Bono impression; including: a U2 rockumentary about their supposed partnership with former manager Ruben Kinkaid, from the Partrage Family; and a parody of U2's bombastic ZOOTV tour.
- Bruce Springsteen: Stiller plays the Boss in various sketches including the "Legends of Springsteen" sketches wherein Bruce, always a man of the people, goes above and beyond the call of duty to affect people's lives. He is also featured in short vignettes in which he makes an answering machine message, and counts to 24.
- The Pig Latin Lover: Stiller plays the top selling crooner in the whole Pig Latin Language market.
- Tom Cruise: Various sketches use Stiller's Cruise impression, including one where Cruise stars in a one-man Broadway show re-creating his famous film roles.
- Foxy the Fox: Judd Apatow plays the supposed mascot of the racy Fox network in a few Public Service Announcements aimed at children.
- Relaxation Tapes: Andy Dick plays the sometimes obtrusive voice in a relaxation tape.
- The Let-Go Clinic with Tony Bobbins: Parody of motivational speaker and author Tony Robbins. Stiller plays Bobbins as a manipulative spokesperson for the Let-Go Clinic, a motivationaly driven institution with questionable ethics.